SINGAPORE, Feb. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Kantar, the world’s leading marketing data and analytics company, reveals that the majority of marketers feel unprepared for GenAI implementation and integration, leaving significant untapped opportunity on the table. A lack of role-specific training and high costs are among the hurdles standing in the way of wider GenAI adoption in the industry.

The findings come from GenAI for marketing: Fear or FOMO, an in-depth qualitative study based on interviews with more than 50 marketing and capability leaders around the world. The research identifies the key challenges and best practices for unleashing the potential of GenAI in marketing teams and sets out a roadmap to guide marketing leaders through the process.

The study highlights the gap between the potential of GenAI to revolutionise the industry and current adoption among marketers. Looking ahead to the next three to five years, the consensus among senior marketers and capability builders is that GenAI is going to be a game-changer, with interviewees rating its impact at 9.0 out of 10 on average. But organisational readiness is lagging, with most respondents admitting they’re not quite AI-ready (4.9 out of 10), though external partners like agencies and data providers are seen to be slightly ahead of the curve at 5.3/10. This lack of readiness is holding back marketing’s GenAI revolution, with respondents believing that the industry is still in the early stages, rating the current impact of the technology on the industry at 5.3 out of 10.

GenAI equals effectiveness, not obsoletion

While some of the reluctance about AI stems from fears around the preservation of traditional marketing skills, Kantar found that marketing leaders understand that expert oversight will be essential, and that it will continue to be necessary for a human to be in the loop. Additionally, without foundational marketing skills, marketers risk becoming overly reliant on GenAI, cutting corners and losing the ability to critically evaluate AI-generated content.

Speaking to Kantar, Stephan Gans, Chief Consumer Insights and Analytics Officer, Pepsico, said: “People also feared that the accounting business would soon become obsolete when Microsoft launched Excel. Instead, we have more accounting firms than ever.”

The four roles for GenAI in marketing

The study outlines four ways that GenAI is set to transform marketing:

• Strategic advancement: building long-term brand strategies and challenging, validating and finetuning marketing outputs. For example, Group Bel developed its own internal GenAI tool, BelGPT. Amongst other functionalities, it connects market share, channel-based sales, and competitive data to see where the biggest growth opportunities for the portfolio sit, using AI as decision aid.
• Operational efficiency: using GenAI for day-to-day execution, streamlining tasks and automating processes like data management, tracking and workflow automation. When Reckitt analysed how its marketers were spending their time, it revealed where GenAI could be most impactful. They helped marketers automate some of their most time-consuming tasks and focus on what really mattered.
• Brand elevation: empowering long-term brand planning and innovation, using GenAI to help align marketing with overarching business goals, guide teams and influence trend forecasting. For example, Coca-Cola asked fans around the world what the year 3000 would taste like and combined this with insights from GenAI to co-develop a new limited-edition flavour, Y-3000.
• Automated marketing: engaging consumers in real time with tailored content. GenAI can help marketers with tasks including automating media buying or personalising messaging for different channels, devices and languages. For example, AIA, one of Asia’s leading insurance companies, created AI Sonny, an AI version of footballer and brand ambassador Son Heung-min who appears in videos to welcome and onboard new customers in a more personal way.

Schwabe Group, a health and pharmaceutical company, is an example of how end-to-end integration of GenAI enables businesses to capitalise on these opportunities: “GenAI helps us to solve complex challenges and work more efficiently across our business. By implementing AI initiatives in departments like R&D, we are able to accelerate processes while ensuring we meet high scientific standards. Nevertheless, it’s important to say that humans remain at the centre of what we do. AI supports us in focusing on what truly matters – developing innovative solutions to improve health,” said Alexander Reisenauer, Director Global Digital Marketing, Global Brand & Health Interest Strategy – Schwabe Group.

Conquering AI fear and FOMO

The benefits of successfully adopting GenAI tools include reducing the product development cycle to as little as six weeks and creating world-class creative concepts in 60% less time – underscoring the need for marketing leaders to act fast. Kantar’s study sets out how leaders can take their teams on the journey from fear to enthusiasm, with a roadmap setting out an approach for strategy, ways of working, training and leadership in the short, medium and long term.

Lyn Lim, Head of Commercial Growth, Kantar Consulting, said: “The overwhelming consensus among senior marketers is that GenAI is going to revolutionise the industry. But reality today is that many companies don’t feel ready yet. We see that leading organisations are making the shift from using GenAI predominantly for efficiency reasons to now also driving effectiveness. Those that get it right will succeed by building excitement and understanding around GenAI among everyone in their business: how they can help them achieve more with greater efficiency, speed, and effectiveness. We believe APAC marketing has the potential to leapfrog the world in its adoption of GenAI, just as it’s led the world in other aspects like social commerce and mobile marketing.”

Click here to read GenAI for marketing: Fear or FOMO.

Notes to editors

Methodology: Kantar’s study is based on a combination of in-depth desk research and interviews with 50+ CMOs, marketing directors and capability leads in key markets in Europe, as well as Australia and the US, conducted over two months in Q4 2024.

About Kantar
Kantar is the world’s leading marketing data and analytics business and an indispensable brand partner to the world’s top companies. We combine the most meaningful attitudinal and behavioural data with deep expertise and advanced analytics to uncover how people think and act. We help clients understand what has happened and why and how to shape the marketing strategies that shape their future.

LONDON, Feb. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The latest report from the Energy Transitions Commission, Achieving Zero-Carbon Buildings: Electric, Efficient and Flexible, draws a complete picture of the buildings sector’s emissions and energy use and describes how a combination of electric, efficient and flexible solutions can decarbonise buildings, improve standards of living, and reduce energy bills if supported by ambitious policy.

New Report from Energy Transitions Commission on Buildings Sector Decarbonisation

The global buildings sector currently contributes a third of greenhouse gas emissions (12.3 GtCO₂ in 2022).^[1] This comes from the use of fossil fuels for heating, cooling, cooking, lighting, powering appliances, and constructing residential and commercial buildings.

There is not a one-size-fits-all solution for decarbonisation, as different solutions work for different building types, countries, and climates, but three key priorities stand out for creating a zero-carbon dioxide emissions buildings sector:

1. Electrification replacing fossil fuels: Decarbonising heating and cooking is essential. Currently, gas and oil heating accounts for 8% of global emissions, or 3 GtCO₂. Switching from fossil-based heating and cooking to cost-effective electric and efficient technologies, such as heat pumps and electric hobs, is crucial and must be accompanied by the continued decarbonisation of electricity generation. By 2050, 80% of the energy used in buildings could be electricity; this would bring annual emissions from building use close to zero if electricity supply is decarbonised by then.
2. Dramatically improving energy efficiency: Rising use of air conditioners and the electrification of heating and cooking would result in electricity demand for buildings almost tripling, from 12,800 TWh to around 35,000 TWh by 2050 if energy efficiency is not simultaneously increased. But this could be reduced to around 18,500 TWh via a combination of:
   – Improvements in the technical efficiency of heat pumps, air conditioners, and other appliances.
   – Improvements in the energy efficiency of both new and existing buildings, considering a range of so-called “passive heating and cooling” building design techniques, such as insulation and painting roofs white in hot countries.
   – Smart building management systems and consumer choices which avoid wasteful use of heating or cooling.

   These improvements, together with the deployment of building-level batteries and other energy storage, smart building control systems, and rooftop solar generation are particularly important for reducing the growth of peak electricity demand, which is a crucial driver of electricity system costs.

3. Constructing efficient and low-carbon buildings: Constructing new buildings accounts for 7% of global emissions a year, or 2.5 GtCO₂. Global floor area (area covered by buildings) is set to expand by 55% by 2050 (or 140 billion m², which is almost 150 times the size of Hong Kong), predominantly in Asia, Africa and South America. If the average carbon intensity of construction remains unchanged, this expansion would result in a cumulative 75 GtCO₂ emissions between now and 2050.^[2] These cumulative emissions could be reduced to around 30 GtCO₂ via a combination of:
   – Decarbonising the production of steel, cement, concrete, and other building materials.
   – Using fewer materials in building construction via lightweight design and modular construction or using less carbon-intensive materials such as timber.
   – Better utilising existing buildings via extended building lifetimes and shared working spaces.

“Decarbonising the buildings sector is a story of many transitions. It’s vital for our climate goals and it’s an opportunity to improve living standards and reduce energy costs. Electric heating and cooking technologies will significantly improve air quality and have lower running costs than gas heating and traditional use of biomass. Cooling is essential to quality of life, especially as global warming intensifies due to man-made emissions. It is possible to achieve zero-emissions, efficient, and flexible homes with low-carbon building design techniques and technology that runs on clean electricity.” said Adair Turner, Chair of the Energy Transitions Commission.

However, implementing some of the decarbonisation options for buildings poses more complex challenges than faced in other sectors of the economy, for instance:

• For existing buildings, residential and commercial building owners can choose from many different low-carbon technologies and options to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, some of which can be disruptive and involve high upfront costs (e.g., roof or wall insulation, new windows, higher-efficiency heating and ventilation systems). The availability and cost of finance vary greatly between low and high-income households and across countries. Government policies must therefore combine clear targets to ban the sale of fossil-fuel boilers and cookers, with financial support for low-income families, as well as external finance (e.g., from multilateral development banks) to lower-income countries.  
• For new construction, specific optimal solutions vary by country, regional climate, and building type, and there are sometimes trade-offs to be struck between designing to minimise construction emissions versus in-use operational emissions. In addition, construction sectors often entail complex value chains of subcontracting and a large role for small and medium enterprises. Careful design and implementation of building design and construction codes, learning from international experience but tailored to specific circumstances is therefore vital.

“Unless we can radically decarbonise buildings we will fail to keep global warming under 1.5°C outlined in the Paris Accord. To do that we need to make changes all the way through the design, delivery and operation of buildings – from electrification of heating and passive cooling, to reducing embodied carbon emissions for new buildings and refurbishments.” said Stephen Hill, Sustainability and Building Performance Expert at Arup. “This will require collaboration right across sector, between governments, industry bodies and private companies. We need to be ambitious, but if we get it right we can cut carbon, generate value for our economy and improve people’s quality of life through action like improving living conditions and reducing fuel poverty.”

Given the complexity of the buildings sector decarbonisation challenge, the report sets out a detailed analysis of 7 different, though overlapping, challenges. Summaries of the nature of the problem, clean technologies, and actions required can be accessed via the links below:

“Buildings are responsible for one-third of the world’s carbon emissions. Harnessing the power of electrification, on-site generation, digital controls, IoT, big data and digital twins can make a net zero-carbon future in our built environment possible. Incorporating these technologies into new constructions or retrofitting existing buildings benefits the planet as well as the safety, resilience, and comfort of our buildings.” said Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman of Schneider Electric.

“WorldGBC mobilises a global network towards the just transition of the built environment for people and planet. We are proud to support this ETC report. It is a timely reminder of the connection between buildings and the energy system. The two are intrinsically linked – we cannot decarbonise one without the other.” said Cristina Gamboa, CEO of World Green Building Council (WorldGBC).

“A comprehensive, informative and crucial contribution to advance climate action, this ETC report on building decarbonization provides a holistic and pragmatic view of how the building sector can transition to a low-carbon future. A must-read for policymakers and industry leaders alike, the report’s regional approach ensures tailored solutions and valuable insights from best practice to turn ambition into action.” said Roxanna Slavcheva, Global Lead for Built Environment at World Resources Institute (WRI).

Achieving Zero-Carbon Buildings: Electric, Efficient and Flexible has been developed in collaboration with ETC members from across industry, financial institutions, and civil society. The ETC is a global coalition of leaders from across the energy landscape committed to achieving net-zero emissions by mid-century whose members include Arup, bp, HSBC, Iberdrola, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Petronas, Saint Gobain, Schneider Electric, Shell, SSE, Rabobank, Vattenfall, We Mean Business, and World Resources Institute. This report constitutes a collective view of the ETC, however, it should not be taken as members agreeing with every finding or recommendation.

Download the report: https://www.energy-transitions.org/publications/achieving-zero-carbon-buildings 

For further information on the ETC please visit: https://www.energy-transitions.org

The project will entail an investment of more than S$900 million and seed a future data centre fund

SINGAPORE, Feb. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — CapitaLand Investment Limited (CLI), a leading global real asset manager, has acquired a freehold land parcel in Osaka to develop its first data centre in Japan which will entail a total investment of more than US$700 million (S$944.3 million^[1]). 50 megawatts (MW) of power capacity have also been secured for the project.

The acquisition is a testament to CLI’s strong global multi-asset class network and deal-sourcing capability. With this latest acquisition, CLI has added 23 data centres to its global portfolio since 2021. CapitaLand Group has 27 data centres across Asia and Europe with about 800 MW of power and around S$6 billion of assets under management on a completed basis.

Mr Manohar Khiatani, Senior Executive Director of CLI, who oversees the Group’s data centre business said: “CLI’s data centre portfolio has expanded significantly over the last few years and we are delighted to expand our footprint to Japan. The acquisition is not only aligned with CLI’s digitalisation investment theme but also enhances CLI’s geographical spread, deepening its presence in Japan, one of CLI’s focus markets. CLI’s strong balance sheet gives us the distinct advantage to invest strategically in quality assets including data centres for our future private funds. Japan is a Tier 1 data centre market poised for tremendous growth. It is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 10%, from US$23.8 billion in 2023 to US$38.7 billion in 2028^[2]. It is also Asia Pacific’s largest data centre market outside of China with a 1.4 gigawatt capacity^[3], with both Tokyo and Osaka being key data centre hubs in the region. Major cloud service providers such as Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure and Oracle already have a presence in Osaka. Our acquisition is hence well-positioned to capture demand in Osaka’s established data centre cluster.”

Ms Michelle Lee, Managing Director, Private Funds (Data Centre) of CLI, said: “With the rapid adoption of digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) globally and especially in Asia, data centre demand is expected to enjoy double-digit growth and outstrip new supply. There is strong institutional interest in data centre investments, with 97% of investors planning to increase their overall investment in data centres^[4]. Leveraging CLI’s global network and on-ground expertise, we have secured this off-market opportunity in Osaka with 50 MW of power. Since October 2020, CLI has successfully raised about US$600 million (S$810 million) for our data centre development funds in Asia. CLI continues to develop new data centre fund products. We will also build on our investment momentum and identify compelling investment pipeline opportunities for our private fund investors.”

The data centre in Osaka will be AI-ready and feature state-of-the-art design with sustainability at its core. It will be designed, built, and certified in accordance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or an equivalent Japanese green-certification standard. The facility will integrate energy-saving solutions such as advanced cooling technologies and adopt industry best practices in temperature management to enhance energy and water usage efficiency. Furthermore, the data centre will utilise products with zero ozone depletion potential or with global warming potential (GWP) of less than 100 to minimise environmental impact.

CapitaLand Investment’s global data centre capabilities
The data centre in Osaka is a testament to CLI’s experience in investing, designing, developing and operating data centres. Combined with CLI’s deep market knowledge, deal-sourcing expertise, and global investment network, CLI’s vertically-integrated data centre capabilities enable it to partner with investors to tap into the wealth of opportunities in the sector.

CLI’s ability to deliver world-class data centre solutions was clearly demonstrated recently when CapitaLand India Trust (CLINT) signed a long-term agreement with a leading global hyperscaler for its data centres under development in India. With the agreement, CLINT is likely to pre-lease about half of its total gross power capacity of around 250 MW across its four data centres which are under development in India. CLINT is developing state-of-the-art facilities in all the key data centre corridors of India, i.e., Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

CLI’s localised data centre teams are led by country heads with over 25 years of industry experience each and supported by a global Centre of Excellence for data centre led by Mr Kenny Khow, Managing Director for Global Data Centre. Kenny, who has over 30 years of experience, joined CLI in September 2024 to oversee the development and execution of CLI’s strategy for its growing data centre business in close collaboration with CLI’s data centre fund and country teams.

CapitaLand Group has data centre investments across nine countries such as Singapore, Japan, South Korea, India, China, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

About CapitaLand Investment Limited (www.capitalandinvest.com) 

Headquartered and listed in Singapore, CapitaLand Investment Limited (CLI) is a leading global real asset manager with a strong Asia foothold. As at 30 September 2024, CLI had S$134 billion of assets under management, as well as S$102 billion of funds under management held via six listed real estate investment trusts and business trusts and a suite of private real asset vehicles that invest in thematic and tactical strategies. Its diversified real estate asset classes include retail, office, lodging, industrial, logistics, business parks, wellness, self-storage, data centres, private credit and special opportunities.

CLI aims to scale its fund management, lodging management and commercial management businesses globally and maintain effective capital management. As the investment management arm of CapitaLand Group, CLI has access to the development capabilities of and pipeline investment opportunities from CapitaLand’s development arm.

As a responsible company, CLI places sustainability at the core of what it does and has committed to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions for Scope 1 and 2 by 2050. CLI contributes to the environmental and social well-being of the communities where it operates, as it delivers long-term economic value to its stakeholders.

Follow @CapitaLand on social media

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/capitaland-limited
Facebook: @capitaland / facebook.com/capitaland
Instagram: @capitaland / instagram.com/capitaland
X: @CapitaLand / x.com/CapitaLand
YouTube: youtube.com/capitaland  

Issued by: CapitaLand Investment Limited (Co.  Regn.: 200308451M)

Important Notice

This announcement and the information contained herein does not constitute and is not intended to constitute an offering of any investment product to, or solicitation of, investors in any jurisdiction where such offering or solicitation would not be permitted.

SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 3. 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM) announced today that the company is joining the MIT GenAI Impact Consortium as a founding member to explore commercialization and industry implications of generative AI technologies with MIT faculty and leading global companies.

MIT GenAI Impact Consortium is an industry-academia collaboration to explore the impact of generative AI technologies on society and industry, with the goal of providing practical direction to the AI industry. MIT has been paying close attention to AI-enabled industrial transformation, with faculty members publishing 25 papers on the topic of generative AI in the past year.

As a strategic priority of Sally Kornbluth, President of MIT, the consortium is led by Anantha Chandrakasan, Dean of the MIT School of Engineering and MIT’s Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer, along with faculty leaders who play a central role in selecting optimized projects, identifying research teams, and managing research efforts.

The founding members of this consortium include six global companies: SK Telecom, OpenAI, The Coca-Cola Company, Tata Group, Analog Devices and TWG Global.

The MIT consortium plans to select key projects and commence full-scale research this year.

By participating in this consortium, SK Telecom plans to share its competitiveness and development strategy with the founding member companies and explore potential collaboration opportunities. Also, SK Telecom hopes to deliver tangible results created with MIT to its SK AI R&D Center, in areas such as ICT, semiconductors and energy. Acting as SK Group’s AI technology control tower, SK AI R&D Center closely supports business operations in AI-based technology areas — including AI modeling, vision AI, digital twins and AI factories.

“The MIT GenAI Impact Consortium is the ideal bridge between academia and industry,” said Chandrakasan. “While Generative AI and LLMs are reshaping everything, the consortium aims to break down barriers, bring together disciplines, and commit to ensuring the benefits of Generative AI are realized throughout the world.”

“As a founding member of the MIT Consortium, we are excited to collaborate with MIT’s world-class faculty,” said Ryu Young-sang, CEO of SK Telecom. “Building on global collaborations, SK Telecom hope to leverage the AI capabilities of the SK Group, with the SK AI R&D Center at its core, to drive AI innovation across industries. Beyond generative AI, we will broaden our scope to encompass next-generation research areas and to convergent Vertical AI such as physical AI, manufacturing, and biotechnology.”

About SK Telecom

SK Telecom has been leading the growth of the mobile industry since 1984. Now, it is taking customer experience to new heights by extending beyond connectivity. By placing AI at the core of its business, SK Telecom is rapidly transforming into an AI company with a strong global presence. It is focusing on driving innovations in areas of AI Infrastructure, AI Transformation (AIX) and AI Service to deliver greater value for industry, society, and life.

For more information, please contact skt_press@sk.com or visit our LinkedIn page www.linkedin.com/company/sk-telecom.

WESTBOROUGH, Mass., Feb. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Channel Company, a global provider of news, insights, strategy, events, and marketing services for the information technology industry, is thrilled to announce that they are extending CRN’s expert channel coverage into Australia and New Zealand as they take direct publication control of CRN Australia.

This strategic move, effective April 1, 2025, strengthens The Channel Company’s commitment to delivering exceptional journalism that helps technology decision makers around the globe solve tech challenges, explore opportunities, and improve business outcomes. For the past 20 years, NextMedia published CRN Australia under a licensing agreement with The Channel Company. This successful partnership included publication of CRN articles with a global focus and the establishment of an engaged channel readership in Australia and New Zealand.

The Channel Company at the helm of CRN Australia, continues the expansion of the flagship CRN brand into new regions which included the 2023 launch of CRN Germany and 2024 launch of CRN Asia. CRN’s trusted journalism and tech market analysis leads the IT channel conversation in the US, UK, Germany, APAC and now in Australia and New Zealand.

With CRN Australia, The Channel Company will better serve global technology vendors with not only a trusted media platform and dynamic events, but through its core media products; Channel Accelerator (ABM), signal based (intent) lead generation, digital advertising and content creation services. This strategy mirrors the demand from our customers for consistent, performance-driven channel marketing solutions across all regions of the world. Our brand presence and product portfolio are required to match our customers growth ambitions which include Australia and New Zealand.

“We’re excited to bring our high-quality content and events to the dynamic channel market in Australia and New Zealand,” said Alan Loader, Global SVP of Media. “As a company fully dedicated to the technology industry and its partner ecosystem, we champion the role of channel partners in driving growth. Our expansion into these key markets reflects our commitment to supporting the global technology channel with innovative products, services, and unique intellectual property.”

“Delivery of consistent, top-tier journalism and insights to the region’s channel community is a key pathway to building trusted partnerships between solution providers and technology vendors,” said Matt Yorke, CEO of The Channel Company. “This expansion is a big win for our audience readers navigating constant change in the tech channel and our technology vendor partners ready to make meaningful, lasting connections with solution providers in the Australia and New Zealand IT channel market.

About The Channel Company
The Channel Company (TCC) is the global leader in channel growth for the world’s top technology brands. We accelerate success across strategic channels for tech vendors, solution providers, and end users with premier media brands, integrated marketing and event services, strategic consulting, and exclusive market and audience insights. TCC is a portfolio company of investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital, a New York City-based private equity firm. For more information, visit thechannelco.com.

About EagleTree Capital:
EagleTree Capital is a leading New York-based middle-market private equity firm, with $5.3 billion of assets under management, that has completed 45 private equity investments and over 100 add-on transactions over the past 20+ years. EagleTree primarily invests in North America in the following sectors: business services, consumer, and water and specialty industrial. For more information, visit www.eagletree.com or find EagleTree on LinkedIn.

Learn more about media opportunities: CRN Australia | Marketing Solutions

Media contact:
Corporate Communications
corporatecommunications@thechannelco.com

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SYDNEY, Feb. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Emphasys, a leader in software integration, data and architecture services, proudly announces the successful completion of an advanced integration project for Ingham’s, leveraging Informatica’s powerful data integration platform. Emphasys helped establish seamless integration between Ingham’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and a leading SaaS based Source to Pay procurement solution – helping ensure the secure and efficient flow of critical financial and procurement data.

This collaboration was driven by Ingham’s need to enhance operational efficiency, improve data visibility, and streamline procurement workflows. This enabled real-time updates, reduced manual intervention, and minimised the risk of errors, empowering Ingham’s with faster, data-driven decision-making and procurement process.

“Our partnership with Emphasys has been key to achieving the project’s integration goals,” said Kesh Anand, Head of Enterprise Architecture at Ingham’s. “Emphasys’ flexibility as a partner, and depth of experience in integration helped ensure we were able to meet project needs under tight timeframes and budget conditions”

Through its expertise in Informatica and agile ways of working, Emphasys helped build confidence that the integrations could be built on time and within budget. The engagement resulted in measurable improvements, including reduced processing times, enhanced data accuracy, and increased employee productivity.

“We’re thrilled to have supported Ingham’s in transforming their systems integration,” said Craig Boyle, Cloud Practice Director at Emphasys. “This project demonstrates our commitment to delivering tailored Informatica solutions that drive tangible value for our clients.”

For more information about Emphasys and its services, please visit www.emphasys.com.au

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn., Feb. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — LabConnect, a leading provider of central lab services and functional service provider solutions, is proud to announce the formation of its Strategic Advisory Board and the appointment of its inaugural members. This board will further cement LabConnect’s position as a global leader in the industry, supporting its ongoing international expansion and significant investments in innovation and technology. The Strategic Advisory Board has been specifically designed to accelerate LabConnect’s goal of delivering more efficient, transparent, sustainable, and insightful solutions for its clients and partners.

The distinguished members of the Strategic Advisory Board include:

Scott Evangelista
Mr. Evangelista brings over 30 years of pharmaceutical leadership experience to the board. He is currently the CEO of Cairn Therapeutics, Inc., where he directs the company’s strategy, fundraising, and stakeholder management. Previously, Scott served as Executive Chairman at Cairn and has held prominent roles such as President and COO of Ironshore Pharmaceuticals, President of Integrated Health Services at IQVIA (formerly Quintiles), and Principal of the Life Sciences Commercial practice at Deloitte Consulting. Additionally, he sits on the Board of Worldwide Clinical Trials. Scott’s extensive background in pharmaceutical leadership and strategic management will be instrumental in driving LabConnect’s growth and innovation.

David Johnston, Ph.D.
Dr. Johnston joins the board with a robust background in scientific and operational leadership. As the Senior Vice President and President of Clinical Research at Thermo Fisher, following the acquisition of PPD, David has led global clinical development and laboratory services at PPD and LabCorp, as well as scientific advisory roles at numerous bioscience CROs. His deep knowledge in clinical development operations and patient recruitment will enhance LabConnect’s efforts to boost productivity and reduce clinical development costs.

Patrick Hastings
Mr. Hastings is a highly accomplished operations and business development executive with a proven track record in the pharmaceutical and clinical laboratory sectors. Formerly the Global VP at Labcorp, Patrick led the Central Laboratory Services business unit. His leadership experience spans roles at Eli Lilly, Mossberg Labs, Bayer Healthcare, and Merck & Co. Patrick’s expertise in lab and pharmaceutical operations, manufacturing, and supply chain will be pivotal in driving LabConnect’s operational excellence and business performance.

“We are delighted to welcome Scott, David, and Patrick to our Strategic Advisory Board,” said Wes Wheeler, CEO of LabConnect. “Their combined expertise and leadership will be crucial in advising LabConnect as we continue to innovate and expand our global footprint. This board will play a vital role in helping us deliver exceptional value to our clients and partners.”

LabConnect remains committed to creating healthier communities by supporting our clients in successfully developing new medicines for patients around the world. The formation of the Strategic Advisory Board marks a significant milestone in LabConnect’s ongoing journey to solidify its position as a global leader in the industry.

About LabConnect
LabConnect is the leading provider of Central Laboratory Services, FSP and Scientific Consulting, and Data Integration and Transformation Services for analytically and logistically complex studies such as immuno-oncology, cell and gene therapies, and rare & orphan diseases. LabConnect’s unique combination of state-of-the-art technology, world-class laboratories, easy access to major and emerging markets, and extensive specialized testing expertise means that drug development companies can rely on one provider for all their central laboratory service needs. Learn more at www.labconnect.com and follow on LinkedIn.

LabConnect US Headquarters

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REYKJAVÍK, Iceland  , Feb. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Orange Gateway is now available to more than 8 billion people as the leading Icelandic digital currency exchange announces major expansion into South America, Asian and parts of Africa.

Committed to providing a secure and fair marketplace for spot-trading digital assets, the company is proud to announce its expansion of its customer base which reinforces the platform’s mission to make digital currency trading accessible to people worldwide.

Hlynur Thor Bjornsson, CEO, Orange Gateway said, “We are proud to have made this global expansion possible. This achievement is a result of the hard work and commitment of our team who have ensured that we meet the highest standards of security and regulatory compliance. With this strong foundation, we are proud to offer a secure and accessible digital currency trading experience to a growing global audience.”

In addition to the expansion of customer signups, Orange Gateway has made significant strides in its offerings. For the past six months, the exchange has been operating a BSV marketplace and is now seeing increased customer signups and growing trading volumes. The introduction to BSV/USDC trading paid has contributed to this growth, and the addition of referral links has further enhanced the platform’s accessibility. They offer the following trading pairs on their platform.

• BSV/USD
• BSV/EUR
• BSV/USDC
• BSV/BTC
• BSV/ETH

Looking ahead, Orange Gateway is preparing to integrate credit card payments in the coming weeks, allowing users to buy BSV with small amounts more easily, instead of international bank transfers.

Further initiatives include the development of a mobile app, a merchant point-of-sale tool and a futures market to enhance the platform’s offerings.

For more information, please visit OrangeGateway.com.

* Exclusion of Certain Countries and Sanctions List Details

People and businesses from all countries can sign up on the platform, except for nationals or residents from countries listed on the Icelandic Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) sanctions list or the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) list. This sanction list is aligned with the EU and US sanctions.

For residents or companies based in the FATF-listed countries, they are still eligible to join Orange Gateway, provided they undergo a thorough Anti-Money Laundering (AML) check before registering.

About Orange Gateway:

Orange Gateway ehf is an Icelandic LLC aiming to provide a fair marketplace for spot trading Bitcoin. User safety is our main priority. Orange Gateway is designed with the best safety standards and methods available. The purpose is to protect the user’s personal information, funds and ensure a user-friendly interface and secure platform for trading.