News Hub | News Direct

Professional Services

Architecture CRM/Customer Service Consulting Government & Policy Human Resources Intellectual Property/Trademark/Patent Law Legal
Article thumbnail News Release

Mediazest's Geoff Robertson on audio-visual solutions for big brands and market expansion

Mediazest PLC

Mediazest PLC CEO Geoff Robertson gives Proactive's Stephen Gunnion an overview of the company's operations and recent developments. Mediazest, an audiovisual solutions provider, operates in markets such as retail, automotive showrooms, and workspace offices. The company, established nearly 20 years ago, counts well-known brands like Pets at Home, Hyundai, and Jaguar Land Rover among its clients. Mediazest focuses on a holistic, consultative approach, ensuring high-quality delivery and ongoing support. Robertson highlighted the company's European expansion with a Dutch subsidiary established in late 2022, which has enabled better service for EU clients. Following a challenging 2023, Mediazest has seen improvements in 2024, with a positive trading update indicating a strong first half and a promising second half of the year. Robertson mentioned the potential for both organic growth and acquisitions to expand their market presence, noting the ripe conditions for consolidations within the industry. Looking ahead, Mediazest aims to capitalise on opportunities in digital signage, electric vehicle showrooms, and hybrid meeting technologies. Robertson expressed optimism about the company's ability to leverage these trends and deliver value to its clients. Contact Details Proactive UK Proactive UK +44 20 7989 0813 UKEditorial@proactiveinvestors.com

May 17, 2024 02:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Video
Article thumbnail News Release

Shareholder Warns Maker of Oreo That They are Endangering Their Brand

NLPC

Following the viral online ad it released about Oreo and its troubling partnership with LGBTQ advocacy group PFLAG, National Legal and Policy Center has published a follow-up video to promote a shareholder proposal it will present on May 22 at the annual meeting of Mondelez International, parent company of the cookie brand. NLPC’s resolution calls upon the multinational snack giant to scrutinize areas of risk where it has engaged in disturbing relationships with outside organizations, such as the one Oreo has with PFLAG. Other examples in the proposal cite Mondelez’s support for the Marxist, anti-law enforcement group Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, and the company’s partnership with the anti-Semitic UN Human Rights. “Mondelez is carelessly dashing through the consumer market dropping mines that very well could end up as tripwires for themselves,” said Paul Chesser, director of the Corporate Integrity Project for NLPC. “It’s not surprising since Chairman/CEO Dirk Van de Put also serves on the board of Anheuser Busch InBev, the company that self-inflicted the greatest brand destruction in many years last April with Bud Light.” As NLPC pointed out with its Oreo video released in February, PFLAG condones gender transition treatments for children as young as three years old, and battles to make sure books with explicit content are allowed in public schools and libraries. NLPC initiated its campaign to highlight the cookie-maker’s inappropriate relationship with PFLAG after it noticed the brand’s social media accounts – primarily on X (formerly Twitter) – were heavily populated with posts in support of PFLAG’s various narratives, causes and social advocacy. The new video released today calls attention to Mondelez’s alliances with BLM and UN Human Rights, as well as PFLAG. In a white paper filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission last month, NLPC also identified possible risky relationships the Chicago-based company has with organizations that include Human Rights Campaign, World Economic Forum, the World Health Organization, and others. The broader media is noticing the increasing criticisms of Corporate America’s fealty to the radical LGBTQ+ agenda that includes the sexualization of children. The Wall Street Journal last week reported on NLPC’s proposal for Mondelez, and last month the nonprofit corporate watchdog earned widespread coverage of its proposal at Disney, which sought equal treatment for employees who have been victimized by radical gender ideology. “The political winds have shifted from just a few years ago, yet Mondelez is still living in the past as if nothing has changed,” said NLPC Chairman Peter Flaherty. “Now that the extreme transgenderism push has inevitably progressed to endanger children, corporate involvement in social justice issues is more treacherous than ever. We urge Dirk Van de Put to wake up to the reality before it’s too late, or the consequences could be devastating.” ### For more information or to schedule an interview with Paul Chesser, contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or drene@nlpc.org. Please visit http://www.nlpc.org. Founded in 1991, the National Legal and Policy Center promotes ethics in public life through research, investigation, education and legal action. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

May 16, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

NAVEX Unveils Compliance Program Management: DOJ Guidance

NAVEX Global

NAVEX, the global leader in integrated risk and compliance management software, announces the release of NAVEX Compliance Program Management: DOJ Guidance. This news comes on the heels of NAVEX’s recent addition of global whistleblowing rules and regulations to the Compliance Program Management solution. Compliance professionals can now navigate corporate governance regulations by mapping their current program to the latest Department of Justice (DOJ) guidelines, pinpointing weaknesses in minutes. A NAVEX survey found that nearly 44% of companies reported at least one regulatory investigation or enforcement action in the past two years. NAVEX Compliance Program Management: DOJ Guidance helps compliance professionals gain instant insights into gaps and vulnerabilities, ensuring their program meets DOJ expectations and minimizes their risk of legal penalties. “Compliance teams today struggle to identify areas of focus, particularly within DOJ guidance,” says Jazz Mimoun, global ethics program director at onsemi. “NAVEX Compliance Program Management: DOJ Guidance can be a useful tool to identify those areas and conduct internal analyses and risk assessments that actively improve a compliance program more effectively.” The solution translates DOJ guidance on corporate compliance into straightforward control recommendations backed by input from industry experts and GRC industry leaders. It removes the frustration of keeping pace with evolving regulations and offers a clear roadmap to: Clarify compliance with expert input: Translate open-ended compliance guidelines from the DOJ to clear-cut compliance statements vetted by legal experts. Score statements to quantify program performance and identify gaps and shortfalls. Demonstrate program value: Organize and score all GRC programs in a single web-based platform. Prove program value and effectiveness with digestible dashboards and board-ready reports. Stay audit ready: A single source of truth for collecting, organizing and accessing evidence of compliance activities and program structure, making it easier and more cost-effective to stay audit ready. Reduce unseen compliance risk: A program designed with industry-proven structures is the best defense against unknown or unwanted risks. Design and deploy a GRC program to effectively predict, manage, and mitigate those risks. "Companies are facing a lot of challenges that go beyond regulatory compliance. They're dealing with resource constraints, technology integrations, cross-departmental collaboration and more,” says NAVEX Chief Product Officer, A.G. Lambert. "NAVEX Compliance Program Management: DOJ Guidance will immediately help compliance professionals navigate many of these challenges upfront." For more information, visit NAVEX Compliance Program Management: DOJ Guidance. And read our blog. NAVEX is trusted by thousands of customers worldwide to help them achieve the business outcomes that matter most. As the global leader in integrated risk and compliance management software and services, we deliver our solutions through the NAVEX One platform, the industry’s most comprehensive governance, risk and compliance (GRC) information system. Contact Details NAVEX +1 617-388-5773 scott.levesque@navex.com Company Website https://navex.com

May 15, 2024 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Apple Rush Company, Inc.

Apple Rush Company, Inc. (Otcpink:APRU), a leading player in the functional beverage industry, proudly announces it has cleared up final details of brand ownership with Bob Corr and Corr Brands, Inc. Tony Torgerud, CEO of Apple Rush, has negotiated a historical closing on the rights and trademarks of Corr Brands, Inc. In the transaction, Bob Corr has agreed to transfer the rights of the Corr Brands, Inc. trademarks and to forgo any royalties from previous agreements to give Tony and Apple Rush the best opportunity to succeed moving forward. Tony Torgerud said, “I have been negotiating for a year with Bob and he finally felt it was time to work out an agreement that would benefit everyone. Over the next couple months, all the required paperwork will be filed for transference and updates on all intellectual property held by Corr Brands, Inc. Not having to pay royalties will add thousands to the bottom line.” This agreement solidifies the future of the “Rush” family of brands that have been in the market since 1972. Bob Corr stated, “I want to see Apple Rush succeed and I feel the timing is right to get this deal done. I retired a long time ago and it is now time to write the next chapters of this story and with Apple Rush having its own production capabilities and its own tunnel pasteurizer, it is an opportunity that shouldn’t be wasted. I have given up hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties, licensing fees and shares to enhance shareholder value.” With our pilot production abilities, we hope to do some reformulations to introduce a 2024 version of Ginseng Rush and the relaunch of the original Apple Rush flavor line. Apple Rush has held a license for 13 states and International distribution for the last 8 years and now owns the IP without paying the $5,000 per state license, another bottom line gain for all of our stockholders. About The Apple Rush Company, Inc. The Apple Rush Company, Inc., through its subsidiary APRU, LLC, is a distributor of CPG products under the trademarked Apple Rush brand, Element brand and other labels. The Apple Rush brand has more than 50 years of existence in the natural beverage industry. As a historical leader in the organic and natural beverage sector our goal is to now become a leader in the distribution of anhydrous hemp oil products nationwide. For more information, please go to www.aprubrands.com, www.element-brands.com, elementk.kratomwave.store www.alkhemicalroots.com with our expanded product portfolio. Safe Harbor Act: Forward-Looking Statements are included within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements regarding our expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategy, products and services, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations including words such as "anticipate," "if," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "could," "should," "will," and similar expressions are forward-looking statements and involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. We are under no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact Details Apple Rush Company, Inc. Tony Torgerud +1 888-741-3777 dtorgerud@aprullc.com Company Website http://www.aprubrands.com

May 14, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

NAVEX Announces Global Whistleblower Regulatory Compliance Management

NAVEX Global

NAVEX, the global leader in integrated risk and compliance management software, today announced the launch of its Regulatory Compliance Management (RCM) solution. It helps organizations easily navigate and adhere to international whistleblowing compliance rules and regulations in all geographies where they operate – thus avoiding hefty fines and potential impact to business reputation. Whistleblowing is the first of many regulations to be covered, RCM will expand its offering to include other international directives and legislations. With the emergence of large-scale whistleblower regulations such as the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive and the Whistleblower Protection Act, multinational organizations face an even tougher challenge staying compliant and up to date with guidelines. NAVEX RCM will be invaluable to companies wishing to assess and analyze restrictions, requirements, and/or guidelines related to whistleblowing regulations across global jurisdictions. This includes intake methods, notice and consent requirements, reportable issue types, availability of anonymity, and other unique intake, data privacy, and incident management considerations. Prior to NAVEX Regulatory Compliance Management, organizations either assigned employees or paid lawyers a significant sum to track requirements painstakingly and manually. This resulted in hours spent understanding the information gathered on an ad hoc basis, whilst simultaneously balancing and updating internal policies. With NAVEX’s RCM solution, highly skilled subject matter experts will personally assess updates and provide tailored guidance on how to address regulatory changes. They will also offer continued insights and recommendations via an automated platform to empower customers to make informed and strategic decisions. Organizations with global operations gain access to the knowledge and expertise necessary to meet or exceed complex international compliance requirements, thereby reducing risk while reinforcing oversight responsibility. Unlike manual efforts, NAVEX RCM delivers information through an up-to-date web-based portal, rather than spreadsheets, PDFs, and Word documents. This platform enables customizable alerts and automatic notifications when information is updated. “By subscribing to Regulatory Compliance Management, changes are detailed directly in our software as countries update their legislation – all accessible from a centralized dashboard,” said NAVEX Chief Product Officer, A.G. Lambert. “NAVEX continually reviews regulations at the country level to help organizations remain compliant. When regulations are updated, the system will notify subscribed customers of the changes. Decisionmakers will then be able to assess these and update their existing incident management programs as required.” To learn more about NAVEX Regulatory Compliance Management, please read our blog or visit the product page here. NAVEX is trusted by thousands of customers worldwide to help them achieve the business outcomes that matter most. As the global leader in integrated risk and compliance management software and services, we deliver solutions through the NAVEX One platform, the industry’s most comprehensive governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) information system. For more information, visit NAVEX.com and our blog. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Contact Details NAVEX anita.lo@navex.com Company Website https://navex.com

May 14, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

USITC Issues Affirmative Preliminary Determination in Trade Case Against Imports of Ferrosilicon from Brazil, Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Russia

U.S. Ferrosilicon Producers

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) preliminarily determined today that ferrosilicon imports from Brazil, Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Russia are causing material injury to the U.S. industry. All four Commissioners voted in the affirmative. The Commission’s unanimous vote comes in response to petitions filed on March 28 by CC Metals and Alloys, LLC (“CC Metals”) and Ferroglobe USA, Inc. (“Ferroglobe”), who together account for all American ferrosilicon production. The petitions allege that unfairly priced and subsidized ferrosilicon imports are injuring the U.S. industry and its workers. Ferrosilicon is a critical input used to produce steel and foundry products, making preservation of the American industry a matter closely related to significant national security priorities. “Producers in Russia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Brazil are using predatory pricing practices to take market share from American producers. This distorts the market and puts American workers out of jobs,” said Marco Levi, Chief Executive Officer of Ferroglobe PLC. “Today’s vote is encouraging. It brings us one step closer to ensuring a level playing field.” On April 17, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) initiated eight antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations into imports of ferrosilicon from Russia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Brazil. "Today's vote validates the data in our petitions and questionnaires showing the serious harm inflicted by unfair imports," said Chris Cobb, Plant Manager of CC Metals and Alloys, Inc. " We applaud the USITC for taking this step toward restoring fair competition to the U.S. market and confidence to U.S. workers and consumers. We look forward to seeing our trade laws enforced.” Commerce is continuing its investigations and will make preliminary CVD determinations as early as June 2024 and AD determinations as early as September 2024. If the determinations are affirmative, provisional AD and CVD duties will be collected based on the preliminary margins calculated by Commerce and potentially applied retroactively. About the CC Metals and Ferroglobe CC Metals traces its roots back to 1949, when it was founded as a producer of large-volume commodity ferroalloys for the steel industry in Calvert City, Kentucky. Today CC Metals is an ISO 9001 certified leading manufacturer of more than 40 different products including 18 different ferrosilicons and more than 20 different magnesium ferrosilicon inoculants, high purity, 3%-9% magnesium and proprietary alloys. CC Metals ships over 100,000 metric tons of finished product annually from its manufacturing facility in Calvert City, KY via barge, rail and truck. Ferroglobe USA, Inc. is a wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of Ferroglobe PLC, a world leading producer of silicon metal and ferroalloys, serving a customer base across the globe in dynamic and fast-growing end markets, such as solar, automotive, consumer products, construction and energy. Through its subsidiaries, Ferroglobe operates metallurgical manufacturing facilities and mining sites in Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina, and West Virginia. For more information, visit https://www.ccmetals.com/ and https://www.ferroglobe.com/ Contact Details Elizabeth Heaton +1 202-445-9858 elizabeth@eahstrategiesllc.com

May 10, 2024 04:10 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

SFAA Members Elect New Board, Honor Outgoing Chair at Annual Meeting

SFAA

The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA), a nonprofit, nonpartisan trade association representing all segments of the surety and fidelity industry, held its annual meeting this past week with more than 185 members and guests attending. Robert Murray, SFAA Chair, Executive Committee Member, Head of Surety, Zurich North America, and Ryan Work, SFAA president and CEO, presided over the event, providing updates on SFAA’s accomplishments and ongoing initiatives. SFAA members were on hand to celebrate outgoing SFAA Chair Robert Murray after his two-year term, in addition to congratulating him on his upcoming retirement. Murray will be succeeded as chair by Michael Keimig, president and CEO of Markel Surety Corporation. Keimig has been an active participant in the SFAA for over a decade, most recently as a Board and Executive Committee member. Videos celebrating SFAA’s accomplishments throughout 2023 and honoring the 2023 Surety Industry Awards winners were also shared. The SFAA Membership elected the following Board of Directors and Executive Committee in a unanimous vote. Officers and Executive Committee Members Michael Keimig Stephen Ruschak John F. Welch Rick Ciullo Timothy Mikolajewski Antonio C. Albanese Bryce Grissom Other Elected Board Members Ken Bearley John Guglielmo Stephen M. Haney James Kawiecki Matt Lubin, Robert Murray Alan Pavlic Sharon Sims Gary Stumper Larry Taylor Mike Zurcher The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan trade association representing all segments of the surety and fidelity industry. Based in Washington, D.C., SFAA works to promote the value of surety and fidelity bonding by proactively advocating on behalf of its members and stakeholders. The association’s more than 425 member companies write 98 percent of surety and fidelity bonds in the U.S. For more information visit www.surety.org. Contact Details Peter Roth +1 703-401-0676 proth@surety.org Company Website https://surety.org/

May 09, 2024 09:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

Boeing’s Chairman is Leaving Under a Cloud – So Why Does Exxon Want Him on Their Board?

NLPC

In a case of corporate elitists’ blindness at best, and ineptitude in governance at worst, Exxon Mobil Corporation’s directors have renominated Lawrence “Larry” Kellner, who is also the departing Chairman of the crisis-plagued Boeing Company, to their own board. Kellner, a former Continental Airlines Chairman/CEO, left the now-defunct (merged with United) company in late 2009 and joined Boeing’s board of directors in 2011. He was elevated to chairman in late 2019, and his tenure has been marked with failures both financial and reputational. As anyone who follows air travel news knows, Boeing has likely endured the worst year of any U.S.-based corporation due to numerous troubling safety incidents, with the penultimate occurrence in January, when a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines flight at 16,000 feet, imperiling passengers and crew. In addition to that high-profile episode, Kellner has presided over a cascade of devastating headlines related to Boeing’s quality and safety record. It’s gotten so bad that now every airliner performance glitch, regardless of the responsible party, is now headlined as a “Boeing plane” incident. Yet, inexplicably, ExxonMobil wants Kellner to serve another year on its board, which he joined in 2023. As a result, National Legal and Policy Center, a shareholder in both Boeing and Exxon, is calling for fellow investors to vote against Kellner for the energy company’s annual meeting on May 29. “It’s incredible to have to even ask, but after the last five years-plus that Boeing has had, Larry Kellner is properly leaving its board – so why do Exxon directors think he deserves a seat with them?” said Paul Chesser, director of NLPC’s Corporate Integrity Project. “Is this about strong governance to protect shareholder assets, or just keeping the social club together until something catastrophic happens – like what just happened at Boeing?” Earlier this week NLPC filed a proxy memo with the Securities and Exchange Commission which further explained why it believes Kellner has no business serving on a corporate board at this time, much less the largest U.S.-based energy company in the world. Kellner, along with exiting CEO Dave Calhoun, were supposed to be the leadership pair to improve Boeing’s performance after the firing of previous CEO Dennis Muilenburg. Instead the company’s performance only worsened, with its stock price being almost halved since Kellner took over as Chairman. NLPC also released a short video on Thursday that highlights Boeing’s mishaps under Kellner’s leadership, and questions why ExxonMobil would want to keep him on its governance team. The oil giant’s board, in exhibiting the ultimate in tone-deafness, even plans to keep Kellner on the company’s safety committee! “There’s a reason Larry Kellner is leaving Boeing’s board, and that reason is failure,” Chesser added. “Exxon is not in business so it can provide soft landings for mediocre executives. Nonetheless his colleagues put him on the proxy ballot for the board, so our fellow shareholders should do the right thing and vote against him.” ### For more information or to schedule an interview with Paul Chesser, contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or drene@nlpc.org. Please visit http://www.nlpc.org. Founded in 1991, the National Legal and Policy Center promotes ethics in public life through research, investigation, education and legal action. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

May 09, 2024 09:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

Own Up and Move Forward from a Crisis: Reputation Expert Ray Hennessey Explores Elements of a Lasting Apology in a New Book, Beyond Sorry

Vocatus

Everyone messes up. In relationships. In business. In life. It’s a fact of human nature that we’re flawed. People aren’t inherently bad, but humans tend to do a lot of bad things. In the digital age, so much of our personal and professional behavior can be suddenly thrown into public view. In a new book, Beyond Sorry: How to Own Up, Make Good and Move Forward After a Crisis, author and reputation expert Ray Hennessey lays out the framework for people to offer sincere and lasting apologies that can help resurrect their careers or personal lives in the digital age. “Repairing a reputation isn’t easy,” Hennessey said. “It takes more than a simple apology. That’s what I meant to convey in the title — Beyond Sorry — taking the extra steps to ensure you can fight all the hurdles in your way.” Most people have engaged in behavior they’re not proud of, whether personally or professionally, and humans are prone to imperfect traits and impulses. History, literature, and music have given us examples of falls from grace, tragedies, and fatal flaws for centuries. Beyond Sorry explores the steps readers need to take to move forward, including finding the right words, delivering the message with credibility, taking ownership of actions and behaviors, and living a life that shows you’re worthy of another chance. In a social media-driven world, Hennessey’s message becomes even more important. “The human tendency to fail those around us has changed from a personal crisis to one with a large audience often clamoring for some measure of retribution,” Hennessey said. “As humans, professionally and personally, we find ourselves at risk of lasting reputational damage if we don’t find a way to recover and move forward.” Hennessey is Executive Partner and Chief Executive of Vocatus, a marketing and messaging consulting firm that works with companies and individuals in financial services and other industries. He is a frequent speaker on the topic of reputation management and digital communications. With more than 25 years of media, marketing, and management experience, Hennessey previously served as Editorial Director for Entrepreneur Media, helped launch the FOX Business Network, and appeared regularly on CNBC and CBS News. Earlier in his career, he was an editor at SmartMoney.com and Dow Jones, where he wrote the IPO Outlook column for The Wall Street Journal. About Vocatus Vocatus is a growth partner for companies, providing sales consulting, CRM support, marketing and advertising, and communications support. We are a high-level consulting firm, helping executives craft and execute their business strategies. Investing in public relations, marketing and brand development is essential in a competitive environment. That investment demands a balance between strategy and execution, an experienced and cohesive team, and a holistic, integrated plan for a multi-channel world. As a true outsourced partner, your success is our success. We prioritize collaboration and communication to ensure we’re always aligned with your vision. Contact Details For Vocatus Peter Page ppage@vocatusllc.com

May 08, 2024 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

1 ... 678910 ... 147