Al-Yacoub is a seasoned C-suite advisor in strategic and financial communications with a track-record of achievements across vital sectors and critical projects

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Instinctif Partners, one of the leading and fastest growing strategic reputation advisors in MENA has further strengthened its leadership position by appointing Ikram Al-Yacoub as Managing Partner and Head of Saudi Arabia. This strategic move signifies strong ongoing commitment to its regional integrated advisory approach while navigating the rapidly evolving landscape in Saudi.

In this role, Ikram Al-Yacoub will be instrumental in driving Instinctif’s growth initiatives, creating value through sound and experienced client advice while further deepening key stakeholder engagement and fostering strategic partnerships. Al-Yacoub brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will be pivotal as Instinctif continues building and enhancing its operations across the Kingdom in industries undergoing significant growth and transformation. Instinctif prides itself on helping its clients navigate critical global issues while ensuring local relevance.

Samantha Bartel, CEO MENA, Instinctif Partners said:

“We are delighted to have Ikram join our successful and growing team. We are proud to have been advising clients in Saudi Arabia for over a decade and are excited to build on our successful momentum with the appointment of Ikram. With Al-Yacoub’s stewardship and her strong relationships in the Kingdom we will continue to deliver best in class reputation management through investor relations, corporate reporting, ESG, public policy, and crisis communications, in Saudi Arabia.”

Ikram will work closely with the EMEA teams to identify opportunities, optimize Instinctif’s approach, and ensure that client and partner needs in Saudi Arabia are effectively met.

Al-Yacoub is a Saudi citizen, holds an MBA from City University London. Prior to her Management degree, Ikram has earned a master’s degree of International Political Economy of Resources from Colorado School of Mines, USA, where she focused on energy sustainability and economic valuation of natural resources. Most recently, she served as Managing Director and General Manager at Brunswick Group, where she led its strategic expansion to Saudi and advised clients on financial communications, mergers and acquisitions, and public listings. Al Yacoub is a media veteran and has previously led critical initiatives as a business Managing Editor of Al Arabiya News Channel.

Ikram Al-Yacoub, Managing Partner & Head of Saudi Arabia, Instinctif Partners said: 

“It’s an honor to join such a leading firm and build on its capabilities and offerings. With the region moving at an unprecedented pace of economic development and transformation, clients are in in constant hunt for true and genuine partners with the right expertise and skillset to think through and help them with critical issues to navigate complex situations. Instinctif stands in a unique proposition when bringing localized, world class specialized capabilities to corporate situations. I look forward to taking this advisory model from a strength to strength.”

Bartel added: “We are confident that under Ikram’s leadership we will be a driving force in the Kingdom and provide a growth path for our talented people.”

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Al-Yacoub is also a member of the ‘Middle East Investor Relations Association (MEIRA) KSA Memberships and Events Committee’ whose objective is to raise the profile of investor relations in Saudi Arabia.

Instinctif Partners boasts a growing blue chip client list across the region and internationally, and awarded ‘Large Consultancy of the Year, MENA in 2024’ by PRCA MENA.

About Instinctif Partners:

Instinctif Partners is an EMEA business communications consultancy. As partners in change, we help navigate societies’ constantly changing rules. We provide an integrated service drawing on expertise in communications, capital markets, content & design, digital, insight, public affairs and sustainability. Our aim is to build trust through transparency and honesty, so that together with our clients, we can be a force for good.

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Built to meet the needs of global travel companies and their customers, the APM Hub delivers fast, simplified access to critical alternative payment solutions in every market

LONDON, Sept. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — CellPoint Digital, the leading provider of payment solutions to the airline industry and a global pioneer of Payment Orchestration, is launching its new APM Hub, a comprehensive suite of 168 global alternative payment methods (APMs) available to existing CellPoint Digital clients through a centralised contracting and onboarding process. Recognising the business-critical role APMs play for airlines and travel providers, the APM Hub streamlines and accelerates access to these important payment options, offering a faster time-to-market and simplified integration.

The APM Hub officially launches in early Q4 2024, giving CellPoint Digital customers access to 168 of the most critical alternative payment methods worldwide. By partnering closely with merchants, CellPoint Digital ensures a simplified, single-integration solution and built-in redundancy across its entire ecosystem, providing merchants with a more reliable and resilient payment infrastructure.

Latin America and the EU will be the first regions to go live, with further expansion into the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific planned for late 2024 and continuing into 2025. Airlines such as Arajet, along with many others, are set to benefit significantly from the launch of the APM Hub, enhancing their payment capabilities and customer experience.

Tom Randklev, Global Head of Product at CellPoint Digital, said: “The launch of the APM Hub underscores the growing importance of APMs in what merchants need to offer. We’re committed to investing in these solutions today to help drive future business growth—for our partners and ourselves.”

Growing Demand and Opportunity for APMs in Travel

APMs, including digital wallets, cash vouchers, bank transfers, and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), are rapidly gaining popularity with consumers worldwide. This surge in demand is prompting merchants across industries to offer more APMs to their customers, spurring innovation in the payments sector with new options continuously emerging.

The need to support APMs is especially urgent in the travel industry. According to CellPoint Digital’s airline payments report, Payments Come of Age, one in three full-service carriers (FSCs) and nearly half of low-cost carriers (LCCs) currently do not accept APMs. Moreover, three in ten airlines cited the lack of available APMs and regional payment methods as their biggest payment-related challenge.

CellPoint Digital’s new APM Hub is designed to help merchants in aviation and other travel sectors close these gaps by expanding the range of payment options they can offer travellers. By supporting local payment preferences, merchants can increase conversion rates, improve acceptance rates, and reduce cart abandonment.

The APM Hub will also enable faster and easier entry into new markets. Available to all CellPoint Digital clients and users of its Payment Orchestration Platform, the APM Hub offers access to global APMs through a single processing platform, with simplified contract addendums and partner click-through terms. CellPoint Digital provides support at every stage—from pricing and integration to onboarding and first-level customer service.

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A Bridge for APM Providers to Connect with Leading Travel Brands

The hub opens new opportunities for APM providers to reach customers from many leading airline and travel brands. Head of Partnerships at CellPoint Digital, Andy Sale, said: “By consolidating all APMs into a single hub, we’ll drive greater adoption among our merchants and further solidify CellPoint Digital’s position as the go-to provider for APMs in the airline and travel industry”.

“We’re excited to lead the way and partner with leading players in the APM space, which we believe will quickly become a key player in the alternative payments ecosystem.”

For more information about CellPoint Digital’s APM Hub or to schedule an interview with Global Head of Product Tom Randklev, please get in touch with Steven Osei at [email protected] 

About CellPoint Digital   
CellPoint Digital is a fintech leader whose main solution is a Payment Orchestration Platform optimising digital payment transactions. Merchants can scale their payment ecosystem across the world, unify the customer payment experience across their website and other channels and optimise the routing of each transaction. Visit www.cellpointdigital.com to learn more. 

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Media Kit: DFC at UNGA 2024

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, participating G7 development finance institutions (DFIs), MedAccess, the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the Surge Financing Initiative for Medical Countermeasures (MCMs). These DFIs are working closely with global and regional health organizations to establish the collaboration frameworks and innovative financing mechanisms needed to support a rapid and equitable pandemic response. Building on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, the initiative will focus on the procurement, production, and distribution of vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other MCMs for low- and lower-middle-income countries. The MoU builds on the Joint Statement of Collaboration announced at UNGA last year as well as the Chair Summary and Report that outlined collaboration and innovating financing options. This effort is a joint collaboration between participating G7 DFIs, MedAccess, EIB, and IFC, in accord with G7 Hiroshima Vision for Equitable Access to Medical Countermeasures launched at the 2023 Hiroshima Summit and reaffirmed at the 2024 Apulia Summit.

The MoU was signed by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC, USA), Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP, Italy), British International Investment (BII) & MedAccess (UK), KfW & Germany’s Development Finance Institution DEG (Germany), AFD & Proparco (France), JICA (Japan), EIB (European Union), and IFC (World Bank Group). The MoU also has support from the Government of Canada and leading global and regional health organizations.  

This work builds on ongoing collaboration across many DFIs on regional manufacturing in Africa. The ongoing Mpox public health emergency underscores the importance of this collaboration and need for surge financing. Leveraging this initiative, DFIs met with leading global health organizations including the World Health Organization, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Gavi, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) on August 22, soon after Mpox was declared a public health emergency of international concern, to discuss response efforts and financing needs.

“DFC is proud to support this first-of-its kind framework to ensure DFIs can act swiftly and cohesively to provide surge financing for life-saving products at the start of a health emergency. We expect to leverage this initiative for the Mpox response, working closely with our U.S. Government, development finance, and health partners More broadly, DFC’s investments in health services, supply chains, and technology all help bolster pandemic preparedness and health system resilience.” said DFC DCEO Nisha Biswal.

“JICA believes this surge financing initiative will enhance coordination among development finance institutions and health organizations to achieve our commitment to work towards equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured and affordable MCMs for health emergencies, which Japan announced as Chair of the 2023 G7 Summit in Hiroshima.   Leveraging this initiative and JICA’s own lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue to support countries that have suffered from inequitable access to MCMs in the past,” said Chief Representative of JICA USA Office Satoko Tanaka.

“IFC is proud to participate in this innovative framework to support medical countermeasure financing mechanisms, an important step for responding more effectively to future health crises. Collaboration between development finance institutions and global health partners is key to ensure coordinated efforts that strengthen healthcare systems and supply chains, enhancing pandemic preparedness.”  IFC Vice President of Industries Mohamed Gouled.

“DEG and KfW are committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, one of which is improving healthcare,” said Member of the DEG Management Board Monika Beck. “Therefore, we are delighted to support this initiative to provide financing for healthcare products during health emergencies, together with our trusted development finance partner institutions. We are convinced that it is essential to join forces to support improved access to critical health products when they are in short supply.”

“Sustainable development is linked to equitable and rightful access to health and well-being. As CDP, we strongly support this initiative, which has been mentioned in the G7 Leaders’ final declaration last June at the Apulia Summit, that will foster the development of health systems across emerging economies, ensuring the foundation is laid for research, production, and distribution of essential medicines, diagnostic equipment, and vaccines. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical need for every nation to be equipped with the tools to safeguard public health in times of crisis. Achieving the 2030 UN SDGs will require robust global collaboration, and we are proud to partner with G7 DFIs, the European Investment Bank, and the International Finance Corporation to help make this vision a reality.” said CDP Director of International Development Cooperation Paolo Lombardo.

“The COVID-19 pandemic showed us the value of working together but also the need to coordinate our actions more closely,” said EIB Vice President Thomas Östros. “With joint efforts, we can multiply our impact and effectiveness, especially in meeting current challenges such as Mpox and in tackling future health emergencies. At the EIB, global health is a key priority, and we highly value this partnership.”

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“The MoU is an important step towards strengthening global health security and reducing the impact of future pandemics on vulnerable populations. This furthers our commitment, as the UK’s DFI, to invest in businesses that provide essential health services and products, including vaccines. It will ensure that future health crises can be mitigated to allow continued economic growth and social progress in low- and middle-income countries,” said BII Chair Diana Layfield.

“When critical health products are in short supply, fast and flexible capital can make the difference between life and death,” said CEO of MedAccess Michael Anderson. “The COVID-19 pandemic showed how quickly global supply chains can grind to a halt when overwhelming demand meets scarce supply. This led to inequitable distribution of medical products, leaving millions of people at risk from the disease. Today’s announcement underlines our shared commitment to being prepared for future pandemics with the capital and financial tools to enable companies to meet large-scale, urgent demand for lifesaving products.”

“A lesson learned from the COVID-19 crisis is that it is possible to mobilize significant public and private financial resources in turbulent times. Let’s use this experience of successful mobilization to anticipate effective pandemic preparedness. I believe this Memorandum of Understanding is one of the necessary steps towards better coordination among Public Development Banks to mobilize the private sector and demonstrates the catalytic power of joining forces for innovative financial instruments, as explored by Finance in Common and its Social Investment Coalition. Health is a common good, no one should be left behind in the face of a pandemic,” said Rémy Rioux, CEO of AFD Group (AFD, Proparco, and Expertise France) and Chairman of Finance in Common Summit in Paris.

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) partners with the private sector to finance solutions to the most critical challenges facing the developing world today. We invest across sectors including energy, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, and small business and financial services. DFC investments adhere to high standards and respect the environment, human rights, and worker rights. 

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