Fintech PR
Shareholders request EGM to appoint new Board of Directors of B2 Impact ASA
OSLO, Norway, Nov. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Shareholders representing approximately 24% of the shares and votes of B2 Impact ASA request an Extraordinary Shareholders Meeting to elect new Board of Directors.
A group of shareholders in B2 Impact ASA (the “Company”) including the founding partner Jon Harald Nordbrekken and associated companies; Valset Invest AS and F2Kapital AS together with Gulen Invest AS (the “Shareholders”) have today, in accordance with section 5-7 (2) of the Norwegian Public Limited Liability Companies Act, jointly requested that the board of directors of the Company convenes an Extraordinary General Meeting in the Company to resolve on the election of new members of the Board until the next annual general meeting in 2024. Prioritet Group AB, the largest shareholder in the Company also supports the request for appointment of a new board. Jointly, the request is put forward by shareholders representing approximately 24% of the Company’s shares.
Following the election, the new board is proposed to be composed of four new Directors, including Anders Engdahl as Chairman, Jon Harald Nordbrekken as Vice Chairman, Ellen Hanetho as Director, Nils Wiberg as Director and re-election of Jessica Sparrfeldt.
“I am very pleased that we are able to propose such an experienced board with over hundred years of combined industry experience. The debt collection industry is facing a number of critical challenges posed by rising interest rates, inflation as well as rapid technological change. At the same time, it also presents a number of attractive opportunities as many competitors struggle to adapt to this new environment. For B2 Impact ASA to capitalize on these opportunities we believe it is the right time to appoint new leadership and for the owners to take a more active role in the transformation of the business. To support this change, I will assume an active role on the Board of Directors to help realize the full potential of the business,” says Jon Harald Nordbrekken, founding partner and shareholder of B2 Impact ASA.
The Shareholders are of the view that the Company needs to reconsider its strategy and focus on the following core areas:
- Reduce Cost and Complexity: Structurally reduce group common and local overhead costs through simplified decentralized governance and removing all non-value added activities.
- Enhance Focus: Reduce geographic footprint, build volume and leverage in-market scale. Going forward, the company should focus on collection of unsecured consumer receivables.
- Reduce Indebtedness: Adopt capital light strategy including a partnership with an international investment fund to invest in portfolios outside the Company’s balance sheet, release capital, reduce indebtedness and interest expenses and drive servicing fees.
- Invest in Technology: Accelerate digital adoption by investing into modern collection system technology that could substantially lower cost-to-collect through automated workflows and smarter processes.
- Deliver Profitable Growth: Create profitable organic servicing revenue growth through co-operation with portfolio investors and banks in selected markets as well as acquisitions of businesses that allow the Company to leverage economies of scale.
“I am honoured and excited to be proposed as new Chairman of B2 Impact ASA. I expect to work closely with the new Board of Directors and management to lead the re-orientation of the Company. I believe that if adopting a capital light strategy, the Company is well positioned to take advantage of the emerging opportunities and supportive NPL cycle that can deliver substantial value to shareholders over next few years,” says Anders Engdahl, proposed Chairman of the Board.
In addition, it has been proposed that the following members shall be elected to the Nomination Committee until the annual general meeting in 2024: Frode Foss-Skiftesvik as Chairman, Kjetil Andreas Garstad as Member and Niklas Wiberg as Member.
Background on the proposed board members:
Anders Engdahl, Chairman
Anders Engdahl is a seasoned NPL investment and servicing executive with over 25 years financial services experience. Until Aug 2022, Anders was the CEO of Intrum AB, Europe’s largest debt collector where he spent in total eight years in several roles including CEO, CFO and CIO. Prior to joining Intrum, Anders was Managing Director at Morgan Stanley’s Financial Institutions Group. Anders started his career with Goldman Sachs in London in 1997. He graduated with an M.Sc. In Economics and Managerial Finance from the Stockholm School of Economics.
Jon Harald Nordbrekken, Deputy chairman and board member
Jon Harald Nordbrekken is a founder and the third largest shareholder in B2 Impact ASA. After four years as CEO of Intrum Justitia Norway, Nordbrekken founded Aktiv Kapital in 1991, where he stayed on as CEO until 1999 and as Chair from 1999 to 2004. In 2005, he founded B2Holding AS, now B2 Impact ASA, parent to both Gothia Financial Group and Bank2. Gothia was sold to Herkules in 2008 and Nordbrekken stepped down as Chair of the Board of Bank2 in 2010, before establishing the “new” B2Holding the following year. Nordbrekken was the Chair of the Board of B2 Impact ASA until 2020.
Ellen Hanetho, Board member
Ellen Merete Hanetho has 20 years of experience from investment banking and private equity as a finance and business development executive in corporations such as Frigaard Invest, Credo Partners, Goldman Sachs Investment Banking Division in London and the Brussels Stock Exchange and Citibank in Brussels. She is founder and chairperson of Cercis, a cleantech investment company established in 2020. Ellen holds a BSBA from Boston University, US and an MBA from Solvay University, Belgium in addition to executive training from INSEAD, France and Harvard Business School, US.
Nils Wiberg, Board member
Nils Wiberg is the founder and CEO of Prioritet Group AB. Nils has a very long and solid career within the financial services industry. Nils joined Nordbanken 1986 (currently Nordea) and became CEO of Nordbanken Inkasso focused on debt collection and debt restructuring within the private and corporate sector. Nils was with Nordbanken until 1997. In 1981 Nils founded Prioritet Group which focuses on financial services and asset management. Prioritet Group is the largest shareholder of B2 Impact ASA and wholly owned by Nils Wiberg.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/shareholders-request-egm-to-appoint-new-board-of-directors-of-b2-impact-asa-301998953.html
Fintech PR
President Emmerson Mnangagwa met this week with Zambia’s former Vice President and Special Envoy Enoch Kavindele to discuss SADC’s candidate for the AfDB
President Mnangagwa, who is SADC Chairperson, reaffirmed his own country’s and SADC’s enthusiastic support for Zambian candidate Sam Maimbo
LUSAKA, Zambia, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Special Envoy Kavindele released the following statement following the meeting:
“I am elated to witness the growing success and momentum of Sam Maimbo’s candidacy to become the next President of the African Development Bank. I am filled with gratitude to our friends across both SADC and COMESA for their continued support and good wishes.
Sam has garnered such wide consensus due to his being uniquely qualified to deliver the transformative change and empowerment our continent needs. Sam’s 30 years in development work is defined by driving outcomes, improving processes, and investing in people. The AfDB needs a hands-on leader who is laser focused on delivering results and who is unafraid of making tough decisions in order to best serve our continent. Sam is that leader. Sam has the track record and experience to drastically enhance the pace, scale, and impact of the Bank’s work in service of the people and governments of Africa.
Our region has a proud history of supporting fellow Southern Africans. For example, we all recall Lusaka’s role in hosting the African National Congress’ headquarters during the dark days of Apartheid oppression.
It therefore gives me no pleasure to observe my South African brothers, who have themselves leant on Zambia’s steadfast friendship over many decades, fail to rally behind both SADC and COMESA’s chosen candidate for the AfDB. Africa’s urgent economic development challenges demand transformational leadership at the AfDB, it is all of our responsibility to put forward the best candidate for the job. This is not the time or place for a government to act with narrow self-interest, we all must act in the continent’s and AfDB’s best interest.
I thank Sam Maimbo for his lifelong service to our entire continent, and I am eager to witness his enormous impact as President of the AfDB.”
LONDON, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Heimdal Security shares a practical holiday cybersecurity checklist, offering expert insights to help businesses safeguard against cyber threats this festive season.
With reduced staffing, remote work setups, and a surge in online shopping creating heightened vulnerabilities, this guide offers actionable tips to enhance business security.
Going beyond basic advice, the checklist also highlights the most common holiday scams and features videos showcasing real-life examples of Christmas-themed cyber scams and effective prevention strategies.
Key Tips to Protect Businesses This Holiday Season:
- Strengthen endpoints: Ensure devices are updated with antivirus and endpoint protection software; consider Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and application whitelisting.
- Prepare for phishing spikes: Train staff to identify suspicious emails, enforce robust email filters, and establish protocols for reporting unusual activity.
- Secure remote access: Mandate VPN usage, monitor unusual logins, and deactivate inactive accounts temporarily.
- Segment and shield networks: Isolate sensitive areas, deploy DNS security and advanced firewalls, and maintain full visibility over network traffic.
- Apply timely patches: Regularly update all systems and test patches in a controlled environment to minimize disruptions.
- Mitigate supply chain risks: Assess vendors thoroughly and limit their access to essential systems.
- Have a response plan ready: Tailor incident protocols for the holidays, create an on-call rotation for the IT team, and enable rapid action against suspicious activity.
“ Cybercriminals thrive on holiday distractions, but with proactive measures like phishing training, secure endpoints, and network segmentation, businesses can stay ahead of potential threats,” said Alex Panait, System Administrator at Heimdal Security.
Common Holiday Scams That Businesses Should Watch For:
Cybercriminals often tailor their tactics to exploit the festive season. The most common scams include:
- Spear phishing: Emails disguised as holiday bonuses or event invitations that steal credentials or spread malware.
- Malicious holiday E-Cards: Festive greetings that contain links deploying ransomware or spyware.
- Fake E-Commerce sites: Fraudulent websites offering discounts to steal payment information.
- Insider threats: Distracted or disgruntled employees mishandling or exploiting sensitive data.
- Corporate travel scams: Fake booking platforms targeting business travelers.
- Business email compromise (BEC): Fraudulent requests for urgent wire transfers during year-end financial rushes.
For more, read the full article here or watch the video on YouTube to see how these threats unfold and learn actionable prevention strategies.
About Heimdal:
Established in Copenhagen in 2014, Heimdal® empowers CISOs, security teams, and IT administrators to improve their security operations, reduce alert fatigue, and implement proactive measures through a unified command and control platform.
Heimdal’s award-winning cybersecurity solutions span the entire IT estate, addressing challenges from endpoint to network levels, including vulnerability management, privileged access, Zero Trust implementation, and ransomware prevention.
For further press information:
Madalina Popovici
Media Relations Manager
[email protected]
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/stay-cyber-safe-this-holiday-season-heimdals-checklist-for-business-security-302337465.html
Fintech PR
According to Tickmill survey, 3 in 10 Britons in economic difficulty: Purchasing power down 41% since 2004
The people who have the most problems are women (30%) and are between 35 and 49 years old (39%)
ROME, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The purchasing power in the UK has dropped by 41% over the last 20 years. Today, £100,000 left in a bank account since 2004 without being invested would now be worth £59,021.
This figure is one of the findings from a study conducted by Tickmill, an international online trading broker that compared the economic situation in the UK and the European Union through the infographic “Purchasing Power and Cost of Living: UK vs EU”.
The analysis reveals a slight decline of 0.4% in the UK’s purchasing power, which currently stands at £41,573. In contrast, the European Union has seen a modest rise of 0.1%, reaching £40,874.
Why is purchasing power declining in the UK? One key factor is the cost of living. If the UK were still part of the European Union, it would rank as the fifth most expensive country, behind Ireland, Luxembourg, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
Unsurprisingly, 3 in 10 Britons are struggling with the cost of living. Women (3 in 10, compared to 25% of men), those aged between 35 and 49 (4 in 10), households earning less than £15,000 (6 in 10), and single parents (1 in 2) are among the most affected groups.
Among UK nations, Northern Ireland is the hardest hit, with 34% of its population facing financial difficulties, followed by Wales (31%), England (28%), and Scotland (22%). In England, the North East has the highest percentage of people struggling, with 4 in 10 residents affected. Even in London, the high costs impact 1 in 4 adults.
In response to these challenges, Britons are making significant adjustments:
- 53% have cut back or delayed spending on smaller items like eating out, entertainment, subscriptions, clothing, toys, books, etc.;
- 52% have reduced household energy consumption;
- 48% have decreased their grocery spending;
- 41% have scaled back or postponed major expenditures, such as holidays, cars, and weddings;
- 26% are working longer hours, taking on overtime, or pursuing additional jobs to earn extra income.
The British also made changes on the financial side. One in four adults has been forced to dip into their savings or investments to cover daily expenses. Moreover, 44% have stopped saving or investing entirely or have reduced their savings and investments—a 4% increase compared to 2023.
The lack of investment is another critical factor contributing to the decline in purchasing power. It is estimated that 13 million UK residents hold £430 billion in cash deposits but do not invest. The reasons? Seventy-four percent say they cannot compare investment products effectively, and 43% are afraid of losing their money.
A lack of knowledge and fear are preventing many savers from taking advantage of an important opportunity: preserving or increasing their purchasing power in the long term.
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2586123/Tickmill.jpg
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