Fintech PR
Manulife Named to 2024 Corporate Knights Global 100
Ranking fourth within the Insurance industry, Manulife recognized for performance in sustainable revenues and investments
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Manulife (TSX: MFC) has been named to the 2024 Corporate Knights Global 100 rankings as one of the world’s most sustainable companies. Now in its 20th year, the Global 100 quantitatively compares and ranks how the world’s largest publicly traded companies embrace sustainability as part of its strategy, equally emphasizing the impact of a company’s operations along with its core products and services on people and the planet. The ranking is based on a rigorous assessment of 6,720 companies with more than US$1 billion in annual gross revenues.
“When we first introduced our Impact Agenda, we were excited to have a framework in place to help us continue to build a business capable of meeting the evolving needs of our customers, our communities, and our environment,” said Roy Gori, Manulife’s President and CEO. “As the world continues to experience geopolitical, environmental, and economic uncertainty, it’s important that the contributions our products and services make to the global economy are guided by this vision. This honour is a testament to the work our teams do to make decisions easier and lives better for our more than 34 million customers.”
Manulife’s performance in the Global 100 assessment was driven largely through revenues earned from sustainable sources. Through its behavioural insurance program, Manulife continues to expand the availability of products and services that empower sustained health and well-being such as Vitality and ManulifeMOVE, which provide eligible customers access to leading innovations, like GRAIL’s Galleri® multi-cancer early detection test. Through its investment management arm, the organization has a robust sustainable investment program through portfolio ESG integration across its public and private market investments and is the world’s largest manager of natural capital with nearly $15 billion in assets under management in timberland and agriculture combined.
Corporate Knights also recognized Manulife’s strong long-term focus on diversity at the Board and executive management levels, and in connecting sustainability to compensation and performance. For 2022, 64% of the independent directors on Manulife’s Board self-identified as women1 and 27% of the independent directors on the Board self-identified as members of a visible minority2. Manulife’s full scorecard is available on the Corporate Knights website.
“As a health and wealth company, we know how important it is to accelerate a sustainable future and drive inclusive economic opportunity,” said Sarah Chapman, Manulife’s Global Chief Sustainability Officer. “Through our Impact Agenda, we are continuing to address urgent global needs that matter most to our colleagues, our clients, and the communities we serve. To be named to the Global 100 is an honour, and we remain committed to harnessing our unique strengths and the diversity of our business to deliver benefits for our business, our people and our planet.”
In addition to being named to this year’s Global 100, Manulife has also been recognized by Corporate Knights as one of Canada’s Top 50 Companies for the last three years. In 2023, Manulife was ranked within approximately the top 2 per cent of its Financials and Insurance Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) sector and industry peer groups, respectively. Manulife’s full scorecard is available on the Corporate Knights website.
More recently, Manulife was one of only eight insurers to be named to this year’s Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, underscoring Manulife’s leading sustainable business practices and its proven ability to deliver long-term shareholder value.
Visit Manulife.com/sustainability to learn more about the firm’s Impact Agenda and to read its 2023 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report.
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1 |
Data as of February 28, 2023. |
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2 |
As defined by the Employment Equity Act (Canada). Data as of February 28, 2023 |
Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2022, we had more than 40,000 employees, over 116,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 34 million customers. We trade as ‘MFC’ on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under ‘945’ in Hong Kong.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/manulife-named-to-2024-corporate-knights-global-100-302036637.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
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2586129/Tickmill_Logo.jpg
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/according-to-tickmill-survey-3-in-10-britons-in-economic-difficulty-purchasing-power-down-41-since-2004-302337354.html
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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