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J.S. Held: Strategic Advisors to 65% of the Fortune 100

Published

2 months ago

September 27, 2024

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JERICHO, N.Y., Sept. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Global consulting firm J.S. Held is proudly celebrating 50 transformative years as strategic advisors to a broad spectrum of clients, including 65% of the Fortune 100 company executives, boards of directors, and their financial investors.

Strategic Advisory at J.S. Held is multi-faceted and enriched by a legacy of risk management that results in solutions that are as comprehensive as they are actionable. J.S. Held Strategic Advisory clients benefit from a curated collection of technical, scientific, and financial experts, entrepreneurs with an unrivaled understanding of both tangible and intangible assets, ensuring that the advice clients receive is not just theoretical but grounded in real-world experience and innovation. Whether focused on addressing a unique circumstance or enhancing a company’s business operations, every Strategic Advisory assignment begins with understanding the clients’ overall concerns and objectives.

Generally, our mandate is established by:

Senior management teams of operating companies
Public and private investors
Corporate Boards of Directors
Investment bankers
Counsel
Business consultants

Michael Jacoby, CTP, of Phoenix Management, a part of J.S. Held, who has advised more than 400 clients in a variety of industries, including roles as an independent director and interim manager for 30 companies, notes, “The diverse collection of experts at J.S. Held ensures that the strategic guidance we provide to businesses of all sizes is practical, grounded in real-world experience and designed to provide meaningful and lasting impact.”

James E. (Jim) Malackowski, CPA, CLP, of Ocean Tomo, a part of J.S. Held, observes, “In today’s knowledge-driven economy, where 90% of company value is comprised of intangible assets, intellectual property (IP) is often the most valuable asset a company holds. At J.S. Held, we recognize that IP is not just a legal concern – it’s a critical element in strategic business decisions and financial valuation.” Jim continues, “Our experts are uniquely positioned to advise on the complexities of IP valuation, helping clients realize the value of their innovations in the marketplace.” This multidimensional insight allows J.S. Held to provide clients with the tools to protect, leverage, and capitalize on their intellectual assets.

Greg Esslinger, a former practicing lawyer and former Special Agent for the FBI in the International Counterterrorism Division, with decades of experience advising companies and their counsel on international compliance, cross-border investigations, and risk management, highlights the unique and complex dynamics existing in frontier, emerging, and developed markets as organizations consider new market entry investments. “J.S. Held has deep expertise and experience across geographical regions and industries, strengthening our ability to provide strategic advisory to clients entering fast-growing and complex markets,” Greg shares. “Our extensive public and private sector networks allow us to deliver proprietary analysis, gain access and influence, and achieve impact for clients seeking to maximize opportunities and mitigate risk.”

John Peiserich, Esq., environmental risk and compliance strategy expert, shares the triple bottom line focus – people, profit, and planet – of J.S. Held corporate sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) consulting advisory, “Throughout the sustainability / ESG journey, we help business stakeholders shape their goals and strategies, select and implement technologies, enhance operations, mitigate risks, strengthen governance, and become more reputable and sustainable to drive long-term business value.” John continues, “We combine the diverse technical, financial, technological, scientific, regulatory, investigative, and strategic advisory expertise across our global team.”

The depth and breadth of our work in the insurance market provides a strong foundation in risk assessment, data analysis, global awareness, regulatory compliance, technological adaptability, and risk mitigation. Collectively, these skills better equip our experts to assess business risk across diverse geographies, geopolitical landscapes, compliance frameworks, and digital advancements. “In a world where uncertainty is the only constant, there is a need for something solid you can hold onto,” observes J.S. Held President and Chief Executive Officer Jonathon Held. “Our name is our promise,” he adds. “Our role as strategic advisor is emblematic of this promise, even in the face of the most daunting risks, clients have the expertise and guidance to act with confidence.”

J.S. Held’s expertise in strategic advisory is built upon five decades of experience in the most rigorous venues – state, federal, and international courts – and spans more than 150 different industry segments. Because our past success provides the best indication of our capabilities, J.S. Held is proud to feature a few representative engagements.

Operational Advisory

J.S. Held continues to be a strategic partner to a $350 million dollar revenue outdoor products manufacturer that experienced operational and financial challenges. Initially providing due diligence, over the course of more than 7 years, our experts have offered insight and strategic guidance, which has been leveraged by the company to continue its growth trajectory. We have recommended and implemented operational improvements and have helped to advance the Company’s e-Commerce initiatives. We have also provided critical due diligence and transactional support in evaluating, closing, and implementing bolt-on acquisitions. As a trusted operational advisor, we have often served as an extension of the company’s management, operating, and financial teams during years of expansion. Our experts helped fill crucial roles in driving the strategic planning process, spearheading operational improvements, serving as plant controllers on multiple occasions, and driving critical improvement projects.

Financial Advisor in M&A

Ocean Tomo, a part of J.S. Held, was retained by a special purpose acquisition company (AltC Acquisition Corp.), co-founded by Sam Altman and Churchill Capital, in its acquisition of Oklo, Inc., a nuclear fuel recycling company and advanced manufacturer of small modular nuclear reactors. As a financial advisor on this transaction, experts conducted a strategic assessment of Oklo’s go-to-market plans and an analysis of the company’s technology and intellectual property. The multi-disciplinary team’s deep industry and regulatory knowledge was instrumental in performing a comprehensive analysis of the target company’s strategy and providing a robust Fairness Opinion to the Board of Directors of AltC Acquisition Corp.

New Market Entry

J.S. Held was retained by one of the largest global mining companies to help them understand key sector dynamics ahead of the prospective acquisition and related investment in a Central African country. As a trusted advisor, our team provided an in-depth report on Central African countries’ key mining sector dynamics, including enhanced due diligence investigation through in-country visits. Our experts conducted both primary and secondary research on political developments, legal systems, finance and taxation laws, social issues, and operational risks to help understand the characteristics of the sector and identify the challenges and opportunities. Our report was essential in helping the client to better understand the operating environment in and around the mining sector in the Central African countries and helped guide their strategy for market entry.

Carbon Management & ESG Strategy

With its deep expertise in carbon markets and trading, J.S. Held was uniquely positioned to assist a large, integrated oil and gas company facing a complex challenge: optimizing its carbon market exposure and minimizing the costs associated with complying with various carbon regulations. With the increasing prevalence and stringency of carbon pricing mechanisms worldwide, the client recognized the need for a comprehensive strategy to manage their carbon obligations effectively. With expert guidance from J.S. Held and the implementation of the carbon optimization trading book, the client realized significant value, including cost savings, revenue generation, risk mitigation, operational efficiencies, and regulatory compliance.

Learn more about the dedicated and entrepreneurial experts like Michael, Jim, Greg, and John, who help transform J.S. Held, explore our story, and celebrate this momentous milestone, our 50 & Forward celebration, with us at jsheld.com.

About J.S. Held

J.S. Held is a global consulting firm that combines technical, scientific, financial, and strategic expertise to advise clients seeking to realize value and mitigate risk. Our professionals serve as trusted advisors to organizations facing high stakes matters demanding urgent attention, staunch integrity, proven experience, clear-cut analysis, and an understanding of both tangible and intangible assets. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services, products, and data that enable clients to navigate complex, contentious, and often catastrophic situations.

More than 1,500 professionals serve organizations across six continents, including 81% of the Global 200 Law Firms, 70% of the Forbes Top 20 Insurance Companies (85% of the NAIC Top 50 Property & Casualty Insurers), and 65% of the Fortune 100 Companies.

J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not certified public accounting firm(s) and do not provide audit, attest, or any other public accounting services. J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not law firms and do not provide legal advice. Securities offered through PM Securities, LLC, d/b/a Phoenix IB, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC or Ocean Tomo Investment Group, LLC, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC. All rights reserved.

Contact

Kristi L. Stathis | Global Public Relations | +1 786 833 4864 | [email protected]

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Fintech PR

Renaissance Philanthropy and XTX Markets launch new $9 million AI for Math Fund

Published

25 minutes ago

December 5, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

$renaissance-philanthropy-and-xtx-markets-launch-new-$9-million-ai-for-math-fund$

Fund aims to support new projects building AI tools to accelerate breakthrough discoveries in mathematics

WASHINGTON and LONDON, Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Renaissance Philanthropy and XTX Markets today announced the launch of the AI for Math Fund. The fund will commit $9.2 million to support the development of new AI tools, which will serve as long-term building blocks to advance mathematics.

An increasing number of researchers, including some of the world’s leading mathematicians, are embracing AI to push the boundaries of mathematical discovery and learning. The AI for Math Fund will support projects that expand the use of leading AI technology by mathematicians globally.

Alex Gerko, Founder and co-CEO, XTX Markets said, “The fund will support this critical intersection between AI and math. Working in partnership with Renaissance Philanthropy, we want to give mathematicians the tools they need to advance the field. As AI continues to transform other sciences, we believe that mathematics will be next.”

Renaissance Philanthropy and XTX Markets are inviting proposals for innovative projects led by researchers, non-profits, companies, mathematicians, software engineers and computer scientists that are unlikely to occur under business-as-usual conditions. Click here to submit an application.

Proposals should be aligned with one of the following categories:

Production grade software tools: AI for auto-formalization, proof generation, synthesis of verifiable code, and more
Datasets: Open-source collections of theorems, proofs, and math problems
Field building: Textbooks, courses, and resources to grow the AI-for-math community
Breakthrough ideas: High-risk, high-reward approaches to AI-driven math research

XTX Markets is the founding donor of the AI for Math Fund.

“We are excited to partner with XTX Markets on this important initiative,” said Tom Kalil, CEO of Renaissance Philanthropy. “The convergence of AI and math has the potential to advance fundamental mathematics, the reasoning capability of AI systems, and the synthesis of verifiable code.”

Following a rigorous assessment of the proposals, individual grants of up to $1 million will be awarded for projects lasting up to 24 months.

Terence Tao, UCLA, Fields Medalist and AI for Math Fund advisor said, “The next generation of AI models and tools have the potential to enhance collaboration among mathematicians that was previously impossible. I am delighted to work with Renaissance Philanthropy and XTX Markets to realize this potential through the AI for Math Fund.”

About Renaissance Philanthropy

Renaissance Philanthropy is a nonprofit organization with a mission to fuel a 21st century renaissance by increasing the ambition of philanthropists, scientists, and innovators. We do this by advising philanthropists, surfacing breakthrough ideas, and incubating ambitious initiatives.

About XTX Markets

XTX Markets is a leading algorithmic trading firm which uses state-of-the-art machine learning technology to produce price forecasts for over 50,000 financial instruments across equities, fixed income, currencies, commodities and crypto. It uses those forecasts to trade on exchanges and alternative trading venues, and to offer differentiated liquidity directly to clients worldwide. The firm trades over $250bn a day across 35 countries and has over 250 employees based in London, Singapore, New York, Paris, Bristol, Mumbai and Yerevan.

XTX Markets has an unrivalled level of computational resources in the trading industry, with a growing research cluster currently containing over 25,000 GPUs with 650 petabytes of usable storage. Teams across the firm include world-class researchers with backgrounds in pure math, programming, physics, computer science and machine learning. The firm is also constructing a large-scale data centre in Finland to future-proof its significant computational capabilities.

Since 2017, XTX Markets has committed over £250 million to charities and non-profit partners, establishing the firm as a major philanthropic donor in the UK and globally. The firm’s philanthropy focuses on advancing mathematics education and research, having committed over £50 million in grants to UK charities and education institutions, with the aim of supporting more students to progress to degrees, PhDs and highly-skilled careers in maths, especially those from low-income backgrounds. XTX Markets has also committed more than £25 million to support elite mathematics talent worldwide. More broadly, the firm’s giving also supports high-impact education programmes in low- and middle-income countries, humanitarian relief and local community initiatives in the regions where our offices are located internationally.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/renaissance-philanthropy-and-xtx-markets-launch-new-9-million-ai-for-math-fund-302324035.html

Fintech PR

Mambu acquires payment technology provider Numeral, bolstering its market position to target new growth opportunities

Published

25 minutes ago

December 5, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

The acquisition marks a strategic move by the cloud banking leader to extend its payment capabilities for customers, as Mambu eyes market expansion and accelerated growth in support of long-term plans.
Numeral’s platform will be integrated into Mambu’s core banking offerings, with advanced payment solutions technology, to accelerate and advance the next generation of financial products.

AMSTERDAM, Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Mambu, a leading cloud banking platform, has announced the acquisition of Numeral, a French payment technology provider for banks and fintechs.

The acquisition strengthens Mambu’s position as an industry leader, in a move that underscores market confidence and growing demand for modern financial experiences. The addition of advanced payment capabilities represents a significant investment in the next phase of Mambu’s growth as an established market player.

With Numeral’s platform, Mambu is set to drive new value from wider audience segments that will increase its overall share of the market. It also offers a unique strategic fit to the foundation of the cloud banking leader’s long-term expansion efforts.

“This acquisition marks a considered move to deliver a more modern, comprehensive payment offering which is now an integrated part of Mambu’s product portfolio. Numeral’s advanced payments platform will enable us to address changing customer demands, strengthen existing product lines and expand our market reach, while offering businesses advanced capabilities to meet an extensive range of needs.” – Fernando Zandona, CEO at Mambu.

Speaking about why Numeral was the ‘right fit’ for Mambu, Zandona added: “Numeral’s values, proven agility, and robust onboarding processes match perfectly with our growth mindset as a business. We look forward to welcoming their talented team as we unlock new growth opportunities together.”

Founded in 2021, Numeral is a fast-growing payment technology provider that offers financial institutions a universal gateway to connect to partner banks and access schemes and a modern payments hub to automate payment processing. The Paris-based firm processes more than €10 billion in payments annually and has established a strong presence in Europe, having expanded its operations to the UK last year.

The size of the market opportunity for bank payments is striking. In 2022, the value of bank payments in the Eurozone stood at €191 trillion, that is 58x more than card payments (€3.3 trillion). This vast global market is transforming rapidly, driven by the rise of instant payments as a catalyst for modernising core banking and payment platforms. With its robust bank integrations, a modular API and modern dashboard, Numeral’s platform will enable Mambu to capitalise on this market opportunity.

The cloud banking platform will also benefit from Numeral’s roster of partnerships with some of Europe’s leading banks, including BNP Paribas, Barclays, HSBC, and ABN AMRO.

“Payments are at the heart of how companies do business around the world, yet they remain trapped in systems designed decades ago, unfit for the ongoing instant payments revolution,” said Numeral co-founder and CEO, Édouard Mandon. “This is a problem that Mambu intimately understands having helped banks and financial institutions worldwide to migrate from rigid, traditional core systems to agile and adaptable cloud infrastructure. Bringing together our dedicated payments technology with Mambu’s leading cloud banking platform and global customer base, we can enable more companies to make their payments future-proof and ever-compliant while eliminating hidden payment complexity at scale.”

The integration of Mambu and Numeral’s advanced payment platform will enable banks, fintechs, and non-financial service firms to seamlessly manage end-to-end payment workflows, support multiple payment methods, and provide real-time transaction capabilities. This will drive greater operational efficiency, improved customer experiences, and accelerated time-to-market for innovative financial solutions.

Mambu will gain the flexibility to offer an even more sophisticated, readily-available set of payment capabilities. New and not-yet-live customers can take advantage of this from day one, while customers that already have a payment solution in place will have the option to upgrade.

Notes to editors

About Mambu

Mambu is the world’s only true SaaS cloud banking platform. Launched in 2011, Mambu fast-tracks the design and build of nearly any type of financial offering for banks of all sizes, lenders, fintechs, retailers, telcos and more. Our unique composable approach means that independent components, systems and connectors can be assembled in any configuration to meet business needs and end user demands. Mambu supports over 260 customers in over 65 countries – including Western Union, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, N26, BancoEstado, Raiffeisen Bank, ABN AMRO, and Bank Islam. www.mambu.com

About Numeral

Numeral is a payment technology provider that offers financial institutions a universal gateway to connect to partner banks and access schemes and a modern payments hub to automate payment processing. Numeral enables fintechs and banks to unlock growth by launching new products and expanding geographically faster, eliminating hidden payment complexity and making their payments future-proof and ever-compliant. Launched in 2021, Numeral provides the payment infrastructure for the most innovative European banks and fintechs like WorldFirst, Argentex and Alma and partners with Europe’s leading banks, including BNP Paribas, Barclays, BPCE, HSBC and LHV.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/mambu-acquires-payment-technology-provider-numeral-bolstering-its-market-position-to-target-new-growth-opportunities-302323963.html

Fintech PR

Jeff McLean Named CEO of ghSMART, Continuing Legacy of Leadership Excellence

Published

25 minutes ago

December 5, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

jeff-mclean-named-ceo-of-ghsmart,-continuing-legacy-of-leadership-excellence

CHICAGO, Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — G.H. Smart & Company, LLC, the world’s premier leadership advisory firm, proudly announces the appointment of Jeff McLean as Chief Executive Officer. McLean, President of ghSMART for the past three years, steps into the newly created role to lead the firm’s next phase of growth and innovation.

Under McLean’s leadership as President, ghSMART secured 14 #1 rankings in Vault’s “Best Consulting Firms to Work For” and achieved 100% client satisfaction, solidifying its reputation as the most trusted advisor to CEOs, boards, and investors worldwide. As CEO, McLean aims to further advance ghSMART’s mission to help leaders build valuable companies through expertise in business and human behavior.

Founder and Chairman Geoff Smart shared his confidence in McLean’s leadership: “Jeff’s track record was remarkable even before joining ghSMART—Fulbright and Truman Scholar, Navy Fighter Pilot and Test Pilot, White House Fellow. As President, he surpassed our firm’s goals, demonstrated unwavering dedication to our team and clients, exemplifying our credo to help leaders amplify their positive impact on the world. I am excited to see his leadership flourish as CEO. Jeff is the definition of a servant leader and embodies the values that make ghSMART extraordinary.”

McLean shared his enthusiasm for this new chapter: “It is an honor to lead ghSMART as CEO. Our work profoundly impacts the world by empowering the most influential leaders to achieve extraordinary results. I am deeply inspired every day by the incredibly talented people on our team, and I’m grateful for the trust placed in me. Together, we will continue to set the standard for excellence in high-stakes leadership advisory.”

This leadership elevation comes as ghSMART continues to expand its global presence and investment in digital solutions, driven by increasing demand for its advisory services. With McLean at the helm, the firm is poised to deepen its influence in shaping the future of leadership.

About ghSMART

ghSMART is the trusted advisor to CEOs, boards, and investors on leadership strategies that drive performance and transformation. Combining rigorous assessments with analytics, ghSMART supports its clients in building exceptional teams and achieving their most ambitious goals. Founded on the belief that leadership is the most powerful force for good, ghSMART remains a pioneer in leadership advisory, with a legacy of bestselling books and industry accolades. For more information, visit www.ghsmart.com.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Watkins
[email protected]

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