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Technology Industry Confronts Reputational Challenges from Techlash in New Report from FleishmanHillard

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FleishmanHillard today released “Darlings to Damaged? Managing the Technology Sector’s Reputation in an Age of Heightened Scrutiny,” a new report assessing the reputational challenges technology companies face today, as well as potential solutions to those challenges in the future. The report follows FleishmanHillard President and CEO John Saunders‘, recent discussion by the same name at the Collision tech conference in Toronto.

“Technology advancements have enabled life-saving innovations, boosted productivity, reduced the consumption of natural resources and more, but we wanted to take a step back and look at some of the unintended consequences of those benefits, and their subsequent impact on the tech sector’s reputation,” Saunders said. “Consumers are becoming more aware of data collection and how that information is being shared; tech companies are trying to address any impact they’ve had through greater collaboration and transparency; businesses are navigating through the impacts of artificial intelligence; governments are considering new ways of managing the sector through legislation and regulation. Through qualitative and quantitative research, our report explores consumer sentiment and business solutions in this current environment of heightened scrutiny.”

As part of the report, FleishmanHillard TRUE Global Intelligence™ conducted a survey and found that while there has been a lot of attention and conversation around the so-called techlash, 82% of U.S. and 79% of U.K. consumers still generally trust technology companies. That saidthere is some generational and country divide. In the U.S., the younger generations are more skeptical, with 26% of Gen Z and 22% of millennials saying they lack trust in technology companies. That’s flipped in the U.K., where the older generations have less trust, with 38% of the silent generation lacking trust versus 13% of millennials.

The research did show a common path forward, with 70% of Americans and Britons saying they’d view technology companies more favorably if they were to take more action to address the consequences of their policies, practices and products. Regulation may also play an important role, with almost a third of respondents thinking that technology companies are regulated too little. Further, it was revealed that some Britons may believe American companies could learn something from the British – 60% of Britons believe that U.K. technology companies are regulated about the right amount, with only 32% saying they’re regulated too little. Fewer Britons, 54%, believe U.S. companies are regulated the right amount, and 39% believe they need to be regulated more.

The report’s findings combine original research with insights from some of the world’s leading thinkers in this space, including the CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, the CIO of Canada, a Harvard professor and many more.

The report explores topics including:

  • Consumers’ general level of trust in technology and generational differences;
  • Actions consumers expect companies to take to build trust in this space;
  • The role of self-regulation, responsibility and shared value in addressing the current reputational challenges;
  • The macroeconomic and geopolitical situation more broadly;
  • How regulation and legislation might play a role in rebuilding trust;
  • What actions should be taken to ensure AI is a benefit to business and society; and
  • The convenience of hyper-personalization, weighed against security risk and data protection needs

“As companies navigate the increasingly complex environment, the best approach is to commit to being transparent, and to work collaboratively with government, regulators and academia,” Saunders said. “At the end of the day, it comes down to always doing the right thing, and ensuring you’re operating with the highest ethical standards and in the best interest of your stakeholders.”

FleishmanHillard’s “Darlings to Damaged?” report includes qualitative and quantitative data. FleishmanHillard TRUE Global Intelligence™ conducted a survey among a nationally representative sample of 1,002 adults each in the U.S. and U.K., 18 years of age and older. The U.S. sample is demographically balanced for age, sex, geographic region, race and education. The U.K. sample is demographically balanced for age and sex. The surveys were fielded online in April and May of 2019.

 

SOURCE FleishmanHillard

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EBRD to provide €30 million of long-term financing to Rönesans Gayrimenkul Yatırım to support regions affected by 2023 earthquakes

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Loan to finance support capex of the shopping centres in the region and projects to help preserve livelihoods in the affected cities

ISTANBUL, March 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a senior loan of € 30 million to Rönesans Gayrimenkul Yatırım A.Ş (Rönesans Real Estate Investment) subsidiary of Rönesans Holding, one of Europe’s leading contracting and investment companies.

Rönesans Gayrimenkul Yatırım (RGY) is the commercial real estate development and investment company of Rönesans Holding. Combining Rönesans Holding’s over 30 years of construction experience with 22 years of real estate experience, RGY has an asset portfolio of 16 real estate properties with a gross asset value of € 2,6 billion as of 2023YE. Rönesans Gayrimenkul Yatırım stands as Türkiye’s largest commercial real estate investment group with its own managed projects, totaling c.1,500,000 square meters of gross building area and c. 740,000 square meters of gross leasable area.

The loan will finance the support capex of Kahramanmaraş and Şanlıurfa Piazza Shopping Centres and will be backed by a guarantee from the European Union.

The project will support the preservation of human capital and the livelihoods in the region. Rönesans Gayrimenkul Yatırım will provide a skills development programme and crafts production trainings dedicated to women. The sales training will prove beneficial to Kahramanmaraş Piazza Shopping Centre’s tenants who are facing labour shortages following significant migration from the city after the earthquake.

Jürgen Rigterink, First Vice President and Head of Client Services Group of the EBRD, said: “I was shocked and saddened to see during my visit the devastating impact the earthquakes have had on the affected region, and I continue to be inspired by the resilience and determination of the local population here.”

“Reconstruction is a long process and can take many years, but it begins by allowing the private sector to regain its vibrant potential. I am proud to say that we have already made available more than half of our initial €1.5 billion investment response, and we will continue to stand with Türkiye on its path to recovery by supporting projects that preserve the livelihoods of the region.”

İpek Ilıcak Kayaalp, Chair of the Board of Directors of Rönesans Holding, said: “We have a strong and longstanding partnership with EBRD for 15 years, and we are happy to collaborate with them on our social infrastructure investment projects in Türkiye and potential projects in Central Asia. We have secured over €500 million in financing from EBRD for our healthcare investment projects in the past, and we are now extending our collaboration to the real estate sector in Türkiye. I believe that our partnership will contribute to the ongoing recovery efforts in the earthquake-affected region, as part of our efforts to implement impactful projects to mitigate the effects of earthquakes.”

Kahramanmaraş Piazza is the only shopping centre in the city of Kahramanmaraş. Despite its location directly above the fault line, it remained intact and became a crucial focal point for the entire city following the February 6 earthquakes. It served as a help centre for urgent needs such as food and shelter for 1,000 people as a part of Rönesans Holding’s earthquake relief efforts, under the leadership of Erman Ilıcak, the President of Rönesans Holding.

Immediately following the 2023 earthquakes, Rönesans Holding and its 2,000 volunteers moved quickly to provide urgent needs for earthquake victims. Within two months of the devastating earthquakes, Rönesans Holding had created temporary living spaces designed for more than 10,000 people, prioritising the wellbeing of the most vulnerable members of society, especially women, children, and young people. The business has continued to support the relief and recovery efforts, launching additional programs to support the education and mental health of those affected by the earthquakes in recent months.

Rönesans Gayrimenkul Yatırım has also been an early leader in green building and implementing energy-saving initiatives since 2017, aiming to cover 40% of its energy consumption with renewable sources by 2025 and achieve 100% renewable energy usage in all projects by 2028. Rönesans Gayrimenkul Yatırım is intensively pursuing solar energy utilization in projects where climate conditions permit, to this end. With a particular focus on solar energy usage, it has achieved a pioneering milestone by obtaining the highest level of BREEAM In-Use certification for its portfolio of 10 properties, marking a groundbreaking achievement as the first in Türkiye and globally.

As of the end of 2023, Rönesans Gayrimenkul Yatırım , which has achieved an occupancy rate of over 97% in its shopping malls and welcomes close to 100 million visitors annually, continues its review process for its public offering, having submitted its applications to the Capital Markets Board (SPK) and Borsa Istanbul.

About Rönesans Group

Rönesans Holding, the conglomerate’s top investment entity headquartered in Ankara, is the 38th largest international contracting company globally and the 9th largest in Europe. With operations spanning 30 countries across Europe, Central Asia, and Africa, including subsidiaries such as Ballast
Nedam in the Netherlands and Heitkamp Industrial Solutions GmbH in Germany, Rönesans has been operating as the main contractor and investor successfully for 30 years in construction, real estate development, healthcare and energy. Putting resilience and growth through innovation at the core of the company, with a priority on sustainability and social development, Rönesans has developed projects supporting students with scholarships, academic platforms and initiatives; been a signatory of the UN Global Compact since 2015; and a signatory of the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles since 2016.

Rönesans Holding, under the leadership of its president, Erman Ilıcak, along with its partners GIC, Meridiam Infrastructure, Sojitz, Samsung C&T, TotalEnergies, and IFC of the World Bank Group (a minority shareholder in the group), has invested more than EUR8 billion into pioneering projects globally.

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Rönesans Holding

 

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Asia’s leading tech company to partner with Nagad

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DHAKA, Bangladesh, March 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Southeast Asia’s first tech billionaire Goh Peng Ooi has expressed his keen interest in partnering with Nagad, a leading mobile financial service provider based in Bangladesh, through his established Silverlake Group that provides financial software and digital services to banks.

The Malaysian fintech mogul first learnt about Nagad, went through relevant case studies, and gave the go-ahead – this will mark Silverlake Group’s first partnership initiative in South Asia.

Recently, Tanvir A. Mishuk, executive chairman and CEO of Nagad Ltd., received a warm invitation from Goh Peng Ooi at his residence in Malaysia. Impressed by Nagad’s customer-friendly innovations, acquisition of over 9 crore customers within just five years, and its unique business model, Goh Peng promptly expressed his interest in making the partnership Nagad. During this courtesy call, Mishuk also invited him to Nagad Ltd.

Founded in 1989, Silverlake Group currently provides support to more than 400 banks operating in over a hundred countries. Almost all banks in Singapore, including its two main banks United Overseas Bank (UOB) and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC), are heavily dependent on Silverlake’s technology. Its business collaborations extend across Europe, America, Australia, Africa, and Asia.

During the meeting with Tanvir A. Mishuk, Goh Peng Ooi said they had previously received multiple proposals from different companies in various South Asian countries, including Bangladesh and India, but they hadn’t found sufficient reasons to integrate them into Silverlake. However, they perceive Nagad differently in the realm of financial entities.

According to the proposal, Silverlake Group will offer Nagad the opportunity to utilise its most advanced banking technologies. Nagad believes this initiative will not only benefit Nagad but also bring significant changes to the entire banking sector in Bangladesh.

Talking about Goh Peng Ooi and Silverlake Group’s interest in partnering with Nagad, CEO of Nagad Ltd. Tanvir A. Mishuk, said, “I think this is not only good news for Nagad but also for the entire Bangladesh, as it creates the possibility of a massive change in the country’s banking landscape. We believe it will eventually play a transformative role for millions of people in the country.”

Inaugurated by Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2019 as a mobile financial service, Nagad is now preparing to emerge as the country’s first digital bank in the middle of this year. Nagad has already introduced some ground-breaking innovations, leading to a transformation in the country’s financial industry. Nagad also hopes to continue to better serve its customers through its digital bank.

About Nagad Ltd (https://www.nagad.com.bd/)

Nagad Limited is one of the leading MFS operators in Bangladesh’s payment industry with 90 million registered customers and an average daily transaction of about USD 113 million. The digital payment platform, known as a successful public-private partnership between Bangladesh Postal Department and the private sector.

Contact:
Lincoln Md. Lutforzaman Sarker
Assistant Vice President (AVP),
Media and Communications, Nagad Limited.
Email: [email protected]

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Hakluyt’s 2023 accounts record another year of strong growth

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LONDON, March 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Hakluyt, the global strategic advisory firm for businesses and investors, recorded another period of robust financial growth in the year ending 30 June 2023, expanding its core advisory business while investing for the future.

The firm’s financial results, which were filed today with Companies House, show that revenue increased by 9% to a new record level, with a slightly lower profit margin reflecting substantial investment in the firm’s people and geographic footprint. During this period, Hakluyt opened new offices in Abu Dhabi and Toronto, and continued to recruit new talent worldwide.

Hakluyt also announced its first investment fund, Hakluyt Capital, during this period, which gives some of the world’s most promising growth-stage companies access to the firm’s unrivalled global connectivity, advice and expertise.  

Hakluyt’s managing partner, Varun Chandra, said: “As business leaders continue to face increasingly complex challenges, we have invested in the international reach and expertise of our team, which enable us to provide world-class counsel and connectivity where they are most needed. I am pleased that our core business grew substantially in the financial year 2022-23, and that operating profits remained strong. My thanks to every member of the brilliant Hakluyt team who has helped us deliver against our plan.”

Notes to editors:

Hakluyt is a strategic advisory firm that works with corporate leaders and investors around the world on their most important commercial issues. For more information on the firm, please visit www.hakluytandco.com 

 

 

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