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Discover AEGIS VES 240® – the latest addition to the AEGIS System of Care™

AEGIS Environmental Management Inc.

AEGIS Environmental Management Inc. has announced the launch of the AEGIS VES 240 ® commercial cleaner-disinfectant, an innovative two-in-one product that simultaneously cleans and sanitizes in just 15 seconds. This new addition to the AEGIS range offers effective disinfection for a broad range of hard, non-food contact surfaces – as well as acting as a sanitizer for fabrics – helping to maintain cleaner treated surfaces in offices, retail, restaurants, hospitals, schools and industrial settings. AEGIS VES 240 is a one-step, US EPA-registered commercial cleaner-disinfectant that is effective against odor-causing and pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses on hard surfaces. This easily applied, broad-spectrum disinfectant spray provides spray on cleaning and disinfection for hard surfaces, offering demonstrated efficacy against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. AEGIS VES 240 removes surface grease, grime and impurities, with a simultaneous disinfectant action, as well as working as a deodorizer to help remove musty and unpleasant odors on everything from bedding to walls and floors. AEGIS VES 240 has been evaluated according to the AOAC Germicidal Spray Products as Disinfectants test for determination of the efficacy of liquid disinfectants on hard, nonporous surfaces, and the ASTM Standard Test Method for Efficacy of Sanitizers Recommended for Inanimate, Hard, Nonporous Non-Food Contact Surfaces. For long-term protection, this product may be used to disinfect surfaces before the application of AEGIS antimicrobial surface protection technologies, such as our AEGIS Microbe Shield ®, completing the AEGIS Clean – Disinfect – Protect™ System of Care to provide durable surface protection from microbial degradation for up to 90 days. For more information, visit https://www.microban.com/aegis/aegis-disinfectant/aegis-ves-240 About AEGIS Environmental Management Inc. AEGIS Environmental Management Inc., headquartered in North Carolina with operations in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, has been the sole source for AEGIS ® surface protection technologies since 1976. The company’s AEGIS System of Care consists of both disinfectants and antimicrobial surface coatings. Our disinfectants kill viruses and other germs on hard surfaces. Our antimicrobial coatings offer an effective way to control a wide range of microbes, including bacteria, fungi, algae, mold, and mildew, on surfaces found in healthcare, educational and public transportation settings. These technologies are incorporated into a three-step Clean-Disinfect-Protect approach to cleaner surfaces, developed to meet customer demand during the COVID-19 pandemic and into the future. The AEGIS portfolio incorporates a range of products with a unique mode of action, including AEGIS Microbe Shield, which are easy to apply on surfaces either by spraying or using the ‘wet and wipe’ method. The AEGIS and AEGIS Microbe Shield brands are recognized worldwide, trusted to solve most surface hygiene concerns, and suitable for use in a wide range of surfaces and environments. Often imitated but never replicated, AEGIS surface coatings offer continuous microbial surface protection that is durable and lasts 24/7. AEGIS Microbe Shield is the original EPA-registered antimicrobial surface coating. Complementing this is AEGIS VES 240, an EPA-registered hospital type disinfectant solution to address surface hygiene concerns in a wide array of environments. This one-step disinfectant is effective against pathogenic bacteria, fungi, animal and human viruses, with demonstrated efficacy against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, and sanitizes surfaces to kill 99.9 % of bacteria in 15 seconds on hard surfaces. Aegis Environmental Management Inc. is the lawful owner of the AEGIS, AEGIS VES 240, AEGIS System of Care, AEGIS Clean – Disinfect – Protect, and AEGIS Microbe Shield trademarks. For more information, visit www.aegismicrobeshield.com Contact Details kdm communications limited Sarah Khan +44 1480 405333 ideas@kdm-communications.com

May 25, 2021 10:43 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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American Kidney Fund Expands 2021 Class of Corporate Members Committed to Fighting Kidney Disease

American Kidney Fund

The American Kidney Fund (AKF) today announced four new Members joining the 2021 class of its Corporate Membership Program. The Corporate Membership Program has provided AKF with nearly $500,000 in funding, which is being used for critical educational programming and the development of resources and information to help save the lives of those affected by kidney disease. AstraZeneca and Vertex Pharmaceuticals have joined as Patron-level Members, Dicerna Pharmaceuticals has joined as an Advocate-level Member, and Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has joined as a Friend-level Member. “Our Corporate Membership Program provides AKF with funding that is indispensable as we work with and for patients, caregivers, living organ donors and health care providers in the fight against kidney disease,” said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF president and CEO. “We are proud to welcome the newest 2021 Corporate Members in our program and are grateful for their commitment to improve the lives of Americans living with and at risk for kidney disease.” The 2021 class of AKF Corporate Members now includes: Champion Level: Amgen and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Patron Level: Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ardelyx, Inc., AstraZeneca, Horizon Therapeutics plc, Mallinckrodt plc, Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc., Quest Diagnostics, Inc., Sanofi Genzyme and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Advocate Level: Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc., Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), Chinook Therapeutics, Inc., Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and Vifor Pharma Group Friend Level: Omeros Corporation, OPKO Health and Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. AKF has a long history of outstanding stewardship of the donated dollar, giving Corporate Members the confidence that their investment in AKF will have the maximum impact on the lives of those affected by kidney disease. With 97 cents of every donated dollar spent on patients and programs, not overhead, AKF directly touches the lives of more people with kidney disease than any other nonprofit. AKF received its 19th consecutive 4-star rating from Charity Navigator in 2020, making it one of just three nonprofits nationwide to have received Charity Navigator’s top rating every year since the rating system began. The Corporate Membership Program is open to institutional partners that support AKF’s mission of fighting kidney disease and helping people live healthier lives. For more information, contact Daniel Green, corporate engagement manager, at dgreen@kidneyfund.org or 301-984-6675. About the American Kidney Fund The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all fronts as the nation’s leading kidney nonprofit. AKF works on behalf of the 37 million Americans living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, with an unmatched scope of programs that support people wherever they are in their fight against kidney disease—from prevention through transplant. With programs that address early detection, disease management, financial assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy, no kidney organization impacts more lives than AKF. AKF is one of the nation’s top-rated nonprofits, investing 97 cents of every donated dollar in programs, and holds the highest 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator and the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. Contact Details Ben Shannon Work: +1 202-559-2813 Mobile: +19193603039 AKF@jpa.com Company Website http://www.kidneyfund.org/

May 25, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

DermTech Helps Detect Skin Cancer Through a Smart Sticker Instead of a Scalpel

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/QVe6yyOnK_4 Would it surprise you to know that one in five Americans develops skin cancer during her or his lifetime? In fact, every hour of every day one American dies from melanoma. It is the deadliest of skin cancers, and one of the most common cancers diagnosed in the U.S. Because of the nation-wide closures of dermatology offices during the pandemic, the number of skin cancers diagnosed during March-May 2020 decreased by 43% compared to the same timeframe in 2019. This means there is a potential backlog of undiagnosed skin cancers. Even prior to the pandemic, only 16 percent of Americans ages 18-29 surveyed in a 2018 study stated that they visited a dermatologist’s office in the past 12 months. What if there were innovative and painless ways to get your moles checked at home via a telehealth appointment and under clinician supervision? DermTech has a proprietary innovative technology platform that identifies signs of melanoma at the genomic level and allows dermatologists to detect melanoma earlier and more accurately. The DermTech Melanoma Test analyzes’s genes in your skin sample that is collected using Smart Stickers TM, and with a 99% negative predictive value meaning there is a less than 1% probability of the test missing a melanoma when administered properly. Simply press the Smart Sticker TM on the suspicious spot or mole; the adhesive sticker safely collects your cellular material so it can be transported to DermTech’s onsite Gene Lab where laboratory scientists look at the molecular level for RNA and DNA that are linked to melanoma. Results are shared with your dermatology provider within 3-5 days. DermTech’s test can also be performed with a doctor’s order and remote sample collection (at your home) under clinician supervision. In honor of Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month taking place this month, DermTech also launched its #Stickit2Melanoma campaign to urge people to get proactive about their skin exams. DermTech is pledging up to $1 million over the next four years to raise awareness about the importance of skin exams and making them accessible. For every #Stickit2Melanoma pledge to have a skin exam with a clinician, DermTech will make a $5 donation to its nonprofit partner organizations focused on skin health. To join #Stickit2Melanoma, schedule a skin exam with your doctor, take the pledge at www.DermTech.com/Pledge and encourage your community to do the same. For more information visit: https://dermtech.com/. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. About DermTech: DermTech is the leading genomics company in dermatology and is creating a new category of medicine, precision dermatology, enabled by our non-invasive skin genomics platform. DermTech’s mission is to transform dermatology with our non-invasive skin genomics platform, to democratize access to high quality dermatology care, and to improve the lives of millions. DermTech provides genomic analysis of skin samples collected non-invasively using an adhesive patch rather than a scalpel. DermTech markets and develops products that facilitate the early detection of skin cancers, and is developing products that assess inflammatory diseases and customize drug treatments. For additional information on DermTech, please visit DermTech’s investor relations site at: www.dermtech.com. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The expectations, estimates, and projections of DermTech may differ from its actual results and consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “budget,” “forecast,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “believes,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, expectations with respect to: the performance, patient benefits, cost‑effectiveness, commercialization and adoption of DermTech’s products and the market opportunity therefor. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside of the control of DermTech and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (1) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against DermTech; (2) DermTech’s ability to obtain additional funding to develop and market its products; (3) the existence of favorable or unfavorable clinical guidelines for DermTech’s tests; (4) the reimbursement of DermTech’s tests by Medicare and private payors; (5) the ability of patients or healthcare providers to obtain coverage of or sufficient reimbursement for DermTech’s products; (6) DermTech’s ability to grow, manage growth and retain its key employees; (7) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (8) the market adoption and demand for DermTech’s products and services together with the possibility that DermTech may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and (9) other risks and uncertainties included in (x) the “Risk Factors” section of the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by DermTech with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and (y) other documents filed or to be filed by DermTech with the SEC. DermTech cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. You should not place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. DermTech does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Media Contact: Sophia Hatef Crowe PR 209-407-9117 shatef@crowepr.com Sarah Dion DermTech 858.450.4222 sdion@crowepr.com Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

May 24, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

The Future of Indoor Air Quality

YourUpdateTV

While concerns over indoor air quality are nothing new, the COVID-19 pandemic has made people realize just how important clean, indoor air is to our health. As states continue to fully reopen, facilities around the country are turning to new technologies to help keep indoor spaces safe. Recently, Dr. Ken Thorpe, a scientific advisor to Integrated Viral Protection, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss the impact of these new technologies and what the future holds for indoor air quality. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/wrtkcmLQ5pY As more states begin to fully reopen, Houston-based Integrated Viral Protection (IVP) is helping businesses do so safely with their IVP Biodefense Indoor Air System. The air filter system instantaneously catches and kills airborne COVID-19 and other RNA viruses and has been granted emergency use authorization by the FDA. IVP is playing an integral role in reopening businesses such as hotels and restaurants and keeping children in schools around the country safe and is positioned to be the standard going forward, promoting clean and healthy air in all spaces. IVP is installed in health care settings across the U.S. to include over 100 healthcare facilities, including COVID-19 specialty hospitals, neuro-psych facilities, rehabilitation hospitals and tertiary centers. The game changing technology works by forcing air through a heated filter that captures and kills contaminants, including airborne pathogens, instantaneously, without changing the ambient air temperature significantly. IVP has been endorsed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as one of five top technologies in the world to combat COVID-19, and was recently named a top 25 Newsmaker of the Year by the Engineering News Record. Integrated Viral Protection (IVP) has also launched a new portable air purifying unit that instantaneously kills COVID-19 and other airborne pathogens. The compact travel unit, ideal for spaces up to 250 square feet, quietly cleans the air anywhere, including in hotel rooms, meeting rooms, residential spaces and more. The unit is also perfect for hotel and dorm rooms or common areas of a home. This protection against viruses and airborne pathogens is especially valuable when visiting high-risk individuals or hosting indoor gatherings. For more information, visit ivpair.com About Dr. Ken Thorpe, Ph.D.: Kenneth E. Thorpe, Ph.D., is the Robert W. Woodruff Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Policy & Management, in the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. As a respected health care expert, Dr. Thorpe regularly testifies before committees in the U.S. Congress and in front of governments around the world on aspects of health care reform, and he is a frequent national presenter on issues of health care financing, insurance and health care reform at health care conferences, television and the media. About Integrated Viral Protection Solutions: IVP is playing an integral role in reopening businesses such as hotels and restaurants and keeping children in schools around the country safe and is positioned to be the standard going forward, promoting clean and healthy air in all spaces. IVP is installed in health care settings across the U.S. to include over 100 healthcare facilities, including COVID-19 specialty hospitals, neuro-psych facilities, rehabilitation hospitals and tertiary centers About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

May 21, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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National organ tracking service will prevent delays or loss; provide peace of mind

United Network for Organ Sharing

United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has launched a national organ tracking service that provides organ procurement organizations (OPOs) and transplant hospitals the ability to monitor organs in transit from the donor hospital to the transplant hospital and ensure that they arrive safely. “The transplant system handles the most precious gift, the gift of life,” said UNOS Labs Program Manager Casey Humphries. “Our solution provides peace of mind to OPOs and transplant programs, assuring that organs are moving safely and reliably to patients waiting to receive them. Patients and donor families can feel confident that these gifts can be tracked every step of the journey.” The UNOS Organ Tracking Service utilizes GEGO Internet of Things (IoT) technology and is integrated into the systems that the nation’s 57 organ procurement organizations already use to package and label organs for transport and that hospitals use to manage organ offers. The service is being offered nationally after more than a year of developing, testing and improving the service based on the direct engagement, influence and feedback from 16 OPOs who participated in the pilot and testing. As the mission-driven nonprofit organization that works with the organ donation and transplantation community to save lives through transplantation, UNOS is solely focused on making more lifesaving transplants available, safely and equitably, to patients in need. This mission guides our work both as a federal contractor, serving as the nation’s transplant system, and as a private, nonprofit supporting clinicians, professionals and patients. “Providing organ procurement and transplant professionals tools that enable them to work more efficiently and save more lives is at the core of what we do,” said Humphries. “That’s why projects like this that are outside of the work we’ve traditionally done are so exciting. UNOS Labs gives us a way to quickly test and implement ideas that provide extra value and resources to organ donation and transplant professionals.” About UNOS United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is the mission-driven nonprofit serving as the nation’s transplant system under contract with the federal government. We lead the network of transplant hospitals, organ procurement organizations, and thousands of volunteers who are dedicated to honoring the gifts of life entrusted to us and to making lifesaving transplants possible for patients in need. Working together, we leverage data and advances in science and technology to continuously strengthen the system, increase the number of organs recovered and the number of transplant performed, and ensure patients across the nation have equitable access to transplant. About GEGO GEGO is leading innovation in the IoT space as leaders in software-based in tracking solutions, pioneers in Smart Luggage, and as #1 market leader in luggage tracker hardware and software. GEGO Tracking Solutions is a global platform specially designed to help secure businesses' supply chains and keep track of valuable shipments anywhere in the world. As GEGO is compliant with all aviation regulations. In a world where everything is connected, we create technology to keep track of everything important to you. Contact Details United Network for Organ Sharing Anne Paschke +1 804-782-4730 anne.paschke@unos.org Company Website https://unos.org

May 20, 2021 03:48 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Phase 4 Services Taps MCR Labs Operations Director for CFO Role

MCR Labs

Adding to their roster of cannabis industry and laboratory operations experts, Phase 4 Services, a laboratory management and consulting firm, has hired Ross Gutman to serve as vice president & chief financial officer. Gutman has served as director of business operations at MCR Labs, one of the oldest and most well-known cannabis testing labs on the East Coast, for nearly six years. He will draw on the knowledge and experience he’s gained while growing MCR Labs into a multimillion-dollar operation to assist Phase 4 clients with establishing effective finance, accounting, and administrative processes. Gutman will continue to guide business operations at MCR Labs while he takes on additional duties of strategic planning and process improvement for Phase 4 and their clients. “This is an important opportunity for Ross,” said Michael Kahn, president and founder of MCR Labs. “His work for us was the turning point in going from being a great local testing lab to becoming an organization capable of scaling operations and expanding at the same pace as the rest of the cannabis industry.” Phase 4 Services works with cannabis testing labs in both the marijuana and hemp industries to streamline administrative processes, advance testing capabilities, and scale operations to meet the ever-growing demand for reliable compliance testing. About Phase 4 Services: Phase 4 Services is a scientific consulting and laboratory management firm dedicated to growing, supporting, and enhancing hemp and cannabis testing laboratories. Founded by experts in analytical testing, pharmaceutical chemistry, business administration, and development strategy, our team is equipped with the knowledge and experience necessary to ensure partner laboratories are successful in their pursuit of advancing public health and safety for cannabis patients and consumers. For more information visit http://phase4services.com. Contact Details Phase 4 Services Joe Crinkley +1 857-230-0839 pr@phase4services.com Company Website https://phase4services.com/

May 20, 2021 07:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Cyvatar Wins Two Coveted Global InfoSec Awards at RSA 2021

Cyvatar

Cyvatar today announced two more prestigious industry award wins, this time as 2021 Global InfoSec award winners for the Cutting-Edge in Cybersecurity-as-a-Service (CSaaS) and the Most Innovative SecOps-as-a-Service, by Cyber Defense Magazine--the industry’s leading electronic information security magazine. This year marks Cyber Defense Magazine’s ninth year of honoring global InfoSec innovators. Its submission requirements are for any startup, early-stage, later stage, or public companies in the information security space who have a unique and compelling value proposition for their product or service. “We’re thrilled to receive one of the most prestigious and coveted cybersecurity awards in the world from Cyber Defense Magazine,” said Cyvatar Co-Founder and Chief Executive Corey White. “We knew the competition would be tough, and with top judges who are leading infosec experts from around the globe, we couldn’t be more pleased.”. Award judges are CISSP, FMDHS, CEH, certified security professionals who voted based on their independent review of the company submitted materials on the website of each submission including but not limited to data sheets, white papers, product literature, and other market variables. “We scoured the globe looking for cybersecurity innovators that could make a huge difference and potentially help turn the tide against the exponential growth in cybercrime, said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine. “Cyvatar is absolutely worthy of these coveted awards and consideration for deployment in your environment.” CDM has a flexible philosophy to find more innovative players with new and unique technologies, than the one with the most customers or money in the bank. CDM is always asking “What’s Next?” so we are looking for Next Generation InfoSec Solutions. Whether you’re a small business starting from scratch or need to amplify your existing security investments, Cyvatar is here for you. Get started for free or reach out to Cyvatar at CYVATAR.AI. About Cyber Defense Magazine With over 5 Million monthly readers and growing, and thousands of pages of searchable online infosec content, Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of IT Security information for B2B and B2G with our sister magazine Cyber Security Magazine for B2C. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and special editions exclusively for the RSA Conferences. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group. Learn more about us at https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com and visit https://www.cyberdefensetv.com and https://www.cyberdefenseradio.com to see and hear some of the most informative interviews of many of these winning company executives. Join a webinar at https://www.cyberdefensewebinars.com and realize that infosec knowledge is power. About Cyvatar Cyvatar is committed to cybersecurity for everyone. As the industry’s first subscription-based, cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) company, it’s our mission to transform the way the security industry builds, sells, and supports cyber solutions. We empower our members to achieve successful outcomes by providing expert advisors, proven technologies, and a strategic process roadmap to guarantee results that map to their business drivers. Our approach is rooted in proprietary ICARM (installation, configuration, assessment, remediation, maintenance) methodology that delivers smarter, measurable security solutions for superior compliance and cyber-attack protection faster and more efficiently, all at a fixed monthly price. And because we’re a subscription, members can cancel anytime. Cyvatar is headquartered in Irvine, California with locations around the world. Begin your journey to security confidence at CYVATAR.AI and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Contact Details Cyvatar KC Higgins +1 303-434-8163 kc@cyvatar.ai Company Website https://cyvatar.ai/

May 19, 2021 12:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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COVID-19 crisis will lead to a new period of rapid, transformative growth and prosperity: Studio 44 reveal 10 key insights for business leaders

Stockwood Strategy

As we recover from the COVID pandemic, environmental, social and technological trends are converging, leading to rapid, disruptive and transformative change, the likes of which we have not experienced for more than a generation, argues Simon Sear, CEO and founder of Studio 44. Leaders need to ensure that they and their organisation are ready to innovate and transform. Sear said: “The COVID crisis will lead to a new period of rapid, transformative growth and prosperity just like the First World War led to the roaring twenties, the Second World War to the golden age of capitalism and the recession of the late 1970s to the expansive growth of the 1980s. Spring always follows winter.” Combining with this natural economic cycle are major tailwinds, such as society’s demand for more progress on racial and gender equality, social mobility and mental wellbeing, Studio 44 argues. Governments and wider society have reached a tipping point on progress with environmental sustainability, while technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), hyper-automation and the Internet of Things (IoT) are supercharging change. These converging trends will result in rapid, disruptive and transformative change, the likes of which we have not experienced for more than a generation. Sear added: “Economists are predicting record growth and leaders need to ensure that their organisations are bold, more agile and quicker to change than at any time in history in order to deliver competitive performance in terms of cost efficiency, revenues and return on capital” Studio 44 has identified ten key insights by working with leaders during the challenging times of COVID, ranging from experimentation to mindset, technology to organisational culture. Sear concluded: “The crisis has highlighted many insights into how leaders can prepare for this next phase of growth and the journey ahead. They are at a once in a generation inflection point, opportunity is coming, and they need to ensure that they and their organisation are ready to innovate and transform.” Here is a summary of Studio 44’s top ten insights: Create a common mission: Often, in non-crisis times, organisations pay lip service to their mission. It’s written down, but no one really buys it. If the crisis did one thing very well, it was to provide a focus. The need for speed: The pace of change had been increasing, but the crisis supercharged this. Leaders need to focus their organisation on being able to respond quicker and with more agility than ever before. Change the corporate mindset: Many companies have long-held beliefs that limited their ability to respond and transform assumptions that need to be put in the bin. Make bold investments: The successful businesses of the last 12 months were the ones that had historically invested in new ways of working and bold new propositions. Experiment: In a decade that will be defined by rapid change and transformation, inexpensive, fast experimentation needs to be in the DNA of an organisation. Allocate your best people to your best opportunities: The pace of change is becoming ever faster and the war for talent continues to heat up. Leaders need to balance the need for transparency and fairness with quickly getting the right people in the right roles to optimise the chances of an organisation’s success. Teach more than new digital skills: In building on the successes of working from home and a period of change and disruption, it's crucial to teach employees new cognitive strategies and behaviours to enable them to adapt. Break the silos: During the COVID crisis innovative leaders gathered a multi-skilled team, incentivised them all for success in the same way and gave them the space to make it happen. Many leaders are now thinking about how they can maintain this kind of operating model and not return to older ways of working and the inefficiencies they create. Keep communicating: The pace of disruption and uncertainty in the next decade means that people will often feel unsettled and will seek reassurance. These are the same needs team members faced during the COVID crisis. Practice stakeholder capitalism: Leaders need to take a cooperative model into the next period of transformation. They need to take a long-term view, to have a strategy that not only ensures financial performance in the short term, but invests, and is seen to invest, in longer-term positive outcomes for all stakeholders. About Studio 44 Studio 44 is creating the future. It is a next generation consultancy that helps senior business leaders create step-out growth, disrupt markets and transform their culture and ways of working. It brings together smart people from tech, the arts, business and science with a common mission to create growth for clients with a focus on people and the planet. By bringing diverse thinking and the spirit and energy of a start-up to corporate clients Studio 44 radically shifts the operating model of a traditional consultancy. Contact Details Studio 44 Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://studio44.io/

May 19, 2021 05:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Digital transformation evades businesses that mismanage data

Stockwood Strategy

Data is poorly understood, inadequately valued and badly managed by global businesses costing them and their investors billions of dollars every year, according to a report published today by Anmut, the data valuation specialists. This is a big problem because it means most businesses are running on data that isn’t fit for purpose. The Anmut Data Leadership Report compiled data and anecdotal evidence from almost 100 Chief Data Officers from organisations headquartered on five continents whose collective annual revenues total over $1 trillion. The report finds that 91% of business leaders believe data is critical to the success of their businesses. However, only one in three (34%) of their companies manage their businesses’ data assets with the same disciplines as other business assets. These companies spend their allocated data management budget on creating value from their data that in turn helps them scale their businesses and develop their strategies. The remaining two thirds (66%) are using half of their data budgets to fix problems and errors identified within the data itself. According to the report, the average global business spends between 4% and 7% of annual operating expenses on managing its data. For a global financial services brand, that amounts to as much as $1.5-3 billion annually. “Time and again we’re seeing international businesses and household name brands coming under fire for reasons that seem preventable with hindsight,” says Herman Heyns, CEO of Anmut. "Those that succeed do so because they really understand the value of their data, and therefore prioritise and manage it well." Three quarters of respondents (76%) say their businesses are investing in large-scale data and digital transformation strategies. And, 63% say data is more critical than technology to achieve business transformation. Yet, Anmut's report also finds that technology investment regularly overshadows data investment. Technology gets three times the attention (73%) and five and a half times (88%) the budget as data. This is in spite of the fact that technology is dependent on reliable data to run well. Heyns adds: “The preference to invest in technology over data throws up a fascinating question about what digital transformation really means for businesses all over the world. Digital transformation is a term that’s used everywhere, in every annual report and corporate strategy document. Digital transformation is what companies do to become data-driven. The advances many companies make might be digital in name, but to create the transformation they're aiming for, they cannot lose sight of the data.” Chief Data Officers (CDOs) interviewed for the report regularly cite the challenge to make data something that everyone in their businesses understands, values and knows how to manage. The report finds that one third of company boards (33%) don’t consider data a ‘material asset’. 9 in 10 CDOs (87%) say putting a monetary value on data would enable people within the business to manage that data better. Heyns adds: “A critical issue for businesses’ data leaders is winning senior buy-in. When the board doesn’t appreciate the value of data to a company’s future performance, it’ll lack investment further down the business. That’s where data valuation comes into play. When the value of data assets are set out in pounds and pence, data can be thought of as a business asset. Then it climbs up the food chain, gets taken more seriously, impacts C-suite decision-making more readily, and receives greater investment. When data is treated like any other asset by assigning a monetary value to it, businesses can make better strategic decisions.” Anmut, whose clients include Smith & Nephew and Highways England, advises international companies across all sectors on how to manage, measure and value the data within their businesses. Intangible assets make up 90% of the total market value of the world’s largest companies. Anmut’s most conservative estimates put data at 20% to 30% of that. With only a third of companies managing that value well, it’s not a surprise that companies who do manage data well - the FANGS - have become the most valuable companies in history in the shortest time. In March, the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) published its report: Increasing Data Access across the UK Economy in which they commit to creating a framework within which the government may have the ability to make interventions into private and third sector organisations to unlock the full value of their data. DCMS follows governments in several leading economies including the US and Germany that are taking the lead to enforce better data management in business. About Anmut Consulting Anmut is the only data asset management company that makes the value of data unignorable, comparable and manageable for businesses investing in digital transformation. Anmut believes in the power of data-driven decisions to make people’s lives better, be they customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders, local communities or future generations. Contact Details Anmut Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.anmut.co.uk/

May 19, 2021 04:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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