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FreedomPay Announces Integration with Castles Technology to Expand Commerce Offering Globally

The partnership brings a unique consumer experience powered by loyalty and value-added services to millions of merchants globally.

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FreedomPay, the commerce technology partner of choice for global leaders across hospitality, retail, restaurants and sports and entertainment, announce today a partnership with Castles Technology, a globally recognized and industry-leading manufacturer of payment hardware solutions.

“FreedomPay creates a world-class experience for consumers through optimized speed, security, and personalization,” said Chris Kronenthal, President of FreedomPay. “By partnering with Castles, merchants can provide a best-in-class commerce experience for consumers globally.”

Available beginning Q1 2023, FreedomPay will offer Castles’ all-in-one Android SmartPOS terminal to create a secure, frictionless and unified shopping experience for consumers while also supporting merchants with robust loyalty and data analytics capabilities. The move furthers its commitment towards an open and accessible ecosystem for FreedomPay’s merchants and industry partners alike. “Ultimately, FreedomPay’s proposition to the market is innovation based around choice and flexibility – we take another step forward with this announcement,” said Kronenthal.

“This partnership with FreedomPay brings together world-class commerce technology with industry-leading payment acceptance hardware solutions that drive global commerce by serving consumers and businesses to securely pay and get paid. Delivering innovation and trust is part of our DNA, and we are thrilled to be working with FreedomPay, who shares our ambitions to keep pushing our industry forward for our clients,” said Ben Love, President & CTO of Castles Technology North America.

Castles devices offer merchants many benefits including:

  • FreedomPay’s PCI-Validated P2PE solution and PCI PTS v6 firmware
  • Front and rear cameras for QR code payment acceptance and loyalty programs
  • Laser scanner for fast product scanning
  • 5” touchscreen with PIN on glass

Supported by Castles, FreedomPay continues its global expansion across 130+ countries, more than one hundred currencies and thousands of commerce partners.

About FreedomPay
FreedomPay’s Next Level Commerce™ platform transforms existing payment systems and processes from legacy to leading edge. As the premier choice for many of the largest companies across the globe in retail, hospitality, lodging, gaming, sports and entertainment, foodservice, education, healthcare and financial services, FreedomPay’s technology has been purposely built to deliver rock solid performance in the highly complex environment of global commerce. The company maintains a world-class security environment and was first to earn the coveted validation by the PCI Security Standards Council against Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE/EMV) standard in North America. FreedomPay’s robust solutions across payments, security, identity, and data analytics are available in-store, online and on-mobile and are supported by rapid API adoption. The award winning FreedomPay Commerce Platform operates on a single, unified technology stack across multiple continents allowing enterprises to deliver an innovative Next Level experience on a global scale. www.freedompay.com

About Castles Technology
With thirty years of worldwide market experience, Castles Technology has established itself as a top global manufacturer of next-generation payment acceptance hardware. Our goal is to create simple, innovative, and secure payment solutions that provide mobility and flexibility for a diverse range of attended and unattended payment environments such as retail, vending, micro markets, restaurants, transportation, finance, lodging, and hospitality. We pride ourselves on crafting accessible payment solutions, reducing the lifetime cost of payment acceptance hardware, and providing robust integration options. Our North American headquarters are in Atlanta, GA, and Castles Technology has 11 regional offices across Asia, Europe, and North and South America.

Jennifer Tayebi
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
Jennifer.tayebi@hkstrategies.com
(734) 395-0780

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8697871

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Vencedoras do 19º Annual Stevie® Awards para Mulheres Empresariais

Cerimônia em Las Vegas Homenageou Empresas de Mulheres e Profissionais Mulheres

Vencedoras do 19º Stevie Awards para Mulheres Empresariais

Os nomes das empreendedoras, executivas e funcionárias vencedoras de todo o mundo foram revelados em uma cerimônia do Stevie Awards em Las Vegas, EUA, na sexta-feira, 11 de novembro.

FAIRFAX, Va., Nov. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Chamando a atenção para as mulheres executivas, empreendedoras e organizações administradas por mulheres, as vencedoras do Stevie® Awards for Women in Business de 2022 foram anunciadas na sexta-feira, 11 de novembro.

O Stevie Awards para Mulheres Empresariais é uma competição internacional produzida pelos criadores dos prestigiados International Business Awards® e American Business Awards®. O Stevie é amplamente considerado a principal premiação empresarial do mundo.

Com as mulheres nomeadas e seus convidados presentes, os prêmios foram anunciados durante um evento de gala no Caesars Palace, em Las Vegas, Nevada. A competição de 2022 atraiu indicações de 27 nações.

A apresentação foi transmitida ao vivo via Livestream.

Mais de 1.500 indicações de pessoas físicas e jurídicas de todo o mundo para os prêmios este ano foram enviadas para consideração em categorias como Empreendedora do Ano, Executiva do Ano, Empresa Mais Inovadora do Ano e Startup do Ano, entre outras. Mais de 200 profissionais que trabalham em sete comissões julgadoras especializadas escolheram as vencedoras do Stevie Award Ouro, Prata e Bronze.

Os troféus Grand Stevie Award foram entregues a cinco organizações que apresentaram o melhor corpo de inscrições para a competição, em seus próprios nomes ou em nome de um ou mais clientes. Os vencedores foram escolhidos de acordo com o número de Stevie Awards Ouro, Prata e Bronze ganhos na competição. Os vencedores do Grand Stevie Award são:

  • The Audacious Agency, Coombabah, QLD, Austrália (#1)
  • IBM, Armonk, NY, EUA (#2)
  • Megafone, Melbourne, Austrália (#3)
  • Melissa Sones Consulting, Nova York, NY EUA (#4)
  • Global Press Institute, Washington D.C., EUA (#5)

As vencedoras do Stevie Award Ouro, Prata e Bronze de 2022 refletem um grupo diversificado de grandes e pequenas organizações de todo o mundo. As vencedoras notáveis do Prêmio Stevie Ouro na competição deste ano são:

  • Sandrine Pons, Vice-Presidente Regional, Chefe de Vendas e Inovação de Soluções, SAP, Paris, França, em Mulheres que Ajudam Mulheres – Negócios
  • Ann Kaplan, Las Vegas, NV EUA, em Mulher do Ano – Contabilidade e Finanças
  • Susan McLaughlin, Gerente Sênior de Mídia Inovadora e Operações Criativas, Vanguard, Malvern, PA EUA, em Mulher do Ano – Publicidade, Marketing e Relações Públicas
  • Fatima Sultan Al-Kuwari, Diretora de Recursos Humanos do Grupo, Ooredoo, Qatar, em Executiva do Ano – Produtos de Negócios – Mais de 2.500 Funcionários
  • Shama Hyder, CEO e Fundadora, Zen Media, Plano, TX U.S.A., em Mulher Mais Inovadora do Ano – Rede Social
  • Stephanie Wernick Barker, Presidente, Mondo, Nova York, NY EUA, em Líder de Pensamento Feminino do Ano – Serviços Empresariais
  • Gehad Hamdy, Fundadora, Speak Up, Giza, Egito, em Transformadora Social do Ano – Gênero
  • Michelle John, Diretora Fundadora, PEGS, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Reino Unido, em Mulher do Ano – Governo ou Sem Fins Lucrativos
  • Kelley Higney, Fundadora e CEO da Bug Bite Thing, Port Lucie, FL EUA, em Melhor Empreendedora – Produtos de Consumo –11 a 2.500 Funcionários
  • Allison Grafton, Presidente e Fundadora, Rockwood Custom Homes, Calgary, Alberta, Canadá, em Melhor Empreendedora do Canadá

As organizações que ganharam mais de um Stevie Award Ouro são Anheuser-Busch InBev, Babylist, Brandless, But Bite Thing, Caroline Kennedy Group, Everise, Flock DC, Global Press Institute, Halkbank, Harman International, LickYourPhone Media, Luma Brighter Learning, Megaphone, Primrose Schools, Rockwood Custom Homes, Rubi Laboratories, Sidus Space e The Tambellini Group.

A HCLTech, empresa global de tecnologia que oferece recursos líderes do setor centrados em digital, engenharia e nuvem, impulsionada por um amplo portfólio de serviços e produtos de tecnologia, patrocinou prêmios em quatro categorias chamadas Prêmios de Mulheres em Tecnologia da HCLTech. Entre os vencedores notáveis do Stevie nessas categorias estão:

  • Monica Williams, Vice-Presidente Sênior – Produtos Digitais e Distribuição de Conteúdo, NBCUniversal, em Transformadora Digital de Novo Normal
  • Karen Oerter, Diretora de Tecnologia da Informação, Land O’Lakes, em Transformadora Digital de Novo Normal
  • Abby Knowles, Vice-Presidente de Soluções Globais de Tecnologia, Verizon, em Liderança Durante Incertezas
  • Susan Doniz, CIO e SVP de Tecnologia da Informação e Análise de Dados, The Boeing Company, em Liderança Durante Incertezas
  • Tia Ballard, Diretora de Nuvem e Automação, Sempra, em Liderança em Tecnologia da Próxima Geração
  • Constance Metcalfe, Vice-Presidente Associada – Transformação de Infraestrutura Empresarial, Canadian Tire Corporation, em Excelência na Transformação de Negócios

Para uma lista completa das vencedoras do Stevie Award e mais informação, visite http://www.StevieAwards.com/Women.

O Stevie Awards apresentou a quinta edição do seu Mulheres| Conferência do Futuro virtual em 8-10 de novembro, em conjunto com o Stevie Awards para Mulheres Empresariais. Mais de 250 mulheres compartilharam três dias de programação destacados por uma apresentação principal de Rashmi Verma, dirigente de D&I da Hugo Boss.

As inscrições para a edição de 2023 (20ª) dos prêmios serão abertas em maio. A cerimônia de premiação de 2023 será realizada no Marriott Marquis em Nova York, NY EUA, em novembro.

Sobre o Stevie Awards

Os Stevie Awards são concedidos em sete programas: Stevie Awards Ásia-Pacífico, Stevie Awards Alemão, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, Stevie Awards para Mulheres Empresariais, Stevie Awards para Grande Empregadores , e Stevie Awards para Vendas e Serviço ao Cliente. Os concursos Stevie Awards recebem mais de 12.000 nomeações todos os anos de empresas de mais de 70 países. Honrando empresas de todos os tipos e tamanhos, e as pessoas por trás delas, os Stevies reconhecem excelente desempenho no local de trabalho em todo o mundo. Saiba mais sobre os Stevie Awards em http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Contato:
Maggie Miller
Maggie@StevieAwards.com
+1 (703) 547-8389

Foto deste comunicado disponível em https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b63035a8-f67a-43d0-9854-096aead94911/pt

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Annonce des gagnantes de la 19e édition annuelle des Prix Stevie® pour les femmes entrepreneurs

Des professionnelles et des entreprises appartenant à des femmes ont été récompensées lors d’une cérémonie de remise des prix à Las Vegas

Annonce des gagnantes dans le programme des 19e Prix Stevie pour les femmes entrepreneurs

Des femmes entrepreneurs, cadres et employées de premier plan dans le monde entier ont été nommées lauréates de Prix Stevie lors d’une cérémonie à Las Vegas, dans le Nevada, aux États-Unis, le vendredi 11 novembre.

FAIRFAX, Virginie, 15 nov. 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mettant en vedette les femmes cadres, les entrepreneuses et les entreprises dirigées par des femmes, les gagnantes des Prix Stevie® 2022 pour les femmes entrepreneurs ont été annoncées le vendredi 11 novembre.

Les Prix Stevie pour les femmes entrepreneurs (Stevie Awards for Women in Business) sont un concours international produit par les créateurs des prestigieux International Business Awards® et American Business Awards®. Le prix Stevie est largement considéré comme le plus grand prix d’entreprise au monde.

En présence des femmes actives nominées et de leurs invités, les prix ont été annoncés lors d’un gala au Caesars Palace à Las Vegas, dans le Nevada. Le concours 2022 a attiré des nominations de 27 pays.

Les présentations ont été diffusées en direct via Livestream.

Plus de 1 500 nominations d’entreprises et de personnes du monde entier ont été soumises aux prix cette année dans des catégories telles que Entrepreneuse de l’année (Entrepreneur of the Year), Cadre de l’année (Executive of the Year), Société la plus innovante de l’année (Most Innovative Company of the Year) et Startup de l’année (Startup of the Year), entre autres. Plus de 200 professionnels des affaires travaillant dans sept comités de sélection spécialisés ont choisi les gagnantes des prix Stevie d’or, d’argent et de bronze.

Les trophées Grand Stevie Award ont été présentés aux cinq entreprises qui ont soumis le meilleur ensemble de candidatures au concours, en leurs propres noms ou aux noms d’un ou de plusieurs clientes. Les gagnantes ont été déterminées par le nombre de Prix Stevie d’or, d’argent et de bronze remportés lors du concours. Les gagnantes des prix Grand Stevie Award sont :

  • The Audacious Agency, Coombabah, Queensland, Australie (n° 1)
  • IBM, Armonk, État de New York, États-Unis (n° 2)
  • Megaphone, Melbourne, Australie (n° 3)
  • Melissa Sones Consulting, New York, État de New York, États-Unis (n° 4)
  • Global Press Institute, Washington D.C., États-Unis (n° 5)

Les gagnantes des Prix Stevie d’or, d’argent et de bronze 2022 reflètent un groupe diversifié de petites et grandes entreprises du monde entier. Les gagnantes notables des Prix Stevie d’or dans le cadre du concours de cette année comprennent :

  • Sandrine Pons, vice-présidente régionale, directrice des ventes de solutions et de l’innovation, SAP, Paris, France, dans la catégorie Femmes aidant des femmes – Entreprise (Women Helping Women – Business)
  • Ann Kaplan, Las Vegas, Nevada, États-Unis, dans la catégorie Femme de l’année – Comptabilité et Finance (Women of the Year – Accounting and Finance)
  • Susan McLaughlin, responsable senior des médias innovants et des opérations créatives, Vanguard, Malvern, Pensylvanie, États-Unis, dans la catégorie Femme de l’année – Publicité, Marketing et Relations publiques (Women of the Year – Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations)
  • Fatima Sultan Al-Kuwari, directrice des ressources humaines du groupe, Ooredoo, Qatar, dans la catégorie Femme cadre de l’année – Produits d’entreprise – Plus de 2 500 employés (Female Executive of the Year – Business Products – More Than 2,500 Employees)
  • Shama Hyder, PDG et fondatrice de Zen Media, Plano, Texas, États-Unis, dans la catégorie Femme la plus innovante de l’année – Réseaux sociaux (Most Innovative Woman of the Year – Social Media)
  • Stephanie Wernick Barker, présidente de Mondo, New York, État de New York, États-Unis, dans la catégorie Femme leader d’opinion de l’année – Services d’entreprise (Women Thought Leader of the Year – Business Services)
  • Gehad Hamdy, fondatrice de Speak Up, Gizeh, Égypte, dans la catégorie Créatrice de changement social de l’année – Genre (Social Change Maker of the Year – Gender)
  • Michelle John, directrice fondatrice de PEGS, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Royaume-Uni, dans la catégorie Femme de l’année – Organisation gouvernementale ou à but non lucratif (Woman of the Year – Government or Non-Profit)
  • Kelley Higney, fondatrice et PDG de Bug Bite Thing, Port Sainte-Lucie, Floride, États-Unis, dans la catégorie Meilleure femme entrepreneur – Produits de consommation – 11 à 2 500 employés (Best Female Entrepreneur – Consumer Products –11 to 2,500 Employees)
  • Allison Grafton, présidente et fondatrice de Rockwood Custom Homes, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, dans la catégorie Meilleure femme entrepreneur du Canada (Best Female Entrepreneur in Canada)

Parmi les entreprises qui ont remporté plus d’un prix Stevie d’or figurent Anheuser-Busch InBev, Babylist, Brandless, But Bite Thing, Caroline Kennedy Group, Everise, Flock DC, Global Press Institute, Halkbank, Harman International, LickYourPhone Media, Luma Brighter Learning, Megaphone, Primrose Schools, Rockwood Custom Homes, Rubi Laboratories, Sidus Space et The Tambellini Group.

HCLTech, la société technologique mondiale fournissant des capacités de pointe axées sur le numérique, l’ingénierie et le cloud, qui s’appuie sur un large portefeuille de services et de produits technologiques, a sponsorisé les prix dans quatre catégories intitulées HCLTech Women in Technology Awards. Parmi les principales gagnantes des prix Stevie dans ces catégories, on peut citer :

  • Monica Williams, vice-présidente principale – Produits numériques et Distribution de contenu, NBCUniversal, en tant que Nouvelle transformatrice du numérique normal (New Normal Digital Transformer)
  • Karen Oerter, directrice des technologies de l’information, Land O’Lakes, en tant que Nouvelle transformatrice du numérique normal (New Normal Digital Transformer)
  • Abby Knowles, vice-présidente des solutions technologiques mondiales chez Verizon, pour avoir su Diriger à travers l’incertitude (Leading Through Uncertainty)
  • Susan Doniz, directrice principale de l’information et vice-présidente senior des technologies de l’information et de l’analyse des données, The Boeing Company, pour avoir su Diriger à travers l’incertitude (Leading Through Uncertainty)
  • Tia Ballard, responsable du cloud et de l’automatisation, Sempra, pour son Leadership dans la technologie de nouvelle génération (Leadership in Next Gen Technology)
  • Constance Metcalfe, vice-présidente adjointe – Transformation des infrastructures d’entreprise, Canadian Tire Corporation, pour son Excellence dans la transformation des affaires (Excellence in Transforming Business)

Pour une liste complète des gagnantes des Prix Stevie et pour tout complément d’information, veuillez consulter la page http://www.StevieAwards.com/Women.

Les Prix Stevie ont organisé la cinquième édition de sa Conférence Women|Future virtuellement les 8 et 10 novembre en conjonction avec les Prix Stevie pour les femmes entrepreneurs. Plus de 250 femmes ont partagé trois jours de programmation soulignés par une présentation liminaire de Rashmi Verma, responsable D&I chez Hugo Boss.

Les candidatures pour l’édition 2023 (la 20e) des prix seront ouvertes en mai. La cérémonie de remise des prix 2023 se tiendra au Marriott Marquis à New York, État de New York, aux États-Unis, en novembre.

À propos des Prix Stevie

Les Prix Stevie sont décernés dans huit programmes : les Prix Stevie en Asie-Pacifique, les Prix Stevie en Allemagne, les American Business Awards®, les International Business Awards®, les Prix Stevie pour le Moyen-Orient et l’Afrique du Nord, les Prix Stevie pour les femmes entrepreneurs, les Prix Stevie pour les grands employeurs et les Prix Stevie pour les ventes et le service à la clientèle. Les concours des Prix Stevie reçoivent chaque année plus de 12 000 nominations émanant d’entreprises de plus de 70 pays. En récompensant les entreprises de tous types et de toutes tailles, ainsi que leurs collaborateurs, les Prix Stevie reconnaissent les performances exceptionnelles sur le lieu de travail dans le monde entier. Pour en savoir plus sur les Prix Stevie, visitez le site http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Contact :
Maggie Miller
Maggie@StevieAwards.com
+1 (703) 547-8389

Une photo accompagnant ce communiqué de presse est disponible à l’adresse suivante : https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b63035a8-f67a-43d0-9854-096aead94911/fr


GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8697329

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Government of St Kitts and Nevis does NOT accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment for its Citizenship by Investment programme

Basseterre, Nov. 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The government of St Kitts and Nevis, along with the Citizenship by Investment Unit of the country, have refuted claims that investors interested in gaining citizenship to the country can pay using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

The St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment programme is the oldest in the world, having been established in 1984 – it has been providing investors from across the globe with one of the quickest, easiest, and most affordable routes to second citizenship.

Underpinned by a robust multi-layered due diligence process undertaken by international security firms from the USA and the UK, investors need to go through a formal application process consisting of eight main steps, which include:

  • Step 1: Pre-approval by a verified St Kitts and Nevis government agent and preparation of the application
  • Step 2: Submission of the citizenship application
  • Step 3: Application processing by the Citizenship by Investment Unit and internal and external due diligence checks
  • Step 4: Approval in principle letter issued
  • Step 5: Contribution to either the Sustainable Growth Fund or pre-approved real estate
  • Step 6: Bank clearance of source of funds
  • Step 7: Certificate of Registration issued
  • Step 8: Citizen can apply for a St Kitts and Nevis passport

Throughout the whole process, an investor will engage with an approved government agent who will facilitate the application and any payments will be made via registered banks using fiat money – a government-issued currency that is not backed by a commodity such as gold. An example would be the United States Dollar, Euro or Chinese Yuan.

Investors cannot make payments to a government-approved agent or the Citizenship by Investment Unit by using cryptocurrencies directly. These would need to be liquidated into fiat currency first and an applicant would need to provide a supporting affidavit regarding their source of funds as part of the application process.

St Kitts and Nevis has not yet passed any legislation regarding cryptocurrency. The country is participating in the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) pilot program, which aims to study the utilisation of cryptocurrency as a fiat currency.

The program’s purpose is to provide a safe and secure digital financial system by utilising the advantages of blockchain and is designed to exemplify the viability and functionality of the ECCB’s ability to issue Digital Eastern Caribbean Dollars.

The ECCB is the fiscal authority for the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU).

Speaking at the Electronic Cash Conference 2022, which was held on November 12 2022, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Terrance Drew, expressed that while Bitcoin Cash – another form of cryptocurrency – is used as a method of tender by some businesses in the country, due diligence checks are presently being prioritised by his government ahead of any major decision concerning that cryptocurrency’s official use.

Prime Minister Drew stated that the financial safety and security of citizens is a matter of high priority, and the government, with the guidance of the ECCB, is prepared to explore the possibility of Bitcoin Cash being introduced as legal tender in the local financial space.

The Prime Minister explained that once all the crucial financial safeguards were in place, Bitcoin Cash could become accepted legal tender in St Kitts and Nevis by March 2023.

Benefits of gaining second citizenship to St Kitts and Nevis

Citizenship by Investment is a legal process to grant individuals – and, in some cases, their families – dual citizenship in exchange for a financial contribution to the country’s economy. The initiative permits countries to channel generated funds into developing healthcare, education, infrastructure, and more.

Being a citizen of St Kitts and Nevis offers investors a myriad of benefits including family reunification, global mobility, enhanced security, and increased economic opportunities.

St Kitts and Nevis offers award-winning and internationally acclaimed education institutions like veterinary and medical universities, attracting global-minded professionals. People from all over the world come to St Kitts and Nevis, over a million a year to be exact, because of its booming tourism sector.

In recent years, the nation has seen growing numbers of American visitors. Around 1,000 US citizens currently reside on the islands. Now, with more work-from-home policies than ever, many see the Caribbean as the perfect destination to get away from the bustle of big cities while continuing to be connected when business calls.

In addition to citizenship and global mobility, St Kitts and Nevis offers its citizens who choose to become tax residents a wide variety of insurance services in a tax-friendly environment. For example, the country guarantees financial privacy by not making any information about offshore business owners and top managers public.

Portfolio diversification is the first step in dispersing your investments so that your exposure is not limited to just one type of asset. An investment in property in St Kitts and Nevis would allow you to diversify your investment portfolio and potentially make a return upon selling that your share in real estate after the end of the minimum hold period.

This will also ensure that you retain a certain amount of your wealth outside of your home country. In uncertain political and economic climates, knowing that a portion of your portfolio is free from the grips of a potentially corrupt government can give you tremendous peace of mind.

PR St Kitts and Nevis
Government of St. Kitts and Nevis
mildred.thabane@csglobalpartners.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8696223

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Winners in the 19th Annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business Announced

Women-Owned Businesses and Professionals Were Honored at an Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas

Winners named in 19th Stevie Awards for Women in Business program

Top female entrepreneurs, executives, and employees from around the world were named as Stevie Award winners at a ceremony in Las Vegas, NV U.S.A. on Friday, November 11.

FAIRFAX, Va., Nov. 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Shining a spotlight on women executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations run by women, winners in the 2022 Stevie® Awards for Women in Business were announced on Friday, November 11.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business is an international competition produced by the creators of the prestigious International Business Awards® and American Business Awards®. The Stevie is widely considered to be the world’s premier business award.

With nominated working women and their guests in attendance, the awards were announced during a gala event at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 2022 competition attracted nominations from 27 nations.

The presentations were broadcast live via Livestream.

More than 1,500 nominations from organizations and individuals around the world were submitted to the awards this year for consideration in categories including Entrepreneur of the Year, Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year, and Startup of the Year, among others. More than 200 business professionals working in seven specialized judging committees determined the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners.

Grand Stevie Award trophies were presented to five organizations that submitted the best body of entries to the competition, in their own names or in the names of one or more clients. Winners were determined by the number of Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Awards won in the competition. The Grand Stevie Award winners are:

  • The Audacious Agency, Coombabah, QLD, Australia (#1)
  • IBM, Armonk, NY, U.S.A. (#2)
  • Megaphone, Melbourne, Australia (#3)
  • Melissa Sones Consulting, New York, NY U.S.A. (#4)
  • Global Press Institute, Washington D.C., U.S.A. (#5)

The 2022 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners reflect a diverse group of large and small organizations from around the globe. Notable Gold Stevie Award winners in this year’s competition include:

  • Sandrine Pons, Regional Vice President, Head of Solutions Sales & Innovation, SAP, Paris, France, for Women Helping Women – Business
  • Ann Kaplan, Las Vegas, NV U.S.A, for Woman of the Year – Accounting and Finance
  • Susan McLaughlin, Senior Innovative Media and Creative Operations Manager, Vanguard, Malvern, PA U.S.A, for Woman of the Year – Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations
  • Fatima Sultan Al-Kuwari, Group Chief Human Resources Officer, Ooredoo, Qatar, for Female Executive of the Year – Business Products –More Than 2,500 Employees
  • Shama Hyder, CEO and Founder, Zen Media, Plano, TX U.S.A., for Most Innovative Woman of the Year – Social Media
  • Stephanie Wernick Barker, President, Mondo, New York, NY U.S.A, for Female Thought Leader of the Year – Business Services
  • Gehad Hamdy, Founder, Speak Up, Giza, Egypt, for Social Change Maker of the Year – Gender
  • Michelle John, Founding Director, PEGS, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, United Kingdom, for Woman of the Year – Government or Non-Profit
  • Kelley Higney, Founder & CEO, Bug Bite Thing, Port Lucie, FL U.S.A, for Best Female Entrepreneur – Consumer Products –11 to 2,500 Employees
  • Allison Grafton, President and Founder, Rockwood Custom Homes, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, for Best Female Entrepreneur in Canada

Organizations that won more than one Gold Stevie Award include Anheuser-Busch InBev, Babylist, Brandless, But Bite Thing, Caroline Kennedy Group, Everise, Flock DC, Global Press Institute, Halkbank, Harman International, LickYourPhone Media, Luma Brighter Learning, Megaphone, Primrose Schools, Rockwood Custom Homes, Rubi Laboratories, Sidus Space, and The Tambellini Group.

HCLTech, the global technology company delivering industry-leading capabilities centered around digital, engineering and cloud, powered by a broad portfolio of technology services and products, sponsored awards in four categories called HCLTech Women in Technology Awards. Among notable Stevie winners in those categories are:

  • Monica Williams, Senior Vice President – Digital Products and Content Distribution, NBCUniversal, for New Normal Digital Transformer
  • Karen Oerter, Director of Information Technology, Land O’Lakes, for New Normal Digital Transformer
  • Abby Knowles, Vice President Global Technology Solutions, Verizon, for Leading Through Uncertainty
  • Susan Doniz, CIO & SVP of Information Technology & Data Analytics, The Boeing Company, for Leading Through Uncertainty
  • Tia Ballard, Head of Cloud and Automation, Sempra, for Leadership in Next Gen Technology
  • Constance Metcalfe, Associate Vice President – Enterprise Infrastructure Transformation, Canadian Tire Corporation, for Excellence in Transforming Business

For a complete list of Stevie Award winners and more information, visit http://www.StevieAwards.com/Women.

The Stevie Awards staged the fifth edition of its Women|Future Conference virtually on November 8-10 in conjunction with the Stevie Awards for Women in Business. More than 250 women shared three days of programming highlighted by a keynote presentation by Rashmi Verma, head of D&I at Hugo Boss.

Entries for the 2023 (20th) edition of the awards will open in May. The 2023 awards ceremony will be held at the Marriott Marquis in New York, NY USA in November.

About the Stevie Awards

The Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Contact:
Maggie Miller
Maggie@StevieAwards.com
+1 (703) 547-8389

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9aca97a3-922e-46f1-b2cd-9dcf4a1efcb8

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Posted on

MGA Establishes MGA Studios with $500 million in Cash and Assets; Acquires Pixel Zoo Animation

The move signals MGA’s strong commitment to growing its dominance in the rapidly evolving digital entertainment landscape by pursuing strategic gaming and tech acquisitions or partners

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MGA Entertainment, Inc. (MGA), one of the world’s largest and fastest growing privately held toy and entertainment companies, announced today the formation of MGA Studios, an independent subsidiary of MGA, backed with more than a half billion dollars in cash and assets. This move underscores MGA’s continued commitment to a rapidly evolving digital entertainment landscape.  In fact, more than 35 years ago, when it wasn’t usual in the toy industry to incorporate entertainment, MGA embraced it and changed the company name from Micro Games of America to MGA Entertainment, Inc.

“While continued innovation in the toy category remains a key driver for our business, we understand the world is changing and are fully committed to carrying our winning legacy into this new and evolving digital landscape,” said Isaac Larian, Founder and CEO, MGA Entertainment, Inc. “In addition to growing our large catalogue of television, movie and streaming content, through MGA Studios we aim to create smaller and safer mini universes for our children to grow and develop in a seamless digital and physical entertainment ecosystem.”

MGA Entertainment also announced today that Pixel Zoo Animation, one of the leading digital animation studios globally, is MGA Studios’ first acquisition. During the past several years, Pixel Zoo has pushed the limits of high-quality animation and content for children and families. Paul Gillett, Founder and CEO of Pixel Zoo, will continue in his role supporting MGA Studios’ growth into a dominant position globally.

“During the past few years, we have been extremely impressed by MGA’s brands, how they partner with their suppliers, as well as their creative and execution capabilities. Intellectual Property development has always been an important part of our studio and this opportunity allows our team to show the world what we can do,” said Gillett. “Working with MGA has been one of the most rewarding experiences we have had, so partnering with them is the next natural step for us. I am excited for our studio to be the first foundational building block of MGA Studios.”

MGA Studios will be charged with independently developing and growing a digital presence through acquisitions, partnerships, and in-house development of innovative content and original intellectual property (IP). MGA Studios will leverage MGA Entertainment’s existing and future IP including L.O.L. Surprise!™, Little Tikes® Let’s Go Cozy Coupe®, Rainbow High™, Bratz®, Baby Born®, Mermaze Mermaidz™, Na! Na! Na! Surprise™, and more, with great new content and brands coming soon.

“MGA Entertainment has demonstrated time and again our ability to create multiple blockbuster brands from the ground up. The purpose of MGA Studios will be to facilitate the expansion of these brands beyond the toy aisle and turn them into true transmedia franchises, including entertainment, gaming, and online experiences,” said MGA Studios President, Jason Larian. “We are committed to bringing new partners into the fold to help realize our vision and the Pixel Zoo acquisition is the first step of many on this journey.”

MGA Entertainment and Pixel Zoo have collaborated on many notable projects during the last several years including L.O.L. Surprise! The Movie, available on Netflix; L.O.L. Surprise! House of Surprises series, available on YouTube and Netflix; Rainbow High series, available on YouTube and Netflix; Mermaze Mermaidz series, available on YouTube; Let’s Go Cozy Coupe series, available on YouTube and Amazon; and more. Their latest project together, L.O.L. Surprise! Winter Fashion Show movie, premiered on Netflix this past October.

About MGA Entertainment

MGA Entertainment is one of the world’s fastest growing and largest privately held toy and entertainment companies. Headquartered in Chatsworth, Calif. and with offices globally, the company creates innovative, proprietary, and licensed consumer products and entertainment, including toys, games, dolls, apparel, consumer electronics, home décor, stationery, sporting goods, movies, and television series. The MGA family includes award-winning brands such as L.O.L. Surprise!™, Little Tikes®, Rainbow High™, Shadow High™, Bratz®, MGA’s Miniverse™, Na! Na! Na! Surprise™, Mermaze Mermaidz™ Color Change, Micro Games of America™, Baby Born® Surprise and Zapf Creation®. For more information, please visit us at www.mgae.com or check us out at LinkedIn or Twitter.

About MGA Studios

MGA Studios is an independent subsidiary of MGA Entertainment, Inc. and a Delaware C-corp. The company is focused on developing and growing a safe digital environment for children and families to come together and enjoy wholesome entertainment across digital and physical platforms. MGA Studios has rights to more than 7,000 trademarks, patents, and copyrighted works and has financial backing of MGA Entertainment, Inc. For more information, please visit  www.MGAStudios.com

About Pixel Zoo 

Pixel Zoo is a full-service animation studio that has focused on digital content in both short and long forms. Based in Brisbane, Australia, Pixel Zoo is at the cutting edge of animation, pushing the boundaries and developing new techniques that have continually kept them on top as the industry develops and changes around them. Lead by a team of creatives Pixel Zoo prides itself on delivering a product that speaks for itself.

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NOTE TO EDITOR: Video clips and stills available of animated series and movie on request.

Attachments

Alan Hilowitz
MGA Entertainment, Inc.
+1.818.221.4431
news@mgae.com


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