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Business Technology

Samsung unveils National Winners in $2 Million STEM competition for innovations that Address urban sustainability, social justice and isolation-induced depression amid COVID-19

 

 

Schools in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Texas recognized for tackling pressing issues in 11th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest

 

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Samsung Electronics America, Inc. announced today the three grand prize National Winners in the 11th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest – a $2 million* national competition that challenges public school students in grades 6-12 to use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to address real-world change in their communities. Revealed during a livestream virtual celebration event, each National Winner school will receive $130,000 in technology and supplies to meet the needs of their classrooms.

 

Three National Winners were selected following a virtual pitch event where students presented their STEM projects to a panel of judges. From urban sustainability to social justice and isolation-induced depression from COVID-19, each National Winner used problem-based learning to respond to an issue of national importance impacting their local communities. Throughout the academic school year – while learning in virtual and hybrid environments – students and teachers forged new pathways using creativity and innovation to create their STEM solutions.

 

“We are in awe of the resilient, bright young minds who remained nimble despite a challenging school year. Met with virtual and hybrid learning environments, their ability to empathetically approach three of the most critical issues facing our society and each transform an idea into a STEM innovation is nothing short of incredible,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “Tackling social justice, the pandemic and health of our planet, these are the problem-solvers and changemakers who build hope for our future.”

 

The three National Winners in the 11th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest and their grand prize-winning STEM innovations are:

 

1. Hope of Detroit Academy – Detroit, Michigan

The student’s local community in southwest Detroit faces excessive amounts of garbage, used tires left in open spaces and unsecured abandoned homes. In Detroit, a significant percentage of housing parcels in the city are vacant, and abandoned lots are prevalent throughout residential areas. The students created an app – the Green Warrior – that tracks these sites and reports them to local community organizations that help lead clean-up efforts. For example, Green Tree Plastics will help collect plastic from abandoned sites and convert it into park benches, and Cass Community Social Services will help pick up and recycle tires.

View Hope of Detroit Academy’s project video here: https://youtu.be/hfY23Gzbmek

 

2. Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy – Erie, Pennsylvania

After witnessing recent events locally and nationally where people were challenged while advocating for social justice, the students recognize that many people fear encounters with law enforcement during protests, rallies or traffic stops. Wanting to be allies and protect the civil rights of people using their voice in potentially threatening situations, the students created a voice-activated mobile app that turns the phone into a body camera or dash cam to record the events and interactions.

In addition to being named a National Winner, Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy has also been named the Samsung Employee Choice Award Winner,winning an additional $15,000.

View Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy’s project video here: https://youtu.be/bqrckcWFrjk

 

3. Porter High School – Porter, Texas

As many as one in four elderly individuals report having anxiety or depression amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and a study by the CDC showed that isolation and loneliness are associated with a 50% increased risk of developing dementia, a 32% increased risk of stroke, and a nearly fourfold increased risk of death among heart failure patients. To combat isolation-induced depression and loneliness, students created an app-website combo, Gen-Bridge, that enables students and others to connect in various ways – including video calls, games and more – with seniors residing in assisted living facilities.

 

View Porter High School’s project video here: https://youtu.be/camCTwrC2EY

 

Students and teachers from each National Winner school have met with local representatives to discuss their respective projects.

 

In addition to the three National Winners, Tulare Union High School in Tulare, California, and Tucker Middle School in Tucker, Georgia, were named Community Choice Winners for generating the most social media votes for their inventions addressing traffic collisions and human trafficking, respectively. These two schools will each receive an additional $15,000 in technology on top of $65,000 in technology for being named National Finalists in this year’s competition.

 

The three National Winners, two Community Choice Award Winners and Samsung Employee Choice Award Winner were revealed in a virtual celebration event, which brought together dozens of students and teachers from the 10 National Finalist schools. The event included remarks from Samsung executives and employee mentors as well as Solve for Tomorrow alumni and can be seen here. The event also included a guest appearance by artist and animator, Danny Casale.

 

Anchored in Samsung’s guiding vision of ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’, Solve for Tomorrow launched in 2010 to encourage innovative thinking, creative problem-solving and teamwork to discover and nurture social innovation ideas aimed at resolving society’s most pressing problems. What began as an environment-focused essay contest has transformed into a problem-based learning initiative that fosters critical thinking and creative problem solving. Since its inception, the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest has awarded $18 million in Samsung technology and classroom materials to more than 2,500 public schools in the United States.

 

To learn more about the contest and this year’s winners, please visit: ​www.samsung.com/solve or follow us at on Instagram @solvefortomorrow. For official rules and judging criteria, click here.

 

*Prize is based on an estimated retail value. | Not open to the general public: No purchase necessary to enter or win. Open to employees at eligible schools in the fifty (50) United States/DC twenty-one (21) years of age or older. To enter/official rules: visit www.Samsung.com/Solve to complete the application form. | The school is responsible for ensuring the proper handling and security of all data potentially shared and/or collected as part of their project. Samsung takes privacy very seriously and encourages all Semi-Finalists to consider how information that is part of their project is being handled. | The school is responsible for ensuring safety, security, bias and privacy matters related to artificial intelligence (AI) as part of their project. Samsung takes privacy very seriously and encourages all Semi-Finalists to consider all safety precautions related to their projects throughout development.

 

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.

Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, N.J., Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a leader in mobile technologies, consumer electronics, home appliances and enterprise solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA is pushing beyond the limits of today’s technology and providing consumers and organizations with a portfolio of groundbreaking products and services across mobile devices, connected appliances, home entertainment, 5G networks and digital solutions. To discover more about Samsung, please visit www.samsung.com. For the latest Samsung News please visit news.samsung.com/us and follow us @SamsungNewsUS.

Contacts

Olivia Gust

Allison+Partners for Samsung

1-503-528-6768

SamsungSFT@allisonpr.com

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Business Technology

NICE Enlighten AI recognized with Product of the Year Award for enabling organizations to meet and exceed next-gen customer expectations

CUSTOMER Magazine honors NICE Enlighten AI as an innovative CX solution and highlights dedication to quality that benefits the overall customer experience while driving ROI

 

HOBOKEN, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #NICENICE (Nasdaq: NICE) today announced that NICE Enlighten AI for Customer Satisfaction has been named a winner of the 2021 CUSTOMER Magazine Product of the Year Award by integrated media company TMC. Highlighting products that enable their clients to meet and exceed customers’ expectations, the award recognizes organizations that are advancing the call center, CRM and teleservices industries one solution at a time.

Barry Cooper, President, NICE Workforce and Customer Experience Group, said, “We are in the business of empowering organizations to boost brand loyalty by enabling every customer’s experience to be personalized and contextual. As organizations prioritize the delivery of next-gen CX, we’re proud to shine a light on how embedding smart AI everywhere helps measurably boost customer satisfaction and employee engagement.”

NICE Enlighten AI for Customer Satisfaction enables businesses of all sizes to proactively make every customer interaction exceptional. NICE Enlighten AI interprets and objectively measures the human behaviors proven to influence customer satisfaction. Out of the box Enlighten AI behavior models accurately and immediately score nine specific agent behaviors, such as demonstrating ownership, being empathetic, questioning effectively and more, as well as customer sentiment on every interaction and presents them on the agent and manager’s dashboards. As a result, agents can proactively adapt and self-improve their behavior in real-time while managers can identify coaching opportunities to drive longer term development.

About NICE

NICE (Nasdaq: NICE) is the world’s leading provider of both cloud and on-premises enterprise software solutions that empower organizations to make smarter decisions based on advanced analytics of structured and unstructured data. NICE helps organizations of all sizes deliver better customer service, ensure compliance, combat fraud and safeguard citizens. Over 25,000 organizations in more than 150 countries, including over 85 of the Fortune 100 companies, are using NICE solutions. www.nice.com.

Trademark Note: NICE and the NICE logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NICE Ltd. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners. For a full list of NICE’s marks, please see: www.nice.com/nice-trademarks.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, including the statements by Mr. Cooper, are based on the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of NICE Ltd. (the “Company”). In some cases, such forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “seek,” “may,” “will,” “intend,” “should,” “project,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “estimate,” or similar words. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results or performance of the Company to differ materially from those described herein, including but not limited to the impact of changes in economic and business conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; competition; successful execution of the Company’s growth strategy; success and growth of the Company’s cloud Software-as-a-Service business; changes in technology and market requirements; decline in demand for the Company’s products; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications; difficulties or delays in absorbing and integrating acquired operations, products, technologies and personnel; loss of market share; an inability to maintain certain marketing and distribution arrangements; the Company’s dependency on third-party cloud computing platform providers, hosting facilities and service partners;, cyber security attacks or other security breaches against the Company; the effect of newly enacted or modified laws, regulation or standards on the Company and our products and various other factors and uncertainties discussed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). For a more detailed description of the risk factors and uncertainties affecting the company, refer to the Company’s reports filed from time to time with the SEC, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise them, except as required by law.

Contacts

Corporate Media Contact
Christopher Irwin-Dudek, +1 201 561 4442, ET, chris.irwin-dudek@nice.com

Investors
Marty Cohen, +1 551 256 5354, ET, ir@nice.com

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Business

Barrie House Coffee Roasters expands in-store presence with retailers in New York and New Jersey

Gristedes, D’Agostino, Morton Williams, Foodtown, And Key Food Are Among the Key Retailers to Showcase New Product Launch and Rebranding

 

ELMSFORD, N.Y. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #BarrieHouseBarrie House Coffee Roasters, a family-owned coffee roaster that produces premium, fair trade, organic coffee, has recently expanded distribution in the New York Metro area, specifically in NYC, Long Island and Westchester County, as well as Northern New Jersey. Following the success of their product line launch and rebranding in September 2020, grocery retailers including Gristedes, D’Agostino, Morton Williams, Foodtown, and Key Food are carrying the new Barrie House Coffee line either chainwide or in select stores. Barrie House products can also be found in a number of independent, natural, and specialty retailers throughout the Tri-State area.

“After completing the Barrie House rebranding and product launch this past year, our team is very excited to see the new products stocked on the shelves of these retailers,” said John C. Fallon, Chief Marketing Officer of Barrie House Coffee Roasters. “Our goal is to make Barrie House the go-to choice for sustainably sourced, Fair Trade and Organic coffee at a reasonable price.”

 

Barrie House’s partnership with these retailers is a big step forward as the company establishes the brand in the New York City area – its own backyard. All of these retailers align with the Barrie House brand in that they are popular mainstays in the New York Metro area, are privately and/or independently owned, and provide a customer experience focused on quality and value.

 

Barrie House’s new product line offers a wide selection of coffees across three distinctive collections: The Estate Blends, Signature Flavors, and Single Origins. These coffees are available in 10 oz. and 2 lb. bags, as well as 10 count and 24 count single-serve capsules that are Keurig 2.0 compatible. In addition to being sold in-store, the line is available online at Barriehouse.com, as well as many other online sites including Amazon, SamsClub.com, Walmart.com, FreshDirect, and more. Photo Link.

 

“We want to thank these signature metro New York retailers for their partnership and support as well as our distribution partners UNFI, KEHE, and BCS Royal for executing this new distribution,” said Michele Abo, Chief Sales Officer, Barrie House Coffee Roasters. “We are also excited about growing our food service business with our new coffees and are thrilled to have our new partners Ammirati Coffee and Whole Latte Love join our existing network of great distributors in these efforts.”

 

For more information or to find a location near you that sells Barrie House coffee, use the Store Locator at BarrieHouse.com.

 

About Barrie House Coffee Roasters:

Founded in 1934 outside of New York City, Barrie House is a family-owned coffee roaster that produces premium, handcrafted coffee. For over 85 years, Barrie House Coffee Roasters have carefully selected, blended, roasted, and packed what they believe to be the world’s finest coffee. Today, Barrie House is a leading roaster and manufacturer for private label and branded coffee products sold through the retail, e-commerce, food service, and hospitality channels. Barrie House has partnered with Martha Stewart for a co-branded coffee line and with The Headstrong Project for a special Heroes Reserve line of which 100% of the profits are donated to the organization. They rank in the Top 10 of all Fair Trade coffee providers in the U.S.

Stay updated on all Barrie House news by following us @BarrieHouseCoffee on Instagram and Facebook.

Contacts

Christina Rae

Buzz Creators, Inc.

(914) 610-8558

crae@buzz-creators.com

Categories
Business Technology

Precision Spine® reaches milestone with the Reform® Modular Pedicle Screw System

 

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — The Reform® Modular Pedicle Screw System, first introduced by Precision Spine in April 2016, today reaches a monumental milepost, its 30,000th modular screw implantation. This historic milestone is most impressive when highlighted by the fact that there have been no reported dissociations to date.

 

The Reform® Modular Pedicle Screw System provides surgeons with increased flexibility, versatility, and visibility to meet the varying requirements of degenerative and trauma procedures. The cobalt chrome and titanium tulips are available in both 5.5 and 4.75mm sizes, with standard and reduction options. The system features Tru-Lock Technology that allows the tulip to be attached with a consistent attachment force, as well as a helpful audible click and tactile feel to confirm attachment. The titanium modular cannulated and non-cannulated screws feature a minimally tapered, triple lead thread, as well as a self-starting aggressive screw tip and enlarged T25 drive feature ─ the combination of which delivers more immediate, secure bone engagement and maximum control during insertion. The system’s modularity is intended to help increase the surgeon’s visibility in order to permit more thorough decortication of the surrounding fusion bed. A full complement of offset connectors, dominoes, hooks, and cross connectors increases procedure flexibility.

 

“The system’s modular design greatly enhances O.R. versatility and efficiency,” said Vikram Udani, M.D., “assisting surgeons with intraoperatively assembling a construct that achieves immediate bone purchase, with a pull-out strength that provides optimal security.”

 

“We are pleased and proud to document this event in our company annals,” said Chris DeNicola, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, “as it is further evidence of our continuing mission to provide patients and surgeons worldwide with safe and effective solutions for complex spinal pathologies. We view this milestone as validation of the great trust placed in the company by our distribution partners and the surgeons they serve and support.”

 

About Precision Spine

Precision Spine, Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, with manufacturing facilities in Pearl, MS. Precision Spine is dedicated to providing innovative, quality spine products that are made in the USA, and designed to help treat serious orthopedic medical conditions in a cost-effective manner. For more information, visit www.precisionspineinc.com.

Contacts

Chris DeNicola, Chief Operating Officer: chris.denicola@precisionspineinc.com

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Business

Spinnaker Insurance Company names Risk Veteran Torben Ostergaard as CEO

Ostergaard joins from USAA, where he served as executive vice president and chief risk officer, and will strengthen Spinnaker’s position as a best-in-class fronting carrier with the backing of parent company Hippo’s technology

Former CEO Dave Ingrey, will transition to chief operating officer, a critical role as the company scales to new categories by utilizing innovative technology, data and analytics to deliver industry leading services

 

BEDMINSTER, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Spinnaker Insurance Company, a national property and casualty insurer licensed in 50 states and rated A- (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company, wholly owned by Hippo Enterprises Inc., today announced the appointment of Torben Ostergaard as its new president and chief executive officer. Ostergaard joins Spinnaker after more than a decade in c-suite roles at insurance and financial services firm USAA. Dave Ingrey, who previously held the CEO position, will transition to chief operating officer and continue to play an integral role in shaping Spinnaker’s future.

Most recently a Fortune 100 executive, Ostergaard brings 25 years’ experience as a risk officer working across the financial services industry. At USAA, he served as executive vice president, chief risk officer and a member of the executive council that manages the day-to-day operations of the company, including property & casualty insurance, banking and life insurance. Prior to USAA, he was chief credit officer at HSBC Financial in Canada. He is currently serving on Opendoor’s risk advisory board.

 

After three successful years with Spinnaker as its leading fronting carrier partner, Hippo, the home insurance group that created a new standard of care and protection for homeowners, closed its acquisition of the company in August 2020. Spinnaker has pioneered value-added fronting insurance by creating products that benefit the producer, the insurer, the reinsurer, and the end-customer. Spinnaker-backed Hippo products are currently available to consumers in more than 34 states.

 

“I’ve been blown away by the combination of innovation and technology that Hippo has deployed alongside Spinnaker and am thrilled to be joining Spinnaker as its CEO,” said Ostergaard. “I look forward to building on the great work of the team that’s established Spinnaker as a premier fronting company to bring its world-class fronting services and technology to the next level for the benefit of our existing partners and as we expand into new categories of business.”

 

Spinnaker recently announced several new partnerships and will continue expanding its support for industry-leading insurance managing general agents (MGAs) across multiple categories. A 2020 Conning study on MGAs showed a 6.3 percent increase in MGA premium volumes from 2018 to 2019 to $45.4 billion.

 

“Torben’s risk management and financial expertise, public company experience at USAA and Fortune 100 executive leadership makes him exceptionally qualified to lead Spinnaker to its next chapter of growth,” said Richard McCathron, President of Hippo Enterprises and Chairman of Spinnaker Insurance Company. “We are incredibly grateful to Dave for bringing the Spinnaker business to this stage and having him remain in a critical leadership role will provide continuity and accelerate business growth, innovation, and expansion into new channels.”

 

About Spinnaker

Spinnaker Insurance Company is a national property and casualty insurer rated A- (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company. With the ability to offer admitted insurance products in 50 states and the District of Columbia, Spinnaker utilizes program administrators and managing general agents to access niche markets, focusing on short-tail business (with an emphasis on homeowners, renters, and small commercial), certain specialty lines, and fronting opportunities. Learn more at www.spinnakerins.com.

 

About Hippo

Hippo Insurance Services offers a different kind of home insurance, built from the ground up to provide a new standard of care and protection for homeowners. Our goal is to make homes safer and better protected so customers spend less time worrying about the burdens of homeownership and more time enjoying their homes and the life within. Harnessing real-time data, smart home technology, and a growing suite of home services, we are creating the first integrated home protection platform. Hippo is headquartered in Palo Alto, California with offices in Austin and Dallas, Texas and insurance products available to more than 70 percent of U.S. homeowners in 34 states. Hippo Insurance Services is a licensed property casualty insurance agent with products underwritten by various insurance companies. For more information, including licensing information, visit http://www.hippo.com.

Contacts

Hippo Insurance Services

Andrea Collins

acollins@hippo.com

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Business

B&G Foods selects Kenneth C. ‘Casey’ Keller as its next president and CEO

— Appointment to become effective on June 14, 2021 —

 

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — B&G Foods, Inc. (NYSE: BGS) announced today that it has appointed Kenneth C. “Casey” Keller, age 59, as its next President and Chief Executive Officer, effective June 14, 2021. Mr. Keller will succeed B&G Foods’ Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, David L. Wenner, who will remain a director of the Company and will work closely with Mr. Keller to ensure a seamless transition. Mr. Keller will also be elected to B&G Foods’ Board of Directors.

Most recently, Mr. Keller served as president and CEO of JDE Peet’s NV, a $7 billion global coffee and tea company with over 20,000 employees based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He led the merger of Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) and Peet’s Coffee, Inc. and the successful initial public offering of the combined company in May 2020. Prior to the merger, Mr. Keller was the president and CEO of Peet’s Coffee, a premium specialty coffee company based in California, and led the business through rapid growth in the United States and successful expansion into China.

 

Prior to that, Mr. Keller served as global president of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, a subsidiary of Mars, Inc., where he was responsible for delivering sales and profit growth across the global gum, mints and candy business. He joined Wrigley in 2011 as president of Wrigley North America and later assumed responsibility for Wrigley Americas. In the United States, the company’s largest global market, Mr. Keller led a turnaround of the Wrigley business, delivering growth well above the industry average. During the integration of Wrigley into Mars, Mr. Keller helped establish the global business units and strategy for the combined Mars-Wrigley confectionery business.

 

Mr. Keller served as president of Alberto Culver USA from 2008 until the company’s acquisition by Unilever in 2011. He also worked at the H.J. Heinz Company in both the United States and Europe, leading the ketchup, condiments and sauces division in the United States and was the CEO of Heinz Italy. Mr. Keller began his consumer goods career with Procter & Gamble.

 

Mr. Keller earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University and served for four years as an officer in the U.S. Navy before receiving his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School.

 

Stephen C. Sherrill, Chairman of the Board of Directors of B&G Foods, stated, “We feel extremely fortunate to add Casey to our already very strong management team. Casey is a food and beverage industry veteran with excellent leadership skills and a proven track record of generating revenue and earnings growth. Casey also has experience with mergers & acquisitions and public company finance, most recently guiding JDE and Peet’s Coffee through a successful merger and post-merger IPO. We believe that Casey is the right person to lead B&G Foods and drive our organic and M&A growth strategy, promote our core values, promote our ESG and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, and generate value for our stockholders.”

 

Mr. Sherrill continued, “I would like to express my appreciation to the Board’s special committee on CEO succession, which was chaired by Dennis Mullen and included DeAnn Brunts, Chuck Marcy and Rob Mills. The committee conducted an extensive, thorough and intense search process that produced many exceptional candidates. It is exciting to see B&G Foods generate such a field of incredibly talented candidates as we continue to grow as a company, and I look forward to Casey leading B&G Foods into the future and toward continued growth.”

 

“On behalf of the entire company, I would also like to thank Dave Wenner for his service as our Interim President and CEO. Dave’s incredibly strong leadership skills, breadth of experience, integrity and passion for our business have been invaluable as he has guided us through this transition period.”

 

Mr. Keller stated, “I am incredibly excited to be joining B&G Foods and its very talented and dedicated workforce. We will continue to focus on organic and acquisition growth, innovation, operational improvements, cost reduction efforts and the creation of stockholder value. At the same time, we will also continue to promote and further enhance B&G Foods’ corporate social responsibility efforts, including the company’s environmental, sustainability and DEI efforts.”

 

Mr. Wenner stated, “I would like to thank all B&G Foods employees for their tremendous efforts. It has been a very rewarding experience to once again lead our company, work with our talented executive leadership team, and reinforce the principles and strategies that have helped create tremendous value for all of our stakeholders over the years. I look forward to continuing to serve on B&G Foods’ Board of Directors and assisting with Casey’s transition.”

 

About B&G Foods, Inc.

Based in Parsippany, New Jersey, B&G Foods and its subsidiaries manufacture, sell and distribute high-quality, branded shelf-stable and frozen foods across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. With B&G Foods’ diverse portfolio of more than 50 brands you know and love, including Back to Nature, B&G, B&M, Bear Creek, Cream of Wheat, Crisco, Dash, Green Giant, Las Palmas, Le Sueur, Mama Mary’s, Maple Grove Farms, New York Style, Ortega, Polaner, Spice Islands and Victoria, there’s a little something for everyone. For more information about B&G Foods and its brands, please visit www.bgfoods.com.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute “forward-looking statements.” The forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements related to the CEO transition and the Company’s strategies, growth plans and corporate social responsibility efforts. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the actual results of B&G Foods to be materially different from the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements that explicitly describe such risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements labeled with the terms “believes,” “belief,” “expects,” “projects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “assumes,” “could,” “should,” “estimates,” “potential,” “seek,” “predict,” “may,” “will” or “plans” and similar references to future periods to be uncertain and forward-looking. Factors that may affect actual results include, without limitation: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business, including, without limitation, the ability of the Company and its supply chain partners to continue to operate manufacturing facilities, distribution centers and other work locations without material disruption; whether and when the Company will be able to realize the expected financial results and accretive effect of the Crisco acquisition, and how customers, competitors, suppliers and employees will react to the acquisition; the Company’s substantial leverage; the effects of rising costs for the Company’s raw materials, packaging and ingredients; crude oil prices and their impact on distribution, packaging and energy costs; the Company’s ability to successfully implement sales price increases and cost saving measures to offset any cost increases; intense competition, changes in consumer preferences, demand for the Company’s products and local economic and market conditions; the Company’s continued ability to promote brand equity successfully, to anticipate and respond to new consumer trends, to develop new products and markets, to broaden brand portfolios in order to compete effectively with lower priced products and in markets that are consolidating at the retail and manufacturing levels and to improve productivity; the risks associated with the expansion of the Company’s business; the Company’s possible inability to identify new acquisitions or to integrate recent or future acquisitions or the Company’s failure to realize anticipated revenue enhancements, cost savings or other synergies from recent or future acquisitions; the Company’s ability to successfully complete the integration of recent or future acquisitions into the Company’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system; tax reform and legislation, including the effects of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the U.S. CARES Act; the Company’s ability to access the credit markets and the Company’s borrowing costs and credit ratings, which may be influenced by credit markets generally and the credit ratings of the Company’s competitors; unanticipated expenses, including, without limitation, litigation or legal settlement expenses; the effects of currency movements of the Canadian dollar and the Mexican peso as compared to the U.S. dollar; the effects of international trade disputes, tariffs, quotas, and other import or export restrictions on the Company’s international procurement, sales and operations; future impairments of the Company’s goodwill and intangible assets; the Company’s ability to protect information systems against, or effectively respond to, a cybersecurity incident or other disruption; the Company’s sustainability initiatives and changes to environmental laws and regulations; and other factors that affect the food industry generally. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in B&G Foods’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in its subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8‑K. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. B&G Foods undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contacts

Investor Relations:

ICR, Inc.

Dara Dierks

866.211.8151

Media Relations:

ICR, Inc.

Matt Lindberg

203.682.8214

Categories
Business

Semperis announces Jim Doggett as Chief Information Security Officer, adding to the company’s star-studded executive team

Longtime Partner at EY and Former Security and Risk Executive at AIG and Kaiser Permanente Joins Semperis to Elevate Awareness of Urgent Need for Threat Mitigation and Rapid Response to Directory Attacks

 

HOBOKEN, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Semperis, the pioneer of identity-driven cyber resilience for enterprises, today announced the appointment of James (Jim) W. Doggett Jr. as chief information security officer (CISO). A longtime partner at Ernst & Young (EY) LLP and a veteran security and risk executive, Doggett will be responsible for managing Semperis’ cybersecurity posture and information and risk management program, along with helping customers improve the resiliency of their foundational identity systems.


“Jim brings strong information resilience expertise and deep cybersecurity knowledge to Semperis,” said Mickey Bresman, CEO of Semperis. “His background in security risk management is particularly impressive. Today’s CISOs are tasked with managing risks that threaten their organization’s information and data security, which continue to grow in number and scope. Jim has coached and mentored some of today‘s leading CISOs and has been a staunch advocate for taking a risk-based approach to security. We look forward to building on his leadership experience to further strengthen Semperis’ cybersecurity and risk posture and expand our message on the vital role that identity systems like Active Directory play in strong foundational security.”

Demand for Semperis’ cutting-edge identity protection technology continues to grow, as the number of cyberattacks connected to privileged credential abuse rises. Forrester Research estimated that 80% of data breaches have a connection to compromised privileged credentials. With attacks increasing in both scale and complexity, security executives must prioritize the data and applications that have the greatest impact on their business, which attackers frequently attempt to access by exploiting identity systems. There has recently been an uptick in headline-grabbing attacks — including the infamous SolarWinds supply chain attack and the Hafnium attack on Microsoft Exchange — especially those that target Active Directory as an initial access vector.

With more than 35 years of experience leading cybersecurity and risk programs at global organizations, Doggett brings a powerful combination of leadership acumen and real-world experience to his new role at Semperis. Doggett served as partner at one of the largest professional services firms in the world, EY, for 28 years, where he was practice leader of the company’s information security group and responsible for all aspects of running and growing the business. During his time at EY, Doggett increased revenue by over $10 million annually, helped found its Information Technology Enablement Center (ITEC), and assisted in the development of the company’s Advanced Security Center. Most recently, Doggett held the position of senior vice president at Panaseer, where he currently serves on the Board of Directors. Doggett has previously held role as chief technology risk officer at AIG; chief security officer and chief technology risk officer at Kaiser Permanente; and managing director at JP Morgan Chase.

Doggett is the latest hire to join Semperis’ rapidly growing leadership team. The company recently announced the appointments of Chief Revenue Officer Coley Burke (former Dell EMC and Zerto sales leader), Chief Technologist Guido Grillenmeier (former HPE chief technologist), and Chief Scientist Igor Baikalov (former Bank of America senior vice president of global information security).

“This role at Semperis presents an exciting opportunity to join a team that truly understands the importance of foundational security,” said Doggett. “Active Directory is the gatekeeper to critical applications and data in 90% of organizations worldwide. The keys to the kingdom are really owned by Active Directory. It’s incredibly important that we protect Active Directory by staying abreast of the latest indicators of exposure and compromise, optimizing configurations and continually monitoring for drift from a known good state, in addition to implementing auto-remediation capabilities to stop attacks in progress and avert disasters. There’s a massive need in the market right now for organizations to approach cyber resilience with a risk-based mindset and advocate for making the most impact with the fewest resources, which can largely be accomplished through securing Active Directory. I’m looking forward to helping raise Semperis’ security posture while elevating its message around foundational security and the critical role that Active Directory and identity systems play among the broader community of security leaders.”

About Semperis

For security teams charged with defending hybrid and multi-cloud environments, Semperis ensures integrity and availability of critical enterprise directory services at every step in the cyber kill chain and cuts recovery time by 90%. Purpose-built for securing Active Directory, Semperis’ patented technology protects over 40 million identities from cyberattacks, data breaches, and operational errors. The world’s leading organizations trust Semperis to spot directory vulnerabilities, intercept cyberattacks in progress, and quickly recover from ransomware and other data integrity emergencies. Semperis is headquartered in New Jersey and operates internationally, with its research and development team distributed between San Francisco and Tel Aviv.

Semperis hosts the award-winning Hybrid Identity Protection conference (www.hipconf.com). The company has received the highest level of industry accolades and was recently ranked the fourth fastest-growing company in the tri-state area and 35th overall in Deloitte’s 2020 Technology Fast 500™. Semperis is accredited by Microsoft and recognized by Gartner.

Twitter https://twitter.com/SemperisTech
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/semperis
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SemperisTech
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCycrWXhxOTaUQ0sidlyN9SA

Contacts

PR:
Ashley Crutchfield

fama PR for Semperis

617-986-5025

semperis@famapr.com

Categories
Business

Wynn Interactive to become independent public company through combination with Austerlitz Acquisition Corporation I

Wynn Interactive is delivering one-of-a-kind digital gaming experiences to mobile users through proprietary, differentiated technology

Combined company expected to have post-transaction enterprise value of approximately $3.2 billion

Business combination includes approximately $640 million of cash proceeds from Austerlitz Acquisition Corp I, led and founded by William P. Foley II, to help fuel growth

Cannae Holdings, Inc. has agreed to fully backstop share redemptions, assuring availability of cash proceeds at closing

Current shareholders of Wynn Interactive will retain approximately 79% of the combined Company, including 58% to be held by Wynn Resorts, Ltd.

LAS VEGAS — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Wynn Resorts, Limited (NASDAQ: WYNN) (“Wynn Resorts”) and Austerlitz Acquisition Corporation I (NYSE: AUS.U) (“Austerlitz I”) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Austerlitz I will combine with Wynn Interactive Ltd. (“Wynn Interactive” or the “Company”), a subsidiary of Wynn Resorts, to create an independent public company. Upon closing of the proposed transaction, the combined company will retain the “Wynn Interactive, Ltd.” name and relist its shares on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol “WBET.”

Wynn Interactive, the online gaming division of Wynn Resorts, offers a world-class collection of casino and sports betting mobile options to consumers across the U.S. and U.K. through its WynnBET, BetBull and WynnSLOTS brands. The Company delivers one-of-a-kind experiences in digital gaming that drive enhanced user acquisition and retention through unique social betting mechanics, a proprietary tech stack and high-quality user interface. Wynn Interactive currently has market access to 15 states covering approximately 51% of the U.S. population and expects to gain access to additional states in the near-term, resulting in its footprint covering approximately 77% of the U.S. population.

“We are confident that this transaction will unlock the tremendous potential of Wynn Interactive to further accelerate growth and enable the business to capture the massive opportunity in North America. Bill Foley is the ideal partner to ensure continued success – his track record with business combinations, extensive experience growing marquee consumer brands and partnering to maximize value in businesses like ours will be invaluable as we continue scaling,” said Matt Maddox, CEO of Wynn Resorts and Chairman of Wynn Interactive.

“Wynn Interactive is rapidly establishing a leadership position in what will ultimately be a $45 billion North American online sports betting and iGaming market through our relentless focus on product features, user experience and customer service. We look forward to working with Bill Foley and Austerlitz I to support Wynn Interactive’s long-term growth,” said Craig Billings, President and Executive Director of Wynn Interactive.

William P. Foley, II, Founder of Austerlitz I, commented, “I am excited to be a partner and future owner of Wynn Interactive. Wynn is the premier brand in gaming and luxury resorts and we believe our investment in Wynn Interactive fits the criteria for the type of company and management team with which we like to co-invest. I’m optimistic about the future of U.S. online casino gaming and sports betting and am confident in the ability of Matt and the Wynn Interactive team to execute the business plan and exceed their financial projections against what will be a massive addressable market.”

The business combination will provide Wynn Interactive with additional capital and expertise to accelerate its vision as a standalone company. Beyond its base of live operations in six U.S. states, together with Austerlitz I and Wynn Resorts, the Company is well-positioned to capitalize on opportunities to scale in the highly complementary and rapidly expanding online sports betting and iCasino markets, which brokers expect to grow at a 10-year CAGR of approximately 32% to $45 billion by 2030, driven in part by legislative momentum in the U.S. and Canada. Wynn Interactive plans to accelerate growth through customer acquisition initiatives, executing a broad-based, national marketing and branding campaign, including investment in mass media and partnerships, and continued product enhancements leveraging BetBull’s proprietary technology.

Transaction Overview

The combined company is expected to have an enterprise value of approximately $3.2 billion at closing, representing 4.5x Wynn Interactive’s projected 2023 revenue.

Cannae Holdings, Inc. has agreed to fully backstop share redemptions, assuring availability of cash proceeds at closing. As a result, irrespective of share redemptions by the public stockholders of Austerlitz I, approximately $640 million in cash will be available to fund the combined Company’s operations and support new and existing growth initiatives of Wynn Interactive.

Upon closing of the transaction, assuming no share redemptions by the public stockholders of Austerlitz I, Wynn Interactive’s current shareholders will retain an equity interest in the Company of approximately 79%, inclusive of 58% equity interest (and 72% voting interest) by Wynn Resorts, Ltd., Austerlitz I’s stockholders will hold approximately 18% and Austerlitz I’s sponsor will hold approximately 3%.

The proposed business combination, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both Wynn Resorts and Austerlitz I, is expected to close by the end of 2021, subject to approval by Austerlitz I’s stockholders, gaming regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions.

Following the closing of the proposed business combination, Matt Maddox will continue to serve as Chairman, Craig Billings will continue to serve as President and Executive Director, Wynn Interactive co-founder Sadok Kohen will continue to serve as CPO and Director, and Norbert Teufelberger and Ellen F. Whitemore will continue to serve as Directors. Additionally, William P. Foley, II intends to serve as a Director on the Company’s Board.

Advisors

Credit Suisse and Moelis & Company LLC are serving as financial and capital markets advisors and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal counsel to Wynn Resorts. Bank of America is serving as financial advisor with Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP serving as legal counsel to Austerlitz Acquisition Corporation I.

Investor Conference Call Information

Wynn Resorts and Austerlitz I will provide an investor slide presentation and pre-recorded audio-video presentation discussing the proposed business combination on their respective investor relations websites on May 10, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. EDT / 2:30 p.m. PDT. The presentations can be accessed on the “Company Info” page of the Wynn Resorts Investor Relations website (https://www.wynnresorts.com/) or the Investor Relations website of Austerlitz I (https://investor.austerlitz1.com).

An archive of the audio-video presentation, along with this press release and the investor slide presentation are available in the “investor” sections of the Austerlitz I website (https://investor.austerlitz1.com) and Wynn Resorts Investor Relations website at (https://www.wynnresorts.com/).

In addition, Austerlitz I will file the investor presentation with the SEC as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K prior to the call, which will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

About Wynn Resorts

Wynn Resorts, Limited is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol WYNN and is part of the S&P 500 Index. Wynn Resorts owns and operates Wynn Las Vegas (wynnlasvegas.com), Encore Boston Harbor (encorebostonharbor.com), Wynn Macau (wynnmacau.com), and Wynn Palace, Cotai (wynnpalace.com).

Wynn and Encore Las Vegas feature two luxury hotel towers with a total of 4,748 spacious hotel rooms, suites and villas, approximately 194,000 square feet of casino space, 22 dining experiences featuring signature chefs and 11 bars, two award-winning spas, approximately 560,000 rentable square feet of meeting and convention space, approximately 160,000 square feet of retail space as well as two showrooms, two nightclubs, a beach club and recreation and leisure facilities. Wynn Las Vegas also operates the recently redesigned Wynn Golf Club and 18-hole, 129-acre championship golf course, and in February 2020 debuted a 430,000-square-foot meeting and convention space expansion powered by 100 percent renewable energy.

Encore Boston Harbor is a luxury resort destination featuring a 210,000 square foot casino, 671 hotel rooms, an ultra-premium spa, specialty retail, 16 dining and lounge venues, and approximately 71,000 square feet of state-of-the-art ballroom and meeting spaces. Situated on the waterfront along the Mystic River in Everett, Massachusetts, the resort has created a six-acre public park and Harborwalk along the shoreline. It is the largest private, single-phase development in the history of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Wynn Macau is a luxury hotel and casino resort located in the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China with two luxury hotel towers with a total of 1,010 spacious rooms and suites, approximately 252,000 square feet of casino space, 12 food and beverage outlets, approximately 31,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, approximately 59,000 square feet of retail space, and recreation and leisure facilities including two opulent spas, a salon and a rotunda show.

Wynn Palace is a luxury integrated resort in Macau. Designed as a floral-themed destination, it boasts 1,706 exquisite rooms, suites and villas, approximately 424,000 square feet of casino space, 14 food and beverage outlets, approximately 37,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, approximately 106,000 square feet of designer retail, SkyCabs that traverse an eight-acre Performance Lake, an extensive collection of rare art, a lush spa, salon and recreation and leisure facilities.

About Wynn Interactive

Wynn Interactive is the online gaming division of Wynn Resorts, Ltd. (Nasdaq: WYNN) offering a world-class collection of casino and sports betting mobile options for discerning players who understand the difference between placing a bet and experiencing a bet. Wynn Interactive’s products, operated under the WynnBET, WynnSLOTS, and BetBull brands, are designed to digitally deliver the legendary service and guest experience Wynn Resorts is known for, backed by the Company’s trusted legacy as the world’s premier international casino operator.

WynnBET is anchored by its eponymous mobile sports and casino betting app providing one-of-a-kind experiences, unique social betting mechanics, and a high-quality user interface. Currently available in New Jersey, Colorado, Michigan, Virginia, Indiana, and Tennessee, WynnBET is poised for rapid expansion in 2021 with market access opportunities in nine states and several pending license applications in process. WynnBET is an Authorized Gaming Operator of NASCAR and proud partner of the Memphis Grizzlies and Detroit Pistons, with more partnerships to be announced. For more information, visit WynnInteractive.com or WynnBET.com.

About Austerlitz Acquisition Corporation I

Austerlitz Acquisition Corporation I is a newly incorporated blank check company whose business purpose is to effect a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. For more information, please visit https://investor.austerlitz1.com/.

About Cannae Holdings, Inc.

Cannae Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNNE) is engaged in actively managing and operating a group of companies and investments, as well as making additional majority and minority equity portfolio investments in businesses in order to achieve superior financial performance and maximize the value of these assets. Cannae was founded and is led by investor William P. Foley, II. Foley is responsible for the creation and growth of over $140 Billion in publicly traded companies including Fidelity National Information Services (“FIS”), Fidelity National Financial (“FNF”), and Black Knight, Inc. (“BKI”). Cannae’s current principal holdings include Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc. (“DNB”), which recently completed a successful business transformation and IPO. Cannae holds an approximately 18% interest in Dun & Bradstreet or approximately 76.0 Million shares. Cannae’s second principal holding is Ceridian (“CDAY”), which Foley transformed from a legacy payroll bureau into a leading cloud-based provider of human capital management software. Cannae owns 9.4% of Ceridian representing approximately 14 Million shares. Cannae also holds approximately 54.0 Million shares, or approximately 7.5% of Paysafe (“PFSE”), as well as 8.1 Million Paysafe warrants.

Additional Information about the Business Combination and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed business combination, a registration statement on Form S-4 (the “Form S-4”) is expected to be filed by Austerlitz I with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) that will include a proxy statement to be distributed to holders of Austerlitz I ordinary shares in connection with Austerlitz I’s solicitation for proxies for the vote by Austerlitz I’s shareholders regarding the proposed business combination with Wynn Interactive and other matters as described in the Form S-4, as well as a prospectus of Austerlitz I relating to the offer of the securities to be issued in connection with the completion of the business combination. Austerlitz I and Wynn Interactive urge investors, shareholders and other interested persons to read, when available, the Form S-4, including the proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other documents filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed business combination, as these materials will contain important information about Austerlitz I, Wynn Interactive and the proposed business combination. Such persons can also read Austerlitz I’s final prospectus dated February 25, 2021 (SEC File No. 333-252932), for a description of the security holdings of Austerlitz I’s officers and directors and their respective interests as security holders in the consummation of the proposed business combination. After the Form S-4 has been filed and declared effective, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to Austerlitz I’s shareholders as of a record date to be established for voting on the proposed business combination. Shareholders will also be able to obtain copies of such documents, without charge, once available, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to Austerlitz Acquisition Corporation I, 1701 Village Center Circle, Las Vegas, NV 89134, or (702) 323-7330.

Participants in the Solicitation

Austerlitz I and Wynn Interactive and their respective directors, executive officers and other members of their management and employees, under SEC rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies of Austerlitz I’s shareholders in connection with the proposed business combination. Investors and security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of Austerlitz I’s directors and executive officers in Austerlitz I’s final prospectus dated February 25, 2021 (SEC File No. 333-252932), which was filed with the SEC on March 1, 2021. Information regarding the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of Austerlitz I’s shareholders in connection with the proposed business combination will be set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus for the proposed business combination when available. Information concerning the interests of Austerlitz I’s and Wynn Interactive’s participants in the solicitation, which may, in some cases, be different than those of Austerlitz I’s and Wynn Interactive’s equity holders generally, will be set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus relating to the proposed business combination when it becomes available.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the proposed business combination and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of Austerlitz I or Wynn Interactive, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or exemptions therefrom.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Austerlitz I’s and Wynn Interactive’s actual results may differ from their expectations, estimates, and projections 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 (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, Austerlitz I’s and Wynn Interactive’s expectations with respect to future performance and anticipated financial impacts of the proposed business combination, the satisfaction or waiver of the closing conditions to the proposed business combination, and the timing of the completion of the proposed business combination.

These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially, and potentially adversely, from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Most of these factors are outside Austerlitz I’s and Wynn Interactive’s control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change, or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the business combination agreement (the “Agreement”); (2) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Austerlitz I and/or Wynn Interactive following the announcement of the Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein; (3) the inability to complete the proposed business combination, including due to failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of Austerlitz I, certain regulatory approvals, or satisfy other conditions to closing in the Agreement; (4) the occurrence of any event, change, or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Agreement or could otherwise cause the transaction to fail to close; (5) the impact of COVID-19 on Wynn Interactive’s business and/or the ability of the parties to complete the proposed business combination; (6) the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of Austerlitz I’s ordinary shares on the NYSE or NASDAQ following the proposed business combination; (7) the risk that the proposed business combination disrupts current plans and operations as a result of the announcement and consummation of the proposed business combination; (8) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed business combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of Wynn Interactive to grow and manage growth profitably, and retain its key employees; (9) costs related to the proposed business combination; (10) changes in applicable laws or regulations; and (11) the possibility that Austerlitz I or Wynn Interactive may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. The foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. Additional information concerning certain of these and other risk factors is contained in Austerlitz I’s most recent filings with the SEC and will be contained in the Form S-4, including the proxy statement/prospectus expected to be filed in connection with the proposed business combination. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning Austerlitz I or Wynn Interactive, the transactions described herein or other matters and attributable to Austerlitz I or Wynn Interactive or any person acting on their behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Each of Austerlitz I and Wynn Interactive expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in their expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any statement is based, except as required by law.

Contacts

For inquiries regarding Wynn Resorts and Wynn Interactive:

Investors
Vincent Zahn, Senior Vice President and Treasurer

702-770-7555

investorrelations@wynnresorts.com

Media
Michael Weaver, Chief Communications Officer

702-770-7777

michael.weaver@wynnlasvegas.com

For inquiries regarding Austerlitz Acquisition Corporation I:

Shannon Devine

Solebury Trout

sdevine@soleburytrout.com
203-428-3228

Categories
Business

Mitchell | Genex | Coventry signs agreement to acquire QualCare Alliance Networks Inc.

Deal will strengthen company’s network in New Jersey

SAN DIEGO — (BUSINESS WIRE) —  #caremanagementMitchell | Genex | Coventry, a leader in cost containment technology, provider networks, clinical services, pharmacy benefit management (PBM), and disability management, announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire QualCare Alliance Networks Inc. (QANI), one of the largest managed care organizations serving the New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York tri-state area.

This acquisition allows Mitchell | Genex |Coventry to strengthen its position as a market leader in provider network access, care management and workers’ compensation services. QANI will become part of the Coventry organization, expanding its network footprint in that region.

“Both Coventry and QANI have proud traditions of maintaining excellent provider networks,” said Art Lynch, Coventry President. “Our long-standing relationship over the past decade confirms why QANI is a good fit for Coventry both from a geographic and talent acquisition perspective. This opportunity demonstrates the combined organizations’ commitment to deliver the right solutions to our clients in terms of market presence and product offerings.”

Headquartered in Piscataway and Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, QANI, owned by Cigna Corp., contracts with over 100 acute, specialty and rehabilitation hospitals, as well as 40,000 professional providers. Additionally, QANI provides clinical management services that will complement similar programs offered by Coventry and Genex. Alice Herron Lihou, president of QANI, will continue in her role and report to Lynch. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

About Mitchell | Genex | Coventry

Mitchell, Genex, and Coventry recently combined their joint industry expertise and advanced technology solutions into one organization to simplify and optimize property, casualty, and disability claims processes and services. Coventry offers workers’ compensation, auto and disability care and cost-management solutions for employers, insurance carriers and third-party administrators. With roots in both clinical and network services, Coventry leverages more than 40 years of industry experience, knowledge, and data analytics.

About QANI

QualCare Alliance Networks, Inc. (QANI) was founded in 1993 to serve as the parent organization to QualCare, Inc. and Qual-Lynx. QualCare provides Health and Workers’ Compensation Preferred Provider Network services to its clients, and Qual-Lynx, through its partnership with QualCare, offers full service Managed Care, Administrative, and Claims Management services for its Property and Casualty business. QANI is among New Jersey’s largest managed care organizations with a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) comprised of over 100 acute, specialty and rehabilitation hospitals, as well as over 40,000 physicians and other ancillary providers across New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. For more information, visit www.qualcareinc.com.

Contacts

Barb Robinette

Coventry

barobinette@cvty.us.com
858-547-2528

Categories
Business

AM Best affirms credit ratings of Talcott Resolution Life, Inc. and its subsidiaries

OLDWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of “bbb+” of Talcott Resolution Life Insurance Company and Talcott Resolution Life and Annuity Insurance Company. These companies are domiciled in Windsor, CT, and collectively are referred to as Talcott Resolution Group (Talcott Resolution). Additionally, AM Best has affirmed the Long-Term ICR of “bbb-” of Talcott Resolution Life, Inc. (Delaware), along with its Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings (Long-Term IRs). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. (See below for a detailed listing of the Long-Term IRs).

The ratings reflect Talcott Resolution’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

Talcott Resolution maintains the strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), despite recent stockholder dividends, with good liquidity and a sufficient hedge program in place to protect statutory capital from any potential negative impacts due to equity and interest rate sensitivities within its core variable and fixed annuity businesses. Talcott Resolution’s variable annuity business continues to perform in line with reserve assumptions, despite some modest impacts to policyholder behavior caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Talcott Resolution’s general account investment portfolio performed well over the past year with just minimal impairments and downward ratings migration as a result of the pandemic.

In January 2021, AM Best commented that the ratings of Talcott Resolution would remain unchanged following the announcement that Sixth Street, a leading global investment firm with over $50 billion in assets under management and committed capital, had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the group from a consortium of investors. These investors are led by Cornell Capital LLC, Atlas Merchant Capital LLC, TRB Advisors LP, Global Atlantic Financial Group Limited, Pine Brook, J. Safra Group and The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. The transaction is expected to close before the end of the second quarter of 2021. AM Best believes that Talcott Resolution will continue to remain well-capitalized and will maintain its current business strategy of attempting to grow its platform by providing risk transfer solutions to the insurance industry through reinsurance or legal entity acquisitions.

The following Long-Term IRs have been affirmed with a stable outlook:

Talcott Resolution Life, Inc.—

— “bbb-” on $250 million 7.65% senior unsecured debentures, due 2027 (approximately $80 million outstanding)

— “bbb-” on $400 million 7.375% senior unsecured notes, due 2031 (approximately $63 million outstanding)

Hartford Life Institutional Funding—“bbb+” on program rating

— “bbb+” on outstanding notes issued under the program

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media – Proper Use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2021 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contacts

Michael Adams
Associate Director
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5133
michael.adams@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey
Manager, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Thomas Rosendale
Senior Director
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5201
thomas.rosendale@ambest.com

Jim Peavy
Director, Communications
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
james.peavy@ambest.com