Calvert Research And Management Launches Calvert ESG Leaders Strategies

Calvert Research and management has announced that the company has launched Calvert ESG Leaders Strategies to articulate the separate account strategies for individual and institutional investors. The Calvert ESG Leaders Strategies are co-managed by Chris Madden and Jade Huang, who are serving as the Portfolio Manager and Vice Presidents at Calvert Research and Management Group.

The Calvert ESG Leaders Strategies seek to make investments specifically at those companies that are qualified according to the parameters of emerging leaders or leaders in ESG factors. The overall investment process of the company consists of basically three major components as corporate engagement, stock selection and portfolio optimization.

Chief Executive Officer and President of Calvert Research and Management, John Streur said, “Calvert’s proprietary, industry-leading research system enables us to identify companies that are leading their peers in managing financially material ESG risks, and which may be poised to take advantage of business opportunities based on their knowledge of and commitment to meaningful ESG practices.”

“Financial materiality is a critical component of ESG analysis. We believe understanding the connection between sustainability factors and business success sets these companies apart and positions them to maneuver efficiently and effectively in an evolving world,” company’s President and CEO John Streur further added in his statement.

Ms. Huang said, “In developing the strategies, we conducted a quantitative review of ESG leaders’ past performance. The results indicate that companies that achieved top ESG scores in financially material factors have historically produced stronger financial performance than those with weaker ESG scores.”

“Additionally, we found that by optimizing the portfolios, we could position the strategies to achieve positive environmental and societal impact by increasing exposure to companies with healthier environmental footprints and better gender diversity,” Ms. Huang further added in her statement.

Escalade Sports Donates 1,000 N95 In Evansville To Help The Local Community To Fight Covid-19 Pandemic

Escalade Sports has announced that the company has donated the 1,000 N95 face masks in the city of Evansville to help the local community to fight the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The company has further added that it has collaborated with the Emergency Management Director of the city to distribute the N95 face masks to the needy and deserving people of the city. The company has said that it will distribute the N95 face masks to the needy, poor and deserving people of the city.

Escalade Sports is a global leader and manufacturer of sports goods and recreational equipment. The leading sport brands of the company include, SUK and Cajun Bowfishing, Bear X, Bear Archery, Ping-Pong Table Tennis, Victory Tailgate, Triumph Sports, Onix, DURA, Zume Games, Goalsetter, Goalrilla, STIGA, Goaliath, Silverback, STEP, Lifeline, Vuly, Woodplay, Cue&Cast, Unicorn Darting, Atomic, among others.

All the company’s sporting line is available at the independent retailers and sporting goods dealers across the United States.

President and Chief Executive Officer of Escalade Sports, Scott Sincerbeaux said, “As an organization, giving back to the communities in which we operate is one of our key core values and we are committed to taking a proactive role to help support the city of Evansville and its frontline workers.”

“This pandemic is unprecedented, but we know that the path forward requires everyone working together and helping our local communities is part of who we are at Escalade Sports,” Scott Sincerbeaux further added.

“We are grateful for the generous support of Escalade Sports. “As a long time, reliable corporate citizen, I am pleased that Escalade continues to recognize the role it can play in assisting the city as we continue to deal with the pandemic,” said Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke.

Finastra Appoints Neil Blagden as Chief Customer Officer

Finastra has announced that the company has appointed Neil Blagden as the Chief Customer Officer of the company’s executive leadership team. In his responsibility, the newly appointed CCO, Neil Blagden, would be responsible would oversee to design, deliver and enable innovative experiences for its customers.

The newly appointed CCO, Neil Blagden, has got years of experience in the domain of digital transformation, operations and customer support. Neil Blagden has focused on building ‘Customer-First’ culture in various organizations and companies he has worked with.

Prior joining the company, he has served as the Director of Customer Services, Operations & Digital at Vodafone UK, where he was responsible to oversee a number of fields to provide exceptional customer support to 24 million customers of Vodafone in different domains, including Internet of Things (IoT) Services, Broadband and internet.

Chief Executive Officer at Finastra, Simon Paris said, “Neil brings with him significant insight into shaping customer experience with the help of innovative technologies. His enthusiasm for his craft and proven track record aligns with our commitment to shape our solutions and the way we work with our customers.”

“We’ve always strived to build deep and long-lasting relationships with our customers, and long may this continue and evolve with Neil on board,” Simon Paris further added.

Sharing his thoughts, the newly appointed Chief Customer Officer, Neil Blagden said, “I am passionate about customer experience, which has always been the key focus throughout my career, and I’m excited to bring my learnings to Finastra.”

“The open innovation vision of the leadership team, and the value that the business places on ensuring the customer is at the heart of everything, is inspiring. I’m looking forward to accelerating that drive and deepening these relationships,” Chief Customer Officer Neil Blagden further added in his statement.

Greif Reports Q2 2020 Financial Results

Greif has announced the company second quarter 2020 financial results. According to the details, the company generated the net income of $11.4 million per diluted class A share as compared to the net income of $13.6 million from the previous quarter. The net cash of the company provided by the operating activities increased by $37.7 million to $99.8 million in the second quarter 2020 financial results.

The adjusted free cash flow of the company increased from $32.9 million to $79.0 million. The total debt of the company decreased by $260.2 million to $2,682.3 million. The net sales of the company decreased by $29 million to $602.6 million. The operating profit of the company increased by $23.5 million to $70.5 million.

Chief Executive Officer and President of Greif, Pete Watson said, “At Greif, we safely package and protect essential goods and materials that serve the greater needs of communities around the world. That is our purpose as a Company and a serious responsibility in which we take pride. While we are operating in a highly unprecedented time, we continue to draw strength from our 16,000 global colleagues, and I commend them for their efforts this past quarter.”

“We are responding to COVID-19 from a position of strength, taking proactive steps to prioritize the safety and well-being of our colleagues, customers and suppliers while adapting to new methods to further serve customer needs. We are also advancing our strategic priorities, and during the quarter took steps to enhance our U.S. IBC reconditioning capability and published our 11th annual sustainability report,” Pete Watson added.

“From a financial perspective, the business generated solid second quarter results. Adjusted EBITDA rose by 12 percent to $181.3 million, while Adjusted Free Cash Flow increased by more than 71 percent to $79.0 million,” Pete Watson concluded.

GoPro.com Records Highest Camera Unit Sales During Memorial Day Weekend

GoPro.com announced that the company has recorded the highest number of camera unit sales during the four-day Memorial Day Weekend. The company has further said that its camera unit sales outside of a fourth quarter period. The chief reason behind the company’s flawless performance was its flagship products named as the HERO8 Black. During the four-day Memorial Day Weekend sales, the company also introduced its new flagship product named as the Zeus Mini, a $69.99 innovative wearable, magnetic and mountable lights that is 100% compatible with the company’s previous entire range of camera units.

Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of GoPro, Brian McGee said, “We’re continuing to see strength globally in our direct-to-consumer e-commerce business as demand for GoPro continues to grow from the COVID-19 trough we saw in late-March and early-April.”

“This continued momentum supports our strategic shift to a more direct-to-consumer business to drive higher gross margins and lower the threshold to achieve profitability, even in a COVID19-impacted business environment,” Brian McGee further added.

“Global demand on GoPro.com increased markedly since the third week of April, consistently outpacing the prior year’s weekly demand by at least 500%. This, along with other factors, contributes to our unit sell-through expectations of 600,000 to 650,000 units in the second quarter of 2020,” McGee concluded.

Chief Executive Officer and Founder of GoPro, Nicholas Woodman, “Zeus Mini brings to lighting what the HERO camera brings to cameras – incredible versatility, design and performance.”

“Once you start using Zeus Mini, you realize how convenient it is during so many situations. I now keep one in my car, one in my toolbox and one in my backpack for on-the-go readiness. It’s addictively enabling.” Chief Executive Officer and Founder of GoPro Nicholas Woodman further added in his statement.

EpicentRX Appoints New Chief Executive Officer

EpicentRX has announced that it has appointed a renowned oncologist, physician and scientists Tony Reid, M.D, Ph.D. as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with immediate effect. The company’s newly appointed Chief Executive Officer Dr. Tony Raid is also the co-founder of the company and has got nearly 2 decades of experience in the domain of drug development. His other areas of expertise, including the licensing and acquisition, translational medicine, new product development and clinical strategy.

Furthermore, Dr. Tony Reid is also serving as the oncologist at the Rebecca and John Moores Cancer Institute at UCSD, where he is working on the domain of gastrointestinal malignancies.

Chief Financial Officer of EpicentRX, Franck Brinkhaus said “We look forward to an exciting period of growth for our research and clinical efforts under Tony’s leadership.”

Chairman of EpicentRX Board of Directors, Arnold Oronsky said, “Tony Reid has more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and has been an invaluable member of our senior management team.”

“Since joining EpicentRx, Tony has played a key role in the ongoing development of RRx-001, now in Phase 3, and is currently spearheading the company’s efforts with its oncolytic adenoviral and anti-COVID platforms. I am confident that he is exactly the right person to lead EpicentRx,” Arnold Oronsky further added.

Sharing his thoughts, Dr. Tony Reid said, “As an oncologist, I’ve seen firsthand the limitations of our present-day approach to the treatment of cancer. With EpicentRx, we have a profound opportunity to change the dynamic of oncology treatment so that patients may potentially live longer with fewer side effects.”

“I feel privileged to be given the opportunity to take on the role of CEO of EpicentRx during this critical time in the company’s history. Over the past several months, the Executive Team and I have been working closely with the Board to position the Company for future growth. I am hopeful that we will be able to execute on our plan to drive long-term value for our investors and for patients, which is ultimately why I joined EpicentRx and why we do what we do,” Dr. Tony Reid continued.

Sun Life Appoints New Vice President And Chief Information Officer

Sun Life has announced that the company has appointed Laura Money as company’s New Chief Information Officer and Vice President. She will assume her new responsibilities on June 29.

The company’s newly appointed CIO and VP, Laura Money, was serving a major Canadian Bank at the post of Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer Corporate Centre Technology. She has years of experience in managing senior level posts in the domain of business and IT throughout her career. The areas of expertise of Laura Money are strategic planning, business transformation projects, IT transformation projects, technology infrastructure groups and technology development.

Chief Executive Officer of Sun Life, Dean Connor said, “We’re excited to have Laura join our Sun Life team at such a pivotal and unprecedented time during our digital journey. We’ve made significant progress in digitizing our business. I know that Laura will help us to accelerate on that path as we continue to deliver innovative ways of meeting and anticipating Client needs.”

“Our focus on investing in technology over the years has been a tremendous benefit in continuing to serve our Clients in an uninterrupted way and this shift to everything digital is an outcome from the pandemic that is here to stay,” Dean Connor concluded.

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Sun Life, Kevin Strain said, “I want to thank Mark for his countless contributions to Sun Life and welcome Laura to our team. Mark took technology to new levels of innovation for our Clients and Employees. Laura will build upon this momentum so we can continue to stand out in our industry for our mobile apps, digital coaches, virtual health care, mental health navigator, global advisor apps and much more to come.”

“We’re focused on our company’s purpose of helping our Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives – which is more important than ever before during these difficult and physically contactless times,” Kevin Strain further added.

The Jewelers Board of Trade Appoints New CSO of Buyers International Group

The Jewelers Board of Trade has announced on Thursday that the company has appointed Ann Arnold as the company’s new CSO of Buyers International Group. The company has further said that the approval of the appointment was given at the company’s Board Meeting on April 30, 2020.

The newly appointed company’s CSO of International Group has volunteered with the Jewelers Board of Trade for more than a decade. She has previously served as the Vice Chairman of the company and now, Ann Arnold holds the post of Chairman by succeeding Mike Kaplan, who was previously served as the President at Rocket Jewelry Box and now his term has ended.

Sharing her thoughts over the new appointment, the company’s news CSO of International Group, Ann Arnold said, “I am thrilled to serve at the helm of this board. JBT is uniquely qualified to help companies from all aspects of the jewelry industry to better understand their customers and suppliers.”

“It is an honor to work alongside some of the brightest and most devoted individuals in the industry,” Ann Arnold further said.

President of The Jewelers Board of Trade, Erich Jacobs said, “It is critical to our growth that we continuously execute on the right strategies.”

“Ann brings a wealth of nonprofit and for-profit success and strategic vision to our organization, which will be critical in our ability to scale and meet the growing demand for industry transparency,” Erich Jacobs further added in his statement.

The newly appointed company’s CSO of International Group, Ann Arnold also serves as the Treasurer and Chairman of the Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America, President of the Women’s Jewelry Association Foundation, Treasurer of the NY 24K Club and members of investment and finance committee of the Women’s Jewelry Association.

Opioid Prescription Rates And Orthopedic Injuries Decreased by 60% To 52%

According to the Study of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’, All the prevention efforts to combat the opioid by limiting exposures are now bearing fruits. The study further found the overall rates of Opioid prescription was decreased to 60% and has seen 52% drop in Orthopedic injuries between 10-18 years old individuals. However, the patients in the Midwest and Southwest were more frequently opioids, demanding further preventive measures from experts to bring the ratio to decline and equal to that of Northeast.

The report also witnessed the significant differences based on the regional difference. All the patients residing in the Midwest and Southwest were more likely to be prescribed opioids as compared to the patients residing in the Northeast with 63 percent and 30 percent respectively.

Chief of the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, John M. Flynn, MD, said, “The statistics on opioid-related misuse are alarming and reducing the use of opioids in pediatric orthopaedic patients is essential.”

“As orthopaedic surgeons, we have a responsibility to realize that our surgical patients are more likely to die from their pain medicine than from the injury or operation,” John Flynn further added.

Clinical Outcomes Research Manager for the Division of Orthopaedics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Divya Talwar said, “We were happy to see the overall decline in prescription rates for opioids, especially with such a large data set.”

“The results indicate that the efforts to combat earlier exposure to opioids are having success in changing the prescribing habits of physicians in an acute care setting. However, we were definitely surprised that 54% of patients were still getting an opioid for an injury when they shouldn’t, demonstrating we still have work to do to reduce rates further,” Divya Talwar further added.

Investment Management Corporation of Ontario Commits 250 Million USD To Apollo Global Management In Accord Fund III Series B

Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO) has announced that the company has committed 250 Million USD to Apollo Global Management In New Accord Fund III Series B. The proposed funding would be used by the company to enter the market during periods of illiquidity and dislocation. The Global Credit Team of the Investment Management Corporation (IMCO) has closed its commitment on April 23, 2020, making its one of the world’s largest investment managers.

Managing Director at Global Credit, Jennifer Hatviksen said, “Our participation in this fund demonstrates how nimble our team can be in seeking valuable opportunities for our clients.”

“This is an example of IMCO adapting to market conditions and exploiting our liquidity very quickly so that clients have access to dislocated opportunities as they arise,” Jennifer Hatviksen further added.

Senior Managing Director at Private Equities and Credit, Christian Hensley said, “As our program scales, we are initially relying on experienced strategic partners.”

“The investment in this Fund is an example of the types of opportunities we’re pursuing — investments with sponsors that we believe have deep expertise, delivering diversifying and differentiating exposures, who are transparent, opportunistic, and value-oriented,” Christian Hensley further added.

The Investment Management Corporation of Ontario manages more than 70.3 Billion USD of assets on the behalf of its clients. It is the mission of the company to provide broader investment management services to its clients by adopting different strategies.

The Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO) has further added that it has recently launched its Global Credit Program to contribute additional diversification benefits and to provide higher risk-adjusted returns than traditional fixed income.

The fundamental approach and expertise of Apollo Global Management allows for selective deployment during market volatility and stability that is totally in line with recommendations of the Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO).