K2 Partnering Solutions Acquires Openlogix

LONDON, Mar 22, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – K2 Partnering Solutions, a provider of unique end-to-end consultative technology solutions in the enterprise application and software space, today announced its acquisition of Openlogix, a US-based technology consulting firm specializing in digital transformation and software development.

Openlogix, based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, is a top Salesforce, MuleSoft and IBM business partner with over 16 years of experience in delivering digital transformation solutions such as enterprise application integration, Customer 360, and application modernization. The firm partners with customers in industries such as Utilities, Financial Services, Insurance, Technology and Telecommunications.

The acquisition allows K2 to expand within its current ecosystems and provides a unique opportunity to efficiently scale its delivery capabilities and further expand its footprint in the U.S., India and Latin America. Openlogix's team of experienced consultants and developers will also enhance K2's ability to deliver customized solutions to clients.

The partnership will create synergies and opportunities for Openlogix to gain market share and provide it with a global platform to accelerate expansion in North America and new markets.

The acquisition is K2's 8th since December 2020 and supports the group's ongoing strategy of growing its portfolio through complementary acquisitions in the consultative technology solutions space.

"We are excited to welcome Openlogix to the K2 family," said Antonio Gulino, CEO of K2 Partnering Solutions. "Steve, Ramani and the talented Openlogix team have built a great company. Their expertise and experience in digital transformation will strengthen our ability to provide innovative solutions to our clients around the world."

"Our goal has always been to successfully carry out digital transformations for businesses of all sizes with a core focus on enterprise application integration," said Steve Lokam, Founder and CEO of Openlogix. "Joining forces with K2 will bring about exciting synergies that will strengthen our unwavering commitment to deliver exceptional services to our valued customers." Ramani Lokam, Vice President, Operations of OpenLogix said: "We are excited about the potential opportunities that this will bring to our employees. With K2's widespread presence, it will create new possibilities for our partners and employees worldwide."

K2 Partnering Solutions continues to support leading corporate enterprises seeking highly-skilled human capital and integrated solutions to develop, implement and operate critical technology and business solutions. The business provides an integrated end-to-end offering of Talent Solutions, Managed Solutions, Education and Human-Cloud Communities.

Contact Information:
Dylan Griffiths
Senior Vice President Marketing
dgriffiths@k2partnering.com
0203 893 4433

SOURCE: K2 Partnering Solutions

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Infocus International Relaunches Online Workshop on Human Capital, Succession Planning, Talent & Performance Management

Singapore, Mar 22, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Infocus International Group has relaunched their Human Capital, Succession Planning, Talent & Performance Management, which will be commencing on 11th April 2023.

This course is the A to Z on strategically managing and optimising your human capital to full potential in today's
difficult business climate. It is a highly practical, hands-on course that shows you exactly how to tackle those
intractable HR problems:

– Resistance from employees
– Favoritism and political games
– HR not a priority/not taken seriously
– Lack of senior executive support for HR
– Lack of funding

This course will give attendees the knowledge and tool to excite and re-energise your people to inspire a new-found
confidence and trust in HR in your business. Through discussion, examples and activities you will discover the way
forwards. The industry insights, templates and models will put you ahead of your competitors; ahead of the game in
designing and delivering winning HR initiatives which will earn your HR team praise and recognition and will take
your people to the next level.

This practical live online course will have attendees excited by the new possibilities to drive performance in your
organisation. The examples given are proven winners and the materials provide for easy adaptation to the business.
Within 5 sessions of completing the course attendees can be forging positive change for the organisation and
people.

A past attendee from Transportasi Gas shared that, "The program was designed and delivered very well. It was very
fruitful also for other functions outside the HR Department to gain understanding about the strategies to develop
people."

Another past attendee from Centenary Bank also commented that, "The program facilitator was excellent. He
provided practical solutios that can be applied at no or minimal cost to the organisation. I liked the tools shared as
they can be immediately used in my organisation."

Benefits of Attending
– Learn to conduct a Talent Retention Audit and to develop a Talent Retention Plan
– Discover innovative, practical and inexpensive solutions to a wide range of everyday HR challenges
and problems
– Identify why performance management systems so often fail and how to avoid these common
mistakes
– Work through a simple, effective model to help struggling employees improve their performance
– Design innovative approaches to succession planning for your valued employees

Want to learn more?
Simply email esther@infocusevent.com or call +65 6325 0210 to obtain your FREE COPY of event brochure. For
more information, please visit https://www.infocusinternational.com/hr

About Infocus International Group

Infocus International is a global business intelligence provider of strategic information and professional services for
diverse business communities. We recognise clients' needs and responds with innovative and result oriented
programmes. All products are founded on high value content in diverse subject areas, and the highest level of quality is ensured through intensive and in-depth market research from local and international insights. For more
information: www.infocusinternational.com.

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Accurate Background Acquires Australia’s VerifyNow

IRVINE, CA, Mar 21, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Accurate Background, the world's largest privately held provider of compliant background checks, drug and health screening, and monitoring solutions, today announced the acquisition of VerifyNow Pty Ltd, an employment screening provider in Australia. The acquisition complements Accurate's global strategy and expands its portfolio of international compliance-driven employment screening solutions. VerifyNow will continue to operate under the leadership of Khai Ngo, who will join Accurate's senior leadership team.

Aaron Hayes

Tim Dowd

"We remain committed to our global employment screening capabilities while continuing to advance our innovative approach to candidate and client experience, screening technology, and compliance expertise," said Tim Dowd, CEO of Accurate Background. Dowd added, "Accurate and VerifyNow have been partners for several years, and we are excited to deepen this relationship as we seek to better serve our clients' background screening needs in Australia and beyond."

The acquisition further expands Accurate's global business footprint and comes on the heels of the successful acquisition of Vero Screening in July 2022. Accurate gains a new office in Australia, where the VerifyNow team will continue to serve its existing client base while offering support to Accurate's roster of multinational clients.

"Our customers and employees will benefit greatly from this acquisition by Accurate as we look to expand our service and capabilities within Australia and New Zealand and provide better screening options for multinational clients with the Accurate platform," said Khai Ngo, the CEO of VerifyNow.

To manage the global expansion, Aaron Hayes has been promoted to General Manager and EVP, International, overseeing Accurate's EMEA and APAC regions.

"The need to tap into a global hiring pool continues to grow, and employment screening on an international level is more important than ever," said Hayes. "Our expanded global footprint helps us serve Accurate customers with an entrepreneurial mindset and helps ensure a seamless, unified candidate experience at scale."

Dowd added, "As we evaluate opportunities to expand our business footprint to better serve our customers, it is vital that we select partners who share our vision, our values and strengthen our overall capabilities for our customers. We look forward to the opportunities that this acquisition will bring."

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Gilbert + Tobin represented Accurate in the transaction while the sellers of VerifyNow were represented by MV Law.

About Accurate Background

Our vision is to make every hire the start of a success story. As a trusted provider of employment background screening and workforce monitoring services, Accurate Background gives companies of all sizes the confidence to make smarter, unbiased hiring decisions at the speed of demand. Experience a new standard of support with a dedicated team, comprehensive technology and insight, and the most extensive coverage and search options to advance your business while keeping your brand and people safe. To learn more, visit accurate.com.

About VerifyNow

The VerifyNow mission is to help organisations build a trusted workforce. We offer a range of background checks and assessments to support the screening of new hires and the existing workforce. We also offer expertise in psychometric and aptitude testing. To learn more, visit verifynow.com.au.

Media Relations Contacts
Media@accurate.com

VerifyNow Contact
info@verifynow.com.au

SOURCE: Accurate Background LLC

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

With U.S. Health Systems Under Growing Pressure to Fill Staff Vacancies, CGFNS Alliance Releases Updated Standards for Ethical Recruitment of Foreign Health Workers

Philadelphia, PA, Mar 21, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – As U.S. healthcare employers confront major staffing challenges, the Alliance for Ethical International Recruitment Practices, a division of CGFNS International, Inc. (CGFNS), has updated and strengthened its ethical recruitment code, which establishes best practice standards for fair and transparent recruitment of foreign-educated health professionals into the U.S.

The fourth edition of the Health Care Code for Ethical International Recruitment and Employment Practices, known as the "Alliance Code," strengthens recommendations around contract transparency and orientation programs. The Alliance Code was developed by a multistakeholder group representing interests across the sector, including employers, unions, recruiters, and representative nurse organizations.

It comes at a time when a growing global health worker shortage has left health systems struggling to fill vacancies and considering a variety of options, including sometimes turning to recruiting trained professionals from abroad. In the past five years, CGFNS has seen a doubling of its applications from foreign-trained health workers who are seeking eligibility to work in the U.S.

This trend has raised further concerns about ensuring that international recruitment practices are ethical, that they protect the rights of migrating health workers while establishing their obligations, and that recruiting agencies and employers are held accountable in the process. First published in 2008, the Alliance Code is reviewed and updated every five years to adapt to changes in the recruitment landscape and ensure its provisions continue to address basic rights and responsibilities of both migrating health professionals and those who recruit them to work in the U.S. The Code provides guidelines for recruitment agencies and employers, addressing migrant rights including the right to receive a fair contract, to provide informed consent and to access justice.

The Code has been voluntarily adopted by 12 firms that collectively recruit thousands of employees each year and that have undergone the Alliance's rigorous certification process, including a contract review and health professional survey. A list of recruitment firms that have been certified as in compliance with the Alliance Code can be found here. https://www.cgfnsalliance.org/certification_process/view-certified-recruiters/

The 2023 Alliance Code is being released after a year of internal and external review by the Alliance's Board of Governors.

"With the recent pandemic having further driven the growth in global demand for nurses and other health workers, there is increasing concern about ensuring that international recruitment processes are ethical and sustainable," said Alliance Director, Mukul Bakhshi, JD. "This updated 2023 Code reflects recent changes in the recruiting landscape, and we hope it will help push the industry forward in ensuring that recruitment practices are fair and respect basic rights."

"Our organization has been engaged in the work of the Alliance since its inception and fully endorses the Alliance Code," said AONL Chief Executive Officer, Robyn Begley, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Chief Executive Officer of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL). "A fair and equitable process of recruiting foreign-educated nurses is foundational to achieving a professional practice environment for all nurses. We remain committed to the advancement of high standards of treatment for all staff."

"As the global leader in international credentials evaluation to support health worker mobility, at CGFNS we know that health worker migration into the U.S. brings individuals with critical skills to provide life-saving care. With the shortage persisting and employers stepping up their recruitment of foreign-trained nurses and other health workers, we must all work together to provide better protections to prevent exploitation," said CGFNS President and Chief Executive Officer, Peter Preziosi, PhD, RN, CAE. "We are proud of our work through the Alliance to continue to do our part to support nurses coming into the U.S."

About CGFNS International, Inc.

Founded in 1977 and based in Philadelphia, CGFNS International is an immigration-neutral not-for-profit organization, proudly serving as the world's largest credentials evaluation organization for the nursing and allied health professions. For more information, visit www.cgfns.org.

About The Alliance for Ethical International Recruitment Practices

Since 2008, the Alliance has fostered compliance to standards that advocate responsible, ethical, and transparent recruitment practices in the health care sector. The Alliance monitors certified recruitment organizations and verifies their processes to ensure that these standards are upheld and provides foreign-educated professionals resources to make informed decisions. The Alliance became a division of CGFNS International, Inc., in September 2014. For more information, visit www.cgfnsalliance.org.

Contact Information:
Mukul Bakhshi, Esq.
Chief of Strategy and Government Affairs
mbakhshi@cgfns.org
(215) 243-5825

SOURCE: CGFNS International

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Hiring in the Healthcare Sector Soars in the Philippines with 11% Increase: foundit Insights Tracker

Overall hiring activity in the country improved by 4% on a month-on-month basis
Healthcare industry (+11%) showcased maximum growth in hiring, followed by Logistics (+7%) and Retail (+3%) among others

MANILA, Philippines, Mar 8, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME), one of the leading talent platforms, today published the foundit Insights Tracker (fit) for January 2023, formerly published as Monster Employment Index (MEI). Philippines witnessed a 4% month-on-month (MoM) growth in online hiring activity in January ’23 compared to December ’22, according to the fit report. The company Monster APAC & Middle East was rebranded as foundit in November 2022.

Despite the 7% annual drop in e-recruitment activity, the MoM increase in hiring is a testimony to the reviving job market in the Philippines. However, the emphasis remains on re-skilling and upskilling employees to thrive in current market dynamics.

The healthcare sector witnessed the steepest monthly growth (+11%) as health remains a top priority across rural and urban areas in the country, especially post-Covid, and fast-paced innovations have made accessibility to healthcare easier for Filipinos. The country had also recently passed a few landmark health laws focussed on building a healthier ecosystem. This projects a continuous demand in the job market and hence the steady requirement for highly qualified medical staff.

Commenting on the Philippines’ job trends for January 2023, Sekhar Garisa, CEO, foundit, said, “Despite the global slowdown, the Philippines’ job market is showing remarkable resilience, with positive momentum month over month. As businesses across various sectors pivot and incorporate technological innovations, the job market is experiencing a significant boost, particularly in the healthcare, retail, and IT industries. These sectors are witnessing tremendous growth and creating new employment opportunities. Moreover, the country’s robust supply chain and thriving service sector have added to this positive momentum. Overall, the Philippine job market appears to be bouncing back to its pre-pandemic levels, showcasing an impressive recovery amidst challenging global conditions.”

Other sectors that showcased promising growth in January’23 are Logistics, Courier/ Freight/ Transportation/Import/Export/Shipping (+7%), Retail (+3%), Hospitality (+3%), and IT/Telecom (+3%). The rise in e-commerce platforms, internet penetration across the country and increasing demand for industrial freight warehouses can be credited to the rising demand in these sectors. Philippines also noticed positive hiring growth in BFSI (+2%), BPO/ITES (+2%), Engineering, Construction, & Real Estate (+1%), and Advertising Market Research/Public Relations/ Media & Entertainment (+1%) sectors, which have previously made noteworthy contributions to the country’s GDP and have chartered a sequential growth momentum for the sectors.

Across functional roles, the demand for Marketing & Communication (+10%) and Sales & Business Development (+8%) professionals continues to trend as organisations look to improve margins by deploying skilled professionals who add value to their brands. Given the growth of the healthcare industry, Healthcare (+8%) professionals also constituted a significant portion of the overall demand.

The Philippines job market exhibited positive demand for professionals across all functions monitored by Tracker including Purchase/Logistics/Supply Chain (+7%), Customer Service (7%), HR & Admin (+6%), and Finance & Accounts (+4%). The surge in digital marketing initiatives and the rapid deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) has encouraged hiring in these sectors. Given the impressive performance of the hospitality sector, coupled with the recent surge in domestic tourism and the advancements in digital booking, the demand for hospitality and travel job roles (+3%) increased in January ’23.

The foundit Insights Tracker (fit) is a comprehensive monthly analysis of online job posting activity conducted by foundit. Based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of online career outlets, fit presents a snapshot of employer online recruitment activity nationwide.

Period for the report

The period considered for the foundit Insights Tracker (fit) data is 1^st to 31^st January 2023.

About foundit – APAC & Middle East

foundit, formerly Monster (APAC & ME), is a leading talent platform offering comprehensive employment solutions to recruiters and job seekers across APAC & ME. Since its inception, the company has assisted over 75 million registered users to find jobs, upskill, and connect with the right opportunities across 18 countries. Over the last two decades, the company has been a catalyst in the world of recruitment solutions with advanced technology, seeking to efficiently bridge the talent gap across industry verticals, experience levels, and geographies. Today, foundit is committed to enabling and connecting the right talent with the right opportunities by harnessing the power of deep tech to sharpen hyper-personalized job searches, and their local expertise to aid precision hiring. foundit strongly believes that a job title doesn’t define one’s potential and leverages technology to dig deeper to curate opportunities central to the needs and aspirations of each user.

To learn more, about foundit in APAC & Gulf,

Contact
Namrata Sharma
Namrata.sharma@adfactorspr.com
+6581383034

Trintech Announces New Chief Revenue Officer

DALLAS, TX, Feb 22, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Trintech, a leading global provider of cloud-based financial close solutions for the Office of Finance, today announced the appointment of Piotr Marczewski as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) of Trintech. Marczewski will be responsible for driving integration and alignment between revenue-related functions across all global distribution channels for Trintech.

"I am thrilled to welcome Piotr as Trintech's new CRO who has a proven track record of scaling and overseeing successful sales organizations and ensuring a best-in-class customer experience," said Darren Heffernan, President & Chief Operating Officer of Trintech. "As we continue to grow the business and drive our core strategy of helping organizations of all sizes simplify and transform their reconciliation and financial close processes, Piotr will have an integral part in leading our ongoing success."

Marczewski brings over two decades of experience in driving customer impact, transformation, and revenue acceleration in Software as a Service (SaaS), Information and News businesses, serving professional markets in the US and internationally. Prior to joining Trintech, Marczewski served as SVP Americas at Cision Inc, and as Chief Operating Officer at Underline Science Inc. Before that, he worked at Thomson Reuters in various senior roles, including President Corporates Customer Market. Piotr worked closely with customers, delivering commercial outcomes, developing new markets, and expanding company's customer bases, content, and platforms. Marczewski received a Master of Science Degree in International Economics from SGH Warsaw School of Economics. He also studied at Bocconi University in Milan (Italy) and holds a Community of European Management Schools (CEMS) Master's Degree in International Management.

"I am excited to be joining the team as Trintech's new CRO and I'm looking forward to accelerating our global growth and customer success," said Piotr Marczewski, Chief Revenue Officer of Trintech. "Trintech's solutions, and its collaborative, customer-centric approach, sets it apart from others in this space who employ a "one-size-fits-all" strategy to tackle the complex challenges of financial close automation. This is evident by the marquee brands (majority of the Fortune 100 companies) who have already partnered with Trintech to transform their processes. As Trintech embarks on its next phase of growth, I am excited to help Trintech further its reputation as a trusted partner for the Office of Finance globally."

About Trintech

Trintech, a leading global provider of cloud-based, integrated reconciliation and financial close solutions for Finance & Accounting departments. From high volume transaction matching, to automating and managing balance sheet reconciliations, intercompany accounting, journal entries, close management tasks, to governance, risk and compliance – Trintech's portfolio of financial solutions, including its Cadency(R) Platform (for large enterprises) and Adra(R) Suite (for mid-market organizations), help manage all aspects of the reconciliation and financial close processes. Trintech's excellence in both innovation and client support have been recognized with a variety of awards over the years including most recently "Easiest to Do Business With" and "Fastest Implementation" in G2's Fall 2022 Report. Over 3,500 clients worldwide – including the majority of the Fortune 100 – rely on Trintech's solutions to enable their F&A operation to become a strategic partner to the business by controlling risk, driving efficiencies, and providing strategic insights.

Headquartered in Plano, Texas, Trintech has offices located across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the Nordics, as well as strategic partners in South Africa, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific. To learn more about Trintech, visit www.trintech.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Media Contact:
Kelli Shoevlin
Sr. Manager, Global Corporate Marketing & Communications
kelli.shoevlin@trintech.com

SOURCE: Trintech, Inc.

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Kincentric Malaysia’s Best Employers demonstrate Organizational Agility and Commitment to Attract and Retain Talent

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Kincentric, a Spencer Stuart Company, announces today their Best Employers for 2022. As part of its leading employer program, Kincentric measures and recognizes extraordinary employers who have demonstrated the keen ability to listen and address their employee's evolving needs to drive higher talent retention and performance. Key factors that differentiated these Best Employers especially included their marked willingness and agility to encourage diverse ideas and implement them with speed, to ultimately enhance employee experience.

According to Ridhima Khanduja, Market Leader for Kincentric Malaysia, the country's Best Employers for 2022 outperformed in four critical performance pillars that highlighted their strong purpose-driven culture and execution capability. This, in turn, has enabled them to be responsive and agile, maintain high levels of employee engagement, and foster a culture where employees stay and become brand advocates.

The Best Employers in Malaysia have excelled in four fundamental performance pillars, which included employee engagement (a 14-point increase to 83%), agility (a 12-point increase to 79%), engaging leadership (a 9-point increase to 77%), and talent focus (a 12-point increase to 77%), when compared to their average peers.

These outstanding performance indicators were evident in the following five (5) organizations, which were recognized as Kincentric Malaysia's Best Employers:

a) Lotuss Stores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd
b) McDonald's Malaysia
c) PLUS Malaysia Berhad
d) Sunway Theme Parks; and
e) Tenaga Nasional Berhad

Ridhima said, "The business landscape and priorities have fundamentally shifted to become today's Brittle-Anxious-Non-Linear-Incomprehensible (BANI) world, creating a unique set of challenges for employers and markets alike. Organizations, including our Best Employer companies, are under pressure to meet employees' shifting expectations, and are going above and beyond to address these challenges head-on. Leading companies understand the need to adapt and redefine their talent strategy by building resilience, awareness and empathy, while leveraging on data to survive and thrive."

"Malaysia's employee engagement levels in H1 2022 have dipped below pre-COVID levels, from 70% in 2019 to 67%. Employee's intent to stay in the organization has also experienced a similar pattern, dropping five (5) points from 64% in 2019 to 59% in the same period. The lower scores indicate that many organizations are trying something new – testing, learning and refining – while others are holding back in the hope that things will go back to 'normal'. It is time to embrace change, and we are encouraged by the progress made by Malaysian employers," Ridhima added.

Sunway Theme Parks had also received recognition as the 'Best of the Best' for its outstanding demonstration of organizational agility and manager capability in support of employee wellbeing and development. Despite existing market challenges that impacted the theme park industry, the organization emphasized its commitment to its people through various strategic measures such as their 'Service Culture Program' and cross-departmental trainings, which deepened Sunway's corporate culture, and provided resilience and agility to respond to fluid business environments.

The 'Best of the Best' recognition was also awarded for Sunway Theme Parks' ability to engage with employees across levels and age groups in a consistent manner – a challenging feat that most organizations struggle with. The concerted efforts to engage its employees by creating a culture of recognition and in providing clarity and opportunities for career growth had allowed Sunway Theme Parks to develop a multigenerational employee experience, which meets the unique expectations of its millennial employees.

Calvin Ho, Executive Director of Sunway Theme Parks said, "At Sunway Theme Parks, we believe that it is the people that build the business. Only when our leaders reflect upon their strengths and weaknesses, then we are able to understand our colleagues and improve upon the dynamics of a team. By doing so, our leaders become more adaptable, are able to exercise empathy and can better impact our business. The sharpest of blades are often forged in the strongest of fires."

McDonald's Malaysia and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) were also awarded with Special Recognitions for their outstanding commitments to Building Purposeful Talent and Transforming Culture, respectively. Over the years, and especially in 2022, both organizations had demonstrated a steadfast dedication to developing and strengthening their internal structures to support talent development, offer meaningful career direction and pathways, and create a working environment which fostered growth and success.

"Congratulations to all the Kincentric Malaysia's Best Employers for their exceptional achievements in creating an engaging culture that prioritizes employees' voices, value, and performance. Their dedication to promoting this culture through courageous organizational changes is truly admirable," Ridhima concluded.

About Kincentric

Kincentric, a Spencer Stuart Company, helps organizations unlock the power of people and teams to ignite change and drive better business results. With decades of experience and specialist expertise in areas such as culture, employee engagement, leadership assessment and development, HR and talent advisory, and diversity, equity and inclusion, Kincentric uses data-driven insights to architect solutions that add value, enhance agility and increase organizational effectiveness. For more information, visit kincentric.com.

Image:
Chong Chye Neo, judge for Kincentric Malaysia's 2022 Best Employer program; Tuan Haji Wahizan bin Abd Rahman, Chief People Officer of Tenaga Nasional Berhad; Dato' Wahab Abu Bakar, judge for Kincentric Malaysia's 2022 Best Employer program, Melanie Lim, Senior Director – Restaurant Solutions Group, Training, Learning & Development of McDonald's Malaysia; Ridhima Khanduja, Market Leader for Kincentric Malaysia; Calvin Ho, Executive Director of Sunway Theme Parks; Datuk Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi, Chief Operating Officer of PLUS Malaysia Berhad; Puan Yasmin Mohd Ramzi, Head of People Strategy & Organizational Effectiveness, Tenaga Nasional Berhad; Alvin Low, Head of People of Lotuss Stores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd; Dato' Hamidah Naziadin, judge for Kincentric Malaysia's 2022 Best Employer program. [L-R] ( https://acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_Kincentric20230217.jpg )

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Job Market in Malaysia Thrives with 65% Increase in Retail Hiring: foundit Insights Tracker

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 1, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Malaysia recorded a robust 21% year-on-year growth in e-recruitment activity in December '22 compared to the same month a year ago, according to the foundit Insights Tracker (fit), formerly published as Monster Employment Index (MEI). The growth is attributed to the country easing travel restrictions and opening its borders. The company Monster APAC & Middle East was rebranded as foundit in 'December 2022.

The Index stands at 76 with 3% month-on-month growth, driving a spree in hiring activity in December '22. According to fit, the job market has shown noteworthy growth month over month, projecting a continuous demand in the job market. Moreover, over the last three months, there has been a robust 10% growth in hiring across sectors, indicating a persistent demand in the labour market.

The retail industry experienced an impressive 65% increase in hiring activity year-over-year, primarily due to robust retail sales and an upward trend in consumer sentiment. The easing of Covid rules and regulations, fast-growing retail business, along with borders reopening to boost import/export and resume travel have aided the boost in retail jobs. Similar trends were observed in the hospitality sector, where job demand increased significantly by 55%. With a 34% increase in hiring activity, the BFSI sector also maintained its upward trend.

Commenting on job trends for December 2022, Sekhar Garisa, CEO, foundit APAC & ME, said, "The job market in Malaysia is showing strong and sustained demand, as reflected in the impressive growth numbers reported by the foundit Insights Tracker. This is a testament to the country's success in easing travel restrictions and reopening its borders, which has led to a surge in demand across various sectors, particularly in retail, hospitality, and BFSI. The overall picture is of resilience and growth, even though some sectors have experienced difficulties due to global economic uncertainty. We believe that this trend will persist in the upcoming months."

Other sectors that showed encouraging growth in December '22 are Logistic, Courier/ Freight/ Transportation, Shipping/ Marine (+32%), Oil and Gas (+1%), Production/Manufacturing, Automotive and Ancillary (+2%) and Engineering, Construction and Real Estate (+2%) sector from the year-ago level. The advertising, Market Research, Public Relations, Media and Entertainment industry also saw tremendous growth (+15%) in December 22, led by a surge in digital marketing initiatives and artificial intelligence (AI) deployment.

While the Index reflects a year-on-year hiring dip in IT, Telecom/ISP, and BPO/ITES by 13%, the monthly hiring demand in the sector has seen a notable increase. However, hiring in this sector has slowed in recent months, primarily due to ongoing global economic uncertainties.

Online recruitment surpassed the year-ago level in 8 of the 9 occupation groups monitored by the tracker, with Hospitality & Travel leading the charge at (+212%). This is due to the opening of land and air borders as the country has completely eased out of the Covid-19 pandemic and opened its land borders with Singapore. This factor has also contributed to the positive growth in Sales & Business Development job roles (+28%). The increased penetration of digitization across all sectors, followed by a pickup in Finance & Accounts (+29%) roles, registered an increased demand and has maintained resolute growth rates since April '21. However, among all monitored functions, customer service is the only one to have registered a de-growth of 17% in December '22.

The foundit Insights Tracker is a comprehensive monthly analysis of online job posting activity conducted by foundit. Based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of online career outlets, the foundit Insights Tracker (FIT) presents a snapshot of employer online recruitment activity nationwide.

Period for the report
The period considered for the foundit Insights Tracker (fit) data is 1st to 31st December, 2022.

About foundit – APAC & Middle East

foundit, formerly Monster (APAC & ME), is a leading talent platform offering comprehensive employment solutions to recruiters and job seekers across APAC & ME. Since its inception, the company has assisted over 75 million registered users to find jobs, upskill, and connect with the right opportunities across 18 countries. Over the last two decades, the company has been a catalyst in the world of recruitment solutions with advanced technology, seeking to efficiently bridge the talent gap across industry verticals, experience levels, and geographies. Today, foundit is committed to enabling and connecting the right talent with the right opportunities by harnessing the power of deep tech to sharpen hyper-personalized job searches, and precision hiring. foundit strongly believes that a job title doesn't define one's potential and leverages technology to dig deeper to curate opportunities central to the needs and aspirations of each user.

To learn more, about foundit in APAC & Gulf,

Visit: www.foundit.my | https://www.foundit.in| https://www.founditgulf.com | https://www.foundit.sg | www.foundit.com.ph | www.foundit.com.hk | https://www.foundit.id

Contact:
Namrata Sharma
Namrata.sharma@adfactorspr.com
+6581383034

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Surayyah Ahmad on Greater Participation for Nigerian Women in Tech

ABUJA, NG, Jan 2, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Surayyah Ahmad, Ethco Group Ltd co-founder and Executive Secretary of Startup AREWA has discussed the underrepresentation of Nigerian women in the tech industry, and women's effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in the tech ecosystem. She identified several important elements that can raise women's involvement in technology and help the nation achieve a balanced workforce.

Surayyah Ahmad, Ethco co-founder and Executive Secretary, Startup AREWA, discussed underrepresentation of Nigerian women in the tech industry and opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in the tech ecosystem. [Image: Startup AREWA]

"Studies from all across the world are showing that women are underrepresented in the tech industry, despite recent headlines concentrating on tech hiring sprees and the underrepresentation of diverse populations. Although the reasons for this differ, it is known that many people's decision to seek a career in technology dates back to their elementary school years," she says.

Women hold only 18% of undergraduate computer science degrees and 26% of computing occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Since the 1990s, there has been a decrease in the proportion of women working in computer science-related fields, from 35% to 26% between 1990 and 2013. According to the United Nations, only one in five experts in technical disciplines like artificial intelligence are women.

Only 16% of females at the pre-university level have had tech occupations recommended to them, and only 3% of them originally planned to pursue careers in technology, according to a recent report by Price Waterhouse Coppers (PwC) survey on women in technology. This figure is less in conservative regions such as Northern Nigeria, which, according to a World Bank report, could take more than 40 years to catch up with the country's southern region.

Regardless of the disparity in accessing opportunities, women are starting to develop ideas and lead change through technology in their immediate contexts, despite the disparities in access. Things are gradually changing as more young women become interested in technology. Despite the underrepresentation of women in the tech industry globally, women have demonstrated a remarkable capacity to advance society, such as by reviving small and medium-sized businesses in Nigeria.

Surayyah cited two sisters in Nigeria as an example of this achievement of women in technology. The sisters took the initiative to create an app, which would provide technical support to micro, small, and medium-sized businesses. According to the sisters, Kesandu and Dumebi Nwokolo, the app is intended to assist budding entrepreneurs and serve as a stepping stone that will increase visibility and ostensibly display these abilities, goods and services to the world.

Ms. Odunayo Eweniyi, the Co-founder of Piggy Vest, has opined that in Africa, the normative beliefs that put women in subordination to men as a culture while encouraging patriarchy have put women on the sidelines of critical decision-making around the world. She says, "The lack of women in tech can't be explained away by innate biological differences. It is really down to a combination of systemic bias, men funding men, and a working culture that excludes women."

Surayyah states that more women from Northern Nigeria are coming up with programs to help Northern women get into tech. Start-up Kano run by Aisha Tofa, the Brief Academy run by Farida Yahya, and TTlabs are currently some of the female-led institutions driving the inclusion of northern women in technology, mostly by providing mentoring and sponsorship to technology institutions.

Giving girls early access to technology is a good start, but it's never too late to give women the chance to get the experience they need to start a career in technology. Organizations can create valuable technical talent development programs that promote women and help diversity in representation and ideas, which frequently results in even greater innovation.

"Through job shadowing or internships, these programs give women a chance to learn technical skills that they can use in real life. Participants can learn useful information and meet other people who are interested in the same things they are. Even the experience gained can help develop their talents and launch a technological career," Surayyah said.

About Startup AREWA

Startup AREWA was established to organize, empower and promote the Northern Nigeria technology and Startup Ecosystem, with the overarching goal of using technology and startups as a strategy to combat unemployment and poverty across the Northern Nigeria.

From the first Bootcamp at Bello Memorial Foundation Hall in Kaduna to a series of over 20 Bootcamps across Northern Nigeria, engaging over 5000 Startups with support from innovators and public-private leaders, Startup AREWA is implementing its strategic plan of promoting and providing real-time support to Startups.

Official website: https://startuparewa.ng
Facebook: https://facebook.com/startuparewa
Twitter: https://twitter.com/startuparewa
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startuparewa/
Email: hello@startuparewa.ng

For more information, please visit https://startuparewa.ng, write to contact@startuparewa.ng, or call us on +234 90 9685 9999.

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

SMI Vantage Appoints Well-Known Business Personality: CSR, ESG and Organisational Development Expert Leong Lai Yee to the Board

SINGAPORE, Dec 27, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – SMI Vantage Limited, an investment and management company listed on the mainboard of the SGX, today announced it has appointed Ms. Leong Lai Yee, Edna as an Independent and Non-Executive Director to the Board, effective 1 January 2023. She replaces Wee Sung Leng who is stepping down having served over nine years on the SMI Board, as part of the Board renewal process.

Ms Leong is currently the Deputy Director and Head, Communications, Partnerships & Fund Development of RSVP Singapore The Organisation of Senior Volunteers. RSVP is an Institution of Public Character and the National Centre of Excellence for Senior Volunteerism under the patronage of Mdm Halimah Yacob, President of the Republic of Singapore.

Ms Leong's extensive experience in marketing, investment, banking and consulting includes stints in some of the world's largest financial institutions. Following her passion for a more equitable and caring society, she has in recent years, been more involved in heading non-for-profit NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and social enterprises.

Commenting on Ms Leong's appointment, Mark Bedingham, President and Chief Executive Office said, "I am delighted to welcome Edna to our Board at the start of this new year. Besides her proven entrepreneurial talent, she brings with her valuable and deep experience in the areas of corporate social responsibility, corporate governance and organisational development. She has worked tirelessly over the years towards the goal of a more equitable and caring society and will help SMI develop a pathway to a more inclusive approach to its corporate responsibilities and a fresh approach to ESG related matters."

Ms Leong replied, "I am excited to be appointed to the Board of SMI Vantage and look forward to assisting SMI Vantage with its many new projects and businesses and being part of the company's next chapter in its business journey I would like to see the Company be a responsible and strong corporate citizen that is able to give back to society. Being personally involved with various social enterprises over the years, I am passionate about bringing more "heart" to all we do. I will work closely with Mark, the Board, and the rest of the leadership team to capitalise on the many opportunities ahead and usher in SMI Vantage's next chapter of growth and success."

The Company would also like to take this opportunity to thank Wee Sung Leng for his valuable contribution and advice to the Board during his extensive service with SMI.

About SMI Vantage

SMI Vantage Limited is an investment and management company focused on capitalising on strong trends in the new economy including technology-based SaaS services and other high-tech platforms. Listed on the Main Board of the Singapore Stock Exchange, SMI Vantage Limited has a highly capable and experienced management team with a proven track record in building strong business partnerships and alliances. https://www.smivantage.com/

For media queries, please reach out to:
Waterbrooks Consultants Pte Ltd
Wayne Koo – wayne.koo@waterbrooks.com.sg +65 9338-8166
Derek Yeo – derek@waterbrooks.com.sg +65 9791-4707

Proud Investor Relations partner:
https://www.waterbrooks.com.sg/ and https://www.shareinvestorholdings.com/

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com