NEW YORK (PRWEB)
July 31, 2020

HubKonnect, Inc. today announced an addition to its Advisory Board. The Board of Directors and CEO Michael Koch have appointed Jim Rand as Senior Advisor of the company, effective July 31st.

Rand is the former Sr. Vice President of Global Data Insights and Development for McDonald’s and led the restaurant giant through its most prosperous era. Rand is one of the world’s most innovative leaders in trading area data. He developed and accelerated the use of local community insights to create data-driven marketing tactics that have become the industry standard for Quick Service Restaurants.

“Jim provides us with unprecedented knowledge of local market optimization,” said HubKonnect CEO Michael Koch. “His vast experience with trading area analysis and global insights implemented hyper-locally will ensure we continue to lead QSR and AI, customer relevant local marketing.”

HubKonnect is a continuously learning platform that collects and analyzes millions of data points and creates strategic, customized Local Store Marketing (LSM) plans for individual franchise and multi-unit locations.

“Jim is one of the foremost authorities and the go-to guy for data insights into individual locations,” said HubKonnect Executive Advisor, Kevin Newell, former McDonald’s Global Chief Brand Officer. “He completely revolutionized how local trading area data is used to drive sales and transactions across the industry. He is a great addition to our advisory team.”

Jim will interact with HubKonnect Leadership, data scientists, technologists, and marketing experts to continue accelerating the platform roadmap to service the world’s leading QSR and retail organizations.

HubKonnect brings Local Marketing expertise and innovative technology together to enable local franchises to build intelligent and custom Local Store Marketing plans that deliver on brand, sales, and engagement objectives.

“Understanding the importance of daily customer opportunities can only be solved by LSM,” Rand said. “HubKonnect is the most cutting edge, data-driven resource that every QSR needs to implement to help identify and prioritize a program that will optimize daily sales in every trade area.”

About HubKonnect: HubKonnect’s cognitive AI platform suggests customized local marketing ideas based upon an analysis of the specific customers and opportunities within an individual retail location. HubKonnect provides an immediate benefit for the top franchises in the world by providing local marketing expertise to individual franchise locations. Visit http://www.hubkonnect.com for more information.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HubKonnect

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hubkonnect

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/16188017/

crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/hubkonnect

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHOHu4Qv232qJMP5EOHTCgw

John Brennan

HubKonnect

John.Brennan@hubkonnect.com

312-259-3016

Share article on social media or email:

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (PRWEB)
July 30, 2020

The CTO Forum today announced that Derek Di Risio, President of PSEG Services Corporation, has been appointed to the CTO Forum Advisory Board. The CTO Forum brings together senior technology executives, business leaders and academicians to discuss and collaborate on key technology issues and to accelerate innovation across organizations.

“We are honored to welcome Derek Di Risio to represent PSEG on our advisory board. Derek and I are in firm agreement that businesses must address the most ubiquitous and critical business challenge of our times… digital transformation. The CTO Forum is fully focused on delivering executive education programs that comprehensively address the necessary components including leadership, strategy, technology, operations, and culture. I find it inspiring to collaborate with such a dynamic and determined leader who is committed to leading digital transformation in as complex and venerable organization as is PSEG. As the we move forward, I know Derek’s passion, expertise and vision will be a huge asset for the entire CTO Forum community,” said Basheer Janjua, Founding-Chair and President of the CTO Forum.

CTO Forum hosts a series of events for its members each year, and each is designed to explore industry landscapes, taking a “deep dive” approach to analyzing technology and leadership challenges with preeminent executives and subject matter. Its Advisory Board sets the agenda for all of the events hosted each year, selecting top-tier speakers and thought leaders to examine the most important industry topics including those related to technology, engineering, disruption, strategy and innovation.

“It is my pleasure to accept this appointment to the CTO Forum,” said Di Risio. “Throughout my career, I have focused on leveraging innovation investments and business transformation initiatives to strengthen my overall organization. This is well-aligned with the CTO Forum’s mission as we share the belief that digital transformation is the fundamental driver for successful and sustained business growth for not just utilities, but all businesses. I look forward to collaborating with fellow members to drive successful transformation of our respective businesses forward.”

As President of PSEG Services Corporation, Di Risio is responsible for improving the coordination and delivery of several centralized services currently resident within the organization including corporate communications, corporate real estate, information technology, procurement, payroll and other transactional services. Prior to this, Di Risio served as vice president and controller of Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G), PSEG Services Corporation, PSEG Energy Holdings and PSEG Power, a position he assumed in December 2006. He was instrumental in re-engineering the enterprise business planning process and advancing the use of performance metrics and balanced scorecard measures to improve business results. Prior to joining PSEG, Di Risio worked for several firms, including Chase Manhattan Bank.

About CTO Forum

The CTO Forum is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering a trusted, open and creative environment where the brightest minds of our times convene to address industry’s most important issues. The CTO Forum brings together the best minds in technology from different industries to define opportunities, and to collaborate in harnessing the extraordinary potential of technology. The CTO Forum’s mission is to deliver a Global Innovation Platform, where technology leaders collaborate and co-create the technology and solutions that will be critical to meeting tomorrow’s global opportunities and challenges. For more information, visit http://www.ctoforum.org.

Share article on social media or email:

CLEARWATER, Fla. (PRWEB)
July 30, 2020

New Nautical Coatings, Inc., parent company of Sea Hawk Paints, Blue Water Marine Paints, Flexdel/Aquagard Paints and Hawk Epoxy today announced the appointment of Doug Laue to chief financial officer. Based at the company’s headquarters in Clearwater, Florida, his responsibilities include overseeing all financial strategy, management, and reporting, as well as executing key business improvement initiatives.

“As New Nautical Coatings positions itself to be the leading provider of specialty marine coatings, well managed financial operations and execution of strategic initiatives is critical to meeting the company’s goals,” said Erik Norrie, New Nautical Coatings’ CEO. “Doug brings over 20 years of successful contribution providing strategic, tactical and financially responsible leadership for top companies to this newly created position, making him the ideal person to join our executive team for the continued execution of our business strategies,” Norrie added.

Prior to joining New Nautical Coatings, Doug spent nine years as the CFO of Davidoff of Geneva, Inc. Before that he served as CFO of several businesses in Florida and Massachusetts and a manager at Ernst & Young LLP. Doug is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Dartmouth College Tuck Executive Program, and a certified public accountant.

A trendsetter of marine bottom paints, New Nautical Coatings, Inc. was established in 1978 and is dedicated to bringing only the highest quality products and customer satisfaction to today’s mariner. New Nautical Coatings is family owned and operated with a commitment to excellence. It provides a wide array of application specific marine coating products that include the Sea Hawk, Blue Water Marine, Flexdel/Aquagard, and Hawk Epoxy branded antifouling systems, primers, solvents, and resins. Now offering innovative products globally, New Nautical Coatings, Inc. has enjoyed unprecedented growth and continues to grow as its brands become more in demand worldwide. For more information, contact Michael O’Keene at (727) 523-8053 or visit http://www.newnauticalcoatings.com.

Share article on social media or email:

WASHINGTON (PRWEB)
July 30, 2020

The Group of Thirty (G30) today published Digital Currencies and Stablecoins: Risks, Opportunities, and Challenges Ahead, the report on its study of digital currencies. From Bitcoin and (Facebook’s) Libra to central bank digital currencies, payment systems are evolving rapidly. The G30 report makes clear that decisions by regulators on how to deal with digital currencies, now and over the next few years, could shape the global financial system for decades to come.

The report also includes a definitive description of the digital currency that will be issued by the People’s Bank of China.

“The contours of the digital currency landscape are evolving rapidly. Digital currencies have significant benefits, but if poorly executed or overseen, they may also put at risk user funds and data privacy. Policymakers need to approach these transformative technical developments with their eyes open, conscious of opportunities but also aware of possible pitfalls,” said Co-Chair of the G30 Working Group on Digital Currencies, Dr. Raghuram Rajan, Professor of Finance, Chicago Booth School of Business.

The G30 report highlights the key issues that policymakers have to consider in responding to these developments. These include:

1. Central Banks and Finance Ministries must play an active leadership role in setting standards and providing public infrastructure for payments, which cannot be left to market forces alone.

2. New technologies may require a sufficiently long phase-in period in order to be tested fully. Multiple payment alternatives should be introduced so that the payments system gains a measure of resilience and includes adequate competition.

3. Existing technologies that allow faster retail payments, which drastically increase competition and lower costs to businesses and consumers, should be implemented more widely.

4. Policy consideration of a direct (full retail) central bank digital currency (CBDC) should take into account the possible concentration of risk, disintermediation of traditional lending institutions, and excessive government control of credit allocation, which would be counterproductive in today’s diverse modern economies.

5. Before implementing any type of CBDC, its impact on various aspects of the economy should be evaluated very carefully, among them its effect on monetary policy transmission, on the safety and integrity of the financial system, and on the emergence of alternative options such as indirect/hybrid CBDCs.

6. As the payments system becomes more digital, it will be important to find a balance between the protection of individual data and privacy versus the government’s imperative to enforce laws, regulations, and taxes. The issues in payments need to be examined holistically, along with other privacy concerns arising from data gathering by banks, large tech companies, and governments.

7. Importantly, the increased cross-border use of digital currencies necessitates an international framework for governing data usage and exchange.

Co-Chair of the G30 Working Group on Digital Currencies, Dr. Kenneth Rogoff, Professor of Economics, Harvard University, said: “Paper currency has become increasingly marginalized in legal, tax-compliant transactions across much of the world, save for low value payments, where it is also on the decline. How and in what form the transition to digital currencies is managed and supervised will affect governments, central banks, and payment systems users. The time has come for the official sector to play a more decisive role in shaping these developments to ensure efficiency, security, stability, and financial inclusion.”

Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Chairman of the G30, said: “The G30 sets out the key considerations for policymakers in deciding how digital currencies should be designed and implemented, so as to achieve their potential to bring about cheaper and faster cross-border payments, financial inclusion, and help root out illicit finance.”

Dr. Rajan and Dr. Rogoff co-chaired the study, supported by seven G30 members. Darrell Duffie, Adams Distinguished Professor of Management and Professor of Finance, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Hyun Song Shin, Economic Advisor and Head of Research, Bank for International Settlements, served as project advisors.

To receive a copy of the Digital Currencies and Stablecoins: Risks, Opportunities, and Challenges Ahead report, contact G30 Press Officer Melissa Golding, 571-236-2820, pressoffice@group30.org.

The Group of Thirty is an independent global body comprised of senior representatives of the public and private sectors and academia. The Group aims to deepen understanding of international economic and financial issues, to explore the international repercussions of decisions taken in the public and private sectors, and to examine the choices available to market practitioners and to policymakers. The Group was established in 1978, and is led by Jacob A. Frenkel, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Chairman of the Group.

Share article on social media or email:

SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (PRWEB)
July 29, 2020

Steve Fisher and Eric “Mo” Mott, two veteran off-highway industry executives, have joined the Palmer Johnson Family of companies. Between Steve and Mo, they will have oversight of financial and strategic initiatives. Steve will be focusing on developing Palmer Johnson’s RECON Equipment Centers and Hamilton Engine while Mo will serve as CFO for the Palmer Johnson family of Companies.

With over 35 years of global business experience at Caterpillar, Steve Fisher joined Palmer Johnson in June 2020 as Senior Growth Advisor. An expert in strategic planning, business development and M&A, Steve served as VP of CAT’s Large Power Systems Division, VP of CAT Reman and as Director of CAT’s M&A and Strategic Planning division. He is excited to help Palmer Johnson grow through building relations with existing vendors, fostering relationships between equipment OEMs and PJ’s RECON business, as well as expanding Hamilton Engine’s reach in the marketplace. Steve will continue in his current role on the Board of Directors of Mayville Engineering Company, Inc. and as an advisor on Palmer Johnson’s advisory board, where he has served four years.

Eric Mott also recently joined Palmer Johnson Enterprises as Chief Financial Officer. He’s a Madison native and has a BBA from UW-Madison and an MBA from DePaul University in Chicago. Mott has 30 years of business experience focused on strategic, financial, operational and people management in diverse industries and corporate structures. Previously he was Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Diesel Forward, Inc., the largest distributor of aftermarket diesel engine fuel systems and technical components in the U.S.

Share article on social media or email:

ST. LOUIS (PRWEB)
July 29, 2020

MassageLuXe, a leading massage franchise, is excited to welcome franchise expert Kristen Pechacek to its executive team. As the Chief Growth Officer, Pechacek will accelerate the brand’s mission to expand from 68 units to 250 units within the next five years.

As MassageLuXe’s first-ever Chief Growth Officer, Pechacek’s top priority will be to grow franchise sales. Additionally, she will help the existing franchisee base by growing spa membership prospects and building revenue.

Pechacek brings with her a wealth of franchise and marketing experience. She is a Certified Franchise Executive with the International Franchise Association (IFA). She is also a member of the IFA 2020 Committee and the IFA Marketing & Innovation Committee. Pechacek recently served as Digital Marketing Director for Self Esteem Brands, LLC, which represents various fitness and spa brands in North America. She began her career in franchising by working in digital marketing with the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL.

“I’m a player and a coach, and that’s what MassageLuXe needs at their growth stage,” says Pechacek. “I can marry strategic thinking and overarching plans with rolling up my sleeves and getting the job done. As the new Chief Growth Officer, I will lay down the plans and help execute them. MassageLuXe needs a leader who can provide strategic vision and overarching strategy for growth, but one who is also able to send the emails and write the social posts to facilitate that growth.”

“Kristen is a visible player in the franchise game. One of the important things was to bring someone in for our small brand who has done well in the massage franchise membership-based game,” says MassageLuXe CEO Mark Otter. “Kristen has had success in growing franchise sales, but she also understands the importance of helping current franchisees, how to build their business, and also the customer journey.”

This hire comes as the successful culmination of a retained executive search engagement with Global Talent Solutions (GTS), the franchise industry’s leading executive search firm. Pechacek is the first Chief Growth Officer at MassageLuXe, and the hire is the first of a string of executive hires the brand will make with GTS as part of this growth cycle.

In an article he wrote for Forbes, Otter discussed the importance of brand growth and learning from others in the industry.

“If you start a business in a crowded field, you have the benefit of looking at not just what other competitors are doing right, but also what they’re doing wrong,” says Otter. “Then you can work on your business model so it’s even better.”

To view Otter and MassageLuXe’s entire profile in Forbes, visit:

https://profiles.forbes.com/members/business/profile/Mark-Otter-CEO-MassageLuXe/d3d6a028-74c8-4dd4-aa1f-662dda92b2b6.

For more information about MassageLuXe, please visit: https://massageluxe.com/.

For more information about MassageLuXe franchise opportunities, please visit: https://franchise.massageluxe.com/.

For more information about franchise marketing, please visit: https://919marketing.com/franchise-marketing/.

For more information about franchise public relations, please visit: https://919marketing.com/franchise-pr/.

For more information about 919 Insights for franchise brands, please visit: https://919marketing.com/franchise-marketing-analytics/.

About MassageLuXe

Founded in 2008 in St. Louis, Missouri, MassageLuXe is a fast-growing franchise-based spa company with a mission of delivering the highest quality massage while providing a comfortable, relaxing and luxurious environment to clients. To further this mission, MassageLuXe also grants clients access to Repechage facials and waxing services.

Massage is a service that improves health, promotes relaxation and overall well-being for the consumer, and has been practiced throughout the world for thousands of years. MassageLuXe currently has 68 locations across 16 states and is planning to expand to 250 locations in the next five years.

Share article on social media or email: