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AutoScout24 Finalizes Agreement to Acquire TRADER Corporation

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GRUENWALD, Germany and TORONTO, Aug. 16, 2024 /CNW/ – AutoScout24, the leading pan-European online automotive marketplace, has signed an agreement to acquire TRADER Corporation (“TRADER Canada”) from Thoma Bravo. In conjunction with this acquisition, funds affiliated with existing majority shareholder Hellman & Friedman (“H&F”) will make a meaningful incremental equity investment in AutoScout24.

With this acquisition, the AutoScout24 Group, which includes leading online automotive marketplaces in continental Europe, Germany’s largest online automotive market for leasing offers, LeasingMarkt.de, and one of Europe’s fastest-growing B2B used car trading platforms, AutoProff, extends its presence outside of Europe and strengthens its position as a leading global online automotive marketplace. The transaction also expands AutoScout24’s service offering into automotive dealer software and lender solutions through TRADER Canada’s leading offerings.

TRADER Canada operates Canada’s leading online automotive marketplaces, English-language AutoTrader.ca and French-language AutoHebdo.net, with 26 million monthly visits, more than 450,000 vehicle listings, and 5,000 dealer partners. Founded in 1975 and headquartered in Toronto, the company also provides several automotive dealer software solutions under the AutoSync brand and operates Dealertrack, the leading Canadian portal connecting automotive dealers and lenders, as well as Collateral Management Solutions, the primary provider of lien and registration services, recovery services, and insolvency management solutions to Canadian Lenders. Throughout their ownership, Thoma Bravo worked closely with TRADER Canada to expand its innovative product portfolio through both organic investments and strategic acquisitions to better serve the company’s growing customer base.

Peter Brooks-Johnson, CEO of the AutoScout24 Group: “I am delighted to welcome the TRADER Canada team and its leading brands to the AutoScout24 family. TRADER Canada’s impressive long-term track record, clear position as Canada’s most important automotive marketplace, and comprehensive expertise in dealer software and fintech solutions speak for themselves. This acquisition strengthens AutoScout24’s position as a leading global online automotive marketplace and will help accelerate the growth of both platforms. As a result, we will offer our customers, trade partners, OEMs, and financing partners in Europe and Canada better services and more innovative solutions.”

Sebastian Baldwin, President and CEO of TRADER Corporation: “AutoScout24’s track record of success with their automotive marketplaces presents a perfect alignment with the TRADER business and our future long-term goals. In addition to our marketplaces, which are the #1 most trusted choice for Canadian car shoppers, our market-leading software and automotive finance solutions businesses represent further opportunities for collaboration. We look forward to working together to continue strengthening TRADER’s market leading position across the breadth of the Canadian automotive sector.”

Blake Kleinman, Partner at H&F: “We have been successful investors in the automotive classifieds sector since 2014 and have come to appreciate the commonality, across all geographies, of the strategic product innovations required to maximize the efficiency of the car buying journey for consumers and dealers. Bringing TRADER into the AutoScout24 family significantly enhances our ability to leverage our global scale and common technology platform to invest in innovation that will better serve consumers, dealers, and our other partners. The additional equity investment from H&F in this transaction demonstrates our long-term vision of building the leading global automotive classifieds platform.”

Holden Spaht, a Managing Partner at Thoma Bravo: “It’s been a privilege to work with Sebastian and the TRADER team. Through the application of our software expertise and M&A strategy, we helped transform TRADER from an online automotive marketplace to a market leading platform of digital retail solutions for consumers and automotive dealers in Canada. We are confident that AutoScout24 is a great home for TRADER, and we look forward to following their continued success together.” Peter Stefanski, a Partner at Thoma Bravo added: “We are proud to have supported TRADER over the course of our investment, driving growth and innovation while creating a better experience for both dealers and car-buyers across all of Canada.”

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024. RBC Capital Markets and Deutsche Bank are acting as M&A advisors to AutoScout24 and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Davies Ward Philipps & Vineberg LLP and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP are acting as legal counsel. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is acting as lead financial advisor; BofA Securities and HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. are also acting as financial advisors to TRADER and Kirkland & Ellis LLP, McMillan LLP and Goodmans LLP are acting as legal counsel.

About AutoScout24

With over 2 million vehicle listings, around 30 million users per month and more than 43,000 dealer partners, AutoScout24 is the largest pan-European online car market. In addition to Germany, the AutoScout24 Group is also represented in the European core markets of Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Poland and Sweden. As a comprehensive marketplace for mobility, AutoScout24 is making targeted investments in the growth areas of leasing, car subscriptions, electromobility and online car purchases. With AutoScout24 smyle, the marketplace enables its users to purchase vehicles completely online – free of charge and delivered ready-to-drive directly to their doorstep. Leasing specialist LeasingMarkt.de has also been part of the AutoScout24 Group since 2020 and the B2B auction platform AUTOproff since 2022. Together, the marketplaces are significantly driving the digitalisation of the European car trade.

More information on www.autoscout24.de   

Media Contact
Julia Dressen   
Fon +49 89 444 56-1185  
presse@autoscout24.de

About TRADER Corporation

TRADER Corporation is a trusted Canadian leader in online media, dealership and OEM software, and lender services. The company is comprised of AutoTrader.ca™, AutoHebdo.net™, LesPac.com, AutoSync™, Dealertrack™ and Collateral Management Solutions™. AutoTrader.ca and AutoHebdo.net offer the largest inventory of new and used vehicles in Canada, receiving over 26 million monthly visits to over 450,000 vehicles listed by over 5,000 dealers. With over 2,500 subscribers and counting, AutoSync is the largest and fastest growing dealer and OEM software provider in Canada. The platform’s suite of connected automotive software solutions brings advertising, conversion and operational support together, synchronizing the entire retail process. The portfolio is rounded out by DealerTrack, the leader in Canadian automotive finance solutions, and Collateral Management Solutions, the primary provider of lien and registration services, recovery services, and insolvency management solutions to Canadian Lenders. 

For more information, please visit www.tradercorporation.com.

Media Contact
Jessica Huynh
Jessica.huynh@labourcreative.ca

SOURCE TRADER Corporation

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TPA Technologies Named A Workday Staffing Partner

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January 7, 2025

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BOSTON, Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — TPA technologies, a leading technology consulting firm, today announced that it has signed a partnership agreement with Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ: WDAY), a leading provider of solutions to help organizations manage their people and money. This partnership will expand and enhance TPA technologies’ ability to deliver Workday-certified talent to organizations implementing the Workday platform.

To meet the growing needs of clients, TPA technologies expanded its team of Workday experts to help connect top talent with Workday support opportunities. Led by Michael Wrightington, who brings 10 years of expertise in supporting the Workday ecosystem, its practice continues to thrive. As a Workday Partner, TPA technologies will offer clients the ability to work with a trusted partner that understands their needs and can provide the team needed to support their implementation and use of Workday.

“The need for Workday certified professionals continues, and we have to adapt to serve our clients and consultants,” said TPA technologies president Dan Hinckley. “Our ability to understand technology challenges and find the talent needed to solve them is at the heart of our team.”

Workday Financial Management, Workday Human Capital Management (HCM), and Workday Adaptive Planning support a full range of financial and people-based processes that help provide real-time operational visibility along with the speed and agility to plan for and adapt to business growth and change.

For more information on TPA technologies’ Workday Practice, visit: https://tpatechnologies.com/solutions/workday-services/

About TPA technologies 
TPA technologies is a leading technology consulting firm serving the information technology needs of national and international clients seeking “Staffing Solutions.” TPA is headquartered in Boston MA. www.tpatechnologies.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tpa-technologies-named-a-workday-staffing-partner-302344579.html

SOURCE TPA technologies

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Elsayed Talaat Appointed President & CEO of Universities Space Research Association

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January 7, 2025

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Universities Space Research Association (USRA) announced today that Dr. Elsayed Talaat will join USRA as President and CEO, effective January 27. Dr. Talaat is an accomplished leader with a strong background in Atmospheric and Space Science and well-rounded experience with NOAA, NASA, and JHU/APL. Dr. Talaat has been responsible for programmatic and technical coordination with OSTP, the Department of Defense, other federal agencies, non-Federal agendas/industries, and international partners. Dr. Talaat was selected following an extensive national search undertaken by the USRA Board of Trustees, assisted by the executive search firm of Korn Ferry. 

Currently, Dr. Elsayed Talaat is the Director of the Office of Space Weather Observations at NESDIS, where he provides leadership and oversight in the development, acquisition, integration, installation, and acceptance of major system elements (spacecraft, instruments, launch services, and ground systems) for NOAA’s operational environmental satellite systems.

Before joining NOAA, Dr. Talaat was the Chief Scientist of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters. In this role, he directed overall development efforts for the Heliophysics space science program in Solar, Heliospheric, Magnetospheric, and Ionospheric, Thermospheric, and Mesospheric physics. Previously, he was a Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters where he served as Program Scientist for the Living with a Star mission and science line, grant research lines, and Heliophysics and Planetary missions.

Prior to joining NASA, he was Supervisor of the Earth and Planetary Atmospheres Section at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), where his research focused on developing remote sensing techniques and data analysis and modeling of geophysical and planetary phenomena.

 “We are excited to welcome Dr. Talaat as the next CEO of USRA. We firmly believe he is the ideal leader to guide the organization into its next phase of growth and success,” said Gen Lester Lyles, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “Dr. Talaat brings extensive leadership experience and a strong track record of success from his time at NOAA, NASA, and APL, which will enhance USRA’s credibility and collaboration with these key agencies and with our University Association. He has demonstrated an exceptional ability to build coalitions with both existing and prospective partners, always with a focus on addressing future customer needs. Additionally, his forward-thinking vision for leveraging USRA’s unique University Association value proposition positions the organization for continued success. We are excited to see how Dr. Talaat will build upon Dr. Isaacson’s remarkable legacy and drive USRA towards an even brighter future.”

Dr. Talaat received his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering from the University of Washington, and a Master of Science and Doctorate from the University of Michigan in Atmospheric and Space Sciences. He has authored or collaborated on over 60 journal papers and over 250 conference papers.

About USRA

Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology, and engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities and conducts other major research and educational programs. It is an association with 121 university members. It engages the broader university community, employs in-house scientific talent, and offers innovative research, development, and project management expertise. More information about USRA is available at www.usra.edu.

PR Contact:
Suraiya Farukhi
sfarukhi@usra.edu 
443-812-6945

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/elsayed-talaat-appointed-president–ceo-of-universities-space-research-association-302344812.html

SOURCE Universities Space Research Association

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Neusoft Showcases Comprehensive AI-powered Solutions for Intelligent Mobility at CES 2025

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January 7, 2025

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LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Neusoft Corporation (Neusoft, SSE:600718), an industry-leading information technology, products and solutions company for global market, attended the Consumer Electronics Show 2025 (CES) and showcased a comprehensive range of intelligent automotive products, solutions and services powered by AI and driven by data. Under the theme “Dive In”, CES 2025 highlights the rapid advancement of AI technologies and their infiltration into various industries. Having launched its intelligent solutions strategy early last year, Neusoft attracted great attention at CES, demonstrating its steadfast commitment to global cooperation in driving the digital and intelligent transformation of the automotive industry.

At the exhibition, Neusoft showcased its intelligent cockpit systems, intelligent communication terminals, global navigation, AR-HUD, as well as its full-stack, all-domain automotive software engineering services. Among the highlights of Neusoft’s display was its OneCoreGo Global In-vehicle Intelligent Mobility Solution 5.0. With “One Map, One Sight, and One Store” product system, this innovative solution integrates Neusoft’s years of software technology expertise, its Navigation Product Family (Global Navigation, EHP, ISA, DR), AR For Car products, and global ecosystem partners’ resources, to build a comprehensive and intelligent one-stop solution, enabling global automakers to cater to the diverse mobility demands of users worldwide and deliver exceptional in-vehicle intelligent mobility experience.

As a key technology and innovation partner of automakers in the era of Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV), Neusoft possesses over 30 years of experience in automotive software R&D and provides a comprehensive range of automotive products, solutions and services to automakers & tier1 suppliers for their SDV transformation. With a global R&D and delivery network centered in China, Germany, Japan, US, and Malaysia, Neusoft’s automotive products and services have been applied to 1,800+ vehicle models, across 100+ countries, serving 50+ globally renowned automakers.

Looking into the future, Neusoft will stay aligned with the latest industry trends and evolving customer demands, continuously innovate in technology and products, collaborate with global ecosystem partners, to drive the mobility experience towards a future of unparalleled connectivity and intelligence.

For more information about Neusoft, please visit www.neusoft.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/neusoft-showcases-comprehensive-ai-powered-solutions-for-intelligent-mobility-at-ces-2025-302344837.html

SOURCE Neusoft Corporation

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