Technology

Wishpond Reports Q2-2024 Financial Results with a 151% Improvement in Adjusted EBITDA

Published

3 months ago

August 21, 2024

Wishpond achieved Adjusted EBITDA(1) of $0.5 million in Q2-2024, an increase of 151% compared to Q2-2023 and the eighth quarter in a row of positive Adjusted EBITDA.During Q2-2024, Wishpond launched its new flagship product, SalesCloser AI, a virtual sales agent which leverages artificial intelligence to conduct sales calls and product demos.

VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 21, 2024 /CNW/ – Wishpond Technologies Ltd. (TSXV: WISH) (OTCQX: WPNDF) (the “Company” or “Wishpond”), a provider of marketing-focused online business solutions, announces it has filed its interim consolidated financial statements (the “Interim Financial Statements”) and management’s discussion and analysis (the “MD&A”) for Q2-2024, representing the three and six months ended June 30, 2024. Copies of the Interim Financial Statements and MD&A are available on the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Ali Tajskandar, Wishpond’s Founder and CEO commented, “I am excited to report that Wishpond achieved its highest ever second quarter Adjusted EBITDA, with a remarkable 151% improvement over the same period last year. Our dedicated efforts in cost reductions, coupled with improvements in various business operations have driven significant efficiencies, resulting in an improvement in our Adjusted EBITDA and cash flows. Furthermore, we expect margins to continue trending upwards as adoption of our Propel IQ platform grows, and we begin ramping up sales of our new SalesCloser solution. Improving Adjusted EBITDA generation and cash flows were a significant focus for Wishpond in the first half of the year and we anticipate further Adjusted EBITDA expansion and improving profitability to continue in the coming quarters of 2024.”

Ali Tajskandar further adds, “During the second quarter we launched our new flagship product, SalesCloser AI, a revolutionary virtual sales agent which leverages artificial intelligence to conduct sales calls and product demos. In the short time since launch, we have already seen SalesCloser’s impact across multiple industries and use cases. As we roll out the platform more broadly, we expect SalesCloser to be a key contributor in driving new growth to our business in 2025. I am also pleased to announce that Wishpond will begin utilizing SalesCloser for its own purposes in lead generation and sales development within the coming weeks. We are excited with SalesCloser’s potential to not only help grow our own internal sales capacity but also reduce our costs, thus further increasing our margins and profitability.”

Adrian Lim, Wishpond’s newly appointed Chief Financial Officer commented, “We are excited about the positive momentum we are building as we progress through 2024. Our cost structure has improved significantly and our major annual expenses such as audit, professional fees, and tax expenses are now mostly behind us in the first half of the year. Moreover, we no longer have any earn-outs in relation to our previous acquisitions. This positively positions us to see improvement in our cash flows as we continue to expand and optimize our operations.”

Second Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights:

Wishpond achieved quarterly revenue of $5,828,709 during Q2-2024, compared to $5,639,417 generated in the same period of 2023 (Q2-2023), representing an increase of 3%. Revenue growth was primarily driven by organic growth resulting from stronger product demand and new product introductions.Revenue growth was offset by a decline in revenue from the Company’s legacy customer of email delivery services which reduced its spending from $419,479 in Q2-2023 to $158,857 in Q2-2024. Excluding the decrease in revenue from this customer, organic revenue growth for the rest of the business was approximately 9%.Wishpond achieved Gross Profit of $3,942,748 in Q2-2024 (Q2-2023: $3,680,391), representing a 7% increase from Q2-2023, driven by an increase in overall revenue and improved margins.Wishpond achieved a Gross Margin percentage of 68% during Q2-2024 (Q2-2023: 65%).During Q2-2024, Wishpond achieved positive Adjusted EBITDA(1) of $541,610 (Q2-2023: $215,926), representing an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 9%, and an increase of 151% from the year prior.As at June 30, 2024, Wishpond had $1,095,708 in cash and had drawn down $1,242,656 from its credit facility (December 31, 2023: cash of $1,424,585 and $994,658 credit facility balance outstanding). The reduction in net cash was caused in part by earnout payments for businesses acquired in 2022, investment in SalesCloser marketing activities, and changes in working capital.

Second Quarter 2024 Business Highlights:

On April 4, 2024, the Company announced the launch of SalesCloser AI, a next generation virtual sales agent capable of delivering personalized, round-the-clock sales calls and product demos in a similar manner to a live human sales agent. The platform can work 24×7 to engage leads, close deals, and service customers in ten different languages. SalesCloser can also be adapted for use across a diverse range of industries such as software/SaaS, professional services, financial services, education, travel & hospitality, insurance, and more.

Business Highlights Subsequent to June 30, 2024:

On July 8, 2024, the Company announced the appointment of Adrian Lim as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Mr. Lim has responsibility for all finance, accounting, financial reporting, audit, tax and capital planning functions.On July 10, 2024, the Company announced that the renewal of its Notice of an Intention it filed to make a Normal Course Issuer Bid (“NCIB”) was approved by the TSX Venture Exchange. Under the renewed NCIB, the Company may, during the 12-month period commencing July 15, 2024, and ending July 14, 2025, purchase up to 2,707,931 Shares in total, being 5% of the total number of 54,158,620 Shares outstanding as at June 26, 2024.On August 1, 2024, the Company successfully renewed its credit facility with a major Canadian bank that was previously renewed on August 11, 2023 and originally entered into on September 21, 2021. The renewed credit facility maintains the secured revolving operating line with a borrowing capacity of up to $6,000,000 based on recurring revenue, an interest rate equal to the Canadian Prime Rate plus 2.0% per annum, and is secured against the Company’s assets.On August 8, 2024, the Company announced the launch of a new rewards distribution program through its Viral Loops product platform. The new program launched with successful integrations with the Stripe App Marketplace, Tremendous, and Sendoso allowing Viral Loops customers to use their referral rewards on any of these platforms, which the Company believes will increase Average Order Value(1) and customer LTV(1). The program is expected to drive increased customer engagement and strengthen Wishpond’s overall market position and capabilities in the referral marketing space.On August 19, 2024, the Company announced the launch of a new Integrations Marketplace for its AI-powered virtual sales agent, SalesCloser AI. The Integrations Marketplace is designed to seamlessly integrate SalesCloser with a wide range of tools, including CRM systems, email marketing platforms, and task management software, enhancing efficiency and sales effectiveness through advanced workflow automation.

Outlook:

Wishpond expects to achieve record revenue and Adjusted EBITDA in 2024 driven by increasing traction of the Company’s new Propel IQ bundled product and new sales from the recently launched SalesCloser AI virtual agent. The Company continues to have an active pipeline of sales opportunities and robust demand for its products. Management is pleased to re-iterate the Company’s key goals for 2024:

Accelerate organic revenue growth and increase Monthly Recurring Revenue(1).Achieve positive Adjusted EBITDA in each quarter in 2024.Leverage the Propel IQ platform to improve margins, decrease churn and increase long-term customer value.Ramp up sales of the new SalesCloser AI product.

Webinar Conference Call Details:

As previously announced, Wishpond will be hosting a webinar conference call to discuss its year-end financial results today at 10:00 AM (PT) / 1:00 PM (ET).

To register for the webinar, please visit the following URL: https://bit.ly/wp_q2

Date:

August 21, 2024

Time:

10:00 AM PT (1:00 PM ET)

Dial-in:

+1 778 907 2071 (Vancouver local)

+1 647 374 4685 (Toronto local)

Meeting ID #:

873 7327 6735

Please connect 5 minutes prior to the conference call to ensure time for any software download that may be required.

Selected Financial Highlights:

The tables below set out selected financial information relating to Wishpond and should be read in conjunction with Wishpond’s Interim Financial Statements and MD&A.

Three-months
ended
June 30, 2024
$

Three-months
ended
June 30, 2023
$

Six-months
ended
June 30, 2024
$

Six-months
ended
June 30, 2023
$

Revenue

5,828,709

5,639,417

11,878,972

11,263,234

Gross profit

3,942,748

3,680,391

8,071,670

7,369,729

Gross margin

68 %

65 %

68 %

65 %

Adjusted EBITDA(1)

541,610

215,926

831,914

424,999

Credit facility – end of period

(1,242,656)

–

(1,242,656)

–

Cash – end of the period

1,095,708

1,098,285

1,095,708

1,098,285

Net decrease in cash during
the period net of credit facility

(274,297)

(836,062)

(576,875)

(1,594,359)

Reconciliation to Adjusted EBITDA

Three-months
ended

June 30, 2024
$

Three-months
ended

June 30, 2023
$

Six-months
ended

June 30, 2024
$

Six-months
ended

June 30, 2023
$

Loss before income taxes

(123,663)

(645,042)

(591,226)

(1,435,250)

Depreciation and amortization

410,059

380,032

816,647

749,151

Interest income

–

(2,728)

Interest expense

40,186

–

78,719

–

Remeasurement of contingent
consideration liability

–

(22,232)

Other expenses

48,908

52,311

152,582

264,245

Stock based compensation
expense

166,120

428,625

375,192

871,813

Adjusted EBITDA

541,610

215,926

831,914

424,999

Footnotes:

(1)

Adjusted EBITDA, MRR, annualized revenue run-rate, average order value, customer churn rate and customer LTV are not financial measures recognized by International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other entities. See “Cautionary Statements – Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for more information and definitions of each non-GAAP term used in this press release.

On Behalf of the Board of Wishpond
“Ali Tajskandar”
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

About Wishpond Technologies Ltd.
Based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Wishpond is a provider of marketing-focused online business solutions. Wishpond is a leading provider of digital marketing solutions that empower entrepreneurs to achieve success online. The Company’s Propel IQ platform offers an “all-in-one” marketing suite that provides companies with marketing, promotion, lead generation, ad management, referral marketing, sales conversion and outbound sales automation capabilities in one integrated platform. Wishpond replaces disparate marketing solutions with an easy-to-use product, for a fraction of the cost. Wishpond serves over 4,000 customers who are primarily small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in a wide variety of industries. The Company has developed cutting-edge marketing technology solutions, including an AI powered website builder, an AI email automation tool, an AI Sales Agent and continues to add new AI enabled features and applications. The Company employs a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business model where most of the Company’s revenue is subscription-based recurring revenue which provides excellent revenue predictability and cash flow visibility. Wishpond is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker “WISH”, and on the OTCQX Best Market under the ticker “WPNDF”. For further information, visit: www.wishpond.com.

Cautionary Statements, Summary Information

Information presented in this press release is only a summary and does not purport to be a full representation of all figures, notes and discussions provided for in the Interim Financial Statements and MD&A. Readers are cautioned to read the entirety of the Interim Financial Statements and MD&A, and not to rely only on the information presented in this press release. In the event of conflict between the information in this press release on the one hand, and the Interim Financial Statements and MD&A on the other hand, the information in the Interim Financial Statements and MD&A shall govern.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In this press release, Wishpond has used the following terms (“Non-GAAP Financial Measures”) that are not defined by IFRS, but are used by management to evaluate the performance of Wishpond and its business, including: adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”), average order value, MRR, annualized revenue run-rate, customer churn rate and customer LTV. These measures may also be used by investors, financial institutions and credit rating agencies to assess Wishpond’s performance and ability to service debt. Non-GAAP Financial Measures do not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Securities regulations require that Non-GAAP Financial Measures are clearly defined, qualified and reconciled to their most comparable IFRS financial measures. Except as otherwise indicated, these Non-GAAP Financial Measures are calculated and disclosed on a consistent basis from period to period. Specific items may only be relevant in certain periods. See the disclosure under the heading “Additional GAAP and Non-GAAP Measures” in Wishpond’s MD&A for a discussion of Non-GAAP Financial Measures and certain reconciliations to GAAP financial measures. The intent of Non-GAAP Financial Measures is to provide additional useful information to investors and analysts, and the measures do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS. The measures should not, therefore, be considered in isolation or used as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. Other issuers may calculate Non-GAAP Financial Measures differently. Non-GAAP Financial Measures are identified and defined as follows:

Adjusted EBITDA: Adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an alternative to net earnings, cash flow from operating activities or other measures of financial results determined in accordance with GAAP as an indicator of the Company’s performance. The Company defines “Adjusted EBITDA” as Income or Loss before income taxes less interest, depreciation and amortization, remeasurement of contingent consideration liability, filing fees, credit facility setup fees, earn-out remuneration, foreign currency losses (gains), acquisition related expenses, net other expenditures (income), and stock-based compensation. The Company believes that Adjusted EBITDA is a meaningful financial metric as it measures cash generated from operations which the Company can use to fund working capital requirements, service future interest and principal debt repayments and fund future growth initiatives.Average Order Value: The Company defines average order value, or AOV, as the aggregate dollar amount of all customer orders over a period of time divided by the aggregate number of orders during that same period. Management believes AOV to be a useful financial measure because it helps to track the impact of sales initiatives and product offerings on customer spending patternsMonthly Recurring Revenue: The Company uses monthly recurring revenue, or MRR, as a directional indicator of subscription revenue going forward assuming customers maintain their subscription plan the following month. MRR is the total of all monthly subscription plan fees paid by customers in effect on the last day of that period. If customers pay for more than one month upfront, the amount is divided by the number of months in the subscription period. Discounts are deducted prior to the calculation and one-time payments and metered based charges are excluded.Annualized revenue run-rate: The Company uses annualized revenue run-rate as an indicator of financial performance that takes the current revenue in the quarter and converts it to an annual figure to get the full-year equivalent.Customer churn rate: The Company defines customer churn rate as the percentage of customers who have canceled their subscriptions over time. Management believes customer churn rate to be a useful financial measure because it provides further insight as to what products have the ability to generate continuous customer engagement and revenue.LTV: The Company defines customer lifetime value, or LTV, as the average revenue that a customer generates before they churn. Management believes LTV is useful as a forward looking estimate of the average revenue that a customer will generate throughout its lifespan as a customer with Wishpond.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements that are not reported financial results or other historical information are forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking statements”). This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding the Company, its subsidiaries and the industries in which they operate, including statements about, among other things, all information contained under the heading “Outlook” herein, references to expected results from future operations, future growth of the Company’s products and platforms, the future development and increased use of products incorporating artificial intelligence, including SalesCloser AI, improvement in the Company’s cash position and increased revenue generation, references to the growth of the Company’s product portfolio and future profitability, including whether additional products or features may be developed in the future, and the functionality and timing of such products, financial results or operational activities that may be undertaken by the Company, the results of the Company’s cost-savings, research and development and other initiatives, any future acquisitions or other activities done to grow the Company both organically or inorganically, expectations, beliefs, plans, future operations, the impact of broader economic factors including inflation and other general economic risks on the Company, business and acquisition strategies, opportunities, objectives, prospects, assumptions, including those related to trends and prospects, and future events and performance. Sentences and phrases containing or modified by words such as “expect”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “continue”, “estimate”, “intend”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “predict”, “potential”, “targets”, “projects”, “is designed to”, “strategy”, “should”, “believe”, “contemplate” and similar expressions, and the negative of such expressions, are not historical facts and are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable and are based on, among other things, the expectations and analysis of current market trends and opportunities of management of the Company, such forward-looking statements have been based on expectations, factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company’s control, including, but not limited to, risks associated with changes to Propel IQ and SalesCloser AI’s revenue and profitability, changes to customer preferences, competition, use cases for Propel IQ and SalesCloser AI, economic uncertainty and instability as a result of the ongoing inflation and supply chain issues, higher interest rate climate, tightening of credit availability and recessionary risks, pandemic related risks, wars, instability in global commodity and securities markets, shifts in consumer and institutional spending and marketing strategies, risks related to data breaches and privacy, the changing global market and competition for the products and services supplied by the Company, and the additional risk factors discussed in the continuous disclosure materials of the Company which are available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and are made as of the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention and has no obligation or responsibility, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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SOURCE Wishpond Technologies Ltd.

Technology

/C O R R E C T I O N — Natural Resources Canada/

Published

28 minutes ago

November 14, 2024

In the news release, Canada Invests in Climate Change Adaptation to Keep Communities Safe in British Columbia and Across Canada, issued 14-Nov-2024 by Natural Resources Canada over PR Newswire, we are advised by the company that the 18th paragraph has been added to the release. The complete, corrected release follows:

Canada Invests in Climate Change Adaptation to Keep Communities Safe in British Columbia and Across Canada

COQUITLAM, BC, Nov. 14, 2024 /CNW/ – Working together to reduce risks from the changing climate will help keep Canadians safer and healthier. Acting now will help improve long-term resilience and reduce costs associated with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events in Canada, including higher grocery prices, insurance premiums and local taxes to cover the costs of disaster recovery and damage.

Across the country, the impacts of climate change are becoming more severe and more frequent with extreme events like floods, wildfires and heatwaves on the rise. Gradual changes, like thawing permafrost in the north and rising sea levels in coastal regions, are also affecting the safety of our communities and quality of life. To protect our communities from the worst economic and environmental impacts of climate change, we must continue to prepare for the changes that are coming by investing in community resilience. This will not only support the safety of Canadians but also reinforce the ability of communities to recover from extreme weather events.

Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson announced over $7 million in funding for 12 projects in British Columbia or with a national reach under Natural Resources Canada’s Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP) and the Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities (CRCC) Program. These projects will aim to help regions and sectors in B.C. and across Canada adapt to a changing climate by developing, improving and delivering strategies, tools and resources that address climate change risks and adaptation gaps, and to support the implementation of climate change adaptation and resilience actions.

The funding announced today comes from a total investment of $39.5 million for 53 projects through the CCAP and the the CRCC Program to reduce climate change risks and build more resilient communities across the country in support of the National Adaptation Strategy (NAS). Details on additional projects supported by this investment will be announced in the near future.

The steps we take now will protect our communities, our livelihoods, our environment and our economy. We are actively investing in climate change adaptation to proactively support long-term, community-led resilience and adaptation projects. It is essential, now more than ever, that we come together to help communities stay strong in the face of the current and future impacts of climate change.

Quotes

“The impacts associated with climate change, including atmospheric rivers here in British Columbia, are being felt right now. That is why this federal government is acting now to help our communities and our economy prepare and protect themselves from the threat of climate change. Today’s announcement of 12 projects based in British Columbia under two funding programs supports the vital long-term, community-based work to keep people safe now and into the future.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

“Municipalities are on the front lines of climate change, and they know best what local challenges — and solutions — are affecting local neighbourhoods, transportation and businesses. The 12 projects under the CCAP and CRCC program will help build stronger, more livable communities, providing safety and security in the face of a changing climate. With smart investments, forward planning and active collaboration, we can support communities that are already feeling the impacts of climate change and help make them more sustainable and prosperous for generations to come.”

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change

“Climate change is impacting communities in British Columbia and across Canada. Now is the time to work together and build climate change responses that address current and future problems. By taking the necessary steps today to adapt and build resiliency, we can make more-informed decisions to prepare for and to respond and adapt to climate change impacts.”

Ron McKinnon
Member of Parliament for Coquitlam–Port Coquitlam

“Coastal flooding and rising seas are not exclusively localized issues. Coordinating between First Nations, municipalities and other authorities in the region can increase the effectiveness of coastal resilience actions and help to pool resources. Thanks to the support from the CRCC Program, our B.C. Southern Coastal Regional Climate Collaborative project will help coordinate approaches to address rising sea levels and coastal flooding and implement key regional actions to build the foundation for long-term coastal resilience outcomes across the Pacific North Shore and Sunshine Coast region.”

Ewa Jackson
Managing Director, ICLEI Canada

“Clean energy systems are the future — and this initiative is helping First Nations communities and local governments to push forward on micro-hydro, solar, wind and other renewables that strengthen B.C.’s power grid. Planning infrastructure to withstand severe weather and other impacts of climate change is now a key challenge in building a clean energy future, and we’re happy to help bring together local leaders and experts to meet that challenge.”

David Marshall
Chief Executive Officer, Fraser Basin Council

“Across British Columbia, small, rural and remote communities work every day with extremely limited resources to address the current and anticipated impacts of climate change, often off the side of their desk amidst many competing priorities. As a result of this funding, the CoNext Climate Preparedness Hub will provide direct support to local governments, First Nation governments and their partners to build understanding of the challenges and options for addressing climate impacts and translate this knowledge into action within their organizations and communities.”

Erica Crawford
CoNext Project Lead and Principal, HeronBridge Consulting

“Climate adaptation is a new but urgent challenge, and leading practices are just beginning to emerge. Our CRCC project funded direct conversations with Canadian practitioners to identify the challenges and opportunities they face today, and this learning will inform similar outreach in Oceania, Europe, the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia. We look forward to bringing this snapshot of global adaptation practice today back to Canada to help drive innovation and solutions to this shared threat.”

Dr. Glynis Lough
Global Director of PEERS and Affiliate at the Aspen Global Change Institute

“The far-reaching impacts of recent wildfires — massive emissions and disrupted communities — demand urgent action. This contribution from Natural Resources Canada will foster collaboration across sectors, First Nations and impacted communities in ways that accelerate wildfire adaptation, create jobs, enhance ecosystem resilience and increase public safety.”

Robin Prest
Program Director, Simon Fraser University’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue

“Engineers and Geoscientists BC welcomes this investment that is intended to help protect Canadians from the risks of climate change. In collaboration with the Climate Risk Institute, we are proud to lead the development of a national climate resiliency training program for building sector professionals. Supported by Natural Resources Canada through the CCAP, the training program aims to empower engineers, and other professionals, with the skills and knowledge needed to design and retrofit buildings to help communities become more resilient to the risks associated with a changing climate.”

Heidi Yang, P.Eng.
Chief Executive Officer, Engineers and Geoscientists BC

“The Regional District of Nanaimo is grateful for this generous grant, which we will use to develop an inclusive and collaborative coastal climate adaptation strategy in our region. This strategy will build on the critical work we are already undertaking to prepare for, and respond to, impacts we are seeing on our coast.”

Vanessa Craig
Chair, Regional District of Nanaimo

“In recent years, climate-related impacts have significantly disrupted supply chains. With this funding to develop a climate adaptation plan for the Port of Vancouver, we will work collaboratively with First Nations and stakeholders to identify key climate risks and priority actions needed to enhance port infrastructure and supply chain resiliency. This will help strengthen our position to facilitate Canada’s trade reliably, now and into the future.”

Jennifer Natland
Vice President, Properties and Environment, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority

“Nature-based solutions, like restoring wetlands and adopting green infrastructure approaches, offer powerful ways for Canadian communities to adapt to climate change while unlocking significant social, economic and environmental co-benefits. Yet a lack of understanding of the monetary benefits of these multi-solving solutions means they remain underutilized by local governments. With the support of Natural Resources Canada and our partners, ESSA and All One Sky Foundation are developing a toolkit with clear economic data and guidance to help communities confidently invest in these sustainable, cost-effective strategies to multiple local problems.”

Jimena Eyzaguirre
Climate Change Adaptation Practice Lead, ESSA Technologies Ltd.

“In 2022, we brought together leadership and staff from First Nations and local governments and local agriculture sectors as well as federal and provincial representatives to collectively discuss what a Build Back Better, Together process would look like and to explore how we could work together more effectively in our shared landscape. This funding will support subsequent dialogues as we work toward developing a unified plan for how to maximize resilience in the Lower Mainland.”

Tribal Chief Tyrone McNeil
Chair of the Emergency Planning Secretariat

Quick Facts

The National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) provides a whole-of-society plan focused on protecting Canadian lives and building more resilient and prosperous communities. Canada released its first NAS on June 27, 2023. Achieving the objectives of the NAS requires whole-of-society action. The Government of Canada is working with provinces, territories, Indigenous partners and the private sector to develop innovative technical, financial and operational solutions that will support adaptation action by communities across the economy.Every $1 spent on climate adaptation measures saves up to $15 in terms of the long-term costs involved in mitigating climate change and extreme weather events.Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested more than $6.5 billion in adaptation efforts, including $2.1 billion since fall 2022 to implement the NAS and other adaptation-related activities.The CCAP will help Canada’s regions and sectors to adapt to a changing climate. More specifically, the CCAP aims to:support decision-makers in identifying and implementing adaptation actions;enhance adaptation knowledge and skills among Canada’s workforce; andincrease access to climate change adaptation tools and resources.The CRCC Program supports regional-scale pilot projects on Canada’s three marine coasts —Atlantic, Pacific and North — and in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence region. The program aims to enhance the climate resilience of coastal communities and businesses and to accelerate adaptation to reduce climate change risks and coordinate innovative actions.

Technology

András Szakonyi named CEO of Ferrovial’s Digital Infrastructure Division

Published

28 minutes ago

November 14, 2024

This division targets the high-growth data center market, building on a decade of successful projects for industry leaders

AMSTERDAM, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ferrovial, a leading global infrastructure company, announces the appointment of András Szakonyi as CEO of Digital Infrastructure. Szakonyi brings deep sector expertise, both in data centers and sustainable AI cloud solutions. As divisional CEO, he will strengthen and expand Ferrovial’s presence in a growing sector where it has been developing projects for multinational leaders for more than 10 years in Europe and the Americas.

“Ferrovial brings distinctive expertise in complex data center construction projects. Our proven track record of engineering excellence and value creation positions us well to expand our role as a global investor and developer of digital infrastructure. We welcome András’s leadership in driving our continued success and innovation in this strategic area,” said Ignacio Madridejos, CEO of Ferrovial.

The Digital Infrastructure Division will identify investment opportunities to develop high-value projects in this sector.

András Szakonyi holds an MBA in Finance and Economics from Corvinus University in Budapest and is a graduate of INSEAD Business School’s LEAP (Leadership Excellence through Awareness and Practice Program).

During his extensive professional experience, he has held various international leadership positions. He started his career as a finance professional at General Electric, where he spent six years leading different finance functions in the United States.

Afterward, he spent 21 years in multiple senior leadership roles at Iron Mountain (IRM), a global listed B2B service company based in Boston focusing on data centers and information management services. He played a key role in building Iron Mountain’s data center business in his role as global COO.

Since 2020, he has been a member of the Supervisory Board and Audit Committee of Magyar Telekom (Subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom), a leading Hungarian information and communications technology company.

About Ferrovial

Ferrovial is one of the world’s leading infrastructure companies. The Company operates in more than 15 countries and has a workforce of over 24,000 worldwide. Ferrovial is triple listed on Euronext Amsterdam, the Spanish Stock Exchanges and Nasdaq and is a member of Spain’s blue-chip IBEX 35 index. It is part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and FTSE4Good, and all its operations are conducted in compliance with the principles of the UN Global Compact, which the Company adopted in 2002.

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SOURCE Ferrovial

Technology

2025 Fortune Global Forum to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Published

28 minutes ago

November 14, 2024

Fortune will also hold a Most Powerful Women gathering in Riyadh next year

NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Fortune announced that its 2025 Fortune Global Forum, the premier gathering of CEOs and other leaders of the world’s largest multinational companies, will convene in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, next December. In the spring, Fortune will also hold in Riyadh its first-ever Fortune Most Powerful Women event in the Middle East, an extension of the annual Most Powerful Women summit in the U.S.

This marks the first time since its inception in 1995 that the Fortune Global Forum has taken place in the Saudi capital. The Forum and the MPW event are being held in partnership with the Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority.

“For 30 years, Fortune has been proud to bring the Fortune Global Forum to the frontiers of the business world,” Anastasia Nyrkovskaya, CEO of Fortune, said. “Saudi Arabia is one of those important frontiers. We look forward to connecting leaders of companies across industries from the East and West in Riyadh, an ideal location for our 2025 Fortune Global Forum.”

The Forum has historically been held in major cities at the forefront of global business, including Singapore, Barcelona, Guangzhou, New Delhi, Rome, Hong Kong, Paris, Abu Dhabi, Cape Town, and San Francisco. Earlier this week in New York City, the 2024 Fortune Global Forum included speakers such as former U.S. CIA Directors Mike Pompeo and Leon Panetta; Adena Friedman, Chair and CEO, Nasdaq; Gita Gopinath, First Managing Director, International Monetary Fund; Josh Kushner, Founder and CEO, Thrive Capital; Rob Manfred and Adam Silver, the commissioners of Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association, respectively; John Stankey, CEO, AT&T; Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; Brooke Shields, actor, New York Times bestselling author, and founder of Commence; H.E. Fahd bin Abdulmohsan Al-Rasheed, Advisor, General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, and Chair, Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority; Tom Brady, seven-time world champion; and Wynton Marsalis, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and Managing and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, the site of the Forum, and more.

The Fortune Global Forum fosters impactful discussions among leading executives and other top figures in business, government, and culture and offers valuable insights into international business strategies.

Fortune’s annual Most Powerful Women Summit convenes women leaders from Fortune 500 companies and trailblazers from government, philanthropy, education, sports, and the arts for inspiring conversations, collaboration, and networking. The Riyadh MPW conference will draw women globally who are making significant contributions to business and economic growth.

About Fortune:
Fortune is a global multi-platform media company built on a legacy of trusted, award-winning reporting and information for those who want to make business better. Independently owned, Fortune tells the stories of the world’s biggest companies and their leaders as well as a new generation of innovators who are moving business forward. Digitally and in print, Fortune measures corporate performance through rigorous benchmarks, and holds companies accountable, in regions around the world. Its iconic rankings include Fortune 500, Fortune Global 500, Most Powerful Women, and World’s Most Admired Companies. Fortune builds world-class communities by convening industry thought leaders for exclusive summits and conferences, including the Fortune Global Forum, Brainstorm Tech, Fortune Most Powerful Women. For more information, visit fortune.com.

Media Contacts:
Patrick Reilly
Fortune
Patrick.Reilly@fortune.com

Chelsea Hudson
Fortune
Chelsea.Hudson@fortune.com

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SOURCE Fortune Media (USA) Corporation