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LivePerson Announces New Board Nominee and Additional Board of Directors Refreshment

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Enters into a Cooperation Agreement with Vector Capital Management, the Company’s Largest Shareholder

Continues Planned Board Refreshment through a Collaborative Process to Add New Directors

NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — LivePerson, Inc. (Nasdaq: LPSN) (the “Company”), the enterprise leader in digital-first customer conversations, has entered into a cooperation agreement (the “Cooperation Agreement”) with Vector Capital Management, L.P. (collectively with its affiliates, “Vector”), which owns approximately 12% of the Company’s outstanding common stock.

As part of the Company’s ongoing process to refresh its board of directors (the “Board”), the Company is pleased to announce its plan to nominate Dan Fletcher, the Chief Financial Officer of Planful, a portfolio company of Vector, as one of the Company’s two nominees for election to the Board at the Company’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, in accordance with the Cooperation Agreement. Mr. Fletcher brings extensive industry experience and operational expertise to the Company, which will help advance the Company’s strategic objectives, and  ultimately, its goal to enhance shareholder value. Additionally, following the conclusion of the Company’s 2024 Annual Meeting, the Board will appoint an additional director to be identified in cooperation with Vector, having relevant experience to further complement the existing Board and to support the Company’s business and value creation goals.

“The Company’s Board and management remain focused on enhancing the Board with new directors who bring skills, expertise and industry experience to support the execution of the Company’s strategy, with the goal of producing long-term value for all shareholders,” said Jill Layfield, Chair of the Board. “We are pleased to nominate Mr. Fletcher, as well as to strengthen alignment with our largest shareholder. We believe our new board members will provide significant value, bringing additional operational expertise and industry experience to support our commitment to long-term value creation for all shareholders.”

Alex Slusky, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of Vector, added, “As the Company’s largest shareholder, we appreciate the collaborative relationship with the Company that has resulted in this agreement. The Board’s nomination of Mr. Fletcher reinforces our confidence in the Company’s corporate governance and management, and demonstrates its receptivity to shareholder input. Our shared objective is to contribute our experience and industry knowledge to support LivePerson’s turnaround and delivery of enhanced value for all shareholders.”

Pursuant to the terms of the Cooperation Agreement, Vector has agreed to certain customary standstill and mutual non-disparagement provisions. Vector has also agreed to a voting commitment and related provisions in connection with the Cooperation Agreement. The complete Cooperation Agreement will be included as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K, which will be filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

About LivePerson, Inc.

LivePerson, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPSN) is the enterprise leader in digital customer conversations. The world’s leading brands — including HSBC, Chipotle, and Virgin Media — use our award-winning Conversational Cloud platform to connect with millions of consumers. We power nearly a billion conversational interactions every month, providing a uniquely rich data set and AI-powered solutions to accelerate contact center transformation, supercharge agent productivity, and deliver more personalized customer experiences. Fast Company named us the #1 Most Innovative AI Company in the world. To talk with us or our AI, please visit liveperson.com.

About Vector Capital Management, L.P.

Vector Capital is a leading, San Francisco-based investment firm focused on transformational investments in middle market technology and technology-enabled businesses. Founded in 1997, Vector manages over $4 billion of capital across its credit and private equity strategies on behalf of a high-quality group of global limited partners. For over 27 years, Vector Capital has invested in technology businesses concurrent with implementing an operational transformation to deliver breakthrough operational and financial results.  For more information, please visit www.vectorcapital.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release regarding the Company that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements and are being made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual events or results may differ materially from our expectations. Some of the factors that could cause events or results to differ from our expectations include, without limitation, our ability to execute on and deliver our current business and product plans and goals, and the other factors described in the “Risk Factors” sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 4, 2024 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, filed with the SEC on August 7, 2024. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

Important Additional Information

The Company intends to file a proxy statement and a GOLD universal proxy card with the SEC in connection with the 2024 Annual Meeting, which is scheduled to be held on November 4, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time via a live audio webcast at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/LPSN2024. STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO READ SUCH PROXY STATEMENT, ACCOMPANYING GOLD UNIVERSAL PROXY CARD AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE 2024 ANNUAL MEETING. Stockholders will be able to obtain the Company’s proxy statement, any amendments or supplements to the proxy statement and other documents filed by the Company with the SEC at no charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies will also be available at no charge at the Company’s website at https://ir.liveperson.com/.

Participant Information

The Company, its directors and John D. Collins, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, are deemed to be “participants” (as defined in Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s stockholders in connection with the matters to be considered at the 2024 Annual Meeting. Information about the compensation of our named executive officers and our non-employee directors is set forth in the section titled “Item 11. Executive Compensation” in the Company’s Amendment No. 1 to its Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed on April 29, 2024 (the “2023 Form 10-K/A”), beginning on page 11, and available here. Information regarding the participants’ holdings of the Company’s securities can be found in the section titled “Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters” beginning on page 45 of the 2023 Form 10-K/A and available here. As applicable, supplemental information regarding the holdings of the Company’s securities can be found in the SEC filings on Forms 3, 4 and 5, and as referenced in the table below, and such filings are or will be available on the Company’s website available here or through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Updated information regarding the identity of participants, and their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be set forth in the section titled “Ownership of Securities” of the Company’s proxy statement on Schedule 14A and other materials to be filed with the SEC in connection with the 2024 Annual Meeting.

Directors

Name

Ownership

Filing Date

Filing Type

Hyperlink

John Sabino

(Chief Executive Officer)

3,354,839

03/19/2024

Form 4

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1102993/000110299324000052/xslF345X05/wk-form4_1710898450.xml


Executive Officers

Name

Ownership

Filing Date

Filing Type

Hyperlink

John D. Collins

(Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer)

1,127,604

09/24/2024

Form 4

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1102993/000110299324000129/xslF345X05/wk-form4_1727220784.xml

Media Contact:

Mike Tague
mtague@liveperson.com

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SOURCE LivePerson, Inc.

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SK keyfoundry expands high-voltage foundry services portfolio with the launch of HVIC process technology

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SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — SK keyfoundry, an 8-inch pure-play foundry in Korea, announced today that it has expanded and enhanced its high-voltage foundry services portfolio with the launch of HVIC (High Voltage Integrated Circuit) process technologies.

SK keyfoundry’s HVIC process is characterized by implementing 5V logic, 25V high-voltage devices, 650V+ nLDMOS (Lateral Double diffused MOS), and 650V+ Bootstrap diode in one process, enabling customers to reduce external devices and design various high-voltage functions on a single chip, and is expected to contribute to improving customer product competitiveness by securing high current performance in the case of the 25V high-voltage devices and 650V nLDMOS devices included. In addition, non-volatile devices, MTP (Multi Time Program) IP and OTP (One Time Program) IP, are provided as an option, enabling customers to change various product specifications in one design.

With this HVIC process development, SK keyfoundry expands its high-voltage lineup to include gate driver products in the 650V to 1200V range, in addition to its existing lineup of 200V and lower products in the high-voltage BCD (Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS) process and ultra-high voltage products above 1500V with the Thick IMD (Inter Metal Dielectric) option. In particular, this process meets the automotive quality standard AEC-Q100 Class 1, making it suitable for automotive motor drivers and OBCs for electric vehicles, and is expected to enable business expansion into various applications where demand is projected to increase in the future, such as solar inverters.

Major products using HVIC process include gate driver ICs for high voltages that take control signals from an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) and directly drive gates such as high-voltage MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) or IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor), which are used in a variety of power products, including motor drives for large white goods, voltage converters for data servers, automotive motor drives and OBCs (On Board Charger), and industrial motor drives.

“The launch of our HVIC process technology is significant as it strengthens our competitiveness in the large home appliance and automotive motor markets,” said Derek D. Lee, CEO of SK keyfoundry. “As we continue to expand our HVIC portfolio, we will continue to build on our technology advantage for a variety of applications, including gate driver ICs for next-generation power semiconductor high-voltage devices.”

About SK keyfoundry

Headquartered in Korea, SK keyfoundry provides specialty Analog and Mixed-Signal foundry services for semiconductor companies to serve a wide range of applications in the consumer, communications, computing, automotive and industrial industries. With a broad range of technology portfolios and process nodes, SK keyfoundry has the flexibility and capability to meet the ever-evolving needs of semiconductor companies across the globe. Please visit https://www.skkeyfoundry.com for more information.

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SOURCE SK keyfoundry.

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Voler Strategic Advisors Takes Home Six Awards at the 20th Annual Davey Awards

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 The fast-growing communications firm wins one gold and five silver awards in video and corporate identity categories.

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Voler Strategic Advisors is thrilled to announce it has been named a multiple winner at the prestigious 20th Annual Davey Awards. The firm secured a remarkable six awards across various categories, solidifying its position as a leader in creative and strategic communications.

The Davey Awards celebrate the best work from creative agencies of all sizes, including boutique firms like Voler Strategic Advisors. The international competition recognizes excellence in various fields, including Video, Advertising & Marketing, Mobile Apps & Sites, Social Media, Branded Entertainment, Emerging Tech, and Podcasts.

“We are incredibly honored to be recognized six times at the Davey Awards,” said Perla Rodriguez, CEO, at Voler Strategic Advisors. “This achievement is a testament to our team’s dedication, creativity, and strategic expertise.”

Voler Strategic Advisors won recognition in the following Davey Awards categories:

Film/Video-Social Good, Gold 2024Film/Video-General-Education, Silver 2024 (2 separate awards)Film/Video Campaign-Schools & Universities, Silver 2024Corporate Identity-Logos, Silver 2024Film/Video-Non-Profit, Silver 2024

Rolando Bonilla, Chief Strategy Officer, at Voler Strategic Advisors, remarked, “This recognition fuels our commitment to delivering exceptional results. Our team is passionate about building impactful campaigns for our clients, nearly all of which are public-serving institutions. We are proud that three of these six awards were for bilingual projects in Spanish and English that engaged diverse audiences.”

The Davey Awards are judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), an exclusive group of top professionals from leading brands, media agencies, and marketing firms, including Spotify, Nissan, Tinder, Condé Nast, Disney, Microsoft, and many others. Visit aiva.org for more information.

Voler Strategic Advisors has been lauded as one of Silicon Valley’s fastest-growing communications firms–it has doubled in size in recent months, hiring across its leadership, strategic communications, and video teams.

About Voler Strategic Advisors: Headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley, Voler Strategic Advisors is a full-service strategic communications firm offering public relations, crisis management, and communications strategies that help organizations achieve their full potential. Learn more at: https://volersa.com/ 

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SOURCE Voler Strategic Advisors

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SK hynix Announces 3Q24 Financial Results

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Revenues at 17.5731 trillion won, operating profit at 7.03 trillion won, net profit at 5.7534 trillion won – all reaching new recordsAchieving best-ever quarterly performance with increasing high value-added product sales based on no.1 AI Memory technologyStrong demand of memory for AI servers – HBM’s share of DRAM revenues in Q3 marks 30% and forecast to be 40% in Q4Company to lead the global AI memory market again next year promoting long-term growth by securing both business stability and profitability

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — SK hynix Inc. (or “the company”, www.skhynix.com) announced today that it recorded 17.5731 trillion won in revenues, 7.03 trillion won in operating profit (with an operating margin of 40%), and 5.7534 trillion won in net profit (with a net margin of 33%) in the third quarter this year.

Quarter revenues marked all-time high, exceeding the previous record of 16.4233 trillion won in the second quarter of this year by more than 1 trillion won. Operating profit and net profit also far exceeded the record of 6.4724 trillion won and 4.6922 trillion won in the third quarter of 2018 during the semiconductor super boom.

SK hynix emphasized that the demand for AI memory continued to be strong centered on data center customers, and the company marked its highest revenue since its foundation by expanding sales of premium products such as HBM and eSSD. In particular, HBM sales showed excellent growth, up more than 70% from the previous quarter and more than 330% from the same period last year.

As sales increased mainly on highly profitable premium products, the average selling price (ASP) of both DRAM and NAND rose in the mid 10% range compared to the previous quarter, which made the company mark the highest operating profit.

While the demand of memory for AI servers such as HBM and eSSD has grown noticeably this year, the company predicts that this trend will continue next year. This is because generative AI is developing into a multi-modal1 form and global big tech companies continue to invest to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI)2.

1Multi-modal: AI service that can understand multiple complex information such as text, photos, voice, video, etc.

2Artificial General Intelligence: Artificial intelligence that implements human-like or higher intelligence with a computer

SK hynix also forecasts that the PC and mobile product markets, which had been slow to recover demand compared to memory for AI servers, will be on a steady growth path as well next year as AI memories optimized for each device are released.

As a result, the company will continue to focus on profitability by increasing sales centered on high value-added products based on its world-leading technology in AI memory.

In the DRAM area, SK hynix is continuing the rapid transition from existing HBM3 to HBM3E 8-layer products. The company also plans to start supplying 12-layer HBM3E products, which were mass-produced last month, in the fourth quarter as scheduled. This makes HBM sales, which accounted for 30% of total DRAM revenues in the third quarter, expected to reach 40% in the fourth quarter.

For NAND, the company plans to expand sales of high-capacity eSSD, which is rapidly increasing market demand, while focusing on investment efficiency and production optimization.

“SK hynix has solidified its position as the world’s No.1 AI memory company by achieving the highest business performance ever in the third quarter of this year.” said Kim Woohyun, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at SK hynix. “We will continue to maximize profitability while securing stable revenues by taking flexible product and supply strategies in line with market demand.”

 3Q24 Financial Results (K-IFRS)

*Unit: Billion KRW

3Q24

QoQ

YoY

2Q24

Change

3Q23

Change

Revenues

17,573.1

16,423.3

7 %

9,066.2

94 %

Operating
Profit

7,030

5,468.5

29 %

-1,792

Turn to profit

Operating
Margin

40 %

33 %

7%p

-20 %

60%p

Net Income

5,753.4

4,120

40 %

-2,184.7

Turn to profit

Financial information of the earnings is based on K-IFRSPlease note that the financial results discussed herein are preliminary and speak only as of October 24, 2024. Readers should not assume that this information remains operative at a later time.

About SK hynix Inc.

SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world’s top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (“DRAM”), flash memory chips (“NAND flash”) and CMOS Image Sensors (“CIS”) for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company’s shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxemburg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.

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SOURCE SK hynix Inc.

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