San Francisco, CA - April 12, 2017 - Sales Bootcamp, the world’s first immersive sales bootcamp, has acquired Inside Sales Bootcamp and released a free online sales bootcamp for anyone interested in earning their first job in tech sales.
Sales Bootcamp was started in 2015 to help career switchers and recent college graduates acquire the skills and experience necessary to earn entry-level sales jobs in the technology industry. They have focused primarily on in-person sales training in San Francisco and New York City.
Inside Sales Bootcamp was founded in 2016 with a mission to increase diversity within tech and immediately launched in six US cities in addition to creating online workshops and bootcamps.
The acquisition has allowed Sales Bootcamp to quickly accelerate their sales training programs nation-wide by creating a completely free Online Sales Bootcamp for anyone interested in earning a job in tech.
“We have an aggressive growth plan for 2017 and acquiring Inside Sales Bootcamp will help us scale even faster than we originally planned,” says James Nielsen, Founder and CEO of Sales Bootcamp.
Together, the companies have built and released a part-time, online Sales Bootcamp that includes online video training, daily assignments and assessments, personalized 1:1 coaching, online office hours, resume workshops, as well as application and interview training.
The two co-founders of Inside Sales Bootcamp, Mike Duchen and Ryan Reisert, have joined the Sales Bootcamp team and will continue their mission of bringing sales education to anyone willing and motivated to learn.
“We are ecstatic to now be part of the Sales Bootcamp team and continue helping our students earn new jobs at great companies,” says Mike Duchen, CEO of Inside Sales Bootcamp.
Ryan Reisert, the new Lead Instructor of Sales Bootcamp, adds, “From the moment we met the Sales Bootcamp team it was obvious our visions and passion align in making the top priority helping our students learn the skills they need to earn great jobs.”
In addition to their Free Online Bootcamp, Sales Bootcamp offers top graduates a 3-month paid Sales Fellowship where they earn $7,500 and receive an additional 12-weeks of training while working with a Sales Bootcamp partner company.
“We believe Sales Bootcamp is pioneering a new education model that we hope other industries will follow. We teach anyone interested and motivated to learn regardless of financial constraints, geographic location, or academic pedigree,” says Nielsen.
Learn more at http://salesbootcamp.com
Sales Bootcamp Acquires Insides Sales Bootcamp and Launches Free Online Bootcamp
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Qualtrics Raises 180M Funding Round Following Major New Product Launch
Silicon Slopes and Salt Lake City, UT - April 12, 2017 - Qualtrics, the leader in experience management software, today announced it has closed a $180 million funding round at a $2.5 billion valuation. In addition, the company announced the appointment of Murray Demo, CFO of Atlassian, to its board of directors and as chair of its audit committee. The announcement comes just weeks after Qualtrics launched its groundbreaking new product, the Qualtrics XM Platform, a first-of-its-kind product that will revolutionize the experience management (XM) industry that Qualtrics established.
The $180 million round was led by Insight Venture Partners and Accel, with participation from Sequoia Capital. This funding round increases Qualtrics' valuation 2.5 times over its previous valuation in late 2014. This investment also makes Qualtrics the single largest aggregate investment in the history of the Accel's portfolio.
"We have been following Qualtrics since 2010. Each year, they have surpassed aggressive goals and continued to stay cash flow positive. The company has even grown at an accelerating rate over this time, placing them among the best-performing enterprise software companies we've ever worked with," said Ryan Sweeney, partner at Accel and Qualtrics board member. "From a revenue standpoint, Qualtrics is already the size of most public companies and there's room for a lot more growth considering the large and expanding market in which they play. The interest from investors everywhere underscores the notion that Qualtrics is likely the best private software company on the market today — we are very fortunate to be their partner."
"We have a lot of great momentum right now with the launch of the XM Platform. I could not be more proud of the team we have put together. This raise is a great step forward for everyone involved," said Ryan Smith, co-founder and CEO of Qualtrics. "Our investors doubling down is a huge sign of their confidence in the team and the amazing growth ahead of us with experience management."
The funding announcement comes on the heels of Qualtrics establishing the experience management category and launching its XM Platform, which manages the four core experiences of business—customer, employee, product and brand experience—in one single platform. The platform automatically analyzes these touchpoints, helping organizations uncover key business drivers, predict future customer needs, and retain employees and customers.
Video of XM Platform launch
"Qualtrics' is changing the way people work, live, and experience the world. It's the ultimate productivity platform for organizations," said Jeff Lieberman, Managing Director of Insight Venture Partners and Qualtrics board member. "One of the reasons we are so bullish on Qualtrics is that every organization in the world needs an experience management platform. It's a single system of record for all your experience data. Qualtrics is to XM what Salesforce is to CRM—the category king with a product that is mission critical to every organization."
In conjunction with the financing round, Qualtrics will add Murray Demo to its board of directors. Demo is currently Chief Financial Officer at Atlassian, another Accel portfolio company, where he guided the company through its 2015 $4.4 billion initial public offering. Demo previously served as CFO for tech leaders Adobe Systems and Dolby Laboratories. Qualtrics appointed former Apple and Google executive, Kim Scott, to the board in April 2016.
"Qualtrics is an outlier," said Bryan Schreier, partner at Sequoia Capital and Qualtrics board member. "They have delivered accelerating growth at nine-digit revenue numbers all while staying cash flow positive. We're excited to work with the Qualtrics team on their continued market leadership and success."
About Qualtrics:Qualtrics is a single system of record for all experience data, also called X-data™, allowing organizations to manage the four core experiences of business—customer, product, employee and brand experiences—on one platform. Over 8,500 enterprises worldwide, including more than 75 percent of the Fortune 100 and 99 of the top 100 U.S. business schools, rely on Qualtrics. To learn more, and for a free account, please visit www.qualtrics.com.
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HackerEarth Raises 4 5 Million in Series A to Fund Rapid Growth and Expansion
Bangalore, India - April 12, 2017 - HackerEarth, the leading platform for innovation and talent management, has closed a $4.5 million (INR 30 crores) equity investment round. DHI Group, Inc., owner of Dice®, was a key investor in this round with participation from BEENEXT, BEENOS, Digital Garage, and BizReach. HackerEarth’s current investor, Prime Venture Partners, also participated in this round.
With this round, HackerEarth has raised a total of $5 million in equity investment (INR 33 crore) to date. With this fresh infusion of capital, it aims to aggressively grow in the space of Innovation Management. It will also use the funds to strengthen the product team and expand the business internationally. HackerEarth has grown by 5X in the last one year while adding more than 300 customers. HackerEarth recently announced its partnership with Dice®, the leading career site for technology professionals in the U.S. and a service of DHI Group, Inc., and Webstaff in Japan, to sell its two main products, Sprint and Recruit.
HackerEarth, founded by Sachin Gupta and Vivek Prakash in late 2012 has worked with more than 1000 organizations globally. Its two main products for businesses are Sprint and Recruit.
Sprint was launched in 2015 as an Innovation Management tool that enables organizations to drive transformation by involving their employees, partners, customers and the open developer community. Sprint is also gaining active acceptance among non-IT firms and is leveling the playing field for non-technology companies. Some of the world’s foremost companies, including Honeywell, Pitney Bowes, Wipro, Walmart Labs and Intuit have worked with HackerEarth across major industry verticals like financial services, retail, healthcare, and manufacturing. HackerEarth has also worked with state governments, local administration, and NGOs to find solutions to everyday problems.
HackerEarth Recruit allows companies to conduct tests to screen technical candidates. The product allows recruiters to seamlessly create programming tests and remotely evaluate candidates. More than 500 companies have used Recruit for technical assessment like Amazon, DBS, UBS and L&T Infotech. HackerEarth has assessed more than 1 million candidates till now on the Recruit platform.
Supporting Quotes
Sachin Gupta, CEO and Co-founder, HackerEarth
“We are thrilled to add investors to the company who share the same passion and vision for HackerEarth as we do. We have seen rapid growth in the last 4 years and this fresh capital infusion will help us to further accelerate, particularly in the international markets. With HackerEarth Sprint, we have rapidly grown in the space of innovation management, primarily helping companies drive innovation through hackathons. We see good potential in this space and want to invest to grow this business. This is in-line with our ongoing efforts to build a large developer community across the globe and help companies do better talent management.”
Michael Durney, President and CEO of DHI Group, Inc.
“We were thrilled to expand our partnership with HackerEarth and invest in a product which helps tech professionals manage their careers and hiring organizations efficiently verify tech candidates to make the recruiting process more seamless. The employment market for tech professionals remains tight and DHI, together with HackerEarth, are delivering an effective service for professionals and employers to gain an advantage over competitors.”
Teruhide Sato, Founder and Managing Partner of BEENEXT
What I value most about HackerEarth is its great founders with their ambitious vision and passion in this space. As both of co-founders are themselves engineers, they understand what drives an engineer. We value their platform approach by creating a unique community for both developers and businesses to solve the problems of driving innovation and talent management. We are very happy to partner with them in this journey and believe they can be a global player very soon.”
Shripati Acharya, Managing Partner, Prime Venture Partners
“It’s been a tremendous experience to watch HackerEarth grow from a startup to a global leader in Innovation management within 4 years. Innovation is the oxygen of an organization, and HackerEarth provides the products that have become essential to survive and thrive amid technology disruption.”
About HackerEarth
HackerEarth is the leading provider of innovation management software to some of the world’s foremost companies, including Pitney Bowes, Amazon, Walmart Labs, Honeywell and more. HackerEarth has powered innovation and talent management for large enterprises across major industries like financial services, retail, healthcare and manufacturing. HackerEarth empowers businesses to connect with developer community to crowdsource ideas into real-life products and helps them assess technical talent for hiring.
For more information about offerings from HackerEarth, visit https://www.hackerearth.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and on our blog at http://blog.hackerearth.com/.
About BEENEXT
Beenext is a Singapore-based early stage venture capital firm founded by Teruhide Sato. Under the slogan of “A partnership of the founders, by the founders, for the founders”, it has been very active in investments in India and Southeast Asia to support entrepreneurs with an ambitious vision to make a significant impact on society.
About DHI Group, Inc.
DHI Group, Inc. (NYSE: DHX) is a leading provider of data, insights, and employment connections through our specialized services for professional communities including technology and security clearance, financial services, energy, healthcare, and hospitality. Our mission is to empower professionals and organizations to compete and win through expert insights and relevant employment connections. Employers and recruiters use our websites and services to source and hire the most qualified professionals in select and highly-skilled occupations, while professionals use our websites and services to find the best employment opportunities in and the most timely news and information about their respective areas of expertise. For over 25 years, we have built our company on providing employers and recruiters with efficient access to high-quality, unique professional communities, and offering the professionals in those communities’ access to highly-relevant career opportunities, news, tools and information. Today, we serve multiple markets located throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific region.
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Coding Autism Launches to Train Adults with Autism How to Code
Los Angeles, CA - April 11, 2017 - Every year, the number of people diagnosed with autism rises, however there are simply not enough quality programs designed towards training adults with autism with real-world career skills. As a result, too many are either unemployed or working in menial jobs below their skill level. To help adults with autism learn the fundamental skills necessary to secure an entry-level web developer job, Coding Autism has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help fund their training program and allow contributors to provide for scholarships so the entire 15-person first class can attend tuition-free.
Coding Autism’s first web development boot camp is called the ASPIRE Web Development Immersive. This is a 15-week, full-time course where students will be learning the fundamental skills of coding. The first class will take place at Hub 101 in Thousand Oaks, CA (Greater Los Angeles Area) with online classes planned in 2018.
“It is completely unacceptable that our autistic community is experiencing an over 80% unemployment and underemployment rate,” said Oliver Thornton, CEO & co-founder of Coding Autism. “As passionate advocates who have either been diagnosed with autism ourselves or have family members affected with autism, we understand that with the right resources, training, coaching and environment that individuals with autism can thrive in the workforce.”
By founding Coding Autism and launching the ASPIRE Web Development Immersive, Mr. Thornton believes that they can create highly qualified, skilled, and eager to work autistic employees to fill job vacancies in the tech industry.
Research has shown that typical autistic characteristics such as attention to detail, affinity for repetitive tasks and introversion are all traits that lend themselves to becoming a successful employee within the tech industry. With the $50k+ average annual salary for entry-level, full-time web developers, tech is an attractive industry in which to pursue a career.
Over the last decade, companies such as Microsoft and SAP have implemented autism hiring initiatives. This was done not to combat autistic unemployment, but because they have seen that adults with autism can be exceptional employees and drive innovation when provided the right structure, mentorship and on-boarding. Students that want to enroll can sign-up to receive more information at www.CodingAutism.com.
A video can be seen HERE.
About Coding Autism:
Coding Autism is a full-service professional coaching and training company that trains adults on the autism spectrum in professional skills such as software engineering, quality assurance, and web development. We also assist our graduates in finding employment within the software and technology industries. We do so by providing services such as immersive programs and bootcamps, resume workshops, career counseling, interview preparation, and coaching/mentorship, all of which is designed around providing an environment where people on the spectrum can thrive. More information is available at http://www.CodingAutism.com.
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Government of Canada Awards 10-Year Standing Offer and Supply Agreement to Learning Tree International Inc
Herndon, VA - April 13, 2017 - The Government of Canada has awarded Learning Tree International Inc. — the Canadian subsidiary of Learning Tree International, Inc. (OTCQX: LTRE) — a 10-year Standing Offer and Supply Agreement for the provision of individual and departmental training solutions. Through an extensive library of bilingual IT and management courseware, Learning Tree is pleased to be able to offer federal employees full-service, blended learning solutions that fit individual, team, and departmental goals.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said1 that the increasingly competitive global marketplace poses challenges to Canada, but also offers new opportunities. In light of these comments, Brian Green, Senior Vice President, Client Solutions, said, "We are honoured by the continuance of our strategic learning partnership with the Federal Government of Canada as it invests in a world-class workforce and the modernization of its technology infrastructure to complement an ambitious goal of turning Canada into a magnet for investment.”
The standing offer provides commercially available training for individual federal employees, while the supply arrangement provides customized training solutions for private team training or department-wide training initiatives.
About Learning Tree International
Established in 1974, Learning Tree is a leading provider of IT training to business and government organizations worldwide. Learning Tree provides Workforce Optimization Solutions — a modern approach to delivering learning and development services that improves the adoption of skills, and accelerates the implementation of technical and business processes required to improve IT service delivery. These services include: needs assessments, skill gaps analyses, blended learning solutions, and Acceleration Workshops.
Over 2.4 million professionals have enhanced their skills through Learning Tree’s extensive course library including: web development, cyber security, program and project management, Agile, operating systems, networking, cloud computing, leadership, and more.
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Advantexe Launches New Digital Board Game Business Simulation
Conshohocken, PA - April 12, 2017 - Advantexe Learning Solutions, an award-winning global leader in business simulation-centric learning, today announced the launch of a new and innovative digital board game business simulation called The Drivers of Business Performance™.
The Drivers of Business Performance simulation is designed to help learners understand the system of business and how operational decisions impact the financial performance of a company. Through a series of easy-to-understand, focused, and integrated quantitative and scenario-based business decisions, learners experience the systems of business and how operational decisions impact the inflows and outflows of money. Unlike dated, static Business Acumen board games, this dynamic, computer-based simulation:
Immediately shows the cause and effect of business decisions
Visually illustrates in real-time the simulated company’s financial flows
Highlights data and insights of the core drivers of profitability and cash flow
Incorporates gamification tools such as achievement badges and leader boards
Features direct interactions with simulated characters to make learning fun, immersive and more realistic
Embeds online learning modules to introduce key business ideas, terms and concepts in the moment of learning
Leverages artificial intelligence tools to allow auto competitors to adjust strategies and tactics
In the simulation learners make a number of interrelated revenue generation and cost management decisions, having to juggle the trade-offs regarding revenue opportunities and their associated costs. Learners execute a business strategy by setting budgets, prices, and interacting with simulated characters through a series of animated scenarios that cover day-to-day operating challenges and opportunities for a fictitious global company.
“Changing the mindset and building the skills needed to make decisions that impact the business is why I am very excited to launch the new Drivers of Business Performance simulation,” says Robert Brodo, co-founder of Advantexe. “This virtual business simulation was created to help introduce learners to the essential systems of business. We designed the simulation to take the complexity and mystery out of business acumen, help employees at all levels build their business confidence, and better understand the language of business.”
The Drivers of Business Performance can be delivered virtually, as part of a live business acumen learning journey, or as part of a blended solution. The simulation can be launched as is, or Advantexe can fully tailor the program’s business ecosystem and scenarios to a client’s needs. The target audience for the simulation includes any employee needing a clear understanding of how business works and how this knowledge will enable him or her to be more productive and engaged on the job.
Learn More
For more information on The Drivers of Business Performance solution, please contact jim.brodo(at)advantexe(dot)com, click here to download a brochure, or click here to watch our introductory video.
About Advantexe
Advantexe Learning Solutions partners with clients around the world to build the business acumen, leadership, and selling skills needed to execute their business strategies and achieve meaningful business results. Our comprehensive toolkit includes skills assessments, dynamic learning engagements powered by computer-based business simulations, and reinforcement tools that encourage immediate skill application. These elements combine to produce a measurable and lasting impact on our clients’ businesses.
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Ignite Selling Announces Strategic Partnership with USR to Deliver World-Class Sales Coaching
Herndon, VA - April 15, 2017 - Ignite Selling, one of the world's foremost providers of sales training and consulting services and United Sales Resources (USR), a sales leadership coaching and advisory services firm today announced a new strategic partnership. The partnership will combine Ignite Selling’s expertise in sales training and solutions with USR’s market leading sales leadership coaching and advisory services to deliver customized sales training solutions for today’s increasingly competitive and performance oriented workforces.
Together, Ignite Selling and USR are focusing on innovative ways of providing sales coaching to help Sales Managers and Sales Reps understand how to better apply the new skills, process, and knowledge they have learned to improve proficiency more effectively and drive greater revenue more efficiently.Steve Gielda, CEO, Ignite Selling commented, “Our partnership is built on the shared belief that one of the best ways to improve the ROI of any training initiative comes from a Sales Manager’s ability to effectively coach their teams. With USR, we will drive improved proficiency around coaching; allowing Sales Managers to better guide their sales reps to more consistent improved outcomes.”USR’s President, Matt McDarby commented, “We are in an era of hyper-competition, and smart solution providers must partner and innovate together to solve tough problems for our customers. Our partnership with Ignite Selling demonstrates our belief that the future of sales training and performance solutions depends on firms like ours working together to innovate, create new engagement approaches, and break through traditional models to deliver great sales results for our customers.”About Ignite SellingIgnite Selling is a global sales performance improvement company with over eight decades of combined experience in sales, sales coaching, and sales training. With strategic sales consulting and learning alignment approach, Ignite Selling designs custom programs that are unique to their customers’ needs and enable them to achieve their specific business goals. Their programs use Interactive Learning Maps™ and Competitive Sales Simulations to give learners an engaging and relevant learning experience and prepare them for their real-world challenges.About United Sales ResourcesUnited Sales Resources (“USR”) helps large and middle market companies increase sales by providing sales leadership training, coaching, and advisory services. USR works with clients in complex B2B environments to diagnose and pursue opportunities for growth, developing tailored strategies that improve sales performance. Creators of the Deal Coaching Academy™, USR has developed innovative approaches to sales performance problems since 2010. For more information, please contact United Sales Resources at (888) 877-1956, extension 102, or visit www.usr-llc.com.
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Blackstone and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board to Acquire Ascend Learning from Providence Equity Partners and Ontario Teachers Pension Plan
Burlington, MA - April 14, 2017 - Ascend Learning, LLC ("Ascend"), a leading provider of educational content, software and analytics solutions, today announced that private equity funds managed by Blackstone (NYSE: BX) ("Blackstone") and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board ("CPPIB") have signed a definitive agreement to acquire Ascend from private equity funds advised by Providence Equity Partners and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. This transaction is Blackstone's second investment as part of its core private equity strategy, which is specifically designed to hold private equity investments in exceptionally high-quality companies for longer periods of time than traditional private equity funds. CPPIB is a large global institutional investor holding long-term ownership stakes in certain private companies with resilient business models and high-growth potential.
Ascend Learning provides technology-based educational content and software tools for students, educational institutions and employers. The company's products span the full learning continuum and include admissions testing, educational content, test preparation, professional certifications and continuing education. Ascend has a particular focus on high-growth healthcare and other licensure-driven occupations.
"We are excited to work with Blackstone and CPPIB and know their partnership will be a tremendous asset for the next phase of our company's growth," said Greg Sebasky, CEO of Ascend Learning. "We're also grateful for the partnership we've had with Providence and Ontario Teachers' and the outstanding growth we've experienced working with them."
Peter Wilde, Managing Director at Providence Equity, said, "We have enjoyed a long and productive partnership during our ten-year investment in Ascend. Greg and the Ascend team have generated consistent growth while delivering strong outcomes to students and institutions. We are gratified to have played a part in Ascend's success and have no doubt Ascend will continue to grow and innovate."
The transaction is expected to close following customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Barclays acted as lead financial advisor to Ascend and Providence Equity Partners on the transaction, and Bank of America served as co-advisor. Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP acted as legal advisor to Ascend and Providence Equity Partners; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acted as legal advisor to Blackstone and CPPIB; and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP acted as legal advisor to Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan.
About Ascend Learning Ascend Learning is a leading provider of educational content and software tools for students, educational institutions and employers. With products that span the learning continuum, Ascend Learning focuses on high-growth careers in a range of industries, with a special focus on healthcare and other licensure-driven occupations. Ascend Learning products, from testing to certification, are used by physicians, emergency medical professionals, nurses, certified personal trainers, financial advisors, skilled trades professionals and insurance brokers. Learn more at www.ascendlearning.com.
About BlackstoneBlackstone is one of the world's leading investment firms. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our asset management businesses, with over $360 billion in assets under management, include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow Blackstone on Twitter @Blackstone.
About Canada Pension Plan Investment BoardCanada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) is a professional investment management organization that invests the funds not needed by the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) to pay current benefits on behalf of 20 million contributors and beneficiaries. In order to build a diversified portfolio of CPP assets, CPPIB invests in public equities, private equities, real estate, infrastructure and fixed income instruments. Headquartered in Toronto, with offices in Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Mumbai, New York City, São Paulo and Sydney, CPPIB is governed and managed independently of the Canada Pension Plan and at arm's length from governments. At December 31, 2016, the CPP Fund totalled $298.1 billion. For more information about CPPIB, please visit www.cppib.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.
About Providence Equity PartnersProvidence is a premier, global asset management firm with $50 billion in assets under management across complementary private equity and credit businesses. Providence pioneered a sector focused approach to private equity investing with the vision that a dedicated team of industry experts could build exceptional companies of enduring value. Since the firm's inception in 1989, Providence has invested in more than 160 companies and is the leading equity investment firm focused on the media, communications, education and information industries. Providence is headquartered in Providence, RI and also has offices in New York, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore. For more information on Providence Equity, please visit www.provequity.com.
About Ontario Teachers' The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan ("Ontario Teachers'") is Canada's largest single-profession pension plan, with $175.6 billion in net assets as of December 31, 2016. It holds a diverse global portfolio of assets, approximately 80% of which is managed in-house, and has earned an average annualized rate of return of 10.1% since the plan's founding in 1990. Ontario Teachers' is an independent organization headquartered in Toronto. Its Asia-Pacific region office is located in Hong Kong and its Europe, Middle East & Africa region office is in London. The defined-benefit plan, which is fully funded, invests and administers the pensions of the province of Ontario's 318,000 active and retired teachers. For more information, visit http://www.otpp.com and follow us on Twitter @OtppInfo.
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Mobile-Based Firm Designated PXT Select Trusted Advisor
Mobile, AL - April 18, 2017 - MTI Business Solutions has been designated as a PXT Select™ Trusted Advisor, enabling the firm to provide PXT Select™ assessment solutions to organizations throughout North America. PXT Select is a proven and customizable employee selection assessment that empowers organizations with a simple, human, and smart approach to hiring and succession planning. As a PXT Select™ Trusted Advisor, MTI Business Solutions plays an active role in sustaining and promoting the value of assessment solutions and is dedicated to helping organizations build better, more productive and cohesive workforce.
“We are delighted to welcome MTI Business Solutions to our talented network of PXT Select Trusted Advisors,” said Scott Allison, VP of Brand and Director at Wiley. “Their dedication to delivering a simpler solution for hiring and developing top talent significantly contributes to our shared goal of building better workplaces.” According to Randall Olson, Vice President of MTI Business Solutions, PXT Select further extends the firm’s expertise in the area of talent development. Olson states, “PXT Select pairs perfectly with our Everything DiSC and Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team solutions, allowing us to provide clients with a complete suite of strategic validated assessment and talent development tools.”
PXT Select, a Wiley brand, offers superior selection and employee assessment solutions that fill the gap between the résumé and interview while also serving as powerful tools for talent development and succession planning. Powered by the latest advancements in adaptive assessment technology, these research-validated tools provide actionable data about candidates in an easy to understand format that helps simplify and improve hiring processes. By identifying the most suitable candidates, organizations reduce turnover, boost employee engagement, and ultimately invest in improving their workplaces.
About MTI Business Solutions MTI Business Solutions is a leading Gulf Coast-based talent development firm working with clients throughout the United States. MTI provides comprehensive workforce, management and leadership training, assessment and consulting services focused on building better workplaces. The firm is an Authorized Partner for PXT Select™, Everything DiSC™, Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team™ and SixSigma Study. Areas of specialty include HR, management, leadership, team development, employee communication, customer service, sales and more. Learn more at http://mtibusiness.com/ or call 251-478-6848.
About PXT Select™ PXT Select makes the very human decisions about hiring simpler and smarter. Combining over 20 years of research with powerful assessment technology, PXT Select and its intuitive suite of reports help fill the gap between the resume and the interview. This powerful selection assessment provides organizations with actionable data about candidates and employees in a simple to understand format that helps them to interview better and hire smarter. Learn more at www.PXTSelect.com.
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Work Institute Inks Deal With Scarlett Leadership Institute
Franklin, TN - April 18, 2017 - Work Institute, a leader in workforce intelligence, research and consulting, today announced a merger with Scarlett Leadership Institute, a Nashville-based leadership development and education organization. Moving forward under the Work Institute brand, the merger expands upon the company's core services, providing clients a full-service partner for managing human capital, from workforce research to solving the identified issues to create better workplaces.
"Organizations are increasingly looking for partners that use an evidence-based approach to identify and solve problems in their workforce," said Danny Nelms, president of Work Institute. "Adding Scarlett Leadership Institute's expertise to our brand allows us to not only identify and recommend strategies for clients, but to directly provide the solutions to help transform their companies into preferred employers."
Mary Fink, CEO of Scarlett Leadership Institute, will serve as vice president for learning and development for the Work Institute. Fink will oversee leadership programs, including executive and management education programs, custom training and meeting facilitation.
"Work Institute has a strong client roster of today's leading organizations and is great at identifying when they need specific solutions to influence change and improve employee outcomes," said Fink. "Our ability to provide the solutions that produce positive change for companies is a natural fit for the brand."
Scarlett Leadership Institute was founded in 2006 by Joe Scarlett, retired Chairman and CEO of Tractor Supply Company, to leverage the knowledge of today's best business leaders to counsel and teach the next generation with custom programs and courses aimed at mid- and senior-level executives. Prior to joining the Scarlett Leadership Institute in 2006, Fink served as director of Belmont University's Center for Professional Development, and vice president of operations at Williamson Medical Center. For more information about Scarlett Leadership Institute, visit www.scarlettleadership.com.
About Work Institute Work Institute is a leading authority in workforce intelligence, utilizing evidence-based research methods to capture the employee voice and deliver deep insights that uncover "the why" behind employee thoughts, feelings and behaviors to confidently build and implement successful workplace transformation strategies. Key products and solutions include: exit interviews, stay interviews, engagement studies, onboarding studies, recruitment studies, and custom consulting. Partnering with multiple Fortune 500 clients as well as organizations of all sizes, Work Institute helps companies that seek to purposefully improve retention and engagement. For more information about Work Institute, please visit www.workinstitute.com.
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Degreed Enhances Targeted Development Capabilities to Help Employers Close Skill Gaps Via Personalized Mobile Learning Experiences
San Francisco, CA - April 18, 2017 - Degreed, the world’s first career-long learning platform, today announced new features aimed at improving L&D leaders’ ability to personalize learning experiences, and to embed development activities in people’s everyday work and habits.
According to Association for Talent Development (ATD) research, almost 60% of the workforce’s current skill sets do not match shifts in employers’ strategies, goals, markets or business models. As a result, more than three quarters of CEOs recently told PwC that this lack of expertise is a threat to their businesses’ growth. Degreed, on a mission to make all learning matter, is announcing three significant new developments focused on enabling corporate learning and development (L&D) teams to be more agile, more responsive and more cost-effective:
Unique, New Targeted Development™ functionality
Key hires to enhance data science and customer success capabilities
Major upgrades to iOS and Android mobile apps
To help Chief Learning Officers (CLOs) better target their L&D investments at both individual career goals and organizational priorities, Degreed released a major upgrade to its personalization engine. Leveraging BurningGlass labor market data and proprietary machine learning, Degreed’s innovative Targeted Development™ platform automatically aligns the world’s best learning resources with the skills relevant to each employee’s job as well as their professional interests and career goals, and then recommends a daily feed of learning resources focused on building that expertise.
The company’s data science initiatives are already improving personalization and relevance. As Atlassian’s former global head of talent development, Sam Haider, recently told TechTarget, Degreed is helping the collaboration and productivity software developer to improve engagement and knowledge sharing among teams, as well as employees’ perceptions of career growth opportunities.
To support these ongoing efforts, Degreed has also hired James Denmore to lead Degreed’s growing investment in analytics, which includes a team of data scientists with substantial experience applying machine learning and artificial intelligence to L&D. Denmore, Degreed’s Director of Data Science, joined from O’Reilly Media and Safari Books, where he led business intelligence, insights and analytics. Degreed also hired David Verhaag as VP of Client Experience to enhance its ability to help clients drive transformation. Verhaag has previously scaled-up client success operations for SAP SuccessFactors, HireVue and, most recently, Kahuna, a customer engagement platform backed by Sequoia Capital.
Degreed has also launched a substantial update to its iOS and Android apps, bringing more of the full functionality of its award-winning web service to mobile users. With its mobile usage already doubling year-on-year, Degreed’s enhanced mobile apps now enable users to search, browse and access their employers’ learning catalogs alongside Degreed’s 4+ million open learning resources anywhere, anytime, helping organizations fuel their learning cultures every day.
Degreed CEO and co-founder David Blake commented, “Resolving the persistent gap between the skills employees have and the ones they need to move into new roles requires sophisticated personalization and change management capabilities. Our recent product upgrades and the accompanying additions to our team are a giant leap forward in Degreed’s ability to help our clients and users build and recognize the expertise they need for the future.”
About Degreed Degreed is an award-winning learning platform built for the way today's workers really build their expertise. Degreed integrates organizations' internal talent systems with the world's largest ecosystem of open learning resources — millions of courses, videos, articles, books, podcasts and more from thousands of sources. As a result, organizations and their people can discover, curate, share and track all their learning and development, however and wherever they learn. Founded in 2012, Degreed is headquartered in San Francisco with additional offices in Salt Lake City and Amsterdam.
Learn more about Degreed at: Website | Facebook | Google+ | YouTube | LinkedIn | Twitter
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Relias Learning Continues Push Beyond Learning with Purchase of Analytics Provider Care Management Technologies
Cary, NC - April 13, 2017 - Relias Learning, a trusted partner in online analytics, assessments, and learning for the healthcare market, today announced the acquisition of Morrisville, N.C.-based Care Management Technologies (CMT). CMT offers best-in-class, evidence-based behavioral health analytics and decision-support tools to help payers and providers better coordinate care for persons with complex needs. The acquisition complements Relias’ core learning offerings and, along with the assessment tools from recently acquired APS, provides clients with a suite of products to reduce costs, improve care and identify areas for key workforce development.
“CMT’s robust analytics capabilities can help payers and behavioral health providers uncover real insights that lead to improved patient care and measurable improvement in workforce training and management,” said Jim Triandiflou, CEO of Relias Learning. “With CMT, and the recently acquired APS, Relias can now offer clients a unique suite of products that apply analytics, assessments, and learning to get people healthy and help organizations maximize reimbursement.”
CMT boasts broad expertise and extensive experience in behavioral health and advanced technologies. This combination of expertise and experience has enabled the development of proprietary health information technology that is behaviorally health-focused and unique in the marketplace. CMT also offer payers a scalable solution to address less severe behavioral health issues prevalent in their larger populations.
“As part of Relias, we now have the opportunity to use data analysis, not only to drive care but to drive targeted work force development and performance,” explained Carol Clayton,PhD, Translational Neuroscientist for Relias and former CEO of CMT. “Our combined solutions change the equation exponentially, leading to improved consumer outcomes while sustaining and growing an expert workforce.”
Over the past ten years, CMT has developed an extensive array of algorithmic rules based in evidence that promote improvements in care, both behaviorally and medically, including validation of rules that provide predictive, prospective identification of near term preventable hospitalizations and emergency room presentations. These tools, now accessible via CMT's online portal, ProAct, are used by health plans, behavioral health organizations, medical and behavioral health homes and ACO's to support the management of integrated and holistic care across the entire continuum of service settings.
"In an industry where most analytics companies have been attempting to ‘tack’ behavioral health components onto physical health-focused analytics, CMT is the only population health analytics company that I know of that really has had an integrated physical and behavioral health focus since the very beginning,” said Jeff Chang, CEO of PCE Systems and a CMT partner.
Chang continued, “CMT brings real-world expertise and experience to help their clients address the whole health of consumers. This is particularly important given that consumers with combined physical and behavioral health conditions are some of the highest need individuals in the entire healthcare system.”
CMT is one of six acquisitions by Relias since March of 2016. The acquisitions are an integral part of a growth strategy to expand across the continuum of healthcare while also moving beyond compliance to combine analytics, assessments, and learning to help healthcare organization improve performance. In addition, Relias announced in 2016 that it planned to add 450 employees over five years at its Cary, NC headquarters.
About Relias LearningRelias Learning provides online analytics, assessments, and learning for approximately 6,000 healthcare provider organizations across the continuum of care, covering both physical and mental health needs, as well as public safety organizations. Relias offers unrivaled content, provides the ability for clients to create their own content, and allows for the demonstration of skill and performance, all in a singular, powerful learning management system. Learn more about Relias Learning at www.reliaslearning.com.
About CMTCare Management Technologies (CMT) is a data analytics company with broad expertise and extensive experience in using data, evidenced based research and advanced technologies to point to areas of risk for high cost, poor quality care, and provide clinically actionable considerations. CMT works with forward-thinking payer and provider organizations across the nation to address the opportunities and challenges presented by the broad continuum of health population needs—supporting both payer and provider by assisting with managing risk, promoting health and wellness and ensuring efficiency in clinical services and operations. To learn more, please visit http://cmthealthcare.com.
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Training Industry Announces the 2017 Training Outsourcing Companies Watch List
Raleigh, NC - April 21, 2017 - Training Industry has announced its Training Outsourcing Companies Watch List, as part of its mission to continually monitor the training marketplace for the best providers of training services and technologies.
View the 2017 Training Outsourcing Companies Watch List
Selection to the 2017 Training Outsourcing Companies Watch List was based on the following criteria:
Innovative service offerings
Ability to provide services on a global basis
Unique and proven approach to business process outsourcing (BPO) solutions
Profile of clients
“The companies included in Training Industry’s 2017 Training Outsourcing Watch List excel in providing well-rounded and innovative learning services across all industries in the L&D marketplace,” said Ken Taylor, president, Training Industry, Inc. “They represent a combination of several emerging companies and several targeted, established companies, all of which are capable of providing a range of outsourced services.”
Please provide any thoughts or feedback on this list by emailing info@trainingindustry.com.
View the 2017 Training Outsourcing Companies Watch List
About Training Industry, Inc.
Training Industry spotlights the latest news, articles, case studies and best practices within the training industry, and publishes annual Top 20 and Watch List reports covering many sectors of interest to the corporate training function. Our focus is on helping dedicated businesses and training professionals get the information, insight and tools needed to more effectively manage the business of learning.
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Tarena International Inc Signs Strategic Partnership Agreement with Microsoft
Beijing, China - April 20, 2017 - Tarena International, Inc. (NASDAQ: TEDU) ("Tarena" or the "Company"), a leading provider of professional education services in China, today announced that it has signed a multi-project cooperation agreement with Microsoft Corp. ("Microsoft") and will become Microsoft's strategic partner to provide a wide range of education and certification services to universities, adult students and kid students in China.
Pursuant to the partnership agreement, Tarena and Microsoft will work together to provide .Net and H5 technical skills training and certification services to college students, graduates and other individuals. By combining with Microsoft's latest technology and original learning materials, Tarena will further upgrade .Net and Web front end development course to suit different needs of students at all levels. Moreover, the strategic alliance with Microsoft enables Tarena to design and develop the major in data science and artificial intelligence as joint major programs with hundreds of universities and colleges in China. In addition, Tarena invited Microsoft, who is the key founder and donor of a global educational campaign "Hour of Code", to jointly launch and operate "Discovery Cup" National Young People Coding Competition in China. Winners or the graduates who finish Tarena's kid programming course and pass relevant examinations can be awarded the official MTA certificates from Microsoft.
"Microsoft is the world's authority in software, services, devices and solutions," said Shaoyun Han, Founder, CEO and Chairman of Tarena. "Tarena is proud to partner with organizations such as Microsoft, in bringing international tutorial resources and best-in-class IT solutions to universities, driving the university-enterprise cooperation and introducing job skills and opportunities to students. We believe this outstanding cooperation will greatly enhance global competitiveness of Chinese IT professionals and create better career path for youth."
"At Microsoft, we're committed to transforming IT skills required to support social and economic opportunity around the world. We are pleased to work closely with Tarena, who are a leader in the delivery of IT training in China," said Kyle Uphoff, Senior Director, Worldwide Customer & Partner Sales, Microsoft Learning & Readiness. " We are confident that the partnership will support universities in their development of computer science skills for youth in China."
About Tarena International, Inc.
Tarena International, Inc. (NASDAQ: TEDU) is a leading provider of professional education services in China. Through its innovative education platform combining live distance instruction, classroom-based tutoring and online learning modules, Tarena offers professional education courses in twelve IT subjects and three non-IT subjects. Tarena also offers three kid education programs. Its professional education courses provide students with practical skills to prepare them for jobs in industries with significant growth potential and strong hiring demand. Since its inception in 2002, Tarena has trained over 380,000 students, cooperated with more than 690 universities and colleges and placed students with approximately 95,000 corporate employers in a variety of industries. For further information, please visit http://ir.tedu.cn.
About Microsoft
Microsoft is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. For more information about Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), please visit www.microsoft.com.
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KNOLSKAPE and Leaderonomics announce partnership for advanced leadership development solutions in Malaysia
Selangor, Malaysia - April 21, 2017 - KNOLSKAPE, a leading provider of talent transformation solutions for the modern workplace, and Leaderonomics, one of Asia’s leading corporate leadership development companies, announced a strategic partnership for enhanced leadership development programs in Malaysia. The partnership offers Malaysian companies advanced leadership development solutions that contain a blend of technology and traditional learning.
As corporates face newer challenges on account of digitalization, globalization, changing workforce dynamics, and a world driven by hyper-competition, companies across the globe are increasingly realizing the need to complement their existing leadership development programs with technology enabled learning accelerators. Realizing this need, KNOLSKAPE and Leaderonomics aim to provide organizations with blended solutions – leadership expertise powered by experiential technologies such as simulations and gamification.
“Over the last few years, we’re seeing a growing adoption of digital learning solutions and experiential technologies in order to accelerate talent transformation,” said Rajiv Jayaraman, Founder & CEO of KNOLSKAPE. “To provide an unmatched experience to customers, we are thrilled to partner with Leaderonomics – a company that has tremendous expertise, an impressive track record and a great reputation in the leadership development space.”
Within a very short period of forging the partnership, both companies have seen an extremely fast market adoption for the combined solution. According to Roshan Thiran, Founder & CEO at Leaderonomics, “We believe in being at the forefront of experiential solutions for leadership development, and the partnership with KNOLSKAPE is a step forward in driving this vision. We are extremely excited about being part of the forefront of the future with the integration of technology, development and learning.”
About KNOLSKAPE
KNOLSKAPE is a Modern Workplace Learning company that uses experiential technologies to accelerate learning, transform employee experience and boost productivity across four key areas: Leadership Development, Sales Effectiveness, Digital Transformation and Frontline Development.
More than 200 clients in 17 countries have benefited from KNOLSKAPE's award-winning experiential solutions. Using business simulations, gamification, mobile, social, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and machine learning, KNOLSKAPE delivers transformative learning experience for the modern learner, rich analytics for the HR teams and improved performance for the organization.
KNOLSKAPE is a 110+ strong team with offices in Singapore, India and the UAE, serving a rapidly growing global client base across industries spanning banking and finance, consulting, IT, FMCG, retail, manufacturing, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, engineering, auto, government and academia.
KNOLSKAPE is a global Top 20 gamification company, recipient of Brandon Hall awards, and has been recognized as a disruptor in the learning space by Bersin@Deloitte.
About Leaderonomics
Leaderonomics is a social enterprise with the aim of transforming developing nations through leadership development. We believe in the science of building leaders and we achieve this thorough our corporate, community and content channels.
As winners of the HR Vendor of the Year Awards Malaysia (2016) for Best Leadership Development Consultant (Gold), Best Management Training Provider (Gold), and Best Learning Management System (Silver), Leaderonomics continues to provide top organizations across Asia with services that span the full spectrum of organizational learning, talent assessment and acceleration, executive coaching and consulting, and culture transformation. Leaderonomics also provides leadership development content through its flagship site – www.leaderonomics.com.
The organization’s community arm is involved with ongoing leadership development in schools, campuses, and youth in developing nations. For more information please visit www.leaderonomics.org.
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EVERFI Acquires Online Compliance Training Leader Workplace Answers
Washington, D.C. - April 20, 2017 - Today, EVERFI, Inc., the nation's leading education technology innovator, announced the acquisition of online compliance training company Workplace Answers. The acquisition expands EVERFI's commitment to solving complex prevention and workforce challenges through interactive, scalable education solutions.
"Nearly a decade ago, EVERFI was founded on the conviction that we could harness innovative, digital education to engage learners on the largest and most intractable social issues of our times - from financial education and diversity, to sexual assault and harassment prevention," said EVERFI CEO Tom Davidson. "By bringing Workplace Answers into the EVERFI Network we have become the world's largest company committed to empowering learners at every stage of their lives, from the classroom to the boardroom."
The acquisition of Workplace Answers, also includes their Campus Answers brand, which provides faculty and staff training around critical campus issues like sexual harassment prevention training. The combined company will now serve over 1,700 campuses and provide them access to the Campus Prevention Network, a nationwide initiative committed to creating safer, healthier communities. Through the Campus Prevention Network, schools across the country will take a pledge to adopt the highest standards of prevention related to critical health and safety challenges, including sexual assault and alcohol abuse, and to assess the progress and impact of their efforts.
"Workplace Answers and EVERFI share the same philosophy of engaging the learner and putting the customer at the center of product innovation," said Girish Pashilkar, CEO of Workplace Answers, LLC. "As we considered growth strategies for Workplace Answers, I felt confident that being acquired by EVERFI would allow us to significantly amplify our impact in critical areas such as preventing corruption, discrimination and sexual violence. Additionally, EVERFI's inclusive and purpose-driven culture would continue to provide a thriving work environment for our talented employees."
"Through the Campus Prevention Network, EVERFI is creating a powerful community dedicated to using evidence-based best practices, data, and scalable training to take on some of the toughest challenges facing colleges and universities," said Preston Clark, President of EVERFI's Higher Education and Corporate Compliance divisions. "The addition of Workplace Answers reaffirms our commitment to support schools and companies in this important work, and accelerates the incredible momentum driving progress across the country."
About EVERFI
EVERFI is the leading education technology company that provides learners of all ages education for the real world, through innovative and scalable digital learning. Founded in 2008, EVERFI is fueled by its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscription model and has certified over 16 million learners in critical skill areas. Some of America's leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EVERFI investors including ReThink, Advance Publications, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Twitter founder Evan Williams, and Google Chairman Eric Schmidt. The EVERFI Education Network powers more than 4,200 customers in their education initiatives across all 50 states and Canada. Learn more at EVERFI.com
About Workplace Answers
Since 1997, Workplace Answers (WPA) has helped companies across the globe foster ethical, inclusive and secure workplaces with online compliance training. In 2014, WPA launched its Campus Answers division, to serve the higher education market. In 2015 WPA acquired Click 4 Compliance to expand its training offerings to include anti-bribery, FCPA, export and antitrust.
With a full-range of courses translated in over 50 languages, WPA has a complete online training library that solves corporate compliance challenges across organizations. WPA's unique story based learning approach and global deployment capabilities is why Fortune 500 corporations across the world trust Workplace Answers for their online compliance training needs.
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How an Employee-Led Giving Program Supports Employee Engagement
Raleigh, NC - April 21, 2017 - As the country marks National Volunteer Week (April 23-29), one Raleigh-based company says they've found that empowering employees to make decisions about a company's philanthropic work leads to improved employee engagement and increased charitable giving.
Training Industry, Inc. employs 20 staff at its Raleigh office. It supports organizational giving through an employee-led volunteering and philanthropy program, which empowers team members to make decisions about how the company supports its community.
During National Volunteer Week, the team will coordinate a blood drive for employees and corporate neighbors at the Northchase office buildings (Six Forks Road, Raleigh) in cooperation with the American Red Cross, on Tuesday, April 25. The drive will support the constant need for blood at local hospitals.
Also during this week, Training Industry is partnering with Activate Good to volunteer with Note in the Pocket. Twelve employees will volunteer at the nonprofit, sorting clothing donations for Wake County children in need.
Other ongoing projects include cooking and serving dinner at the Ronald McDonald House in Durham and collecting donations for organizations including a local elementary school and HANDmeUPs, a thrift store that employs adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“Our corporate volunteer program began with the Ronald McDonald House, a longtime friend of our company,” said Doug Harward, founder and CEO, Training Industry, Inc. “It’s expanded over the last few years as employees have identified other local needs. I’m proud of how the company has developed into a significant supporter of the Raleigh community.”
“At Training Industry, we know that volunteering is an effective way to engage employees,” said Ken Taylor, president, Training Industry, Inc. “Not only does data support this, but our own experience as well, as we’ve seen employees take ownership of the projects that are important to them.”
Training Industry's giving and volunteering plans for the remainder of the year already include supporting the Ronald McDonald House and sponsoring a family during the holiday season.
About Training Industry, Inc.
Training Industry spotlights the latest news, articles, case studies and best practices within the training industry on TrainingIndustry.com. Our focus is on helping dedicated businesses and training professionals get the information, insight and tools needed to more effectively manage the business of learning.
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Hallcon Corporation Announces the Acquisition of Transportation Certification Services and Rail Temps
Lenexa, KS - April 21, 2017 - Hallcon Corporation, the premier North American provider of outsourced transportation services in the public and private transit sectors, today announced the acquisition of Transportation Certification Services, Inc. (TCS) and Rail Temps, Inc. (RTI), based in Overland Park, Kansas. The two companies together are the premier providers of training, certification, consulting, regulatory compliance, and staffing for the rail and transit industries.
“As part of Hallcon’s continued growth and diversification, adding the unique capabilities of TCS and RTI to our portfolio of services will position Hallcon for entry into new markets and geographies within public and private transit, and will expand the value and expertise we provide to our existing customers and enhance opportunities for our people,” said Tony G. Plut, President and CEO of Hallcon.
Terese Jones, President of TCS, will lead and integrate this new line of business as part of the overall company. She will also become a member of Hallcon’s Corporate Executive Team. “I am excited to join forces with the leadership team at Hallcon to drive new growth opportunities and leverage our capabilities in building an even greater company for the benefit of all of our customers. This transaction provides tremendous potential for the overall companies’ growth, with expanded services and capabilities, and creates new opportunities for our collective teams,” said Terese Jones.
Hallcon Corporation is supported by a strong group of investors and partners, including NOVACAP, a Canadian leader in private equity.
ABOUT HALLCON With corporate offices in Lenexa, Kansas, Toronto, Ontario, and South San Francisco, California, Hallcon provides a broad portfolio of outsourced transportation services in private and public transit, including solutions for the rail, oil and gas, technology, airport, commuter bus and rail, and university transportation sectors. Hallcon provides rail crew transports, technology employee commuter transports, motorcoach and transit vehicle cleaning, train station cleaning, station attendant services, airport parking and rental car shuttles, university staff and student transportation, and dispatch and operations center management. More information can be found at http://www.hallcon.com.
ABOUT NOVACAP Founded in 1981, NOVACAP is a leading Canadian private equity firm with over $1.6 billion of assets under management. The Firm’s unique investment approach, based on deep operational expertise and an active partnership with entrepreneurs, has helped accelerate growth and created long-term value for its numerous investee companies. With an experienced management team and substantial financial resources, NOVACAP is well positioned to continue building world-class companies. For more information, visit http://www.novacap.ca.
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MindToolscom Wins Queens Award for Enterprise
London, U.K. - April 24, 2017 - UK-based MindTools.com is celebrating a prestigious double success after winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
Mind Tools is one of the world’s foremost providers of online leadership, management and career skills training, with more than 27 million users in 160 countries.
The company has grown rapidly in recent years, and now generates more than 80 per cent of its revenue from overseas. That success has been recognised with a 2017 Queen’s Award for Enterprise, for outstanding achievement in International Trade.
A Queen’s Award is regarded as a “knighthood” for a business, and is the highest official UK award for British business.
It is the second award Mind Tools has scooped recently, coming just two months after it earned a rare Investors in People Gold standard, which recognises its excellence as an employer, and its commitment to people management.
Mind Tools CEO James Manktelow said: “This is a huge honour for Mind Tools, and it’s something we are very proud of. This Queen’s Award recognises three years of exceptional export growth. I’m very proud of the extraordinary hard work that our people put in every day, and this award reflects their wonderful efforts.”
It is the second time that the company has won a Queen’s Award; it earned its first award in 2012, when it employed just eight people. It now employs more than 40 people in Sussex and London, and has contractors in other parts of the world, including France, South Africa, India and the USA.
The award caps an amazing year for Mind Tools, which is also celebrating the first anniversary of its move into its state-of-the-art head office in Sussex, UK.
Mind Tools serves more than 27 million visitors to its website, and offers management, leadership and career skills training to individual and corporate clients worldwide. Its corporate clients include the BBC, Mastercard, the Metropolitan Police, the European Space Agency, and Travis Perkins.
Who we are, and what we do:
Mind Tools has a huge, positive impact on the working lives of millions of people around the world.
Our mission is to become the world’s favourite place to learn leadership, management and personal effectiveness skills, and we’ve worked towards this mission for the last 20 years. By doing this, and by helping more than 27 million people each year how to use the best people management and leadership practices, we help them to be great bosses, have happy successful careers, and contribute positively to the success of their organisations.
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Upland Software Announces Acquisition
Austin, TX - April 24, 2017 - Upland Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: UPLD), a leader in cloud-based Enterprise Work Management software, today announced that it has acquired RightAnswers, Inc., an award-winning, cloud-based knowledge management system. Upland today also raised its 2017 guidance to reflect the RightAnswers acquisition and raised its long-term Adjusted EBITDA margin target to 40%.
“We are pleased to welcome RightAnswers and their valued customers and partners to Upland,” said Jack McDonald, Chairman and CEO of Upland Software. “This strategic acquisition is a great product addition for current Upland customers looking to enhance their customer service, IT support, and enterprise-wide collaboration capabilities.”
“We’re excited to join Upland both because of the great product fit, and because of our shared vision of 100% customer success,” said Jeff Weinstein, President and CEO of RightAnswers. “The opportunity to leverage the UplandOne operating platform to amplify our product innovation, service, and support make this a great transaction for RightAnswers’ customers and partners,” said Mark Finkel, Chairman and Founder of RightAnswers.
The purchase price paid for RightAnswers was $17.2 million in cash at closing, net of cash acquired, and a $2.5 million cash holdback payable in one year (a portion of which is available to satisfy indemnification claims). The foregoing excludes any potential future earn-out payments tied to additional performance-based goals. Upland expects the acquisition to generate annual revenue of approximately $9 million, subject to reductions for a deferred revenue discount as a result of GAAP purchase accounting. The acquisition is within Upland’s target range of 5-8x pro forma Adjusted EBITDA and will be immediately accretive to Upland’s Adjusted EBITDA per share.
Business Outlook
Upland today also announced that it has raised its full year 2017 guidance to reflect the RightAnswers acquisition, raising revenue, recurring revenue, and Adjusted EBITDA guidance ranges. The increase in 2017 revenue guidance below is net of an estimated $1.7 million reduction for a deferred revenue discount as a result of GAAP purchase accounting and all guidance adjustments are prorated for an effective closing date of April 30, 2017.
For the full year ending December 31, 2017, Upland expects reported total revenue to be in the range of $87.0 to $91.0 million including recurring revenue in the range of $76.0 to $79.0 million, for growth in recurring revenue of 19% at the mid-point over the year ended December 31, 2016. For the full year ending December 31, 2017, Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in the range of $26.0 to $29.0 million, for an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 31% at the mid-point, representing growth of 118% at the mid-point over the year-ended December 31, 2016.
Finally, Upland today raised its long-term Adjusted EBITDA margin target from 35% to 40%.
“We are today raising our long-term Adjusted EBITDA margin target to 40% to reflect the increased customer loyalty and operating efficiency we are seeing with UplandOne and as we scale,” said Mr. McDonald.
About Upland Software
Upland Software (Nasdaq: UPLD) is a leading provider of cloud-based Enterprise Work Management software. Our family of applications enables users to manage their projects, professional workforce and IT investments, automate document-intensive business processes and effectively engage with their customers, prospects and community via the web and mobile technologies. With more than 2,500 customers and over 250,000 users around the world, Upland Software solutions help customers run their operations smoothly, adapt to change quickly, and achieve better results every day. To learn more, visit www.uplandsoftware.com.
About RightAnswers
RightAnswers is a leading provider of cloud-based knowledge management, enterprise knowledge search, and social knowledge software for improving customer service, IT support, and enterprise-wide collaboration. RightAnswers’ flagship product, the Enterprise Knowledge Hub, promotes knowledge-sharing across organizations, increasing employee engagement and overall productivity and efficiency. RightAnswers’ 200+ clients around the globe use RightAnswers seamlessly integrated with their CRM, ITSM or other enterprise software to provide outstanding customer experiences while saving millions of dollars a year.
Signal Hill advised RightAnswers on the transaction.
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