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Industrial Defender Opens European Office in the Netherlands to Meet Increasing Global Demand for OT Cybersecurity

Industrial Defender

Industrial Defender, the leader in OT cybersecurity, today announced its expansion into Europe to meet increasing demands for industrial security in the region. Their new office, located in the Netherlands, will service a variety of critical industries across the entire EMEA region, including utilities, oil & gas, manufacturing, rail, maritime and water companies. “The desire for OT cybersecurity solutions in Europe has grown tremendously over the past few years, and we’re committed to providing a local team on the ground to meet this increasing demand,” said Dario Lobozzo, Managing Director EMEA. “This expansion ensures that our growing customer base in the region has access to the resources they need to run a successful ICS cybersecurity program.” As part of its effort to help European companies reach their highest level of cyber resilience possible during this time of escalating cyberthreats, Industrial Defender is offering critical infrastructure companies in region a complimentary OT cybersecurity strategy review through the end of March. The company is also actively hiring additional cybersecurity professionals in Europe. Interested candidates can explore open positions here: https://www.industrialdefender.com/careers/ To learn more about Industrial Defender’s European presence or to request a complimentary OT cybersecurity strategy review, reach out at https://www.industrialdefender.com/speak-with-an-ot-security-architect/. About Industrial Defender Since 2006, Industrial Defender has been solving the challenge of safely collecting, monitoring, and managing OT asset data at scale, while providing cross-functional teams with a unified view of security. Their specialized solution is tailored to complex industrial control system environments by engineers with decades of hands-on OT experience. Easy integrations into the broader security and enterprise ecosystem empower IT teams with the same visibility, access, and situational awareness that they’re accustomed to on corporate networks. Learn more at www.industrialdefender.com. Contact Details Industrial Defender Erin Anderson +1 617-675-4206 eanderson@industrialdefender.com Company Website https://www.industrialdefender.com

March 08, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Cardiology Consultants of Philadelphia Launches Heart Disease Prevention Campaign

Cardiology Consultants of Philadelphia (CCP)

Cardiology Consultants of Philadelphia (CCP) — the region’s largest and most extensive cardiology practice — has launched a state-of-the-art heart disease prevention program — the CB4 Prevention Program. The practice has locations at more than 36 offices in five counties, making it uniquely qualified to reach and potentially save the highest number of patients possible. CCP has over 100 cardiologists on staff who are experts across all specialties. Each physician on the team offers comprehensive cardiovascular care and education based on the latest research, and uses cutting-edge, innovative technology to treat and diagnose cardiovascular diseases. Patients looking to identify their risk factors and take preventive action against heart disease will have access to advance testing as needed, as well as an individualized program based off of the initial consultation with a doctor through CB4. “Preventative care is an incredibly important first step for patients to take, as heart disease is easier to prevent than it is to treat,” said Dean Karalis, MD, FACC, FNLA, a CCP physician. “CB4 is about awareness as much as it is about heart disease prevention—success requires us to create a highly-individualized, ongoing program for each patient based on a number of factors including risk factors and family history.” As part of the prevention evaluation, the patient will have blood work drawn to screen for high cholesterol as well as other cardiovascular risk factors. The lab work will include a comprehensive metabolic panel and a Hemoglobin A1c Test (diabetes screener). The results of the bloodwork will give one of the practice’s 11 CB4 cardiologists — all of whom are preventative-trained and focused cardiologists — clear insight to develop a plan of action from a preventative angle. The CB4 Prevention Program can be scheduled through any of the CCP offices in the Philadelphia region. Appointments are available in person or virtually. About Cardiology Consultants of Philadelphia CCP is affiliated with virtually every major hospital in the region and serves patients from over 36 offices in all five Southeastern Pennsylvania counties. Contact Details Lauren Stralo +1 484-747-0172 lstralo@levlane.com Company Website https://ccpdocs.com/

March 08, 2022 08:53 AM Eastern Standard Time

SullivanCotter Partners with Paradigm for Parity® to Champion Gender Equality in Corporate Leadership Positions

SullivanCotter

SullivanCotter, the nation’s leading independent consulting firm in the assessment and development of total rewards programs, workforce solutions, and technology and data products for the health care industry and not-for-profit sector, is pleased to announce its commitment to achieving gender parity within the firm’s executive leadership team by 2030. “Ensuring an equitable and inclusive workforce has long been a cornerstone of SullivanCotter’s mission, vision and values. As a member of the Paradigm for Parity ® movement, we are reinforcing our commitment to actively closing the gender gap by enhancing female representation and ensuring women of all cultures, races and backgrounds are able to thrive and advance within our firm,” said Ted Chien, President and CEO, SullivanCotter. By implementing the Paradigm for Parity ® 5-Point Action Plan, SullivanCotter is part of a coalition of companies dedicated to promoting gender equality through the minimization or elimination of unconscious bias in the workplace. The plan calls for members to accelerate the pace of change by significantly increasing the number of women in senior operating roles to 30% in the near-term, measuring targets and maintaining accountability by providing regular progress reports, basing career progress on business results and performance, and providing sponsors, not just mentors, to help position women leaders for long-term success. "Paradigm for Parity ® is excited to welcome SullivanCotter to our coalition of companies working to close the corporate leadership gender gap for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds," said Sandra Quince, CEO, Paradigm for Parity ®. "Using our Paradigm for Parity ® Toolkit and 5-Point Action Plan, companies can act on their commitments to gender parity and accelerate the advancement of women into leadership positions. We applaud SullivanCotter’s dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion to achieve gender parity in corporate leadership." SullivanCotter’s Women’s Council, a group formed to raise awareness of women’s experiences and promote a workplace culture of balance and inclusivity, will help to identify opportunities and recommend initiatives designed to support the Paradigm for Parity ® Roadmap as the firm moves forward with its pledge. About the Paradigm for Parity ® Movement The Paradigm for Parity ® coalition is comprised of CEOs, senior executives, founders, board members and business academics who are committed to achieving a new norm in corporate leadership: one in which women and men have equal power, status, and opportunity. The coalition created the Paradigm for Parity ® 5-Point Action Plan for corporations to accelerate the pace of gender equity in senior executive roles. This unique agenda defines bold and specific actions that, taken together and simultaneously implemented as a package, will catalyze change and enable today’s business executives to secure the best leaders of tomorrow. Visit www.paradigm4parity.com or follow us on Twitter using @p4parity to learn more about this exciting initiative. About SullivanCotter SullivanCotter partners with health care and other not-for-profit organizations to understand what drives performance and improve outcomes through the development and implementation of integrated workforce strategies. Using our time-tested methodologies and industry-leading research and information, we provide data-driven insights, expertise, data and technology products to help organizations align business strategy and performance objectives – enabling our clients to deliver on their mission, vision and values. About SullivanCotter SullivanCotter partners with health care and other not-for-profit organizations to understand what drives performance and improve outcomes through the development and implementation of integrated workforce strategies. Using our time-tested methodologies and industry-leading research and information, we provide data-driven insights, expertise, data and technology products to help organizations align business strategy and performance objectives – enabling our clients to deliver on their mission, vision and values. Contact Details Becky Lorentz +1 314-414-3719 beckylorentz@sullivancotter.com Company Website https://sullivancotter.com

March 08, 2022 07:00 AM Central Standard Time

Q-VANT and In vitro Plant-tech Sign Agreement for the Development and Supply of Quillaja saponaria Plant Cell Culture Biomass

Q-Vant Biosciences

Q-VANT Biosciences, the first company to achieve a 100% sustainable way to meet the growing global vaccine market demand for Quillaja saponin-based adjuvants, today announced that it has signed an agreement with In vitro Plant-tech AB, a Swedish plant cell cultivation company whose technology platform and manufacturing facilities will permit the sustainable production of Quillaja saponaria biomass within bioreactors. This collaboration will create an additional source of raw materials that will enhance the sourcing matrix of Q-VANT, adding the key benefit of flexibility of being able to produce it anywhere in the world. This is in line with the company’s strategy of guaranteeing the long-term sustainability and continuity of supply for saponin-based adjuvants including QS-21 for the pharmaceutical markets. QS-21 is considered the “Gold Standard” adjuvant for enhancing immune response to vaccine antigens and is a vital component in more than 17 human vaccine candidates, including the FDA-approved GSK Shingrix® shingles vaccine and the WHO-authorized, GSK Mosquirix® malaria vaccine. In addition, saponin-based adjuvants are a key component in the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, which has been shown to be highly effective in clinical trials and has recently been authorized for emergency use by the European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO). QS-21 is traditionally extracted from the bark of mature trees native to Chile known as the Quillaja saponaria — a harvesting process that negatively impacts the forest and the sustainability of the resource. Today, with regulatory restrictions on deforestation of this tree, and projected demand for QS-21 in the billions of doses annually, shortages of QS-21 are affecting the pharmaceutical market’s ability to meet the surging need for vaccine dosages globally. Q-VANT’s Q-SAP™ (Quillaja Sustainable Adjuvant Platform) is a technology platform combining computational learning techniques and a proprietary multi-step purification process to systematically enhance Quillaja sourcing options and to drive extremely effective outputs. The first of its kind, Q-SAP enables Q-VANT to obtain adjuvant products from a wide range of Quillaja-based plant materials, which can increase production volumes by as much as 1,000 times, leading to billions of doses in a 100% sustainable way. “ In vitro Plant-tech’s plant cell technology experts have over 25 years of experience,” said Doug Klaiber, the CEO of Q-VANT. “Their expertise coupled with their cell culture platform and production capabilities will enhance our supply and is complementary to our mission to meet the growing demand and secure supply chain continuity for delivering the world with billions of doses of 100% sustainable QS-21 and other saponin-based adjuvants.” “ In vitro Plant-tech is delighted to offer our plant cell cultivation technology, cell cultivation and enhancement platforms, and production capabilities to support Q-VANT on their mission to meet the growing demand for QS-21 and other saponin-based adjuvants,” said Anna Holefors, founder and CEO of In Vitro Plant-tech. “We look forward to paving the path for a fully sustainable QS-21 production platform and helping in the development and production of life saving vaccines.” About In vitro Plant-tech: In vitro Plant-tech is a research derived company, specializing in development and production of innovative active ingredients using the plant cell cultivation (PCC) technology. This technology enables sustainable production of uniform, customised, high quality plant material. As experts within PCC, we have developed a metabolic enhancement technology (MET) platform which enables optimised production and accumulation of bioactive substances. The company's products are used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. The company also provides contract biomanufacturing and production services. For more information, visit www.invitroplanttech.se. About Q-VANT Biosciences Q-VANT is a privately held biosciences company that has solved the supply chain problem of QS-21 and other Quillaja-based saponin adjuvants for the global human and animal pharmaceutical markets. The company’s next-generation technology platform combines computational learning techniques with a proprietary multi-step purification process to increase the supply of QS-21 by more than 1,000 times – enabling the production of billions of doses annually to meet today’s increasing global market demand. Led by a team with unrivaled experience in vaccine and adjuvant development, manufacturing and global regulatory requirements, and with world-class knowledge in Quillaja saponin supply chain, agronomy, extraction and purification, Q-VANT is the first company that is vertically integrated to combine a secured sustainable Quillaja raw material supply with pharma cGMP commercial-scale production of QS-21 and other saponin-based adjuvants. For more information, visit www.q-vant.com. Contact Details Erin O'Brien +1 401-490-9700 erin.obrien@svmpr.com Company Website https://q-vant.com/

March 08, 2022 07:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Electronic Caregiver Presents Next Generation of Remote Patient Monitoring Technology With Virtual Caregiver at 2022 HIMSS Global Health Conference

Electronic Caregiver

Electronic Caregiver, a national digital health technology and services company, will debut Addison, the Virtual Caregiver, at the 2022 HIMSS Global Health Conference in Orlando, Florida, March 14-18. Addison is the next generation of remote patient monitoring (RPM) technology and offers a solution to the global caregiver crisis and the ongoing COVID-19 challenges by providing health care management outside the doctor’s four walls. Addison, anticipated to be released later this year, is a state-of-the-art, 3D-animated caregiver with an endearing personality. The Virtual Caregiver is designed to engage with and help monitor the health of aging and chronically ill clients, as well as child patients via touch-screen devices strategically placed throughout a residence. “Addison is a revolutionary new tool for use by providers to optimize patient care – monitoring, increasing treatment adherence, and improving health outcomes,” said Electronic Caregiver CEO Anthony Dohrmann. “Whether a patient with one or more morbidities requires assistance at home to follow complex medication regimens, comply with physical therapy, monitor vitals, or requires increased support for managing behavioral health conditions, Addison has the capabilities to extend care from provider to home.” Powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Intel, Addison helps monitor patients’ health by providing voice-driven medication reminders, ensuring patients are following their doctor’s treatment plans, and offering 24/7 emergency response and telehealth services. Addison can also lead patients through the steps of recording a vital, such as blood pressure, oxygen saturation levels, and temperature, with the ability to share that information with designated providers and caregivers in real time. Addison gives a face and personality to the RPM experience. The Virtual Caregiver can also be customized to fit users’ preferences. Clients can choose from eight avatars of different ethnicities and genders to interact with, and Addison’s environment can mirror client lighting and weather automatically. Electronic Caregiver will present Addison, the Virtual Caregiver, in addition to its other RPM technology alongside Care Management company MD Revolution, Inc. at HIMSS Booth 4109. In 2020, Electronic Caregiver formed a partnership with MD Revolution, a provider of full-suite RPM and Chronic Care Management (CCM) solutions, to provide health practices with the technology and services to monitor patients remotely. “Through our highly productive partnership, we’re already delivering a 21st century health care experience for thousands of patients, and we’re confident our joint capabilities will scale to all the innovative health care providers in America,” said Kyle Williams, CEO of MD Revolution. “Our common goals are clear: to create more health care delivery capacity and to drive better patient outcomes. I’m confident we will continue to augment the traditional medical practice by building trust one patient at a time, one provider at a time.” MD Revolution offers Electronic Caregiver’s Pro Health, a 24/7 chronic care and monitoring system, as its preferred RPM device. The Pro Health includes a cellular-based console for the home and wearable wrist pendant for care support on the go. Like Addison, the Pro Health offers emergency response and health care management and can be paired with a multitude of Bluetooth devices to track vitals in real time. Devices are ordered, provisioned, and shipped directly to patients, with no up-front cost and no long-term commitment to the practice. MD Revolution has integrated the Pro Health into its HIPAA-compliant digital care management platform, called RevUp, which will be showcased during HIMSS. RevUp allows patient information to be securely monitored by a licensed care coordination team working as an extension of the provider practice. RevUp data is available with seamless, universal integration into the electronic health record (EHR), allowing for more proactive care by leveraging objective data and trend analysis. The solution also includes integrated care documentation, automated claims creation, and full-service marketing and enrollment services – resulting in more enrollments and faster reimbursement. Together, Electronic Caregiver and MD Revolution provide better outcomes, improved adherence, and simplified compliance management through sustainable telecare optimized for scale, economics, and services. Utilizing Electronic Caregiver’s technology, MD Revolution’s RevUp platform makes RPM implementation easy, supporting providers through the evolution of their practice. RevUp merges technology with traditional healthcare, seamlessly integrating with a provider’s day-to-day while upholding their practice's long-standing values. “We are reducing the number of office visits, ER visits, urgent care visits. So, the volume to medical facilities will very likely be reduced because we can monitor patients at home,” said MD Revolution client Dr. Edward Wingfield of Hamilton Cardiology Associates in New Jersey. “A lot of times, we bring patients in to just get a blood pressure or just to get a weight to make sure they are not going into heart failure. If all these things can be done remotely and we can act on it, it will cut medical costs.” About Electronic Caregiver Electronic Caregiver is a privately held digital health technology and services company headquartered in Las Cruces, NM (USA). ECG's mission is to design and deliver innovative, impactful telehealth products and services that bridge the chasm between the doctor's office and the patient's home to improve outcomes, expand access, and optimize resource allocation. ECG has been qualified as a technology solution provider in the Amazon Partner Network (APN). The company's solutions are available through health care organizations, physician practices, care management firms, home care agencies, and senior housing providers. www.electroniccaregiver.com About MD Revolution, Inc. MD Revolution, Inc. is an innovative Care Management company uniquely combining technology, services, and analytics to produce scalable, high-touch care models that enrich the patient-provider experience, improve the health of millions of patients, and enhance the profitable, effective practice of medicine for thousands of providers. MD Revolution’s remote care programs mitigate the challenges associated with meeting the requirements for Medicare’s Chronic Care Management (CCM), Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), RPM for RHC/FQHC’s, Behavioral Health Integration (BHI), Annual Wellness Visits (AWV) and population health programs. Solutions are available as turn-key solutions, software-as-a-service, and through reseller partners. www.mdrevolution.com Contact Details Stephanie Guadian, Director of Public Relations +1 575-649-4604 sguadian@ecg-hq.com Alexia Severson, Public Relations Associate +1 575-993-9612 aseverson@ecg-hq.com

March 03, 2022 01:27 PM Mountain Standard Time

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Kramer launches its new high-performance, highly scalable KDS-7 AVoIP streaming solution

Kramer Electronics

Kramer Electronics Ltd. is pleased to announce the release of KDS-7, a full AVoIP streaming solution for anywhere that low-latency, high-quality 4K60 content distribution and switching is required. Delivering a superb user experience, enterprise IT-grade security and advanced, yet intuitive management, the KDS-7 line is a perfect fit for Enterprise, Education, Homeland Security, Military or Government sites of any size. Built as a complete solution, the KDS-7 product line comprises a full range of networked end points, including encoders, decoders and auto-switch encoders, as well as a dedicated manager device. It supports 1K video sources and easily scales to suit the AV needs of numerous rooms and locations, for any size business or campus. Enterprise-grade IT security, built-in to all KDS-7 devices, protects the IT network. The KDS-7 product line expands the benefits of AVoIP. With AVoIP, the AV encoders and decoders are connected to the end-points of the organization’s IP network. Leveraging the switching power of the IP network eliminates the limits on AV deployments, which would otherwise be constrained by the number of physical AV ports on hardware, and that consume a great amount of real estate and energy. This simple and reliable approach enables huge numbers of devices in a single network and makes expanding into new spaces easier and less costly. Kramer’s AVoIP offering is already widely recognized for providing optimum scalability and flexibility, with multiple solutions adopted at growing scale by Enterprise, Education, Homeland Security, Military and Government organizations. Now, with the KDS-7 line, Kramer is introducing even greater scalability and flexibility. Plug-and-play integration into any IP network speeds up deployment and significantly reduces costs. High-resolution video, support for large-scale video wall installations, and full compatibility with end-user devices, including USB-C connection for simple collaboration and simultaneous charge, ensure an outstanding experience for users. “At Kramer we’re proud to be a leader in creating AVoIP products that accelerate hybrid work, improve hybrid learning across campuses and enhance performance of command and control centers at large-scale installations,” commented Gilad Yron, CEO Kramer Electronics. “Our new KDS-7 AVoIP product line furthers our mission, providing a superior user experience with its ability to support a large number of video sources, with low latency, fast switching, intuitive manageability and advanced security capabilities.” We are dedicated to delivering better, smarter solutions that enhance physical-digital engagement and collaboration. Kramer solutions are based on our cutting-edge products and technologies for traditional AV, AV over IP, unified communication and collaboration (UCC) and wireless collaboration, and advanced management and control. Contact Details Kramer Electronics Ltd. Ornit Sade Benkin +972 52-332-7700 osade@kramerav.com Company Website https://www.kramerav.com/

March 03, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Kadimastem Receives Grant for a Total Budget of NIS 10 Million ($3.1 million) from the Israeli Innovation Authority

Kadimastem

Kadimastem Ltd. (TASE: KDST), a clinical stage cell therapy company developing a treatment for ALS and a potential cure for diabetes, has received a grant from the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) for a total budget of NIS 10 million ($3.1 million) and a net grant of NIS 4 million ($1.25 million). The grant will support the Company’s FDA IND enabling studies For its next clinical trial in ALS patients The funds will be used to advance the filing of an IND with the FDA by the end of 2022, to secure the approval of the FDA of the anticipated Phase IIa, US, multicenter, clinical trial protocol of AstroRx® for the treatment of ALS and expand the use of AstroRx® cell product for other neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis and glaucoma. Kadimastem CEO Asaf Shiloni said, "This grant is an important expression of trust by the Israeli Innovation Authority in Kadimastem and the potential of our clinical, cell therapy platform to provide millions of patients worldwide with life-saving treatments. The Company is currently in one of the most significant periods in its history, both clinically and financially. We are scaling-up for a Phase IIa clinical trial of AstroRx® for ALS in the US as well as preparing to list on NASDAQ. This grant provides us with the necessary resources to advance both sets of plans.” Prof. Michel Revel, Chief Scientist of Kadimastem: "We thank the Innovation Authority for supporting Kadimastem, its work and its vision." This is the second grant awarded to Kadimastem in the past months by the IIA. The previous grant was earmarked for the scale-up of the production of AstroRx® as well as for creating a frozen, off-the-shelf product, to ensure the clinical quality of the product for patients worldwide. In 2019, Kadimastem completed a first-of-its-kind, Phase I/IIa clinical trial of AstroRx®, whereby the treatment was injected into the spinal cord fluid of 10 patients in a standard lumbar puncture procedure. AstroRx® showed high safety profile and significantly slowed the rate of disease progression for 3 months following treatment, as measured by the ALSFRS-R. Dr. Michal lzrael, VP of R&D said, “The grants the Company has received from the IIA for the development and clinical production of Kadimastem’s cellular, off-the-shelf AstroRx® product are a clear recognition of the company's innovative technology. Astrocytes, the support cells in the nervous system, which are the basis for the AstroRx® product, have enormous therapeutic potential to protect all types of nerve cells. We are working hard to bring a product to market that will help to improve the lives of ALS patients worldwide as well as to development this therapy for other neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis and glaucoma." About Kadimastem: Kadimastem is a clinical stage cell therapy company, developing and manufacturing "off-the-shelf", allogeneic, proprietary cell products based on its technology platform for the expansion and differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs) into functional cells. AstroRx®, the Company's lead product, is an astrocyte cell therapy in clinical development as a treatment for ALS. IsletRx is the Company's second product in development. IsletRx is comprised of functional pancreatic islet cells intended to treat patients with insulin dependent diabetes. IsletRx demonstrated safety and efficacy in a proof-of-concept preclinical study. Kadimastem was founded by Professor Michel Revel, CSO of the Company and Professor Emeritus of Molecular Genetics at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Professor Revel received the Israel Prize for the invention and development of Rebif®, a multiple sclerosis blockbuster drug sold worldwide. Kadimastem is traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE: KDST). Forward Looking Statement: This document may include forward-looking information as defined in the Securities Law, 5728 – 1968. Forward-looking information is uncertain and mostly is not under the Company's control and the realization or non-realization of forward-looking information will be affected, among other things, by the risk factors characterizing the Company's activity, as well as developments in the general environment and external factors affecting the Company's activity. The Company's results and achievements in the future may differ materially from any presented herein and the Company makes no undertaking to update or revise such projection or estimate and does not undertake to update this document. This document does not constitute a proposal to purchase the Company's securities or an invitation to receive such offers. Investment in securities in general and in the Company in particular bears risks. One should consider that past performance does not necessarily indicate performance in the future. Contact Details Asaf Shiloni +972 73-797-1613 s.bazak@kadimastem.com Company Website https://www.kadimastem.com/

March 03, 2022 08:05 AM Eastern Standard Time

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3rd Annual Survey: CMOs Increasingly Being Tapped to Lead Growth in Difficult Business Environment in 2022

Chief Outsiders

Chief Outsiders, the nation’s largest and fastest growing firm offering fractional Chief Marketing Officer services with Fortune 500 experience, today revealed the results from the third annual survey of its CMOs on their 2022 outlook. The results speak to the changing expectations that the C-suite holds for CMOs, the impact of the pandemic and changing customer behaviors and preferences (among them those pertaining to ESG) on companies and companies’ marketing priorities. “While it seems that we finally have the worst of the pandemic behind us, the impact of Covid on the economy, on businesses’ growth prospects and on customer preferences and behaviors, will continue to be strongly felt for quite some time to come. More than ever, CMOs are being called upon to take the leading role in helping companies accelerate growth in this new environment, many of whom haven’t embraced digital marketing solutions in any significant way until now,” said Art Saxby, founder and co-principal of Chief Outsiders. “Since labor shortages also impact the marketing function, and technology makes remote work more viable than ever, fractional CMOs are rapidly becoming a natural option for an increasing number of CEOs faced with a need to hire specialized executive-level help for achieving their growth objectives,” said Pete Hayes, CMO and co-principal of Chief Outsiders. Key Survey Takeaways: Expectations for 2022 Respondents were mixed on their expectations for 2022, with 47 percent of CMOs surveyed reported having a pessimistic view on the New Year. 46 percent expected the economic circumstances to improve. See Table 1, Q15: ( N: 57) here. Impediments to growth in 2022 CMOs identified as main headwinds for companies’ growth a continued shortage of talent, on-going supply chain issues, inflation, and potential government Covid measures. In other words, CMOs expect that the uncertainty and longer-term impact of the pandemic will continue to weigh negatively on companies’ growth prospects. See Table 2, Q16: (N: 55) here. CEO priorities for CMOs In the current environment where an unprecedented confluence of quickly evolving economic and sociological factors impact not only what customer have to be spend, but also how they collect information on alternatives and what factors weigh in when they make a purchasing decision, CMOs are called upon by their CEOs, first and foremost, to set the growth agenda. Second is lead generation (filling the sales pipeline), and third is building the organization to achieve growth goals. 76.4 percent of respondents say the shift in growth emphasis is permanent, while 12.7 percent say it’s not. See Table 3, Q8: (N: 56) here. Importance of ESG Another important factor impacting growth prospects for businesses are changes in customer buying behavior that are not new but have been accelerated through - and because - of the pandemic. Important changes to behaviors, next to the digitalization of the buyer journey, include growing concerns with ESG where 69 percent of respondents said that a brand’s stance on environmental and social issues is somewhat important or extremely important to customers when making purchasing decisions. And more than 83 percent said that CMOs should take the lead in defining and activating a brand’s ESG initiatives. See Table 4, Q36: (N: 54) here. Capturing and managing 1st party B2B, B2C customer data Upcoming changes to companies’ ability to leverage third party data is an emerging challenge marketers will need to address. When asked where marketers can best capture and manage first party customer data, at in-person events came second to last (the owned website and social media came first) - the same picture can be seen for both B2B and B2C customers. See Table 5, Q27: (N: 55) for B2B and Table 6, Q28: (N: 48) for B2C here. CEO attitudes towards fractional CMOs CEOs also no longer need CMOs to be on payroll, let alone check in every morning at 08:00 AM. Increasingly, attitudes are becoming more positive towards fractional CMOs where 70 percent of respondents said that fractional CMOs are becoming ever more accepted by the C-suite, with only 18 percent indicating that only some CEOs are willing to work with fractional CMOs. See Table 7, Q11: (N: 56) here. The complete results of the survey available upon request. About this survey Chief Outsiders surveyed more than 60 CMOs with Fortune 500 experience in over 1,400 enterprise and mid-market companies on their perspectives of their marketplaces. This marks the third annual CMO survey on what to expect in market trends and company growth. About Chief Outsiders Chief Outsiders is the leading Fractional CMO firm that helps CEOs accelerate growth through the development and disciplined execution of well-crafted growth plans. The firm has more than 100 part-time, or fractional, Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) engaged from coast-to-coast. Unlike traditional marketing and management consulting firms, each CMO has held the position of VP Marketing or higher at one or more operating companies, including many Fortune 500 firms. Chief Outsiders CMOs have served on the executive team of more than 1,400 client companies, driving growth strategy and execution plans by offering instant access to talent with highly customized and flexible engagements. Because of its market-based growth plans, quality of leadership, and experienced team, Chief Outsiders has been recognized for the past eight years by Inc. Magazine as one of the 5,000 fastest growing privately held companies in the US, and was recognized in 2019 as a Forbes Small Giant. Chief Outsiders’ CEO Art Saxby and Principal Pete Hayes are the co-authors of “The Growth Gears: Using a Market-Based Framework to Drive Business Success,” an Amazon #1 best-seller for business owners and CEOs. For additional information about the companies who trust Chief Outsiders as their premier source for business growth acceleration, click here. Contact Details Razor Sharp PR Ray Young +1 512-633-6855 ray@razorsharppr.com Company Website https://www.chiefoutsiders.com/

March 02, 2022 12:55 PM Pacific Standard Time

AmeriLife Adds ORCA Life & The Curry Group to Growing National Network

AmeriLife

AmeriLife Group, LLC (“AmeriLife”), a national leader in developing, marketing, and distributing life and health insurance, annuities and retirement planning solutions, announced today that it has partnered with ORCA Life, a Louisville, Kentucky-based insurance marketing organization (IMO) that specializes in the distribution of final expense insurance. In a related deal, AmeriLife also announced its acquisition of an ownership stake in The Curry Group, a final expense agency and division of ORCA Life. Per the agreements, terms of both deals were not disclosed. “A successful partnership is about more than the numbers — it’s about shared culture and values,” said Scotty Elliott, president of AmeriLife’s Life & Health Brokerage Distribution. “ORCA Life and The Curry Group demonstrate their values day in and out in both their service to their clients and their community. AmeriLife couldn’t be more excited to add these incredible, high-performing and high-character companies to our expanding distribution.” "Today’s announcement marks an exciting time for ORCA Life,” said Glenn Crabtree, founder and president of ORCA Life. “Our partnership with AmeriLife is going to allow us to be on the cutting edge of the marketing tools, technologies and capabilities we need to be competitive and successful in today’s market, while taking agent profitability to a whole new level.” ORCA Life’s roots go back to the late ‘90s. Over the last two decades, it has expanded its footprint through grassroots marketing. The company was officially founded in 2016 to fill a glaring void in the final expense industry, emphasizing an in-home, face-to-face service model that has allowed its agents to cultivate meaningful relationships with their clients and better support seniors’ insurance needs for their final days. Today, ORCA Life boasts a growing roster of writing agents throughout and beyond the Midwest and Southeast. It continues to set the standard for client trust, care and excellence, helping it achieve industry recognition as a final expense market leader. The Curry Group, and owners and co-principals David and Lindsey Curry, were founding members of ORCA Life and have played a key role in building and sustaining the company’s success and upward trajectory. Under the leadership of David and Lindsey, The Curry Group is positioned to continue as ORCA Life’s most significant source of distribution, working to accelerate its success while maintaining focus on value-based service and leadership. “We are so thankful to be alongside Glenn and ORCA Life on this journey, but we are most excited for the future and opportunity to expand and excel with AmeriLife," said David Curry. "Our strategic partnership will charge our business, and allow us to collaborate and learn from high-performing talent that has been there and done that." “What we are most excited about is the level of leadership that The Curry Group can now tap into,” added Lindsey Curry. “John Maxwell said ‘everything rises and falls on leadership,’ and the leadership that we’ve experienced with AmeriLife is something we’re excited to be a part of.” ORCA Life will continue to operate as a stand-alone organization and be led by Crabtree and Vice President of Operations Scott Morris. The team will report to Elliott and be based at its Louisville headquarters. Likewise, The Curry Group, also based in Louisville, will continue to operate as part of ORCA Life and be led by David and Lindsey Curry. ### About AmeriLife AmeriLife’s strength is its mission: to offer insurance and retirement solutions to help people live longer, healthier lives. In doing so, AmeriLife has become recognized as the leader in developing, marketing, and distributing life and health insurance, annuities and retirement planning solutions to enhance the lives of pre-retirees and retirees across the United States. For more than 50 years, AmeriLife has partnered with top insurance carriers to provide value and quality to customers served through a national distribution network of over 300,000 insurance agents and advisors, more than 50 marketing organizations, and 50 insurance agency locations. For more information, visit AmeriLife.com, and follow AmeriLife on Facebook and LinkedIn. Contact Details AmeriLife Public Relations Jeff Maldonado +1 321-297-1112 jmaldonado@amerilife.com AmeriLife Corporate Development Patrick Nichols +1 727-726-0726 pnichols@amerilife.com Company Website https://amerilife.com/

March 02, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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