April 12, 2023

Escalent Acquires C Space, Hall & Partners

Union gives rise to an impressive global partner to the world’s leading businesses

Melissa Sauter

Escalent CEO

DETROIT, April 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Top data analytics and advisory firm Escalent announces today it has acquired C Space and Hall & Partners from Omnicom. As leading partners to some of the world’s exceptional brands, Escalent, C Space and Hall & Partners have been helping companies innovate, improve, and navigate disruption for years. Now they are coming together to create a bigger, stronger and more capable partner to the world’s leading companies, combining deep industry expertise across brands, customers and products on a focused, global market insights platform to help clients find new sources of growth.

Together, the organizations have earned trusted partner status to the world’s leading brands across fast-growing industries including Automotive & Mobility, Consumer Goods & Retail, Financial Services, Health, and Technology as well as Energy, Telecom and Travel & Tourism.

“This union is rooted in unparalleled expertise in what drives human beings, cultures and markets—an understanding that makes our team incredibly valuable partners and positions our clients for success in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing business climate,” said Escalent CEO Melissa Sauter. “Together, there is tremendous growth potential for our employees, clients and shareholders across the globe.”

Escalent + C Space, Hall & Partners

Escalent Acquires C Space, Hall & Partners

Hall & Partners brings an excellent research and brand management franchise coupled with proprietary technology including an award-winning brand knowledge management platform to the union. C Space brings the market-leading solution for building communities and customer relationships, and Escalent brings a strong global platform with deep industry knowledge, and advanced capabilities in secondary research and analytics. The combined organization creates a powerful global presence with nearly 2,000 consultants, researchers, data scientists, technologists and operational experts in 20 countries.

“This acquisition is a big win for our employees,” added C Space CEO Jessica DeVlieger. “Our organizations are forward-thinking and offer employees an opportunity to nurture their professional growth through expanded products and services that have a real impact on our clients, in an environment that celebrates diversity and recognizes each team member’s valuable contributions.”

“Over the coming year, cross-company teams will work together to develop a thoughtful plan that ensures our clients and employees feel the benefits from our combined organization,” said Hall & Partners CEO Tim Wragg. “We are perfectly balanced to offer deep resources and leading technology while remaining devoted to personal client relationships. We’re eager to start working toward our future.”

DeVlieger and Wragg will continue to lead their organizations as part of Sauter’s executive leadership team. Clients will continue to work with the same experienced teams, and there are no near-term plans to change company locations or merge brand identities.

“We are very excited to put together these amazing capabilities into a focused, yet global leader dedicated to the highest quality research and insights for our clients. Together the companies create a fantastic combination of depth of expertise with scale and growth capability, while still being focused on one shared core mission. As such, the combined organization will continue to differentiate with their clients through exceptional insights and partnership,” said J.T. Treadwell, Managing Director at STG, Escalent’s financial sponsor.

About Escalent
Escalent is an award-winning data analytics and advisory firm specializing in industries facing disruption and business transformation. As catalysts of progress for more than 40 years, we accelerate growth by creating a seamless flow between primary, secondary, syndicated, and internal business data, providing consulting and advisory services from insights through implementation. Escalent is headquartered in Livonia, Michigan with locations across the US and in Canada, China, India, Ireland, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, UAE and the UK. Visit escalent.co to see how we are helping shape the brands that are reshaping the world.

About C Space

C Space is a global customer insight, strategy and innovation agency building customers into the ways businesses work. Partnering with the world’s best-known brands including Walmart, McDonald’s, IKEA and more, C Space helps clients unlock growth through the power of human relationships—co-creating with customers, instead of for them, for increased relevance, deeper loyalty and higher customer lifetime value. C Space’s full-service customer solutions are tailored to meet specific business needs with a focus on private online communities, co-creation events, workshops and powerful storytelling and insights activation. Headquartered in Boston, C Space has offices in London, New York, San Francisco and Mexico City.

About Hall & Partners

Hall & Partners is a team of unconventional thinkers, obsessed with how marketing influences the relationship between people, brands and culture. Born out of adland, we are the insight agency known for weaving creativity with science. We distil data through a strategic lens to reveal ‘uncommon insights’ – human truths tailored to individual brands, not blackbox data available to the masses. We partner with clients to shape brand strategy and optimize brand and campaign performance. Our award-winning approach amplifies insights across every business area, propelling marketing decision-making to create an unmatched competitive advantage. Headquartered in London, Hall & Partners has offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a9fa10fe-a141-4ab5-9823-af7a6ccf35c3

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fd85618f-f66f-4b47-957b-53e9fb689ffb

Contact        
Lisa Viselli, 734.779.6851

lisa.viselli@escalent.co

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8806130

April 12, 2023

Political infighting rapidly bankrupting country: Mian Zahid Hussain

Karachi, April 12, 2023 (PPI-OT): Chairman of National Business Group Pakistan, President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum, and All Karachi Industrial Alliance, and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain on Wednesday said the unending struggle of politicians has engulfed the entire country. Not a single important institution has been spared from this conflict which is bringing the country down, he said.

Mian Zahid Hussain said that the whole country had become a battlefield and we have become a laughing stock in the comity of nations. Talking to the business community, the veteran business leader said that in these circumstances, the agenda of economic reforms in the country had been put on the back burner and it has become impossible to improve the conditions and run the economy.

According to the IMF, Pakistan’s growth rate is expected to be only half percent this year and if the political conflict continues, the problems of the people will increase further, and unemployment and inflation will touch new heights, he said.

The business leader said that along with the political war for early elections in Punjab and KP, a legal war has also started between the government, the opposition and the judiciary, which has disturbed the people and has scared the business community. The tendency to settle political issues in an apolitical manner has widened the gulf between key officials and key institutions, further weakening democracy and jeopardizing the credibility of the entire system.

Mian Zahid Hussain said that in these circumstances, the people are constantly getting the message that some politicians want to bankrupt the country and that their disputes are only for power. Some failed politicians care more about their own interests than the problems of the country and masses and they have put the integrity of the country at stake.

Mian Zahid Hussain said that inflation is increasing continuously. Crisis after crisis is frustrating the masses and the cost of food, beverages and transportation has increased by forty-five percent, while the entire country is affected by a ban on imports. People’s purchasing power has eroded, due to which 89 percent of people have stopped eating and drinking outside the home because of which the hotels restaurants and fast food businesses are collapsing.

Many small businesses are unable to pay their employees’ salaries, their electricity and gas bills and rents, and their employees are losing their jobs. Hotels, restaurants and most fast food brands use a lot of imported ingredients in their products, which are not available due to the import ban while increased sales tax is also damaging this sector. Mian Zahid Hussain further said that on the one hand, the price of electricity and gas and taxes are increasing, on the other hand, the value of the rupee is decreasing on a daily basis, which is affecting the entire country.

For more information, contact:
President,
Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF)
Tel: +92-343-2226888
Tel: +92-300-8233364
Email: ceo@kenlubes.net

April 12, 2023

IG Punjab has fulfilled the long-standing demand of CTD personnel, service structure is ready for departmental promotions of CTD personnel

Lahore, April 12, 2023 (PPI-OT):Inspector General Police Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar has fulfilled the long-standing demand of officials serving in the Counter-Terrorism Department Punjab (CTD) and signed the service structure for departmental promotions of CTD officials.

After the signature of IG Punjab, Additional IG CTD Waseem Ahmed Sial has sent the new service structure to the Punjab government for approval. In a message issued to the police force, IG Punjab said that on the occasion of the visit to the CTD headquarters on Friday evening, the officials had talked about the problem of service structure, on which he gave the Additional IG CTD a deadline to prepare the service structure within this week.

The Additional IG CTD and his team have worked hard for 48 hours to prepare the proposal and under this new service structure, hundreds of posts from grade 14 to grade 19 have been proposed. Additional IG CTD Waseem Ahmed Sial said that in the new service structure twelve seats of grade 14 have been increased to 320, six seats of grade 16 have been increased to 72 and three seats of grade 17 have been increased to 12. Addl IG CTD said that in the new service structure, 8 new posts of Grade 18 and 2 new posts of Additional Director in Grade 19 have been created.

In a message to the force, Dr. Usman Anwar further said that after the approval of the new service structure from the government, the process of departmental promotions in CTD will start immediately and every officer and official eligible for promotion according to merit and seniority will have the basic right of departmental promotion.

IG Punjab said that the role of CTD is key in eradicating terrorism from the country. IG Punjab said that there will be no hindrance in the promotions of CTD officials and in response to these promotions, the CTD department requires the employees to perform their duties with renewed enthusiasm. Dr. Usman Anwar said that the CTD officials should work harder than before and complete the task of eradicating terrorists, miscreants and their facilitators from the province.

Further, IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar presided over a video link meeting at the Central Police Office to review the performance of all protection centers in the province and ordered the AIG Admin to immediately resolve the problems faced by the protection center staff.

IG Punjab said that it is the joint responsibility of society and police to help and protect vulnerable citizens, homeless children, women victims of gender crimes and members of the transgender community.

IG Punjab said that protection centers established in all districts of the province should play an active role in serving and protecting the suffering humanity by doing unique work of community policing and providing relief to transgenders, homeless children and women victims of violence.

Dr. Usman Anwar said that the homeless children should be transferred to safe places with the support of Child Protection Bureau, CARE Foundation and other organizations so that they can become useful citizens of the society by being equipped with good education. IG Punjab said that all possible legal and social support should be provided to women victims of domestic violence, harassment and gender crimes in collaboration with relevant institutions.

IG Punjab said that special homeless people suffering from mental problems should be entrusted to public and private institutions for treatment and rehabilitation so that their problems can be solved by providing timely medical assistance.

IG Punjab emphasized that steps should be taken to get rid of homeless children and youngsters from the scourge of drug addiction and Punjab Police should take joint measures in collaboration of institutions with which the MoU has been signed and rehabilitation work should be speeded up for protecting maximum children from the scourge of drugs.

In the video link meeting held at the Central Police Office, the in-charges and Victim Support Officers of all the protection centers of the province gave a briefing about their performance. DIG IT, Ahsan Younis, AIG Operations Punjab, Asad Ejaz Malhi, AIG Admin, Amara Athar, SSP Operations Lahore, Soheb Ashraf, SP Amara Shirazi and other focal persons of protection centers were present in the meeting.

For more information, contact:
Punjab Police
Punjab Police Computer Bureau,
5th Floor, Central Police Office (CPO),
Punjab, Lahore
Tel: +92-42-99213019, +92-42-99213013
Fax: +92-42-99213012
Email: sapcb@punjabpolice.gov.pk
Website: www.punjabpolice.gov.pk

April 12, 2023

The third day of Katcha operation under the supervision of Ig Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar, the advancement of fresh police squads Continue

Lahore, April 12, 2023 (PPI-OT):The grand operation of the Punjab Police against the criminal elements in Katcha is underway and the police forces are continuing to advance in the inner areas of Katcha whereas the exchange of fire is going on intermittently. While advancing towards Katcha Karachi and Katchi Haiderabad, hundreds of acres of land have been retrieved by police.

The dacoits fired heavily on the police force, in response to which the police teams also took effective action and two dangerous dacoits were killed during exchange of fire. The killed dacoits were identified as Bakhtiar and Muazzam alias Telu, the killed dacoits were found to be related to the Machhi gang and on checking the records, both the dacoits were found to have records of more than a dozen cases.

Two Kalashnikovs and several rounds were also recovered from the dead dacoits. Both dacoits were involved in serious crimes like attacks on police, robbery, dacoity and kidnapping for ransom. Additional IG South Punjab Maqsood ul Hassan, DIG CTD Abdul Ghaffar Qaisrani and RPO Bahawalpur Rai Babar Saeed visited the operational area while DPO Rahim Yar Khan Rizwan Umar Gondal is commanding the operation.

According to the details, under the leadership of IG Punjab Police Dr. Usman Anwar, according to the heat map, a grand operation of the police had started to clean Katcha from criminal elements, which has entered the third day. One dacoit was killed and six dacoits were arrested during past three days. Meanwhile, police are also making advancement in Katcha.

Yesterday, the police were continuing their operations towards Katcha Karachi and Katchi Hyderabad areas, in which hundreds of acres of land were cleared of criminal elements and writ of the state has also been established. DPO Rizwan Umar Gondal is commanding the ongoing police operation while he is accompanied by ASP Shahzeb Chachar circle SHOs and armored vehicles, modern weapons.

A heavy contingent of dedicated police and elite forces are advancing, police have demolished the lairs of criminals in areas cleared of criminal elements and burnt them down so that they can never be inhabited again.

Meanwhile, Additional IG South Punjab Maqsoodul Hasan, DIG CTD Abdul Ghaffar Qaisrani along with RPO Bahawalpur Rai Babar Saeed visited the operation area and reviewed the ongoing operations, performance and overall situation of the police.

RPO Rai Babar Saeed briefed them, the police officers praised the police performance for the high morale of the jawans and the force for clearing sufficient area of Katcha in just three days. In order to make this operation successful, modern technical means and the support of all security agencies will be continued as per the heat map. Police have also assistance of CTD, special branch and all law enforcement agencies.

April 12, 2023

Government always upheld right to free speech as sacred cause: Marriyum

Islamabad, April 12, 2023 (PPI-OT):Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has said the government has always upheld the right to free speech as a sacred cause and fought against attempts to curtail this fight.

In her tweets on Wednesday, she said we are committed to this principle. However, she said the enforcement of ethics of coverage involving acts of terrorism is a global code. It is part of the national law. She said it is what we owe to the people who are victims of terrorism, and it is what responsible journalism is.

The information minister said some concerns have been expressed regarding a recent PEMRA order about coverage ethics of violent scenes involving acts of terrorism and their aftermath. She said the order prohibits broadcasting gory scenes, dead bodies, wreckage and live images from the spot only to avoid spreading fear and panic among the masses, which is always the real aim and design of the terrorists.

She said this boundary is set all over the world and every responsible media body and organization adheres to them across the board without exception. She said live coverage of terrorism incident spots amplifies terrorism impact and divulges sensitive post operation information to miscreants.

For more information, contact:
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Government of Pakistan
4th Floor, Cabinet Block, Pak. Secretariat, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9103557
Email: info@moib.gov.pk
Website: http://www.moib.gov.pk

April 12, 2023

Government taking steps to address ‘mental health’ issues: Salman

Islamabad, April 12, 2023 (PPI-OT):Head of the Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms Salman Sufi has said that the government is taking practical steps to address ‘mental health’ issues and well-being of the nation on a priority basis.

Talking to private media, he said on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the government has launched first-ever mobile application called “Humraaz” and a helpline service 1166 to improve mental health services in the country He said the Humraaz mobile application is providing users with a wide range of mental health resources, including self-help tools, counseling services and access to mental health professionals.

April 12, 2023

Government decides to pay April’s salaries, pension before Eid

Islamabad, April 12, 2023 (PPI-OT):The government has decided to pay salary of current month to the employees of public sector departments before Eid-ul-Fitr. A decision to this effect was taken during a consultation between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad. It was also decided that the monthly pension will also be given before Eid-ul-Fitr. The finance minister directed the Secretary Finance to make arrangements forthwith in this regard.

April 12, 2023

Pakistan vows to implement Cairo Int’l Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action

Islamabad, April 12, 2023 (PPI-OT):Pakistan has reaffirmed commitment to implement the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action. The resolve was expressed by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram, while addressing the 56th Session of the UN Commission on Population and Development in New York.

In his statement, he expressed his concern on crisis faced by developing countries saying that along with the economic crises of finance, fuel and food, the developing countries are also facing crises in education, quality and relevance.

Referring to the challenges confronting Pakistan in particular, Ambassador Munir Akram stressed the need to equip 220 million people of the country with the education and skills to thrive in a rapidly transforming world.

He insisted on developing innovative learning methodologies and tools to harness the potential of technologies for inclusion and avoid over-reliance on single technology solutions, closing gaps in digital access, knowledge, skills and leadership.

Ambassador Munir Akram suggested investments in education to create awareness of environment and sustainable development and the demographic trends. He also called for sustained and inclusive global education through full and effective realization of the Right to Development.