Press Releases – Ethiopia Observer

May 20, 2024

Duck Creek Technologies Announces New Chief Marketing Officer

Experienced Marketing and Technology Executive Bindu Crandall to Join Duck Creek Technologies

BOSTON, May 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Duck Creek Technologies, the intelligent solutions provider defining the future of property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance, announces the appointment of Bindu Crandall as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). As CMO, Bindu is responsible for overseeing Duck Creek’s strategic marketing and branding efforts driving the company’s global expansion and leadership as a provider of P&C insurance software and services.

“Bindu is a seasoned marketer and leader who understands how to connect with SaaS customers and deliver value,” said Mike Jackowski, chief executive officer of Duck Creek Technologies. “She has a wealth of experience building and scaling world-class marketing organizations for cloud-based software companies. I am thrilled to welcome her to the Duck Creek team and look forward to working with her to accelerate our growth and expand our market leadership.”

With more than 20 years of experience at enterprise technology companies, Bindu brings deep expertise in branding, demand generation, thought leadership, and content strategy to her role, backed by a proven track record of successfully launching brands and products through revenue-driven marketing and sales strategies.

“I am honored and excited to join Duck Creek at this pivotal time in the insurance industry,” said Crandall. “Duck Creek is a visionary company that is transforming the way insurers operate and serve their customers. I am impressed by the company’s culture, products, and customer-centric approach. I look forward to collaborating with the talented Duck Creek team and partners to amplify our brand, engage our audiences, and drive business outcomes.”

Prior to joining Duck Creek, Bindu was the CMO of Navisite, part of Accenture, a digital transformation and IT services provider, where she built an award-winning marketing organization that relaunched the company as a leader of managed cloud services in the mid-market. Earlier in her career, she was the Senior Vice President of Marketing at Optima Healthcare Solutions, a SaaS provider for the post-acute care industry, and held senior marketing, product marketing, and strategy roles at companies including Internap, McKesson, and Scientific Atlanta (now Cisco).

About Duck Creek Technologies

Duck Creek Technologies is the intelligent solutions provider defining the future of the property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance industry. We are the platform upon which modern insurance systems are built, enabling the industry to capitalize on the power of the cloud to run agile, intelligent, and evergreen operations. Authenticity, purpose, and transparency are core to Duck Creek, and we believe insurance should be there for individuals and businesses when, where, and how they need it most. Our market-leading solutions are available on a standalone basis or as a full suite, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand. Visit www.duckcreek.com to learn more. Follow Duck Creek on our social channels for the latest information – LinkedIn and X.

Media Contact:
Dennis Dougherty
dennis.dougherty@duckcreek.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9120082

May 20, 2024

Duck Creek Technologies Nomeia Nova Diretora de Marketing

Experiente Executiva de Marketing e Tecnologia Bindu Crandall Junta-se à Duck Creek Technologies

BOSTON, May 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hoje, a Duck Creek Technologies, fornecedora de soluções inteligentes que definem o futuro do seguro de propriedade e acidentes (P&C) e geral, anunciou a nomeação de Bindu Crandall como Diretora de Marketing (CMO). Como CMO, Bindu é responsável por supervisionar os esforços estratégicos de marketing e branding da Duck Creek, impulsionando a expansão global e a liderança da empresa como fornecedora de software e serviços de seguros de P&C.

“Bindu é uma profissional de marketing experiente e líder que entende como se conectar com clientes SaaS e agregar valor”, disse Mike Jackowski, diretor executivo da Duck Creek Technologies. “Ela tem uma vasta experiência na criação e dimensionamento de organizações de marketing de classe mundial para empresas de software baseadas em nuvem. Estou muito feliz em recebê-la na equipe da Duck Creek e estou pronto para trabalhar com ela para acelerar nosso crescimento e expandir nossa liderança no mercado.”

Com mais de 20 anos de experiência em empresas de tecnologia empresarial, Bindu traz uma profunda experiência em branding, geração de demanda, liderança de pensamento e estratégia de conteúdo para sua função, apoiada por um histórico comprovado de lançamento bem-sucedido de marcas e produtos por meio de estratégias de marketing e vendas orientadas por receita.

“Estou honrada e animada em me juntar à Duck Creek neste momento crucial no setor de seguros”, disse Crandall. “A Duck Creek é uma empresa visionária que está transformando a maneira como as seguradoras operam e atendem seus clientes. Estou impressionada com a cultura, os produtos e a abordagem centrada no cliente da empresa. Estou pronta para colaborar com a talentosa equipe e parceiros da Duck Creek para ampliar nossa marca, envolver nosso público e gerar resultados de negócios.”

Antes de ingressar na Duck Creek, Bindu foi CMO da Navisite, parte da Accenture, fornecedora de serviços de transformação digital e TI, onde criou uma organização de marketing premiada que relançou a empresa como líder de serviços gerenciados em nuvem no mercado intermediário. No início da sua carreira, ela foi Vice-Presidente Sênior de Marketing da Optima Healthcare Solutions, uma provedora de SaaS para o setor de cuidados pós-agudos, e ocupou cargos seniores de marketing, marketing de produtos e estratégia em empresas como Internap, McKesson e Scientific Atlanta (agora Cisco).

Sobre a Duck Creek Technologies

A Duck Creek Technologies é fornecedora de soluções inteligentes que definem o futuro do setor de seguros de propriedade e acidentes (P&C) e geral. Somos a plataforma utilizadas como base dos sistemas de seguros modernos, permitindo que a indústria capitalize o poder da nuvem para executar operações ágeis, inteligentes e perenes. Autenticidade, propósito e transparência são fundamentais para a Duck Creek, e acreditamos que o seguro deve estar disponível para indivíduos e empresas quando, onde e como eles mais precisarem. Nossas soluções líderes do mercado estão disponíveis de forma independente ou como um pacote completo disponíveis em Duck Creek OnDemand. Visite www.duckcreek.com para obter mais informação. Siga a Duck Creek nos nossos canais sociais para obter as mais recentes informações – LinkedIn e X.

Contato com a Mídia:
Dennis Dougherty
dennis.dougherty@duckcreek.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9120214

May 20, 2024

Une nouvelle directrice marketing pour Duck Creek Technologies

La spécialiste du marketing et de la technologie Bindu Crandall rejoint Duck Creek Technologies

BOSTON, 20 mai 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Duck Creek Technologies, le fournisseur de solutions intelligentes qui trace les futurs contours du secteur de l’assurance générale et IARD (incendies, accidents et risques divers), annonce la nomination de Bindu Crandall à la direction marketing. Sa mission est de superviser les stratégies marketing et de marque inhérentes au pilotage du développement de Duck Creek à l’échelle mondiale et à son leadership en matière de logiciels et de services d’assurance IARD.

Mike Jackowski, PDG de Duck Creek Technologies, observe que « Bindu Crandall est une marketeuse et une leadeuse d’expérience qui maîtrise parfaitement les ficelles de la communication client et le principe de valeur dans le domaine des solutions SaaS. Sa vaste expérience réunit la création et la mise à l’échelle d’organisations marketing de classe mondiale pour le compte d’entreprises de développement logiciel en mode cloud. Je me réjouis de l’accueillir au sein de notre équipe et suis impatient de travailler avec elle pour accélérer notre croissance et renforcer notre leadership sur le marché. »

Forte de son expérience de plus de 20 ans au service de grands groupes de la technologie, Madame Crandall apporte à sa nouvelle fonction une profonde expertise en branding, en génération de la demande, en leadership d’opinion et en stratégie contenu. Elle a également à son actif un bilan positif côté lancement de marques et/ou de produits, reposant sur des stratégies marketing et commerciale ciblées sur la croissance.

« C’est un honneur et un plaisir de rejoindre Duck Creek à l’heure où le secteur de l’assurance traverse une phase clé », déclare Madame Crandall, avant de poursuivre : « C’est une société visionnaire qui transforme le mode de fonctionnement et de service au client des assureurs. Je suis impressionnée par leur culture d’entreprise, mais aussi par leurs produits et leur approche centrée sur le client. Je suis impatiente d’entreprendre une collaboration avec ses talentueuses équipes et partenaires pour développer notre marque, impliquer nos utilisateurs et enregistrer des résultats. »

Avant de rejoindre Duck Creek, Bindu Crandall était directrice marketing chez Navisite, une société du groupe Accenture, un fournisseur de services de transformation numérique et de services informatiques. Elle y a bâti une organisation marketing de toute pièce qui a permis de replacer l’entreprise dans une position de leader des services cloud gérés sur le marché intermédiaire. Auparavant, elle était vice-présidente senior du service marketing chez Optima Healthcare Solutions, un fournisseur SaaS pour l’industrie des soins post-hospitalisation, et a occupé des postes de direction dans le marketing, le marketing produit et la stratégie dans des entreprises comme Internap, McKesson ou Scientific Atlanta, aujourd’hui Cisco.

À propos de Duck Creek Technologies

Duck Creek Technologies est le fournisseur de solutions intelligentes qui trace les futurs contours du secteur de l’assurance générale et IARD (incendies, accidents et risques divers). Les systèmes d’assurance modernes se reposent sur nos solutions et capitalisent sur le potentiel du cloud pour mener des opérations agiles, intelligentes et évolutives. Authenticité, détermination et transparence, voilà les maîtres-mots de la philosophie de Duck Creek. Pour nous, l’assurance est au service des particuliers et des entreprises, n’importe quand, où, et comment ils en ressentent le plus le besoin. Nos solutions, leaders du marché, sont commercialisées à l’unité ou sous forme de suite packagée et sont toutes disponibles sur la page : Duck Creek OnDemand. Rendez-vous sur www.duckcreek.com pour en savoir plus. Suivez-nous sur les réseaux pour découvrir nos dernières informations : LinkedIn et X.

Contact médias :
Dennis Dougherty
dennis.dougherty@duckcreek.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9120214

May 16, 2024

Innovating to Impact: Dentsu Unveils New Global Brand Proposition Drawing Upon 120 Year Heritage

Dentsu, Innovating to Impact

TOKYO, May 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dentsu, today announced the launch of its new global, client-facing, brand proposition, “Innovating to Impact”, marking a significant milestone in the company’s storied 120-year plus history. The new go-to-market brand encapsulates dentsu’s commitment to driving growth through innovation, leveraging the collective strengths of transformative creativity, media, data, and technology.

Created through a collaborative effort of many dentsu teams around the world, “Innovating to Impact” reflects dentsu’s dedication to delivering outcomes that not only drive business growth but also generate a positive effect on people, society and the world.

“Our new branding is a bold declaration of our unwavering commitment to innovate in pursuit of outcomes on behalf of our clients,” said Hiroshi Igarashi, President & Global CEO, dentsu. “At dentsu, we are not content with simply following trends; we aim to set them. ‘Innovating to Impact’ is our promise to our clients, our incredible people and the communities we serve, that we will continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible through experience and business transformation.”

The launch is the next stage in dentsu’s mid to long-term strategy and its positioning as an integrated growth and transformation partner to the world’s leading organizations. Dentsu brings the best of both worlds to clients: individual global leadership brands that can deliver deep expertise, and the ability to tie those services together to deliver a multiplier effect for clients as dentsu.

A Dentsu Creative team, headed by Riccardo Fregoso, Chief Creative Officer Dentsu Creative Italy, led development of the tagline “Innovating to Impact”, along with a new brand manifesto. The design look and feel of the new brand was produced by the multi-award winning Dentsu Inc. team in dentsu Japan, led by Executive Creative Director, Yoshihiro Yagi, one of Japan’s most internationally awarded, art-based creatives.

“For over 120 years, innovation has been a core tenet of dentsu’s offering; it is in our DNA and within the very culture of our teams around the world. Innovation for dentsu is both an open mindset as well as a systematic approach, helping clients approach their business transformation in new ways,” commented Jean Lin, Global President – Global Practices, dentsu. “Dentsu is truly unique in the market, sitting at the convergence of marketing, technology and consulting. When we combine innovation with a laser focus on driving outcomes, we bring together the best of our capabilities to deliver integrated growth for brands who want something different from the traditional model.”

Dentsu’s new brand will be further showcased at the Cannes Lions Festival in June 2024, with dentsu Beach House programming and design reflecting the principles and positioning of “Innovating to Impact”.

For more information about dentsu and the new GTM brand, please visit: Innovating to Impact

Team credits:

Dentsu Creative Italy

Riccardo Fregoso, Chief Creative Officer
Stefano Battistelli, Executive Creative Director
Francesco Epifani, Executive Creative Director
Cristiana Bregni, Art Director
Santiago Cancela, Copywriter

Dentsu Inc., Japan

Yoshihiro Yagi, Executive Creative Director
Tsubasa Adachi, Creative Director
Haruko Tsutsui, Creative Director
Hiroyuki Kato, Art Director
Natsuki Tomoda, Art Director
Miyuki Ito, Copywriter
Mariko Fukuoka, Copywriter
Shintaro Murakami, Digital Technologist

About dentsu

Dentsu is an integrated growth and transformation partner to the world’s leading organizations. Founded in 1901 in Tokyo, Japan, and now present in over 145 countries and regions, it has a proven track record of nurturing and developing innovations, combining the talents of its global network of leadership brands to develop impactful and integrated growth solutions for clients. Dentsu delivers end-to-end experience transformation (EX) by integrating its services across Media, CXM and Creative, while its business transformation (BX) mindset pushes the boundaries of transformation and sustainable growth for brands, people and society.

Dentsu, Innovating to Impact.

Find out more:

www.dentsu.com
www.group.dentsu.com

Contact:

Matt Cross
Email: matt.cross@dentsu.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0b229c64-e587-4c92-80d2-8fb28b25ff1f

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000951315

May 16, 2024

Inaugural Dementia Conference in Africa, Convened by Nature, Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, and Aga Khan University, to Advance Lifespan Brain Health Innovations Across Diverse Communities

First dementia and brain health conference convened by Nature on the African continent

Geneva, Switzerland, May 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

Researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders from the global south will convene to showcase Africa’s unique brain health and dementia learnings for the world.
Aim is to catalyze funding for African brain health initiatives, emphasizing the importance of brain health throughout the lifespan including prevention and primary care interventions.

The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC), the organization leading an unprecedented global response to Alzheimer’s, today announced their inaugural brain health and dementia conference in Africa, to be held in Nairobi, Kenya from September 11-12 in partnership with Nature Conferences and the Aga Khan University’s Brain & Mind Institute. The conference, “The Future of Dementia in Africa: Advancing Global Partnerships,” focuses on scientific advancements in understanding the impact of dementia, risk factors (e.g. genetics), and early detection methods, both in Africa and worldwide. This is a significant step in advancing brain health innovation, dementia care and research efforts across Africa and globally.

The conference will be attended by interdisciplinary experts and dementia stakeholders based in Africa and internationally, including researchers, industry leaders, local governments, policymakers, funders, and individuals with lived experience. The agenda will cover a broad range of issues, from current treatments, community-based healthcare initiatives, to emerging clinical trials. Building on scientific discourse, sessions will also be geared towards engaging policymakers, funders, and industry leaders to implement research innovations across international health systems and identify collaborative funding opportunities.

Africa’s growing healthcare landscape, characterized by rapid growth, urbanization, and a vibrant youth population, presents a unique opportunity for innovation in dementia and brain health. With an emphasis on grassroots initiatives, global partnerships, and leveraging advancing technologies, the continent stands poised to lead the charge in addressing diverse healthcare challenges. With the older African population set to triple by 2050, it’s crucial to address the gaps in dementia and overall brain health research now.

“This first-of-its-kind conference on brain health in Africa focuses on the importance of brain health throughout the lifespan. From the brain skills required by younger generations for 21st century innovation, to the brain health risks from the escalating chronic health conditions in mid-life, to the emerging brain disorders of elders at risk for dementia, Africa’s unique demography is a rich source of brain health learnings for the rest of the world,” said George Vradenburg, Founding Chairman of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative. “The African opportunity aligns with DAC’s commitment to link and scale brain health innovation from the world’s diverse racial and ethnic tapestry and across all resource settings to build the global brain resilience needed to address the massive 21st challenge of brain disorders.”

“Our conference will highlight the great strides we’ve made to address the gap in brain health research among indigenous Africans, despite Africa’s rich genetic diversity. We’ll delve into emerging research exploring how increasing African representation in research could unlock new insights and strategies for preventing and effectively treating dementia.” said Zul Merali, Director, Brain and Mind Institute at the Aga Khan University.

The conference builds on DAC’s intervention-focused position targeting lifestyle factors that can reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. At the conference, DAC will hold a roundtable geared towards allocating funding for brain health at the community and primary care physician level.

This conference will intentionally prioritize learnings from the global south with an emphasis on community health. The discourse offers a platform for leaders to share successes, understand shared challenges, and foster new collaborations that will drive future dementia research and care in Africa. The event is designed to facilitate a stronger network of dementia researchers and create a collaborative environment that can catalyze progress against dementia and Alzheimer’s and positively impact brain health. Learn more about the event here.

About the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative
Launched at the World Economic Forum’s 2021 meeting on The Davos Agenda, The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborativeis a multi-stakeholder partnership committed to aligning stakeholders with a new vision for our collective global response against the challenges Alzheimer’s presents to patients, caregivers, and healthcare infrastructures. Convened by The World Economic Forum and The Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease (CEOi) and fueled by a mission of service to the estimated 150 million families and half a billion people inevitably impacted by this disease by 2050, DAC is a collaborative for the benefit of all people, in all places.

About the Aga Khan University’s Brain & Mind Institute
The Brain and Mind Institute (BMI) at the Aga Khan University, operates in East Africa and Central/South Asia. BMI’s ethos is to span from neuron to the neighborhood, and across multi-country campuses. The operational model is to empower and strengthen neuroscience and mental health research and interventions through capacity building and partnerships; connecting the rich tapestry of academics, research entities, stakeholders, and communities of lived experience.

BMI facilitates interdisciplinary research, education and innovation in mental health and neurosciences. Through transdisciplinary research approaches, BMI aims to impact the lives of people who are affected by debilitating neurological and mental health problems. Whether it is uncovering the causes of illness or advancing breakthrough research into treatments or interventions, BMI’s approach is always mindful of the local needs of the people and communities at risk.

Nature Conferences
Nature Conferences are events tailored to the international scientific community to foster communication and collaboration between scientists at various research levels. Held in face-to-face and virtual formats, a multi-disciplinary schedule of events is launched each year in partnership with leading industry and institutional organizations in the scientific field globally. As part of the world-renowned Nature Portfolio of journals, editors carefully curate event programs to create immersive experiences that blend cutting-edge research with insightful discussions.

The Nature Portfolio of journals is home to Nature—the leading international weekly journal of science first published in 1869— and to selective subject-specific journals including Nature Medicine, Nature Aging, Nature Communications and Communications Medicine. Together, these journals publish some of the world’s most significant scientific discoveries. Nature Portfolio, its journals, and Nature Conferences are all part of Springer Nature.

Learn more about Nature Conferences here and follow @Natureconf.

Attachment

Collaborating Organizations for Dementia Conference to Be Held in Nairobi, Kenya

Susan Oliver
Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative
703-216-4078
soliver@davosalzheimerscollaborative.org

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9119122

May 16, 2024

Tealium unveils CDP integration with Snowflake’s Snowpipe Streaming API

The integration combines the powerful forces of the Snowflake Data Cloud and Tealium CDP to accelerate CX across the entire customer journey

San Diego, May 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tealium announced today that it is one of the first customer data platforms (CDPs) to seamlessly connect to Snowflake’s Snowpipe Streaming API, offering industry-leading customer data collection and activation capabilities. Tealium’s CDP, powered by Snowflake, streamlines the process of landing low latency customer behavior data into the Snowflake Data Cloud to power analytics, AI, and customer-360 initiatives, allowing enterprises to better serve and engage their customers.

“At the heart of any CX strategy, is your data. CDPs and cloud data platforms are powerful catalysts for managing, analyzing, and activating customer data successfully to achieve this. And although unique on their own, together, they become a powerful force. That’s why Tealium and Snowflake are truly better together, providing a centralized consented data hub combining the benefits of historical data, real-time behavior, and utmost flexibility,” says Bob Page, Chief Product Officer at Tealium.

Real-time access to customer data is crucial for organizations to stay competitive and deliver exceptional customer experiences. Tealium’s integration with the Snowpipe Streaming API enables businesses to capture, process, analyze, and activate data efficiently. This powerful combination allows organizations to unlock valuable insights, enhance personalization, and make data-driven decisions, ultimately driving growth and customer satisfaction.

The integration leverages the power of a real-time CDP coupled with Snowflake’s elastic performance engine to drive customer data capabilities, including:

Establish unified and actionable customer views to power real-time engagement, leveraging enhanced identity data in Snowflake
Fuel and activate AI initiatives across the entire data infrastructure
Minimize wasted time on data wrangling for more strategic and higher-quality insights
Reduce regulatory risk by enabling consented data collection and activation, honoring customer privacy preferences across the entire journey
Improve ROI and achieve business goals through enhanced measurement and data-driven decision making

“As third-party cookies phase out and privacy regulations intensify, the demand for secure, privacy-first, real-time data solutions has never been greater,” said Onil Gunawardana, Head of Product Management, Marketing Data Cloud, at Snowflake. “Tealium’s advanced CDP with consent management, integrated with Snowflake’s Snowpipe API, provides enterprises with immediate access to cleansed, high-quality, first-party data. This seamless connectivity not only speeds up data ingestion for AI and improves customer experiences, but also ensures that data usage remains compliant within Snowflake’s robust analytics environment, elevating customer data strategies with unmatched security and efficiency.”

The integration also equips teams with widened flexibility, allowing them to augment customer data with AI, fueling models with clean and consented data. With every business having an AI mandate, the biggest challenge being faced during initial adoption is access to AI-ready data. The Tealium and Snowflake integration enforces enhanced data quality and governance, which supports successful AI implementation across the enterprise.

Learn more about how Tealium and Snowflake are better together.

To keep up with the latest company news, visit Tealium’s Newsroom.

Join the Real-Time Revolution: Tealium is hosting its annual Digital Velocity conference in San Diego on June 10-12, 2024. Join industry leaders as they come together to discuss the latest innovations in customer data. On Tuesday, June 11, Patrick Crosby, Senior Alliance Manager for Technology Partners at Snowflake, will be speaking in a session on “Driving Growth through Data Integration: CDPs and the Snowflake Marketing Data Cloud in Concert.” Learn more and register here.

About Tealium

As the most trusted CDP, Tealium connects data so businesses can better connect with their customers. Tealium’s real-time data infrastructure allows brands to power their AI models and activate data for enhanced in-the-moment experiences. Tealium’s turnkey integration ecosystem supports more than 1,300 built-in connections from the world’s most prominent technology experts. Tealium’s solutions include a real-time customer data platform with machine learning, tag management, an API hub, and data management solutions that make customer data more valuable, actionable, privacy-compliant, and secure. Named as a Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant for Customer Data Platforms, more than 850 leading businesses globally trust Tealium to power their customer data strategies. For more information, visit www.tealium.com.

Natalie Passarelli
Tealium Inc. 
3129650210
natalie.passarelli@tealium.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9118839

May 16, 2024

Braving the extreme: Deriv-sponsored Patagonian expedition Kahuna and its impact on climate science

Collecting snow samples for research

Two explorers collecting snow samples as part of the Kahuna expedition.

Two explorers collecting snow samples – Deriv Kahuna

Deriv’s CSR sponsorship programme supports the Kahuna team in collecting essential environmental data and improving global understanding of climate change.
In partnership with OSER and Cheer Up, the environmental expedition aims to uplift and educate young patients and students.

CYBERJAYA, Malaysia, May 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As Deriv gears up to celebrate 25 years of innovation and responsibility, it proudly marks this milestone through a series of new initiatives that will have an impact in 2024 and beyond. The Kahuna sponsorship supports scientific research and community projects that provide educational value and inspire positive action towards protecting the environment.

Deriv recently sponsored the Kahuna team to carry out an environmental research expedition in Patagonia. The environmental expedition aimed to investigate the presence of microplastics and black carbon in the snow. These substances are critical indicators of environmental pollution that affect climate change.

The team partnered with the Argentinian Institute of Nivology, Glaciology, and Environmental Sciences and sought community outreach through collaborations with charitable organisations OSER and CheerUp (affiliated with CentraleSupelec).

The Kahuna team hiking with their heavy backpacks

Hikers with their backpacks – Deriv Kahuna

Seema Hallon, Chief Human Resources Officer of Deriv, shares, “The 25th anniversary is an opportunity for Deriv to recommit to the things that matter to us as an organisation. Investing our CSR efforts in meaningful projects such as the Kahuna expedition is our way of contributing to the efforts for a sustainable future for the planet and communities.”

The expedition began in mid-January in Puerto Murta, Chile, with a team consisting of Baptistin Coutance, Robin Villard, Thomas Jarrey, Vincent Lavrov, and Yvan Lazard.

The route took them across Lago General Carrera, through Rio Baker into the Pacific fjords, along the Campo De Hielo Continental, ascending Volcan Lautaro and Cerro Francisco Moreno, where bad weather conditions led to an early ending of the journey.

Robin Villard shares, “The expedition was a success. The samples collected are in good condition and are scheduled for analysis in May and July. By the end of the summer, we should have results on the presence of microplastics in the ice field below. That’s a huge success.

“Our scientific research aimed to collect snow samples for analysis to determine the level of microplastics. Simply put, the samples will be examined under a microscope in the lab to see if there is significant pollution from microplastics in the snow.”

Expedition outcomes:

Research impact: The Kahuna team successfully collected and analysed samples from the region, providing valuable data for ongoing climate studies.
Community impact: Through real-time updates and subsequent presentations, the environmental expedition will provide educational and motivational experiences to young cancer patients and underprivileged students once their documentary film is ready.

The expedition faced challenges — adverse weather conditions and dangerous terrain, but could complete their research objectives effectively.

Hikers with their Deriv-branded backpacks