Connect with us

Technology

Waldron and Torchiana Become SparkEffect, Casting a Bold New Vision for Organizational Change, Leadership Development, and Career Transition Solutions

Published

on

Industry-leading organizational transformation and career development firms unite into one brand, becoming the preeminent West Coast and Southwest market provider of CEO and Board services, organization development, leadership, career management, outplacement and talent solutions to U.S. and global organizations.

SEATTLE, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — SparkEffect, a purpose-driven firm delivering organizational development and talent solutions in a dynamic landscape, announced today its new name and innovative vision for strategic governance, leader and organization effectiveness, leadership development, and career management and transition solutions.

Formerly Waldron (a premier leadership development and organizational transformation consultancy) and Torchiana (a top-tier career development, career transition and talent solution provider), the companies merged in 2023, bringing together firms with over 40 years each of deep market expertise and proven client outcomes. The new name and brand reflect an ambitious mission and vision to meet companies at the convergence of their strategic, leadership, organizational and talent needs — uncovering enlightened opportunities to drive value and impact-building outcomes.

“Organizations today are endeavoring to solve incredible governance, leadership and talent challenges and our clients are trying to make the most of rapidly evolving, and at times, disrupted environments, working to discern transformational pathways and take decisive strategic action to achieve their objectives,” said SparkEffect CEO, Mike Humphries. “The SparkEffect name reflects the ideas, initiative, momentum and impact we enliven in our clients through our decades of experience delivering tailored, practical and value-building solutions. Truly, we enable organizations and people to achieve their full potential and realize their professional dreams.”

Swiftly changing markets, new economic pressures, and the evergreen challenges of developing the governing boards, leaders and the talent needed to thrive today require a collaborative partner like SparkEffect. Bringing the expertise of these two long-time market leaders together, SparkEffect emerges as a proven partner to navigate the most dynamic of business conditions.

“SparkEffect has spent decades cultivating relationships and earning trust with insightful leaders across industries,” said Kim Bohr, president and COO. “As we continue to evolve alongside our clients, our commitment remains unmatched. By combining deep expertise with fresh perspectives, we help companies gain a competitive edge and build resilient, purpose-driven cultures poised for the future.”

SparkEffect will continue to offer organization transformation, CEO and board assessment and governance counsel, executive coaching, leadership development, career management and development, and career transition and outplacement services. “As SparkEffect, we are excited to announce the expansion of our offerings. Our enhanced portfolio of services not only complements our current strengths but also delivers increased value, addressing a broader range of needs,” says Kristi Rocha, SVP of client engagement and effective organizations.

The role of leaders has evolved dramatically alongside seismic shifts in technology, competitiveness, transparency and employee expectations.

“Our world demands ever more self-aware leaders to work in increasingly complex human systems and the field of executive coaching needs to keep pace,” said Rod Bacon, chief coaching officer at SparkEffect. “SparkEffect brings decades of experience and an innovative and caring approach to helping people and their companies continuously improve.”

The SparkEffect name and brand capture the firm’s compassion and courage in helping organizations face pressing strategic, governance, and talent challenges amidst shifting and complex operating dynamics. “SparkEffect reflects key aspects of our culture and values that fuel our work. The empathy that we bring speaks to how deeply we care — both for the clients we serve and the remarkable people within our teams,” said Lynne Saiz, SVP people operations and culture.

About SparkEffect

SparkEffect, formerly Waldron and Torchiana, partners with organizations and their people to cultivate agility and help them to thrive amidst exponential workplace change. The Firm’s tailored and actionable approach meets the unique development needs of boards, leaders and employees alike. SparkEffect helps organizations confidently imagine and embark upon a better path forward, equips leaders with necessary skills and insights, and ensures employees are ready for their next step, no matter how the future unfolds.

SparkEffect is headquartered in Seattle and can now be found online at SparkEffect.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/waldron-and-torchiana-become-sparkeffect-casting-a-bold-new-vision-for-organizational-change-leadership-development-and-career-transition-solutions-302073196.html

SOURCE SparkEffect

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

Greenzie releases 2025 Annual Safety Report, documenting multi-year safety performance at commercial scale

Published

on

By

The data shows zero lost-time injuries, zero OSHA medical attentions and zero human near-misses across real-world operation

ATLANTA, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Greenzie, the technology platform powering commercial autonomy across multiple OEMs, today shared multi-year safety data from real-world commercial operation, documenting more than 150,000 autonomous miles with zero lost-time injuries, zero OSHA medical attentions and zero human near-misses. The data is published in Greenzie’s 2025 Annual Safety Report, available at greenzie.com/safety.

The report is based on extensive operational data spanning more than 5.4 billion square feet of turf mowed, 68,000+ hours of autonomous mowing and more than 50,000 operator days, the equivalent of 265 mowing seasons.

“Greenzie is helping define safety in autonomous landscape operations, and transparency is a critical part of that,” said Steve Bush, chief operating officer of Greenzie. “These results show that commercial autonomy is operating safely at meaningful scale in the field. Transparency matters because as this category matures, real-world data helps build confidence in what responsible deployment looks like.”

The report’s findings are particularly significant in the context of the U.S. landscaping industry, which employs roughly 1.3 million workers and experiences a higher-than-average rate of workplace accidents compared to other fields. Greenzie’s multi-year operating data shows that autonomy is not theoretical; it is already being deployed consistently and performing safely at scale.

“Greenzie Powered Autonomy™ has been validated through years of sustained use in the field,” Bush said. “That level of real-world performance reinforces both the reliability of our platform and the broader readiness of commercial autonomy.”

Greenzie attributes this performance to a disciplined safety approach that includes robust perception, tested operating standards and continuous validation in real-world commercial environments.

For more information about Greenzie, visit greenzie.com.

About Greenzie

Founded in 2018, Greenzie is the technology platform powering commercial autonomy. Created to solve the landscape industry’s labor and productivity challenges, Greenzie works with leading equipment manufacturers to deliver the software, navigation and safety systems that enable mowing and other outdoor power equipment to operate autonomously in real-world commercial environments. Today, Greenzie’s platform is running on hundreds of machines in active use, helping manufacturers bring autonomy to market and allowing operators to get more done with limited labor—moving autonomy from early experimentation to everyday operations. For more information, visit greenzie.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/greenzie-releases-2025-annual-safety-report-documenting-multi-year-safety-performance-at-commercial-scale-302750335.html

SOURCE Greenzie

Continue Reading

Technology

CGI renews global SAP S/4HANA operations and SAP BTP operations certifications, reinforcing its consistent, quality delivery at scale

Published

on

By

Stock Market Symbols
GIB.A (TSX)
GIB (NYSE)
cgi.com/newsroom

MONTRÉAL, April 23, 2026 /CNW/ – CGI (NYSE: GIB) (TSX: GIB.A), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, announced that it has achieved the following recertifications for its global operation capabilities:

SAP S/4HANA operations and works with RISE with SAP SAP BTP operations and works with RISE with SAP

These recertifications highlight CGI’s ability to deliver consistent, high-quality managed SAP services and operations across regions, including services aligned with RISE with SAP. CGI’s SAP-based services help clients reduce operational risk, improve performance and efficiency and scale transformation with greater predictability. This also builds on CGI’s SAP alliance relationship momentum, including its recent AWS SAP Competency Partner status which highlights CGI’s expertise in modernizing mission-critical SAP workloads with AI-enabled cloud solutions.

“Running SAP at enterprise scale requires a partner with proven capabilities, delivery discipline and the ability to innovate securely, including through the integration of AI to deliver tangible outcomes,” said Didier Thérond, President, CGI France operations, and Global Executive Sponsor for CGI’s partnership with SAP. “These global recertifications reinforce CGI’s end-to-end SAP capabilities, including AI-enabled services, helping clients operate mission-critical systems with confidence and advance their modernization and cloud strategies.”

“CGI remains a trusted partner in our SAP Operations Partner program, consistently demonstrating a structured and disciplined approach to certification,” said Rudolf Scheipers, VP, Head of SAP Operations Partner Certification, SAP Partner Innovation Lifecycle Services. “These recertifications highlight the company’s mature operating model and commitment to the high standards we expect globally, ensuring clients running SAP environments can rely on consistent, secure, and efficient operations.”

CGI’s global alliance strategy features partnerships with more than 150 technology companies and supports its local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network. Through its SAP alliance, CGI helps organizations accelerate innovation, deploy and manage SAP solutions globally, and deliver industry-specific business outcomes with rapid, scalable, and AI-enabled cloud and ERP services.

About CGI
Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 94,000 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2025 reported revenue is CA$15.91 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cgi-renews-global-sap-s4hana-operations-and-sap-btp-operations-certifications-reinforcing-its-consistent-quality-delivery-at-scale-302750863.html

SOURCE CGI Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

Scholastic Corporation Announces Final Results of Modified Dutch Auction Tender Offer

Published

on

By

NEW YORK, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Scholastic Corporation (the “Company” or “Scholastic”) (Nasdaq: SCHL), the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today announced the final results of its “modified Dutch Auction” tender offer for shares of its common stock, which expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 20, 2026.

Based on the final count by Computershare Trust Company, N.A., the depositary for the tender offer, a total of 2,834,018 shares of Scholastic’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (each share of Scholastic’s common stock, a “Share,” and collectively, “Shares”), were properly tendered and not properly withdrawn at or below the purchase price of $40.00 per Share, including 989,343 Shares that were tendered by notice of guaranteed delivery.

Scholastic has accepted for purchase a total of 2,834,018 Shares through the tender offer at a price of $40.00 per Share, for an aggregate cost of $113,360,720.00, excluding fees and expenses relating to the tender offer.  The total of 2,834,018 Shares that Scholastic has accepted for purchase represents approximately 13.7% of the total number of Shares outstanding as of April 19,  2026.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as the dealer manager for the tender offer. Georgeson LLC served as the information agent. Holders of common stock who have questions or need information about the tender offer may call Georgeson LLC at (866) 539-9980 (toll free). Banks and brokers may call Georgeson at (866) 539-9980 or J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at (877) 371-5947 (toll free).

About Scholastic 

For more than 100 years, Scholastic Corporation (Nasdaq: SCHL) has been meeting children where they are – at school, at home and in their communities – by creating quality content and experiences, all beginning with literacy. Scholastic delivers stories, characters, and learning moments that empower all kids to become lifelong readers and learners through bestselling children’s books, literacy- and knowledge-building resources for schools including classroom magazines, and award-winning, entertaining children’s media. As the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books through school-based book clubs and book fairs, classroom libraries, school and public libraries, retail, and online, and with a global reach into more than 135 countries, Scholastic encourages the personal and intellectual growth of all children, while nurturing a lifelong relationship with reading, themselves, and the world around them. Learn more at www.scholastic.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including the conditions of the children’s book and educational materials markets generally and acceptance of the Company’s products within those markets, and other risks and factors identified from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated.

SCHL: Financial

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scholastic-corporation-announces-final-results-of-modified-dutch-auction-tender-offer-302751142.html

SOURCE Scholastic Corporation

Continue Reading

Trending