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AESC Lifetime Achievement Award Presented to Thomas Becker

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Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Russell Reynolds Managing Director / Senior Partner

LONDON, Nov. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC) honored Russell Reynolds Associates Managing Director/Senior Partner Thomas Becker with the AESC Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding career in executive search and leadership consulting.

“AESC members in the DACH region have illustrated the true value of AESC – collaborating for the good of the profession,” said AESC CEO Karen Greenbaum. “Thomas has been a central figure in the AESC DACH group, exemplifying the power of collaboration. His leadership in the German market and dedication to mentoring the next generation highlight his strength as a leader. With nearly 20 years of active involvement in AESC, Thomas’s commitment to our profession is evident. He is clearly deserving of this most prestigious AESC award.”

With over 25 years of experience in the executive search and leadership consulting profession, Thomas is considered by many an executive search icon in Germany’s Technology industry.

“Thomas has established an excellent reputation not only in Germany but worldwide for his first-class insights and delivery,” said Russell Reynolds Associates Managing Director Symon Elliott. “His unique leadership advisory capabilities have also made him a trusted advisor to the boards of some of the world’s largest corporations.”.”

Thomas began his career as a general technology consultant, later evolving to a leading expert in Private Equity-backed software hires. He was one of the first consultants able to position the value of sophisticated leadership advisory services to the fast-paced Private Equity world. Thomas’ career spans numerous high-profile hires for CEOs, CFOs, CTOs, CIOs, and CDOs across all subdomains in the tech industry, including digital transformation, professional services, telecommunications, and more.

“Thomas led Russell Reynolds Associates’ German office from 2007 to 2010. where he strengthened capabilities, restructured teams, and accelerated the firm’s growth and impact,” said Symon. “His talent for succession planning has benefitted not only his clients but the firm as well, creating a lasting legacy.”

Not only has Thomas had an exceptional career in the profession, but he has also acted as a supporter of the younger generation and an advocate for the profession at large.

Thomas is an active member of AESC, having been a member of the DACH Steering Committee since 2007. Thomas openly shares with fellow members and has always been a driving force in AESC’s engagement with members in the DACH region. His high set of standards of excellence and leadership has been instrumental in strengthening the voice of AESC and the profession within the DACH community. “Thomas has made significant contributions to the AESC, playing a central role in the DACH region,” explained Russell Reynolds Associates Country Manager, Germany, Matthias Scheiff. “His active engagement and valuable input over the years have been integral to the organization’s success.”

Thomas has worked on the Committee alongside fellow Lifetime Achievement Award winner Dieter Unterharnscheidt. AESC DACH Committee Chair and Heidrick & Struggles Partner Christine Stimpel explained that the two “have formed a formidable team which has not only advanced our cause in the region, but also has made the interaction within the AESC a pleasure. Both are committed, sincere, and never compromise on the highest standards”.

Matthias Scheiff said, “Thomas has had a profound impact in the profession over the years. His exceptional judgment, integrity, and dedication to developing both talent and trusted client relationships exemplify the very best of executive search. It’s fitting that he’s recognized for his outstanding contributions with this Lifetime Achievement Award.”

ABOUT THE AESC LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Bestowed since 1982, the AESC Lifetime Achievement Award is the capstone award for the executive search and leadership consulting profession. It is bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to the profession.

AESC Lifetime Achievement Award winners have a long and distinguished career in executive search and/ or leadership consulting. As practitioners, they clearly rise above the rest and have outstanding reputations. They are considered icons in the profession and unquestionably meritorious of the recognition.

ABOUT AESC
Since 1959, AESC has set quality standards for the executive search and leadership consulting profession. AESC Members represent 16,000+ trusted professionals in 1,200+ offices, spanning 70+ countries. AESC Members are recognized experts providing consulting services in the areas of leaders, teams and culture to the world’s leading organizations. They leverage their access and expertise to place more than 100,000 executives each year in board of directors and C-level positions across industry sectors. Dedicated to strengthening leadership together, AESC and its members share a deep commitment to the highest quality standards in executive search and leadership consulting—for the benefit of clients and the profession. We Shape. Connect. Educate. Innovate. Learn more about us at aesc.org. For AESC’s career services, visit bluesteps.com. 

Media Contact

Martha Clement Rochford, AESC, + 1 (585) 789-0057, mrochford@aesc.org, aesc.org

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Zetrix AI and China Academy of Information and Communications Technology Unveil Know Your Agent (KYA) Service to Bring Trust and Accountability to AI Agents

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Cross-border pilot across the Middle East, Africa, China and ASEAN with results to be submitted for consideration in ongoing discussions on establishing global AI identity and accountability standards

WUZHEN, China, Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Zetrix AI Berhad (“Zetrix AI”), in collaboration with the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (“CAICT”), announced the launch of a Know Your Agent (KYA) service, to bring greater trust, transparency and accountability to the rapidly expanding world of AI agents.

Announced simultaneously at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, China, and the ICT Development Forum 2026 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the KYA service introduces a framework that enables AI agents to possess verifiable digital identities linked to businesses or personal users.

The KYA service is designed to allow businesses, governments and digital service providers to verify not only the identity of an AI agent, but also who it represents, what it is authorised to do and whether its actions fall within approved limits.

As AI agents increasingly access online services and execute transactions, organisations need a reliable way to distinguish authorised activity from rogue or unauthorised actions. The KYA service addresses this trust gap by combining verifiable credentials with explicit delegated permissions and checks before protected actions proceed.

“AI is entering a new era where intelligent agents will increasingly make decisions, interact with businesses and execute transactions independently. Greater autonomy must come with greater accountability. The question is no longer just what AI can do, but who is responsible for what it does. Through Zetrix AI’s KYA service, we are working towards a future where every AI agent can be identified, every permission can be verified and every action can be traced to an accountable owner. This is fundamental to building the confidence needed for AI to operate at scale across businesses, governments and borders,” said TS Wong, Group Managing Director of Zetrix AI.

The launch includes a planned cross-border pilot involving organisations in the Middle East, Africa, China and ASEAN. The pilot will evaluate how agent identity and authorisation can be recognised across jurisdictions while preserving local control over identity systems and trust decisions. The results of the pilot will then be submitted to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), IEEE and other Standard Development Organizations (SDOs) for consideration in the ongoing work and conversations on establishing global AI identity and accountability standards.

With AI agents becoming more deeply integrated into everyday digital activities, the ability to establish trusted identities and verifiable authority could become an essential foundation for their widespread adoption.

“As Agentic AI assumes greater responsibilities, the need for KYA services will continue to rise. It is our expectation that this joint service with Zetrix AI will help foster a cross-border trusted network enabling interoperable Agentic AI around the world,” said Xiaoyu YOU, Head of International Department, ASTRON network, CAICT.

Through the KYA service, Zetrix AI and CAICT aim to help lay the groundwork for a future in which AI agents can operate with greater independence, while remaining identifiable, accountable and trusted across borders.

Building Trust in an AI-Driven World

AI agents are increasingly being built today to perform tasks that previously required direct human involvement, from managing digital services and accessing business information to facilitating payments and interacting with other AI systems. While these capabilities promise significant improvements in productivity and efficiency, they also introduce new risks.

Without reliable identity verification and clearly defined authority, organisations may struggle to distinguish legitimate AI agents from unauthorised systems, determine the limits of an agent’s permissions or establish accountability when something goes wrong.

Zetrix AI’s KYA service seeks to address these challenges by introducing a verifiable identity and authorisation framework for AI agents, creating a foundation for more secure and responsible autonomous interactions.

Unlike conventional digital identity systems that primarily verify human users, KYA extends identity verification to AI agents themselves, linking each agent to a verified owner and establishing clear boundaries around its activities.

The KYA service builds on W3C Verifiable Credentials and incorporates AvatarLabs’ Agentic Wallet technology to manage digital credentials, verify delegated permissions and maintain evidence of agent activity.

Giving AI Agents an Identity and Clear Boundaries

At the heart of the KYA service is a simple but effective principle that AI agents should be able to act independently, but never without clearly defined authority and accountability. The KYA service will assign each participating AI agent a verifiable digital identity linked to an authenticated individual or organisation.

Owners can establish specific permissions governing what an agent is allowed to do, including which services it can access, what information it can use, who it can transact with and how much it is permitted to spend. For example, a business could authorise an AI agent to process payments to approved suppliers within a specified spending limit, while requiring human approval for transactions exceeding that amount.

Similarly, an AI agent accessing government or enterprise digital services could be required to demonstrate its identity and authorisation before gaining access to protected information.

The KYA service is also designed to ensure that when an AI agent delegates tasks to another agent, the delegated authority cannot exceed the permissions originally granted. Permissions can be revoked, while signed records of agent activity provide an auditable trail to support accountability.

By combining identity verification, permission controls and cryptographic evidence, the KYA service aims to enable organisations to embrace the benefits of autonomous AI without compromising security, privacy or oversight.

Taking AI Trust Beyond Borders

Recognising that AI agents will increasingly operate across international markets, Zetrix AI and CAICT are also planning a cross-border pilot to test how verifiable AI identities and permissions can be recognised across different jurisdictions. The proposed pilot will involve participating organisations from the Middle East, Africa, China and ASEAN, subject to confirmation.

It will explore practical applications in areas such as cross-border trade, digital payments, government services and interactions between autonomous AI agents. A key objective is to demonstrate how AI agents can operate across different national identity ecosystems while respecting local regulatory requirements, data protection considerations and jurisdictional control.

The pilot will evaluate the effectiveness of identity verification, permission enforcement, revocation mechanisms, privacy safeguards and accountability records in real-world cross-border environments. By testing these capabilities across multiple jurisdictions, the initiative seeks to establish practical foundations for greater interoperability and trust in the global AI ecosystem.

Contributing to the Future of International AI Standards

Beyond the immediate launch, the initiative is also intended to contribute to international efforts to develop common approaches to identity, trust and accountability for autonomous AI.

Zetrix AI and CAICT plan to jointly submit findings from the cross-border pilot to the International Telecommunication Union’s Telecommunication Standardization Sector Study Group 17 (ITU-T SG17), through its Focus Group on Trust and Identity for Humans and Agentic AI (FG-TIDA).

The submissions are expected to include implementation findings, cross-border use cases and recommendations relating to agent identity verification, delegated authority and accountability. These contributions are intended to support ongoing international technical discussions and pre-standardisation efforts, subject to the applicable ITU processes.

Organisations interested in participating in the pilot can contact agentid@avatarlabs.si.

About Zetrix AI Berhad

Zetrix AI Berhad (“Zetrix AI”), formerly known as MY E.G. Services Berhad, is leading the way in the deployment of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence in powering the public and private sectors across ASEAN. Headquartered in Malaysia, Zetrix AI started operations in 2000 as a pioneer in the provision of electronic government services and complementary commercial offerings in its home country. Today, it has advanced to the forefront of technology transformation in the broader region, leveraging its Layer-1 blockchain platform Zetrix and embracing the convergence of Web3, AI and robotics to enable optimally-efficient, intelligent and secure cross-border transactions, digital identity interoperability and automation solutions that seamlessly connect people, businesses and governments.

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KuCoin Shares Insights on Career Development and Building a Lasting Competitive Edge at Hong Kong FinTech Week’s Web3 Career Connect

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HONG KONG, Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As digital assets converge with traditional finance and AI, talent needs are changing. Employers increasingly value professional depth and cross-disciplinary capabilities, while new technologies and business models are opening career opportunities.

Against this backdrop, KuCoin’s Head of Talent Acquisition Karina Li shared insights on Web3 talent development at Web3 Career Connect, an official community event of Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK 2026.

During the panel “Inside Web3: Building Businesses, Teams & Careers,” Karina described how industry priorities are broadening talent needs, combining technology and crypto experience with traditional finance capabilities in risk management, compliance and governance. AI’s integration with Web3 is also changing skill requirements and opening career opportunities to people from diverse professional backgrounds.

She highlighted the growing importance of structured talent development, with practical responsibilities, mentoring and feedback helping graduates develop independent judgement and ownership.

“Building services that users can trust requires sustained investment in people,” Karina said. “Professional depth and continuous learning help young talent contribute as the industry evolves.”

In a separate presentation, “How to Make the Right Career Choices in the Crypto Era,” Karina offered university students and recent graduates interested in Web3 a framework for evaluating industries, companies and roles. She encouraged them to assess long-term demand, business fundamentals and opportunities to build transferable skills, while seeking experienced colleagues, meaningful responsibilities and room to grow.

Her advice was to establish expertise in a core discipline before expanding across functions, using internships and practical projects to explore their strengths.

About KuCoin

Founded in 2017, KuCoin is a leading global crypto platform built on trust and security, serving over 45 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Known for its reliability and user-first approach, the platform builds trust into every layer of the user experience, combining advanced technology, deep liquidity, and strong security safeguards to deliver a seamless trading experience. KuCoin provides access to 1,000+ digital assets through a broad product suite and remains committed to building a secure, transparent, compliant, and user-centric ecosystem for the future of finance, backed by SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27701:2019, ISO 22301:2019 and ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certifications. In recent years, KuCoin has continued to strengthen its global compliance foundation, marked by key milestones including AUSTRAC registration in Australia, a MiCA license in Europe, and regulatory progress in other markets.

Learn more at www.kucoin.com.

Disclaimer

This announcement is for general informational and corporate news reporting purposes only and does not constitute an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to engage in any digital asset transactions or services in Hong Kong. The event described herein was strictly educational and non-commercial in nature.

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NTT Deepens Financial AI Engagement as Official FinTech Partner of Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026

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NTT and Cyberport convene financial services leaders to explore the pathway from AI sandbox to production

HONG KONG, Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — NTT Com Asia (NTT), part of the NTT Group, a leading global technology company, is an official FinTech Partner of Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026, reinforcing its commitment to Hong Kong’s financial services and technology ecosystem and supporting industry dialogue around the next stage of AI adoption.

As part of its participation, NTT collaborated with Cyberport to host “Beyond the Sandbox: What It Takes to Move Financial AI from Sandbox to Production,” a closed-door leadership luncheon on 3 November 2026. The discussion brought together senior representatives from financial institutions and the wider financial technology ecosystem.

As financial institutions advance AI initiatives from experimentation towards real-world deployment, building on the momentum of the HKMA Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenA.I.) Sandbox, the luncheon examined the practical conditions required to be in place for financial AI to move from experimentation towards production. Conversations addressed governance and compliance, data and security, infrastructure and scalability, and operating responsibility, while providing a forum for leaders to exchange perspectives on the barriers and priorities shaping financial AI adoption.

Through its collaboration with Cyberport and participation in Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026, NTT aims to deepen engagement with the financial services community and contribute its technology and infrastructure perspective to the evolving discussion around production-ready AI in financial services.

About NTT Com Asia

As part of the NTT Group, a leading global technology company, NTT Com Asia is committed to building a smart and sustainable world through innovation. We empower businesses to accelerate their digital and AI journeys by unlocking the full potential of data.

From smart digital infrastructure, technology services to leading-edge AI solutions, we enable organizations to navigate the evolving challenges of a data-centric world.

For more information, please visit: www.ntt.com.hk

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