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Leading Australia-based Financial and Corporate Communications Agency, Honner, Joins FINN Partners

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The move expands FINN’s Asia Pacific footprint to Australia and strengthens the Agency’s position as a global leader in Financial Services; Taps into Australia’s deep and fast-growing investment sector.

NEW YORK and SYDNEY, July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Global independent marketing and communications firm, FINN Partners, has acquired Honner, an award-winning, 25-person-strong Sydney-based agency with leading expertise in financial services and corporate communications. The move establishes FINN’s presence in Australia and expands its capabilities in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing investment markets. Sydney and Melbourne will join FINN’s global footprint, bringing its worldwide office count to 37 and expanding its Asia Pacific team to approximately 250 professionals.

The agency will be known as “Honner, A FINN Partners Company”. All Honner employees will become FINN employees.

Honner founder, Philippa Honner, joins FINN as Managing Partner and FINN Financial Services Practice Leader for APAC — with a mandate of expanding FINN’s financial services practice throughout the Asia Pacific region, including further building the agency’s strong foothold in the Australia market. She will also become a member of the APAC leadership team and, alongside Honner’s senior leadership team, work closely with regional leaders in Greater China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand.

FINN currently works with a wide range of leading global financial brands including Charles Schwab, Chubb, Deutsche Bank and Natixis.

Financial Sector Growth in APAC

The acquisition reflects Australia’s growing strategic importance in powering Asia’s evolving financial services ecosystem, spanning both traditional capital markets and the next generation of digital financial infrastructure.

Australia’s superannuation (pensions) pool has reached AU $4.5 trillion* making it one of the largest retirement savings markets in the world and one of the fastest growing pools of institutional capital globally. The market is set to grow to AU $8.3 trillion (US $5.4 trillion) in the early 2030s**, likely making it the second largest pension system in the world after the US. Many of Honner’s clients are local financial brands expanding into APAC, or global brands wanting a consolidated regional approach to marketing and communications.

As part of the FINN APAC region, Honner will be overseen by Howard Solomon, FINN founding managing partner and APAC lead, who also leads the firm’s efforts on the West Coast of the US.

Howard Solomon noted FINN already had an established presence in Australia through its market leading travel and arts practices, working with current and past clients such as the Art Gallery of New South Wales on its major expansion project, known as Sydney Modern; the Australia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale; Destination New South Wales which FINN represents in the US and UK markets; Intrepid Travel; and the Naomi Milgrom Foundation.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Honner to the FINN family,” stated Solomon. “Australia is a key growth market in the region and one we have been looking at very carefully for years. This move further deepens our financial services expertise in APAC and gives us critical mass to support the growing demand from both local and global financial brands in the region. We are very pleased to welcome the Honner team and look forward to growing our collective presence.”

A Shared Vision to Strengthen Client Positioning Across a Changing Financial Services Landscape

Honner was founded in 1997 by Philippa Honner, an economics graduate with a passion for media. The agency has an impressive client base of blue chip local and global organizations across sectors including banking and capital markets, asset management, wealth management and financial advice, superannuation, insurance, professional services, real estate, renewables, digital assets, technology and industry organizations.

Peter Finn, FINN CEO and founding partner, said the acquisition builds on FINN’s continued momentum globally and across Asia Pacific. Recently ranked among the world’s top 20 global independent PR firms by PRWeek, as well as earning recognition as one of PRovoke Media’s Best Agencies in the U.S., Europe and UK, FINN has expanded rapidly through a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions.

“From the beginning, my vision for FINN Partners has been to create a world-class agency with unmatched depth of sector expertise and integrated services to benefit clients wherever they are in the world,” Peter Finn said. “This acquisition builds on the momentum we’ve established across APAC, including last year’s acquisition of RICE Communications. FINN’s APAC business has grown significantly, accounting for nearly 10% of the firm’s global fees. With Honner joining the firm, FINN APAC now has approximately USD$19 million in fees, further strengthening our ability to serve clients seamlessly across the US, EMEA and APAC.”

Honner Founder Philippa Honner said joining FINN was an exciting next step for the Honner team and the agency’s clients.

“Joining forces with FINN gives us an incredible platform to progress our ambitions to be the leading marketing and communications agency supporting corporate and financial brands across APAC,” Philippa Honner said. “We look forward to working closely with our FINN colleagues across the region and spending time with our clients to demonstrate the impact of tailored communications strategies across complex APAC markets.”

Ryan Barr, FINN Global Financial Services Practice Lead, said the firm continues to see strong opportunities across traditional banking and asset management, alongside rapid growth in fintech, private markets, and the digitization of financial infrastructure across APAC.

“Honner is a natural fit for FINN. Their leading position in Australia, together with our established presence across Singapore, Hong Kong, Greater China and the broader region, strengthens our ability to support clients wherever they need us most,” Barr added, “I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Philippa, and she is the kind of trusted, senior counsel that defines our approach globally. She adds further depth to the integrated marketing and communications services we provide to clients around the world.”

ABOUT HONNER
Established in Sydney in 1997, Honner is a specialist PR, marketing and communications consultancy focused on the corporate, financial services and new economy sectors. Today, the firm supports more than 50 clients across the Asia-Pacific region, including leading asset managers, superfunds, consultants, banks and digital asset platforms. Collectively, Honner’s clients manage over AUD $10 trillion in investment capital across public and private markets. Honner is a member of two global agency networks – PROI Worldwide and Global Communication Partners (GCP). More information: www.honner.com.au

ABOUT FINN PARTNERS
Founded in 2011 on the core principles of innovation and collaborative partnership, FINN Partners has grown from about US $24 million in fees to almost US $200 million in fees during the past 15 years, becoming one of the fastest-growing independent public relations agencies in the world. Recognized as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, PRovoke Media’s 100 Best Agencies in the U.S., 60 Best Agencies in Europe, and Midsize Agency of the Year in 2022, the full-service marketing and communications company’s record-setting pace results from organic growth and integrating new companies and new people into the FINN world through a common philosophy. With more than 1,300 professionals across 37 offices, FINN provides clients with global access and capabilities in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In addition, FINN provides its clients with access to top-tier agencies worldwide through its membership in the global network PROI.

Headquartered in New York, FINN has offices in: Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Bangalore, Bangkok, Beijing, Boston, Chicago, Delhi, Denver, Detroit, Dublin, Fort Lauderdale, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Jerusalem, Kuala Lumpur, London, Los Angeles, Madison, Wisc., Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, Munich, Nashville, Orange County, Paris, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Singapore, Sydney, Vancouver, Washington D.C. and Yangon. Find us at finnpartners.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram at @finnpartners.

Notes:
* Source: The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) at December 2025
** Australia’s Super Members Council

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SOURCE Finn Partners, Inc.

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J&T Express Average Daily Parcel Volume Exceeds 100 Million in the Second Quarter of 2026

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Southeast Asia Parcel Volume Up 63.2% YoY and Other Markets Parcel Volume Up 136.5% YoY

HONG KONG, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — J&T Global Express Limited (“J&T Express” or “J&T” or the “Company”, stock code: 1519.HK), a global logistics service provider, today announced its business update and operating metrics for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026. During the reporting period, the Company’s total parcel volume reached 9.177 billion, up 24.2% year-on-year (“YoY”), with average daily parcel volume reaching 101 million. The quarterly average daily parcel volume crossed the 100 million milestone, marking a new stage in the Company’s business development. Non-China parcel volume reached 2.966 billion, up 66.9% YoY, accounting for 32.3% of total parcel volume and representing an increase of 8.3 percentage points from the same period last year. For the first half of the year, the Company’s total parcel volume reached 17.503 billion, up 25.1% YoY, while non-China parcels accounted for 33.6%, an increase of 9.4 percentage points YoY. The Company maintained strong growth overall. Southeast Asia and other markets sustained high growth, China delivered steady growth, and the scale and operating capabilities of the global network continued to improve.

As a leading express logistics provider in Southeast Asia, J&T Express maintained strong growth in the region in the second quarter. Parcel volume in Southeast Asia reached 2.755 billion, up 63.2% YoY, with average daily parcel volume reaching 30.3 million. For the first half of the year, parcel volume in the region reached 5.523 billion, up 71.2% YoY. The Company continued to enhance regional fulfillment capabilities through network optimization and infrastructure investment. As of June 30, 2026, the number of sorting centers in Southeast Asia increased by 6 from the end of 2025 to 127, while automated sorting lines increased by 11 to 75, providing strong support for the region’s sustained robust e-commerce and express delivery demand.

In China, J&T Express adapted to industry changes by proactively adjusting its strategy and continuing to optimize its network structure, customer resources and operating efficiency. In the second quarter, parcel volume in China reached 6.211 billion, up 10.6% YoY, with average daily parcel volume reaching 68.2 million. In the first half of the year, automated sorting lines in China increased by 8 to 346, further supporting parcel volume growth and improved sorting efficiency.

In other markets, parcel volume in the second quarter reached 211 million, up 136.5% YoY, with average daily parcel volume reaching 2.3 million. The YoY growth rate further increased from the first quarter. The Company continued to capture e-commerce development and cross-border logistics opportunities in regions including Latin America and the Middle East, and deepened cooperation with global e-commerce platforms such as TikTok, TEMU, SHEIN and AliExpress, as well as local e-commerce platforms including Mercado Libre, further expanding its business opportunities in emerging markets. Along with business expansion, as of June 30, 2026, the number of outlets in other markets increased by about 700 from the end of 2025 to 2,700, and the number of sorting centers increased by 8 to 52, providing support for the rapid scale-up of business in other markets.

J&T Express’ global footprint and growth prospects continued to attract capital market attention. In June, the Company was included as a constituent of the Hang Seng Index, officially joining the ranks of Hong Kong blue-chip stocks, reflecting the market’s strong recognition of the Company’s business resilience and long-term value. The Company will continue to improve service quality and operating efficiency around customer needs, continue to invest in infrastructure and strengthen the development of its global logistics network, laying a solid foundation for long-term and steady development.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/jt-express-average-daily-parcel-volume-exceeds-100-million-in-the-second-quarter-of-2026-302820053.html

SOURCE J&T Express

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Federal Agencies and State Gaming Regulators to Participate in the 2026 Annual BSA/AML Gaming Conference

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LAS VEGAS, July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The BSA-AML Compliance Group is excited to share an early preview of the agenda for the Annual BSA/AML Gaming Conference, the most respected and comprehensive anti-money laundering compliance event for the gaming sector. The 2026 conference will be held at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas from September 14–17, opening with a dedicated “Fundamentals Day” on Monday, September 14 for newer professionals and those seeking a refresher in core BSA/AML principles, followed by the main conference program on September 15–17.

Senior Government Officials to Share their Insights

This year’s conference will once again feature a strong government presence, giving attendees direct access to the agencies at the front lines of financial crime enforcement, regulation, and policy. Participating federal agencies will include:

The U.S. Department of the Treasury

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)

IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)

IRS Small Business/Self-Employed Division (SB/SE) – BSA Examiners

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

BSA Examiners and FinCEN will participate in the “Recent Trends and Focus of IRS Examinations and FinCEN Investigations” session. State gaming regulators will also be attending and participating, including the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. Additional government and expert speakers will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Agenda Preview

While the full agenda is still being finalized, attendees can expect an early look at sessions on the following topics:

Hot Topics in BSA/AML Compliance

Law Enforcement Panel: What Criminal Agencies Are Seeing, and What You Should Know

Recent Enforcement Actions — Casino and Non-Casino

OFAC Sanctions Enforcement Issues

State and Tribal AML Enforcement and Compliance

Prediction Markets: What’s Happening, and How It Affects Your BSA/AML Compliance Program

New FinCEN Proposals for AML Program Requirements

Back-of-House AML Investigation Issues

Emerging Technology: Artificial Intelligence and BSA/AML Compliance

Recent Trends and Focus of IRS Examinations and FinCEN Investigations

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s National Money Laundering Risk Assessment

More sessions will be added as the agenda is finalized.

Last year, more than 560 attendees from 40 states, six foreign countries, dozens of Native American tribes, and over 160 gaming entities attended, with overwhelmingly positive feedback regarding speaker access, practical insights, and networking.

“This year’s agenda reflects the issues compliance professionals are dealing with right now — from prediction markets and new FinCEN proposals to sanctions enforcement and law enforcement trends,” said Jim Dowling, Co-Founder of the BSA-AML Compliance Group. “With participation from the Treasury Department, FinCEN, IRS-CI, IRS SB/SE, the FBI, and DHS, along with gaming regulators from Nevada and New Jersey — and more announcements on the way — this year’s conference is shaping up to be our strongest program yet.”

To register for the 2026 conference, visit: https://bsaamlgamingconference.com

Kinectify, Inc., the leading provider of compliance technology for the gaming industry, is the exclusive Diamond Sponsor for the BSA/AML Gaming Conference. For more information about Kinectify, please visit https://www.kinectify.com

About the BSA-AML Compliance Group
The BSA-AML Compliance Group provides the gaming industry, FinTech companies, emerging payments companies, and financial institutions with expert-led training and education in anti-money laundering, sanctions compliance, and illicit finance prevention.

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SOURCE BSA-AML Compliance Group LLC

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Tiger Research Report: Institutional RWA Adoption Moves Beyond Tokenization to Capital Market Infrastructure Overhaul

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SEOUL, South Korea, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tiger Research, a Seoul-based blockchain research firm, reports that institutional RWA tokenization has entered a new phase. The real transformation is not in placing assets onchain, but in reconstructing the clearing systems, settlement layers, and liquidity networks underpinning every institutional transaction.

According to rwa.xyz, onchain-issued assets reached approximately USD 34 billion as of May 2026, more than 20 times the USD 1.5 billion recorded in early 2020. Including represented assets, where ownership is recorded onchain while physical assets remain with custodians, the total rises to approximately USD 360 billion.

Tiger Research identifies four capital market verticals where onchain infrastructure is already operational. In short-term funding, Broadridge’s Distributed Ledger Repo platform, built on the Canton Network, processes USD 7.7 trillion in monthly settlement volume, with average daily volume of USD 368 billion as of April 2026. In securities settlement, the DTCC partnered with Digital Asset and received a no-action letter from the SEC in December 2025 to tokenize U.S. Treasuries, targeting an MVP in the first half of 2026. In capital raising, the Hong Kong government issued HKD 6 billion in digital green bonds through HSBC Orion in February 2024, compressing settlement from T+5 to T+1, with bonds deployed as repo collateral within days. In digital payments, Bitwave built a private B2B stablecoin infrastructure on Canton, integrating directly with enterprise ERP systems.

Tiger Research identifies three shared infrastructure requirements: transaction-level privacy, atomic settlement, and a public permissioned structure satisfying BCBS requirements. Permissionless blockchains carry risk weights of up to 1,250% under BCBS Group 2 classification, creating a significant balance sheet burden for regulated institutions.

To illustrate how these conditions are met, the report features Canton Network as a case study. Designed for institutional finance from the outset, Canton was developed by Digital Asset, which received investment from institutions including JPMorgan, Citi, Goldman Sachs, and DTCC. The firm drew on experience from projects such as the ASX settlement system replacement and the DTCC credit derivatives infrastructure rebuild in shaping Canton’s architecture. Canton embeds authorization and privacy at the smart contract level, limits validation to transaction parties, and enables atomic settlement without asset bridging.

Its Asia expansion is accelerating. In Korea, following STO legislation passed in January 2026, Hanwha Investment & Securities partnered with Digital Asset, while Shinhan Asset Management, Shinhan Securities, and KB Securities signed agreements with the Canton Foundation in June 2026. In Japan, JSCC, Nomura Holdings, and Mizuho Financial Group launched a proof-of-concept using Japanese government bonds. In Hong Kong, Canton has been integrated into the Central Moneymarkets Unit at the monetary authority level.

“Capital market infrastructure, once built, does not change easily,” said Seungsik Yoon, who leads Tiger Research’s Research Center and authored the report. “The gap between institutions that join while standards are still being set and those that try to catch up later only widens over time.”

Tiger Research concludes that regulatory clarity, institutional demand, and infrastructure maturity present the most favorable conditions yet for institutions evaluating onchain capital market infrastructure.

The full report, Below the Surface: How Canton Network Is Reshaping Capital Market Infrastructure, can be accessed [here].

About Tiger Research

Tiger Research is an independent research institution covering digital asset markets across Asia. Founded in 2022, Tiger Research has helped projects shape and distribute their narratives as one of Asia’s most referenced sources of blockchain intelligence and institutional connectivity. Its reports, published in five languages, reach 100,000 monthly subscribers and more than 200 institutional clients, including banks, asset managers, and enterprises.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/tiger-research-report-institutional-rwa-adoption-moves-beyond-tokenization-to-capital-market-infrastructure-overhaul-302819356.html

SOURCE Tiger Research

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