Connect with us

Technology

BNSF, First Command, WISE Advise and USAA Honored With 2026 Patriots in Business Award

Published

on

BNSF, First Command, WISE Advise and USAA have been named winners of the ninth annual Patriots in Business Award, presented by Chief Executive magazine and Thayer Leadership. The award recognizes companies for outstanding support of veterans, active-duty service members and military spouses through their business practices and community commitments. Fiserv, RecruitMilitary and Military Brands received honorable mentions. Selected by a national panel of military and business leaders, the honorees exemplify the U.S. Military Academy values of Duty, Honor and Country. Winners will be recognized November 5, 2026, at Chief Executive’s annual Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

WEST POINT, N.Y., Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — BNSF, First Command, WISE Advise and USAA were honored as winners of the 9th annual Patriots in Business Award for their leadership in helping America’s veterans, active-duty military and military spouses. The award, presented each year by Chief Executive magazine and Thayer Leadership, is part of an ongoing effort to raise awareness among corporate leaders of best practices in helping these important communities.

“As we teach at Thayer, values-based leadership is demonstrated through knowledge and action. The companies honored this year put that principle into practice by creating meaningful opportunities for veterans, service members, and military spouses.” Said Dan Rice, Co-President of Thayer Leadership

In addition, Fiserv, RecruitMilitary and Military Brands were awarded honorable mentions by our panel of judges. An award ceremony will take place on Nov. 5 at Chief Executive’s annual Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Texas. (For more info: https://chiefexecutive.net/leadershipconference/)

The Patriots in Business Award—presented this year in the categories of large, medium and small organizations, as well as a special category for military-service companies—recognizes outstanding businesses that lead our nation in supporting active-duty military members, veterans and their families and exemplify the U.S. Military Academy values of Duty, Honor and Country through their business practices and throughout their community and industry.

“Service is at the heart of both the military and the railroad industry,” said Katie Farmer, President and Chief Executive Officer, BNSF. “Veterans bring exceptional leadership, discipline, adaptability, and a commitment to mission that help make BNSF stronger every day. We are honored to be recognized with the Patriots in Business Award and grateful for the contributions of the veterans, service members, and military families who are part of the BNSF team.”

“We are deeply honored to be recognized once again with the 2026 Patriots in Business Award,” said Mark Steffe, President & CEO, First Command. “Serving those who serve is not simply a market we operate in. It is our purpose and the reason First Command exists. As the only company dedicated to serving military families through a nationwide network of Advisors providing one-on-one financial coaching, we are proud to stand alongside the men and women who sacrifice so much for our country.”

Said Diana Jaquith, CEO & Co-Founder, WISE Advise: “Being named a Patriots in Business honoree is an incredible honor because it validates something we have believed from the beginning. Military spouses are an extraordinary workforce. Their adaptability, resilience, and ability to execute are not limitations to work around; they are competitive advantages.”

Said Juan C. Andrade, President & CEO, USAA: “Receiving the 2026 Patriots in Business Award is a meaningful recognition for USAA. For more than a century, serving the military community has been the heart of who we are. We are proud to work alongside business leaders who share our commitment to creating lasting change for those who serve and their families.”

The companies rose to the top of a highly competitive, nationwide judging process in which a panel of veterans’ affairs experts and business leaders with military backgrounds, including many prior winners of the award, assessed each nominated company’s programs:

Bobbie Shamblin, VP, Talent Acquisition, ArcfieldMona Choi Dexter, VP, Military and Veteran Affairs, ComcastColby Barrett, Former Vice Chairman, GeoStabilization InternationalJoe Crandall, Executive Chairman, Greencastle ConsultingJerry Flanagan, Founder & CEO, JDog BrandsKelley Daviss, CHRO, Lendmark Financial ServicesFreddie Kim, Founder & CEO, MilSpec TalentJon Ferko, Division Senior Director and Head of Strategy, Marketing, Business Development, Northrop GrummanJJ Sutherland, CEO, Scrum, Inc.Bryan Sevener, CEO, Valor TechnologiesGreg Hamm, VP, Field & Government Recruiting, Werner Enterprises

“Nine years in, the bar keeps rising,” said Marshall Cooper, CEO, Chief Executive Group. “This year’s honorees aren’t just hiring veterans. They’re building careers for military spouses and proving that supporting this community is a competitive advantage, not a charity. That’s a lesson every CEO in America should take to heart.”

Said Dan Rice, Co-President of Thayer Leadership: “As we teach at Thayer, values-based leadership is demonstrated through knowledge and action. The companies honored this year with the Patriots in Business Award put that principle into practice by creating meaningful opportunities for veterans, service members, and military spouses. Their example challenges every business leader to consider how their organization can honor military service through a sustained commitment to those who serve and their families.”

About Chief Executive Group

Chief Executive Group is the leading community for business leaders worldwide. The Group runs some of the most extensive peer networking organizations in America, including The Chief Executive Network, the leading CEO membership organization arranged by industry, and The CFO Leadership Council, the largest networking group for financial professionals. It publishes Chief Executive magazine, ChiefExecutive.net, Corporate Board Member magazine, BoardMember.com, CFOLeadership.com, StrategicCHRO360, as well producing conferences and roundtables that enable business leaders to discuss key subjects and share their experiences with their peers. For more information, visit ChiefExecutiveGroup.com.

About Thayer Leadership

An innovative executive leader development institute, globally ranked a Top 20 Leadership Training Company by Training Industry, Thayer delivers transformative leader development experiences that inspire action and change based on their values of purpose-driven character, commitment to excellence, and innovative spirit. As a leading, global expert in values-based leader development, their proprietary and motivating multi-pronged learning approach delivers a holistic experience for participants at West Point, online, virtually, or any location around the world. Thayer has trained more than 140,000 executives and front-line leaders from over 775 global companies across multiple industries, including automotive, pharmaceuticals, financial services, and more. It is a private organization not endorsed or affiliated with the U.S. Government. Learn more at thayerleadership.com.

Media Contact

Dan Bigman, Chief Executive Group, 1 2038894980, dbigman@chiefexecutivegroup.com, chiefexecutive.net

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/bnsf-first-command-wise-advise-and-usaa-honored-with-2026-patriots-in-business-award-302902374.html

SOURCE Chief Executive Group

Continue Reading

Technology

AnySignal and Andrenam partner to bring next-generation seabed-to-space communications to market

Published

on

By

Partnership combines a new underwater acoustic modem with distributed maritime infrastructure, edge processing, and resilient satellite communications

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AnySignal and Andrenam today announced a partnership to develop and bring to market a new family of underwater acoustic communications modems, with initial shipments expected in the first half of 2027. The companies intend to make modems broadly available to the market in addition to integrating the modems into their broader suite of products and services.

AnySignal and Andrenam have a history of collaboration and are proven leaders in their respective fields of distributed maritime platforms and resilient radiofrequency (RF) communications capabilities.

Andrenam brings its underwater operating experience, existing government customer relationships, and consistent access to maritime test environments. Andrenam’s network of intelligent surface platforms connects to underwater vehicles and sensors while providing compute, communications, and sensing infrastructure for the maritime domain.

AnySignal will lead development of the core modem and communications technology, drawing on its experience designing communications products like its Terramodem, flight-proven communications terminals (AstroModem USX), and network orchestration software (AnyLink). The modems will also leverage AnySignal’s broader software-defined RF stack, which spans communications, radar, electronic warfare, SIGINT, ELINT, and other sensing applications.

Together, the companies plan to extend the acoustic modem into a complete acoustic-to-RF, seabed-to-space communications architecture. Underwater assets can communicate acoustically with distributed surface nodes, such as Andrenam’s PEARL buoys, where data can be processed locally or routed through resilient satellite and terrestrial networks like AnySignal’s AnyLink network.

“AnySignal and Andrenam see market demand for a modern, independently available acoustic modem that can be broadly integrated across government, commercial, and autonomous maritime platforms,” said John Malsbury, Co-founder and CEO of AnySignal. “AnySignal’s thesis was always to extend our network to support missions in all domains. We have proven our products across space missions, and with this partnership, now extend our reach into sub-sea operations. Our team’s deep modem, digital signal processing, and RF capabilities, paired with Andrenam’s maritime platforms, operating experience, and test opportunities, will generate exciting products for our customers.”

“One of the biggest biggest gaps in the undersea domain is getting reliable communications in and out of the water quickly, remotely and reliably,” said Matej Cernosek, Co-Founder and CEO of Andrenam. “Our partnership with AnySignal will bring a new software-defined undersea communications modem to close this gap. AnySignal’s deep experience with communications paired with Andrenam’s PEARL hardware and OBISIDIAN software will enable us to move that data from undersea sensors and vehicles anywhere in the world, in real-time. We intend the resulting modems to be available well beyond our own platforms and to be designed for rapid third party integration.”

The companies expect early modem shipments in the first half of 2027. The acoustic modem is intended to be the first product from a broader technical partnership. Andrenam’s distributed surface platforms can host communications, compute, radar, SIGINT, ELINT, acoustics, electronic warfare, and other payloads. AnySignal full stack platform, encompassing on-orbit radios, ground stations, and global networking brings proven expertise across corresponding mission areas, creating opportunities for additional distributed maritime sensing and processing products over time.

About AnySignal

AnySignal is a U.S.-based aerospace and defense technology company building the operating system for the electromagnetic spectrum. The company designs, builds, integrates, and operates end-to-end radio-frequency (RF) systems for civil, commercial, and national security customers to sense, connect, navigate, and defend across land, air, sea, and space—providing the adaptable spectrum capabilities their missions depend on.

About Andrenam

Andrenam is a Los Angeles-based dual use technology company delivering persistent, passive acoustic monitoring for maritime domain awareness. Its PEARL networked buoys and OBSIDIAN software platform turn underwater audio into actionable maritime intelligence for defense, homeland security, critical infrastructure and commercial maritime customers. Andrenam deploys and operates distributed sensor networks so customers can buy persistent coverage rather than another complex system to own.

Media Contact: 
Rey Umali
rey@anysignal.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/anysignal-and-andrenam-partner-to-bring-next-generation-seabed-to-space-communications-to-market-302903106.html

SOURCE AnySignal

Continue Reading

Technology

80% of Employees Want to Use AI More Than Their Jobs Allow

Published

on

By

The “Activation Gap” could be leaving trillions in potential global economic gains unrealized, according to new research from Cognizant

TEANECK, N.J., Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A new Cognizant workplace study has identified what researchers are calling the “Activation Gap”: a wide and largely invisible divide between how much employees believe AI can enable them in their work and how much their jobs allow them to use it. In “New Frontiers, New Frictions: Mapping the DNA of AI Adoption,” the findings suggest that the biggest barrier to AI’s economic promise is translating employee willingness into effective adoption. Customization, integration and context engineering can help to close that gap.

The stakes are significant. Cognizant researchers estimate that a uniform 5% increase in global labor productivity could add roughly $6 trillion to world GDP, nearly the equivalent of adding an economy the size of Japan’s. Closing the Activation Gap is a potential path towards capturing some of that value and supporting the corresponding wage growth that frequently accompanies GDP increases. Moreover, workers’ understanding of and belief in the improved productivity that AI can deliver is an early indicator of the potential for success.

“Our research finds that people are ahead of their employers,” said Ravi Kumar S, Chief Executive Officer of Cognizant. “Willingness is the hardest part of any technology shift, and it’s already in hand. What’s ahead is the work of context: shaping tools to the rules, the workflows and the execution patterns of how a particular team gets things done. Context-specific tools perform where generic ones stall. That’s the work we do with clients every day, and it’s the opportunity in front of every company right now.”

Eager adopters: Four out of five employees say they want to use AI more than their current job permits.The human factor: Disposition— meaning how a person relates to technology, risk and work itself—is roughly six times more predictive of AI behavior than where they sit in the organizational hierarchy.Navigators and Stalwarts: 72% of workers fall into two archetypes, meaning they represent the highest-leverage opportunity: a targeted intervention aimed at these two groups alone could move the needle for the majority of a company’s workforce. Navigators are willing AI users held back by organizational barriers, while Stalwarts are looking for a clear reason and business case to adopt AI.Poor tool fit: Up to 82% say their current AI tools don’t fit their needs. 33% of Accelerators, power users who log the heaviest AI use, and Architects, the fastest-adopting employees, point to missing context and lack of customization as the top factor limiting their AI use.

Across every employee archetype, between 72% and 82% say their current AI tools don’t meet their needs. Even Precisionists, highly active AI users and the most satisfied group in the study, reported only 28% satisfaction with their tools. In other words, the group that likes its AI tools the most still has roughly three unhappy employees for every satisfied employee.

Cognizant President – Americas, Surya Gummadi, said, “dissatisfaction with workplace AI tools isn’t confined to skeptics or newcomers. It’s a near-universal experience, cutting across employees who are highly engaged with AI and those who are not. We partner with our clients to identify and implement the AI solutions best designed to drive their business results. And our experience across thousands of activations, combined with this new research, aims to help us deliver at scale for even the largest organizations.”

The study also found a gap in how AI training is delivered and received. Among Architects, 81% rate their training as effective, and 83% complete it. Among Holdouts, the group least inclined to use AI, those numbers drop to 56% effectiveness and 53% completion.

The training gap doesn’t fully explain the satisfaction gap. Architects receive the most effective, most completed training and 87% say they turn to unsanctioned tools when their approved options fall short. These are two separate problems: training isn’t reaching everyone equally, and even where it lands well, the underlying tools still aren’t meeting people’s needs.

Taken together, Cognizant’s findings point to a workforce that is more willing, and more ready, to work with AI than most organizations currently assume. Giving employees access to context-specific tools and training to match is the clearest path to closing the Activation Gap and delivering increased real world business results using AI.

“For the technology to unlock the roughly $6 trillion in potential GDP growth that AI could provide, companies must simultaneously provide context-specific tools to a receptive employee base while also improving their training programs to customize them for different personas and increase their effectiveness at producing real results,” added Kumar S.

About Cognizant
Cognizant is an AI Builder and technology services provider, building the bridge between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization’s unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, realize tangible returns and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world. See how at www.cognizant.ai or @cognizant.

For more information, contact:

Jeff DeMarrais
SVP, Global Marketing & Chief Communications Officer
Jeff.DeMarrais@cognizant.com

Alex Dudley
Alex.Dudley@cognizant.com

Katrina Cheung
Katrina.Cheung@cognizant.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/80-of-employees-want-to-use-ai-more-than-their-jobs-allow-302903244.html

SOURCE Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation

Continue Reading

Technology

CamScanner Extends Professional Scanning Beyond Capture to Meet Increasingly Diverse User Needs

Published

on

By

NEW YORK, Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — For users who need more than basic capture, demand remains for dedicated professional scanning apps that combine high-quality scanning with document editing, text recognition, format conversion, and AI-assisted document processing.

That continuing demand is reflected in CamScanner’s development over more than 16 years. The company has focused on improving the scanning experience while expanding the ways users can work with documents after capture.

At the capture stage, CamScanner has continued to refine the fundamentals of professional scanning. Its Auto Cropping capability helps identify and frame the page being scanned, while image processing addresses practical issues that can affect scan quality, including blur, shadows, glare, show-through, moiré patterns, and distracting backgrounds. Multi-page scanning and optimization for different document types further support users working with documents in different formats and situations.

The next layer is turning a captured image into usable information. Through Text Recognition, CamScanner can extract text from scanned documents and support subsequent tasks such as document editing and format conversion. This allows a scan to become more than a static image, making the information within it easier to access and work with.

From there, CamScanner extends into broader document processing. Its PDF capabilities support editing, conversion, merging, splitting, compression, signing, and sharing, connecting document capture with the tasks that often follow. CS AI further expands this workflow by providing AI-assisted ways to work with document content, helping users process and use information more efficiently. Rather than treating each function as an isolated tool, these capabilities are built around the document, allowing users to move between scanning, recognition, processing, and sharing according to their needs.

Dedicated professional scanning apps continue to improve the scanning experience while expanding their document-processing capabilities. CamScanner remains focused on both the quality and efficiency of document capture and the growing range of tasks surrounding the document. As user needs become increasingly diverse, professional scanning extends beyond digitizing paper to helping users recognize, edit, process, manage, and use the information within their documents.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/camscanner-extends-professional-scanning-beyond-capture-to-meet-increasingly-diverse-user-needs-302903203.html

SOURCE CamScanner

Continue Reading

Trending