"The purpose of coaching is not to complete a coaching session. It is to change behavior that results in meaningful impact to the business," said Swapnil Jain, Co-Founder and CEO at Observe.AI. "Performance Agents turn the intelligence within customer conversations into clear, timely actions for supervisors and frontline teams. These AI agents apply a consistent standard for coaching, personalize development to each individual, and measure whether that coaching improves performance."

Performance Agents address a persistent gap in contact center performance management. CX organizations can now evaluate customer interactions at a scale that manual quality programs could never reach, but converting that data into effective coaching remains time-consuming. Today, supervisors must interpret reports, find relevant conversations, document examples, prepare plans, and determine whether performance improved afterward.

Performance Agents connect these steps in a continuous system grounded in real customer conversations. They use transcripts, QA scoring, and identified winning behaviors to evaluate performance. By analyzing patterns across multiple interactions, they can distinguish an isolated issue from a recurring behavior and prepare bespoke coaching plans for each frontline support agent.

Organizations identify and then define the behaviors that matter to business outcomes. These can include objective requirements such as compliance and process adherence, as well as nuanced human behaviors such as empathy, active listening, discovery, objection handling, and expectation setting.

Organizations can configure Performance Agents by team, role, line of business, or cohort. Each agent can use the organization's terminology, behavior definitions, tone, QA forms, and coaching methodology, including frameworks such as GROW, SMART, IDEA, or a custom model. This enables large CX organizations to apply consistent coaching and evidence standards across teams while tailoring each plan to the individual.

Supervisors review, edit, approve, and share coaching plans. Performance Agents do not make autonomous employment or performance decisions, and no plan is delivered to a frontline teammate without human review. Frontline teammates can access the same plan and evidence, acknowledge the coaching, and provide additional context, creating a shared record of what was discussed and what improvement is expected.

Performance Agents continue measuring performance after coaching occurs. Subsequent customer interactions provide new evidence, allowing organizations to monitor trends, compare progress over time, and inform the next coaching plan. Coaching effectiveness reporting shows when coaching was provided, how performance changed, and whether targeted behaviors improved.

The system reduces the time supervisors spend preparing for coaching. Performance Agents can reduce preparation to under five minutes in applicable workflows, allowing supervisors to focus on judgment, context, and employee development.

The launch expands Observe.AI's portfolio of purpose-built AI Agents across the Customer Experience organization. The Observe.AI platform brings together AI Agents for Customers, Companion Agent for Frontline Teams, AI Agents for Operations, and Interaction Intelligence, which connects customer conversations, quality, assistance, insights, and performance.

With Performance Agents, CX organizations can establish a consistent approach to coaching across the entire organization and with their BPO partners, deliver personalized guidance at scale, and connect coaching activity to measurable frontline improvement.

To learn more about Performance Agents, visit https://www.observe.ai/

About Observe.AI

Observe.AI is the AI platform for Customer Experience, helping organizations automate customer interactions, assist frontline teams, and analyze every conversation to improve customer and business outcomes. The Observe.AI platform combines AI Agents for Customers, Companion Agent for Frontline Teams, AI Agents for Operations, and Interaction Intelligence to give organizations a connected system for understanding and improving Customer Experience at scale.

CONTACT:

John McMullan Communications

Observe.AI 

[email protected]

SOURCE Observe.AI

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Prehistoric rivals discover the power of compassion in "The Good Pliosaur"

Spencer Patterson's children's book uses an underwater rescue to challenge prejudice and encourage kindness

SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark., Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Author and educator Spencer Patterson uses an underwater conflict between two groups of prehistoric marine reptiles to introduce young readers to themes of compassion, prejudice and loving one's neighbor in the children's picture book "The Good Pliosaur."

Illustrated by Sam Calden, the story takes place in an ocean where long-necked plesiosaurs and short-necked pliosaurs have distrusted one another for generations. Although the two groups no longer fight the wars of the past, resentment and disrespect continue to shape how they view and treat one another.

At the center of the story is Brett, a plesiosaur who takes pride in his long neck and considers pliosaurs inferior. While traveling to underwater cooking vents to bake cookies for his mother, he is attacked by deep-sea bandits who steal his pearls and trap him beneath a heavy rock. Two fellow plesiosaurs encounter the injured Brett but refuse to help, each offering an excuse for leaving him behind. Kyle, a pliosaur who has endured ridicule from plesiosaurs throughout his life, then finds Brett and, despite the history between their communities, chooses to move the rock, carry him to safety and pay for his medical care.

Through Brett's changing understanding of Kyle, the book examines how personal encounters can challenge assumptions inherited from families, communities and history. Brett is forced to reconsider his beliefs after the creature he once dismissed becomes the one willing to risk his own safety and resources to save him.

"I wanted to create an underwater adventure that children could enjoy while also giving families a way to discuss prejudice, courage and what it means to treat others with compassion," Patterson said. "Kyle's choice shows that kindness is most meaningful when it crosses the boundaries people have been taught to maintain."

"The Good Pliosaur" is intended to encourage conversations among children, parents and educators about empathy, bias, forgiveness and the decision to help someone in need, even when that person comes from a different group.

"The Good Pliosaur"

By Spencer Patterson

ISBN: 9798385034925 (softcover); 9798385034932 (hardcover); 9798385034949 (electronic)

Available at WestBow Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author

Spencer Patterson has taught English, leadership, and pedagogy at the high school and university level for more than seven years. He currently works as a Teacher Education professor at John Brown University. The author of several short stories and poems, he serves as the editor of "Tabletop Reviews" for the website Geeks Under Grace. He and his wife have four daughters and live in Siloam Springs, AR. To learn more, please visit Patterson's Facebook page, Instagram or https://www.thegoodpliosaur.com.

General Inquiries:

LAVIDGE – Phoenix

Ashley Fletcher

SOURCE WestBow Press

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- 744 restaurants across 105 cities and 40 countries and regions recognised, as global food search interest accelerates worldwide

- New WOW Privileges programme launched, giving Black Diamond members exclusive access to scarce seats at hard-to-book restaurants across Asia

SINGAPORE, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Trip.Gourmet, Trip.com Group's dedicated food and dining brand, today marked its tenth anniversary with the global launch of the 2027 Fine Dining List, held in partnership with Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) in Singapore. The event brought together restaurant partners, culinary experts and media from around the world to celebrate a decade of connecting travellers with the flavours that define the world's great destinations.

The 2027 Fine Dining List now spans six continents, 105 cities and 40 countries and regions, recognising 744 restaurants across three tiers - Black Diamond, the highest distinction (60), Diamond (160) and Platinum (524) - with 34 new destinations added this year across Europe, North America, Oceania, Asia, South America and Africa. Since its debut ten years ago, the list has grown from a single-market ranking into a global culinary index spanning 66 countries and regions and 462 destinations, guiding travellers toward restaurants worth building a trip around.

"Today's travellers are no longer just enjoying food at their destination - increasingly, a single meal is shaping where they choose to go, and when," said Sunny Sun, Vice President, Trip.com Group and CEO of Trip.Gourmet. "As cross-border travel becomes more frequent, our goal for the next chapter of Trip.Gourmet is simple: to help every traveller discover restaurants worth the trip, understand why they matter, and book with confidence."

From Paris to Bangkok: Fine Dining's Centre of Gravity Goes Global

This year's list reflects the breadth of global fine dining, with restaurants recognised across 40 countries and regions. Asia-Pacific anchors the list by volume, with 478 restaurants - nearly two-thirds of the global total - spread across 51 cities and 32 Black Diamond honours, led by culinary hubs including Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. Europe offers the broadest geographic reach of any continent, with restaurants recognised across 20 countries and regions and 35 cities, and 23 Black Diamond honours, anchored by Paris and London. The Americas contribute 63 restaurants across 14 cities, led by New York, while the list's newest frontier - spanning South Asia, the Middle East and Africa - adds 17 restaurants across 5 cities, including Dubai and Cape Town.

As host city for this year's global launch, Singapore is recognised with 27 restaurants on the 2027 Fine Dining List, spanning all three tiers: 3 Black Diamond, 8 Diamond and 16 Platinum. Singapore's Black Diamond restaurants - Odette, Les Amis and Restaurant Labyrinth - represent some of the highest culinary honours awarded anywhere in the world this year, while Diamond-tier restaurants such as Zén, JAAN by Kirk Westaway and Summer Pavilion reflect the city-state's continued rise as one of the world's most dynamic dining destinations.

"Singapore has always been a city where different cultures and flavours meet, and RWS is proud to reflect that spirit through our own dining offerings," said Chen Si, Chief Operating Officer of Resorts World Sentosa. "We are delighted to welcome Trip.Gourmet's global celebration of fine dining to RWS, and look forward to more travellers discovering the culinary experiences we have to offer."

RWS, Asia's premier lifestyle destination resort, boasts an expansive culinary landscape of more than 60 restaurants featuring diverse cuisines and celebrated chefs, with experiences ranging from fine dining to distinctive local flavours. In recent years, RWS has proactively welcomed well-known F&B brands including Peking Chamber and Chagee, further deepening its culinary offering.

The full 2027 global restaurant rankings can be viewed on the Trip.com app.

New for 2027: From List to Journey

Alongside the list, Trip.Gourmet announced two new features designed to turn culinary discovery into bookable travel experiences:

- Global Table Booking: Over 43,600 restaurants worldwide - nearly 40,000 of them overseas - are now part of Trip.Gourmet's booking network, with many directly bookable.

- WOW Privileges: An exclusive benefits programme for Trip.com Group's Black Diamond members, unlocking scarce next-month seats at hard-to-book restaurants on the 1st of every month. The programme currently partners with in-demand restaurants, offering more than 320 scarce seats over the course of the year, with benefits such as priority seating, chef's greetings and limited-edition menus.

Trip.Gourmet also introduced a new China Travel Culinary List, designed to help international travellers visiting China navigate menus, dietary needs, ordering and booking. The first batch is already live across 30 cities, with coverage expected to expand to 100 cities over time.

When Dinner Decides the Destination: Food Searches Surge Worldwide

The launch comes as global interest in food-led travel continues to accelerate. According to Group data, food-related searches increased by 45% over the past eight months of 2026, with the number of distinct food-related search terms up 46% over the same period. Travellers who engaged with food-related content also showed markedly stronger engagement than the overall user base, about 41% of food-related search interactions leading users to continue exploring, compared with 28% across all search categories.

Within these searches, interest in restaurants specifically grew by 68%, buffet searches rose 66%, and café, coffee and tea searches increased 67% - pointing to travellers seeking a broader range of dining occasions during their trips. Interest in seafood rose 218%, while searches for local specialities climbed by over 700%. Increasingly, travellers are also combining destination and dining intent directly in their searches, with queries such as "Macau buffet", "Shanghai restaurant" and "Hanoi food" among the fastest-growing search patterns.

The trend is also gathering pace across new international markets. Since expanding into Europe in May 2026, food-related search has grown quickly across several European markets, led by Italy and Spain, with Germany and France - Europe's largest market by search volume - all posting strong triple digit growth. Within Asia-Pacific, destinations like Japan (+130%), Indonesia (+347%) and Hong Kong SAR (+71%) recorded the fastest-growing food-related search volumes over the same period.

About Trip.com Group

Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centres. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Trip.com Group has become one of the best-known travel groups in the world, with the mission "to pursue the perfect trip for a better world". Find out more about Trip.com Group here: group.trip.com.

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SOURCE Trip.com Group

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/C O R R E C T I O N -- Johnnie Walker/

Bezüglich der Pressemitteilung mit dem Titel, JOHNNIE WALKER BRINGT EINE LIMITIERTE AUFLAGE DER SABRINA CARPENTER BLACK LABEL-FLASCHE AUF DEN MARKT, wir wurden von dem Unternehmen darauf hingewiesen, dass Journalisten und andere Leser das Foto von Sabrina Carpenter sowie die Hinweise für die Redaktion, die ursprünglich versehentlich beigefügt worden waren, ignorieren sollten.. Es folgt die vollständige, korrigierte Pressemitteilung:

JOHNNIE WALKER BRINGT EINE LIMITIERTE AUFLAGE DER SABRINA CARPENTER BLACK LABEL-FLASCHE AUF DEN MARKT

Das neueste Kapitel der Zusammenarbeit zwischen Johnnie Walker und Sabrina Carpenter zelebriert mutige Kreativität durch eine neue Sammlerflasche, die von der selbstbewussten, kompromisslosen Ausstrahlung von – Sabrinas Album „Man's Best Friend" – inspiriert ist.

LONDON, 8. September 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnnie Walker, die weltweit führende Scotch-Whisky-[1], präsentiert ein neues, limitiertes Flaschendesign für Johnnie Walker Black Label, das im Rahmen der laufenden Zusammenarbeit der Marke mit der GRAMMY®-preisgekrönten Weltstar-Sängerin Sabrina Carpenter entstanden ist.

Das Design, das von ihrem neuen Album : „ Man's Best Friend" inspirierte Details aufweist – von einer maßgeschneiderten Farbvariante in „Sabrina-Blau" bis hin zu verspielten Hundepfoten-Motiven –, verbindet den zeitlosen Charakter von Johnnie Walker Black Label mit Sabrinas unverwechselbarem Stil. Die Flasche markiert das neueste Kapitel in der langjährigen Partnerschaft zwischen Johnnie Walker und Sabrina Carpenter, die zwei kulturelle Ikonen zusammenbringt, die durch ihr gemeinsames Bekenntnis zum Fortschritt verbunden sind.

Sabrina Carpenter sagte: „Ich liebe es, meinen Fans kleine Überraschungen zu bereiten, und das schien mir eine wirklich coole Möglichkeit zu sein, die Welt von : Man's Best Friend' zum Leben zu erwecken. Ich liebe es, Geschichten jenseits der Musik zu erzählen, daher war es eine tolle Herausforderung, einem so ikonischen Objekt wie der Johnnie Walker Black Label-Flasche meine ganz eigene Note zu verleihen. Ich kann es kaum erwarten, dass alle die vielen kleinen Details sehen."

Die im vergangenen August angekündigte Partnerschaft startete mit einer weltweiten Kampagne, die die Einführung von „ : Man's Best Friend" im Laufe desselben Jahres feierte. Die Kampagne, die zeitgleich mit der letzten Etappe von Sabrinas „ Short n' Sweet Tour" startete, stellte Fans, die das gesetzliche Mindestalter für den Alkoholkonsum erreicht haben, Sabrinas charakteristische Johnnie-Walker-Kreation vor: den „Go Go Highball".

Die Sammlerflasche setzt die Geschichte dieser Zusammenarbeit fort und bietet den Fans eine weitere Möglichkeit zum Feiern, während sie gleichzeitig die Verbindung von Johnnie Walker zur Musik als Plattform für Kreativität, Kultur und Fortschritt unterstreicht.

Die limitierte Johnnie Walker Black Label-Flasche „Sabrina Carpenter" wird sowohl in den Größen 70 cl als auch 75 cl (40 % Alkoholgehalt) erhältlich sein, wobei der empfohlene Verkaufspreis dem des Johnnie Walker Black Label entspricht. Es ist ab sofort in Großbritannien erhältlich, bevor es auf weitere Märkte ausgeweitet wird, darunter Mexiko, Indien sowie ausgewählte Märkte in Europa und im asiatisch-pazifischen Raum.

Weitere Inhalte von finden Sie unter hier.

Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: [email protected]

[1] Quelle: IWSR 2024.

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NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Safehold Inc. (NYSE: SAFE), the creator and leader of the modern ground lease industry, has closed on a ground lease for the development of an Affordable Housing community in San Antonio, Texas. The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit development will provide 336 total units upon delivery in 2028. The project will be developed by The NRP Group, one of the most active developers of Affordable Housing in the United States and a repeat Safehold customer.

"This is a high-quality development in a growing San Antonio market, and we're pleased to partner again with The NRP Group while continuing to expand Safehold's Affordable Housing platform and presence across Texas," said Steve Wylder, Safehold's Head of Investments.

The transaction represents Safehold's first Affordable Housing development in San Antonio, and third across Texas this year. The project is located in southeast San Antonio, within a growing residential core driven by robust population and job growth. It will be supported by tax credit equity from Wells Fargo.

Through its Affordable Housing platform, Safehold has continued to expand its commitment to the Affordable sector, specifically new construction LIHTC developments where its long-term, low-cost ground lease helps to bridge capital structure gaps and move projects forward. To date, Safehold has closed 28 ground leases to support the development of Affordable Housing transactions throughout the United States. Additional information is available at www.safeholdaffordablehousing.com.

About Safehold:

Safehold Inc. (NYSE: SAFE) is revolutionizing real estate ownership by providing a new and better way for owners to unlock the value of the land beneath their buildings. Having created the modern ground lease industry in 2017, Safehold continues to help owners of high quality multifamily, affordable housing, office, industrial, hospitality, student housing, life science and mixed-use properties generate higher returns with less risk. The Company, which is taxed as a real estate investment trust (REIT), seeks to deliver safe, growing income and long-term capital appreciation to its shareholders. Additional information on Safehold is available on its website at www.safeholdinc.com.

About The NRP Group:

The NRP Group is a vertically integrated developer, owner, builder, and manager of best-in-class multifamily housing with a mission to create exceptional rental housing communities for individuals and families, regardless of income. Since its founding in 1994, NRP has developed more than 68,000 apartment homes and currently manages over 33,000 residential units. Through its disciplined approach to vetting opportunities, NRP has established a track record of delivering impressive returns for investors. The company's formidable size and depth of talent provide the experience and infrastructure necessary to execute developments of varying degrees of complexity and scope in both urban-infill and suburban locations, including market-rate, affordable, mixed-income, and senior housing. The NRP Group has been consistently named a largest developer and builder in the U.S. on the NMHC "Top 50" lists, the Top 5 on the Multi-Housing News' "Top Multifamily Developers" list, named a Top Affordable Housing Developer by Affordable Housing Finance, and is a five-time recipient of NAHB's Best Multifamily Development Firm of the Year award. The NRP Group has become the top multifamily developer in the U.S. that creates both affordable and market-rate housing at a national scale. Based on over 30 years of experience and expertise, NRP provides construction and property management services to outside owners and developers. For additional information, visit www.nrpgroup.com.

SOURCE Safehold

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A2GOLD COMPLETES 4,400-METRE DRILL PROGRAM AT TAYLOR AND MOBILIZES RIG TO EASTSIDE TARGET PENTE

English

TONOPAH, Nev., Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A2Gold Corp. ("A2Gold" or the "Company") (TSXV: AUAU) (OTCQX: AUXXF) (FRA: RR7) is pleased to announce the completion of its 2026 drill program at the Taylor Gold-Silver Project ("Taylor" or the "Project") in White Pine County, Nevada. The Company completed 15 reverse-circulation ("RC") drill holes totaling approximately 4,400 metres.

With drilling now completed at Taylor, the drill rig is being mobilized to the Company's flagship Eastside Project near Tonopah, Nevada, where the Company expects to commence an approximately 3,700-metre RC drill program at Target Pente.

Taylor Drill Program Completed

The recently completed program represents A2Gold's first drill campaign at Taylor since acquiring the Project earlier this year. The program was designed to test priority targets identified through the integration of historical drilling, geological information and geophysical data (Figure 1).

A total of 15 RC holes were completed for approximately 4,400 metres. Samples from the drill program have been submitted for laboratory analysis, with assay results pending. The Company expects to report results as they are received, reviewed and interpreted.

In addition to testing the primary drill targets, the program will provide A2Gold with important new geological information to further refine its understanding of the broader mineralized system at Taylor and assist in planning future exploration programs.

Drilling to Commence at Target Pente (Eastside Project)

Following completion of the Taylor program, the drill rig is now being mobilized to A2Gold's flagship Eastside Project, where drilling at Target Pente is expected to commence shortly.

The planned program will consist of approximately 3,700 metres of RC drilling and represents the next phase of A2Gold's 2026 exploration program at Eastside.

Target Pente is one of several high-priority exploration targets identified across the Company's extensive Eastside land package. The program is designed to test the potential for higher-grade epithermal feeder faults and veins, consistent with A2Gold's strategy of targeting higher-grade mineralization within the broader Eastside district rather than simply expanding the known bulk-tonnage mineralized system.

The Company believes that Eastside's large alteration footprint, multiple known centers of mineralization and extensive areas that remain underexplored provide significant opportunities for additional discoveries.

Peter Gianulis, CEO of A2Gold, commented: "The completion of approximately 4,400 metres across 15 holes at Taylor represents an important milestone for A2Gold and our first drill program at the Project since completing the acquisition earlier this year. We look forward to receiving the assay results and incorporating this new information into our understanding of the broader Taylor mineralized system. Importantly, our exploration program continues without interruption. The rig is now being mobilized directly to Eastside to begin drilling Target Pente. Our strategy at Eastside is increasingly focused on testing higher-grade feeder fault and vein targets within this very large epithermal system. Pente represents the next of these targets to be drill tested as we systematically evaluate the broader potential of the Eastside district."

Qualified Person

John Marma, CPG, a Certified Professional Geologist with the American Institute of Professional Geologists and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.

About A2Gold Corp

A2Gold Corp. has built a multi-asset gold-silver exploration platform in Nevada, one of the world's premier mining jurisdictions. The Company controls approximately 230 km² of prospective mineral tenure across its Eastside and Taylor projects, both district-scale assets with large precious metals resources with significant exploration and resource growth potential.

Eastside hosts an inferred mineral resource of 1.4 million ounces of gold and 8.8 million ounces of silver*, while Taylor adds a highly prospective exploration district with gold, silver, antimony and porphyry-skarn upside. Backed by a fully funded exploration program and a strong pipeline of catalysts, A2Gold is focused on unlocking value through resource expansion, new discoveries and systematic district-scale exploration.

A2Gold is also supported by a strong shareholder base, including Kinross Gold Corporation, which owns approximately 9.9% of the Company's issued and outstanding shares.

On Behalf of the Board

Peter Gianulis, CEO

Certain statements and information contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which are referred to collectively as "forward-looking statements." The United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for certain forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding A2Gold's exploration plans for the Taylor Project, the scope, timing and objectives of the drill program at Taylor, the potential expansion of the historical silver resource, the preparation of an updated NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate, the evaluation of gold mineralization, the testing of gold-antimony, CRD, skarn and porphyry targets, the potential contribution of gold and antimony mineralization to the broader Taylor system, the potential for Taylor to emerge as an important Nevada silver-gold project with critical mineral upside, and A2Gold's future exploration and development plans.

Forward-looking statements are statements and information regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that are based upon assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action. All statements and information other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "seek," "expect," "anticipate," "budget," "plan," "estimate," "continue," "forecast," "intend," "believe," "predict," "potential," "target," "may," "could," "would," "might," "will" and similar words or phrases, including negative variations, suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook.

Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

Some of the known risks and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements are described in the sections entitled "Risk Factors" in A2Gold's Listing Application, dated January 24, 2018, as filed with the TSX Venture Exchange and available on SEDAR+ under A2Gold's profile. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. A2Gold undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this press release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

SOURCE A2 Gold Corp

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DENVER, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NCS Analytics engaged Armanino LLP, an independent certified public accounting firm, to perform agreed-upon procedures related to certain aspects of NCS Analytics' validation of NCS Thea, a lending intelligence platform designed specifically for financial institutions, private lenders, credit funds, and other organizations providing capital to licensed cannabis businesses.

Armanino LLP performed the agreed-upon procedures and reported its factual findings in accordance with attestation standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Those procedures were performed over certain specific elements of the model's data inputs, application of NCS's scoring methodology, calculation of certain scoring components of Thea's Risk Lending Scores, the assignment of risk classifications, and presentation of the model's outputs.

"Cannabis lenders need objective, reliable intelligence to make informed decisions," said Adam Crabtree, Founder and CEO of NCS Analytics. "This independent engagement reflects our commitment to transparency and rigor in the development and validation of NCS Thea, providing additional confidence in key aspects of the model's methodology and outputs."

NCS Thea was developed because cannabis lending creates unique challenges that traditional underwriting tools were never designed to address. Financial statements are often inconsistent, conventional credit data is limited, and the industry's regulatory complexity makes it difficult to validate borrower performance.

NCS Thea tackles these challenges by combining government-verified operational data from state cannabis track-and-trace systems with NCS Analytics' proprietary behavioral and predictive analytics to provide an objective, independent assessment of business health and lending risk.

"This AUP engagement is not a checkbox. It is the foundation for responsible deployment. By subjecting NCS Thea to external scrutiny, we have confirmed its readiness to support risk decisions with confidence and accountability," said Paige Reimers, COO of NCS Analytics.

About NCS Analytics

NCS Analytics, founded in 2015 in Denver, Colorado, is a leading advanced analytics company that empowers regulators and financial institutions to oversee high-risk industries—starting with cannabis—through its NCS Platform. This SaaS solution aggregates millions of daily data points, delivering real-time anomaly detection, risk scoring, alerts, and compliance monitoring to prevent diversion, fraud, and non-compliance while supporting BSA/AML requirements. NCS Analytics monitors thousands of licenses across multiple states, processes 89M+ records weekly, and launched its newest analytic tool, the Risk Index, in 2025. Discover how NCS empowers real-time critical decision-making with absolute confidence at ncsanalytics.com.

SOURCE NCS Analytics

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Quantinuum besiegelt CHIPS-F&E-Förderung über 100 Millionen US-Dollar mit dem US-Handelsministerium zur Weiterentwicklung der Herstellung von Quantencomputern mit gefangenen Ionen in den USA

- Die Bundesmittel dienen der Förderung wichtiger Forschungs- und Entwicklungsvorhaben sowie des Aufbaus von Fertigungskapazitäten für Quantenhalbleiter in den USA, die für die Skalierung des fehlertoleranten Quantencomputings mit gefangenen Ionen erforderlich sind.

- Das Unternehmen arbeitet mit GlobalFoundries zusammen, um Ionenfallen und Steuerelektronik der nächsten Generation herzustellen, sowie mit Monarch Quantum, um zuverlässige Laser und optische Komponenten zu entwickeln und zu fertigen.

WASHINGTON, 8. September 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantinuum (Nasdaq: QNT), ein führendes Unternehmen im Bereich Quantencomputing, gab heute bekannt, dass es eine Vereinbarung mit dem CHIPS-Forschungs- und Entwicklungsbüro des US-Handelsministeriums über Bundesmittel in Höhe von 100 Millionen US-Dollar abgeschlossen hat, die im Rahmen des CHIPS and Science Act bereitgestellt werden. Die Förderung, die auf eine im Mai bekannt gegebene Absichtserklärung folgt, unterstützt Forschung und Entwicklung sowie Fertigungskapazitäten für Quantenhalbleiter in den USA, die für den Einsatz großskaliger, fehlertoleranter Quantencomputer mit gefangenen Ionen erforderlich sind.

Quantinuum, das als einziges Unternehmen mit einer auf gefangenen Ionen basierenden Architektur Fördermittel aus dem CHIPS-Forschungs- und Entwicklungsprogramm erhielt, entwickelt die weltweit präzisesten kommerziellen[1] Computer mit branchenführender Fehlerkorrekturgüte.2 Das Unternehmen nutzt etablierte Halbleiterfertigungsverfahren, um dazu beizutragen, die Zuverlässigkeit, Wiederholbarkeit und Skalierbarkeit seiner aktuellen und zukünftigen Quantencomputer sicherzustellen.

„Diese Förderung ist eine Bestätigung der führenden Rolle von Quantinuum im Bereich des Quantencomputings mit gefangenen Ionen", sagte Dr. Rajeeb Hazra, Präsident und Geschäftsführer von Quantinuum. „Gemeinsam mit unseren inländischen Partnern schaffen wir die technologische sowie die Lieferkettengrundlage, die erforderlich sind, um fehlertolerante Systeme zu skalieren und die Führungsrolle der USA in diesem strategisch wichtigen Bereich zu stärken."

Mit dieser Förderung werden Forschungs- und Entwicklungsvorhaben unterstützt, von denen das Unternehmen erwartet, dass sie zur Stärkung sowie Diversifizierung seiner Lieferkette beitragen, indem die inländischen Partner GlobalFoundries und Monarch Quantum hinzukommen. GlobalFoundries wird einer von mehreren Halbleiterfertigern sein, die Quantinuum mit der Fertigung seiner Ionenfallen der nächsten Generation und anderer elektronischer Bauteile beauftragt, wobei der Schwerpunkt insbesondere auf dem Einsatz der 300-mm-Wafer-Technologie liegt; Monarch Quantum plant die Entwicklung und Herstellung skalierbarer, zuverlässiger Laser sowie optischer Komponenten, die für die Systeme mit gefangenen Ionen von Quantinuum benötigt werden.

„Da sich die Quantencomputertechnik immer mehr dem kommerziellen Einsatz nähert, wird die Fertigung entscheidend sein, um ihr volles Potenzial auszuschöpfen", sagte Tim Breen, Geschäftsführer von GlobalFoundries. „GlobalFoundries ist stolz darauf, mit Quantinuum zusammenzuarbeiten, um das Unternehmen bei der Skalierung seiner Technologie mit gefangenen Ionen zu unterstützen. Mit unserem Know-how in der differenzierten Halbleiterfertigung in hohen Stückzahlen tragen wir dazu bei, den Weg für skalierbarere sowie zuverlässigere Quantenhardware zu ebnen und die nächste Generation amerikanischer Innovationen voranzutreiben."

„Der Weg zu groß angelegten Quantencomputern mit gefangenen Ionen führt über den Übergang von komplexen, umfangreichen optischen Aufbauten hin zu skalierbaren, zuverlässigen integrierten Photonik-Modulen", sagte Dr. Timothy Day, Geschäftsführer von Monarch Quantum. „Es ist uns eine Ehre, unsere Partnerschaft mit Quantinuum auszubauen, um die Hardware-Roadmap des Unternehmens voranzutreiben und dazu beizutragen, die Führungsrolle der USA bei der Fertigung im Bereich Quantencomputing sowie bei der Widerstandsfähigkeit der Lieferkette zu stärken."

Gemeinsam sollen diese Bemühungen dazu beitragen, die Komplexität des Systems zu verringern sowie die Robustheit, Zuverlässigkeit und Reproduzierbarkeit der Komponenten zu verbessern, um letztlich die weitere Skalierung von Quantencomputern mit gefangenen Ionen zu unterstützen sowie gleichzeitig die inländischen Kapazitäten in der kritischen Photonik- und Halbleiterfertigung zu stärken.

Informationen zu Quantinuum

Quantinuum ist ein führendes Unternehmen im Bereich Quantencomputing, das eine Full-Stack-Plattform anbietet, die darauf ausgelegt ist, Quantencomputing in realen Umgebungen einsetzbar zu machen. Das Unternehmen hat mehrere Generationen von Quantensystemen auf Basis gefangener Ionen kommerziell eingesetzt, die auf der bewährten QCCD-Architektur aufbauen, welche es mit neuartigen Designs und Funktionen umgesetzt hat, um die branchenweit höchsten Genauigkeitswerte gemessen an der durchschnittlichen Zwei-Qubit-Gattertreue zu erreichen.[3] Quantinuum unterhält aktive Kooperationen sowohl mit Marktführern in den Bereichen Pharmazie, Materialwissenschaften und Finanzdienstleistungen sowie auf Regierungs- und Industriemärkten als auch mit akademischen und Forschungseinrichtungen weltweit. Das Unternehmen hat weltweit über 800 Beschäftigte, darunter führende Wissenschaftler und Forscher. Quantinuum hat seinen Hauptsitz in Broomfield, Colorado, und verfügt über weitere Standorte in den Vereinigten Staaten, im Vereinigten Königreich, in Deutschland, Japan, Katar sowie Singapur. Weitere Informationen finden Sie auf www.quantinuum.com.

Warnhinweis zu zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen

Diese Pressemitteilung enthält bestimmte Aussagen, die als „zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen" im Sinne des Private Securities Litigation Reform Act von 1995 angesehen werden können. Zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen umfassen alle Aussagen, die keine historischen Tatsachen darstellen. Die Begriffe „voraussehen", „annehmen", „glauben", „fortsetzen", „könnte", „schätzen", „erwarten", „beabsichtigen", „kann", „planen", „potenziell", „vorhersagen", „prognostizieren", „zukünftig", „wird", „anstreben", „vorhersehbar" sowie die Verneinungen dieser Begriffe oder ähnliche Ausdrücke sollen zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen kennzeichnen. Solche Aussagen basieren auf bestimmten Annahmen sowie Einschätzungen, die unser Management unter Berücksichtigung seiner Erfahrung und Wahrnehmung historischer Trends, der aktuellen Wirtschafts- und Branchenlage, erwarteter zukünftiger Entwicklungen sowie anderer Faktoren vornimmt, die es für angemessen hält. Die in dieser Mitteilung enthaltenen zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen unterliegen zudem einer Reihe wesentlicher Risiken und Ungewissheiten, einschließlich, aber nicht beschränkt auf wirtschaftliche, wettbewerbsbezogene, staatliche sowie technologische Faktoren, die unsere Geschäftstätigkeit, Märkte, Produkte, Dienstleistungen und Preise beeinflussen. Von Zeit zu Zeit treten neue Faktoren auf und es ist Quantinuum nicht möglich, alle derartigen Faktoren vorherzusagen. Weitere Informationen zu diesen und anderen Risiken, die sich auf die zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen von Quantinuum auswirken könnten, finden Sie in den Risikofaktoren von Quantinuum, die in seinen Einreichungen bei der U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission erörtert werden, einschließlich seines Quartalsberichts auf Formular 10-Q für den am 30. Juni 2026 endenden Zeitraum, wobei diese Risikofaktoren von Zeit zu Zeit aktualisiert werden können. Jede zukunftsgerichtete Aussage gilt nur zu dem Zeitpunkt, zu dem sie abgegeben wird, und Quantinuum übernimmt, sofern nicht gesetzlich vorgeschrieben, keine Verpflichtung, zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen zu aktualisieren oder zu revidieren, sei es aufgrund neuer Informationen, zukünftiger Ereignisse oder aus anderen Gründen.

[1] Basierend auf der physikalischen Zwei-Qubit-Gattertreue zum 31. Dezember 2025, gemäß der Studie von Ransford et al. aus dem Jahr 2025.

[2] Stand: 25. Februar 2026, gemäß der Studie von Dasu et al. aus dem Jahr 2026.

[3] Stand: 31. Dezember 2025.

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Quantinuum finaliza un acuerdo de financiación de 100 millones de dólares del programa CHIPS para I+D

Quantinuum finaliza un acuerdo de financiación de 100 millones de dólares del programa CHIPS para I+D con el Departamento de Comercio de EE.UU. para impulsar la fabricación de ordenadores cuánticos de iones atrapados en EE.UU.

- La financiación federal respalda las capacidades críticas de I+D y fabricación de semiconductores cuánticos en EE.UU., necesarias para escalar la computación cuántica de iones atrapados tolerante a fallos.

- La empresa se asocia con GlobalFoundries para fabricar trampas de iones y electrónica de control de última generación, y con Monarch Quantum para desarrollar y fabricar láseres y componentes ópticos fiables.

WASHINGTON, 8 de septiembre de 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantinuum (Nasdaq: QNT), una empresa líder en computación cuántica anunció hoy la finalización de un acuerdo con la Oficina de Investigación y Desarrollo CHIPS del Departamento de Comercio de EE.UU. para obtener 100 millones de dólares en fondos federales, gestionados a través de la Ley CHIPS y de Ciencia. Esta subvención, que se produce tras una carta de intención anunciada en mayo, apoya la investigación y el desarrollo, así como las capacidades de fabricación de semiconductores cuánticos en EE.UU., necesarias para el despliegue de ordenadores cuánticos de iones atrapados a gran escala y tolerantes a fallos.

Quantinuum, la única empresa con una arquitectura basada en iones atrapados que recibió financiación de CHIPS para I+D, desarrolla los ordenadores comerciales más precisos del mundo[1] con una fidelidad de corrección de errores líder en la industria.[2] La empresa aprovecha los procesos de fabricación de semiconductores ya establecidos para garantizar la fiabilidad, la repetibilidad y la escalabilidad de sus ordenadores cuánticos actuales y futuros.

"Este premio valida el liderazgo de Quantinuum en la computación cuántica de iones atrapados", declaró el Dr. Rajeeb Hazra, presidente y consejero delegado de Quantinuum. "Junto con nuestros socios nacionales, estamos construyendo la base tecnológica y de la cadena de suministro necesaria para escalar los sistemas tolerantes a fallos y fortalecer el liderazgo de Estados Unidos en este campo de importancia estratégica".

El premio respaldará la I+D que la empresa espera que contribuya a fortalecer y diversificar su cadena de suministro, incorporando a sus socios locales GlobalFoundries y Monarch Quantum. GlobalFoundries será una de las fundiciones de Quantinuum que fabricará sus trampas de iones de próxima generación y otros componentes electrónicos, centrándose específicamente en el uso de tecnología de obleas de 300 mm; Monarch Quantum planea desarrollar y fabricar láseres y componentes ópticos escalables y fiables necesarios para los sistemas de iones atrapados de Quantinuum.

"A medida que la computación cuántica se acerca a la escala comercial, la fabricación será fundamental para liberar todo su potencial", afirmó Tim Breen, consejero delegado de GlobalFoundries. "En GlobalFoundries nos enorgullece asociarnos con Quantinuum para ayudar a escalar su tecnología de iones atrapados. Al aportar nuestra experiencia en la fabricación de semiconductores diferenciados y de alto volumen, estamos contribuyendo a crear un camino hacia un hardware cuántico más escalable y fiable, e impulsando la próxima generación de innovación estadounidense".

"El camino hacia las computadoras cuánticas de iones atrapados a gran escala depende de abandonar las complejas y extensas configuraciones ópticas y adoptar motores fotónicos integrados, escalables y fiables", afirmó el Dr. Timothy Day, consejero delegado de Monarch Quantum. "Nos sentimos honrados de ampliar nuestra colaboración con Quantinuum para impulsar su hoja de ruta de hardware y contribuir a fortalecer el liderazgo de Estados Unidos en la fabricación de computación cuántica y la resiliencia de la cadena de suministro".

En conjunto, estos esfuerzos buscan reducir la complejidad del sistema y mejorar la robustez, la fiabilidad y la reproducibilidad de los componentes, lo que, en última instancia, respalda la continua expansión de las computadoras cuánticas de iones atrapados y fortalece la capacidad nacional en la fabricación de semiconductores y fotónica, sectores críticos para la industria.

Acerca de Quantinuum

Quantinuum es una empresa líder en computación cuántica que ofrece una plataforma integral diseñada para implementar la computación cuántica en entornos reales. La empresa ha implementado comercialmente varias generaciones de sistemas cuánticos basados en iones atrapados, construidos sobre la consolidada arquitectura QCCD, la cual ha incorporado diseños y capacidades innovadoras para alcanzar los niveles de precisión más altos de la industria, basados en la fidelidad promedio de puerta de dos cúbits[3]. Quantinuum mantiene una colaboración activa con líderes del mercado en los sectores farmacéutico, de ciencia de materiales, servicios financieros, gobierno e industria, así como con instituciones académicas y de investigación a nivel mundial. La empresa cuenta con una plantilla global de aproximadamente 800 empleados, incluyendo científicos e investigadores de primer nivel. La sede central de Quantinuum se encuentra en Broomfield, Colorado, y cuenta con instalaciones adicionales en Estados Unidos, Reino Unido, Alemania, Japón, Qatar y Singapur. Para obtener más información, visite www.quantinuum.com.

Declaraciones prospectivas

Este comunicado de prensa contiene ciertas declaraciones que pueden considerarse "declaraciones prospectivas" según lo estipulado en la Ley de Reforma de Litigios sobre Valores Privados de 1995. Las declaraciones prospectivas incluyen todas aquellas que no son hechos históricos. Las palabras "anticipar", "asumir", "creer", "continuar", "podría", "estimar", "esperar", "pretender", "puede", "planificar", "potencial", "predecir", "proyectar", "futuro", "hará", "buscar", "previsible", sus formas negativas o términos y frases similares tienen como objetivo identificar las declaraciones prospectivas. Dichas declaraciones se basan en ciertas suposiciones y evaluaciones realizadas por nuestra gerencia a la luz de su experiencia y su percepción de las tendencias históricas, las condiciones económicas y de la industria actuales, los desarrollos futuros esperados y otros factores que consideran apropiados. Las declaraciones prospectivas incluidas en este comunicado también están sujetas a una serie de riesgos e incertidumbres importantes, que incluyen, entre otros, factores económicos, competitivos, gubernamentales y tecnológicos que afectan nuestras operaciones, mercados, productos, servicios y precios. De vez en cuando surgen nuevos factores, y Quantinuum no puede predecir todos ellos. Para obtener información adicional sobre estos y otros riesgos que podrían afectar las declaraciones prospectivas de Quantinuum, consulte los factores de riesgo de Quantinuum que se describen en sus informes presentados ante la Comisión de Bolsa y Valores de EE.UU., incluido su Informe Trimestral en el Formulario 10-Q para el período finalizado el 30 de junio de 2026, ya que dichos factores de riesgo pueden actualizarse periódicamente. Cualquier declaración prospectiva se refiere únicamente a la fecha en que se realiza y, salvo que lo exija la ley, Quantinuum no asume ninguna obligación de actualizar o revisar ninguna declaración prospectiva, ya sea como resultado de nueva información, eventos futuros o de cualquier otra índole.

[1] Basado en la fidelidad de la puerta física de dos cúbits a 31 de diciembre de 2025, según el estudio 2025 Ransford et al..

[2] A 25 de febrero de 2026, según e estudio 2026 Dasu et al..

[3] A 31 de diciembre de 2025.

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Leadership transition puts proven operator Geri Farr at the helm while allowing Kortas to focus on growth, innovation and NEXA's highest earned level of leadership

PHOENIX, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NEXA Lending today announced that Geri Farr has been named Chief Executive Officer, marking the next evolution of a leadership structure designed to separate the responsibility of operating the company from the responsibility of imagining what the company becomes next.

Mike Kortas will transition from CEO into the role of Executive Partner, NEXA's highest earned level of leadership.

For Kortas, the move is not about stepping away from NEXA. It is about stepping fully into the role he has been playing all along.

"I have never cared about being called CEO, I care about growth, I care about winning, and most importantly, I care about finding new ways for our loan officers to make more money," Kortas said. "Geri is better equipped to run this company day to day than I am, and my ego is not big enough to pretend otherwise. The best thing I can do for our loan officers is put the right person in the CEO seat and go spend my time creating what comes next."

The relationship between Farr and Kortas reaches back nearly two decades. Long before Farr joined NEXA, and long before Kortas built the company into the organization it is today, Farr was his manager at NOVA Home Loans.

Now, the relationship has come full circle.

"I knew Mike before NEXA, I knew him before the scale, before the platform and before the thousands of loan officers," Farr said. "What has never changed is how his mind works. He sees opportunities other people do not see, and once he sees one, he becomes relentless about making it real. My responsibility as CEO is to make sure NEXA has the leadership, discipline, infrastructure and execution necessary to support where Mike and our Executive Partners want to take us next."

Farr continued, "Putting Mike behind a desk managing the day-to-day business is simply not the highest and best use of Mike Kortas. Let him build, let him challenge assumptions, let him chase the ideas everyone else says are impossible. My job is to make sure the organization can execute when those ideas become reality."

A CEO Built for NEXA's Next Chapter

Farr joined NEXA in 2025 after a career spent leading organizations through growth, transition and scale. Her experience across wholesale and distributed retail gives her a perspective that aligns directly with NEXA's continued evolution and its mission to create better economics, greater optionality and more opportunity for loan officers.

Her elevation to CEO also reflects the leadership team NEXA has intentionally assembled around her. Chief Administrative Officer Rana Mortensen, NEXA's first employee, has spent the past year working closely alongside Farr and remains one of the organization's most cherished leaders. Chief Operating Officer Jason duPont, who was elevated into NEXA's C-suite in 2025 after years inside the organization, continues to lead operations, as well as one of our Executive Partners alongside Mike. Chief Strategy Officer Tammy Richards shares a longstanding professional relationship with Farr that predates their time at NEXA, while Chief Financial Officer Von Maharaj joined the organization following a rigorous due diligence process in which Farr played an important role.

Together, the structure gives Farr an experienced executive team responsible for operating NEXA while creating something equally important above it: room for NEXA's Executive Partners to think beyond the day-to-day business.

Executive Partner Is Earned

At NEXA, Executive Partner is not another C-suite title, it is intentionally bigger than one.

Executive Partners are proven builders who have earned the ability to help shape the future of the organization. They work alongside the executive leadership team, develop new business concepts, identify acquisitions and partnerships, challenge existing models and create new opportunities designed to increase the economics available to NEXA loan officers.

That distinction is central to Kortas' decision.

"Too many founders build companies around themselves because they are afraid that giving up a title means giving up importance," Kortas said. "That is ego. If I tell loan officers every day to make decisions based on what is best for their business, then I have to be willing to do exactly the same thing. Geri becoming CEO makes NEXA stronger, and me focusing on the Executive Partner role and those who serve it alongside me makes NEXA stronger. That is the only scoreboard I care about."

Executive Partner Anthony Casa believes the structure represents something larger than a traditional corporate hierarchy.

"The Executive Partner role is powerful because you are not being asked to spend your life managing the machinery," Casa said. "You are being asked to help build the future. Mike and I can be in the market, talking to loan officers, talking to mortgage company owners, looking for opportunities, challenging each other and coming up with ideas that can materially change the economics of this business. Then you have an incredible CEO and executive team capable of turning those ideas into reality. That is a very different way to build a mortgage company."

A Different Path for Mortgage Company Owners

NEXA believes that structure can also become a model for other successful mortgage company owners.

For decades, owners have often faced two choices: continue carrying the operational burden of running an independent mortgage company or sell, merge or transition into another organization and risk losing their identity, influence and economic opportunity.

NEXA is building a third option; proven owners and leaders can potentially earn their way into the Executive Partner structure, allowing them to relinquish much of the day-to-day operational burden while continuing to recruit, innovate, build teams, create businesses and influence the future of one of the largest mortgage organizations in the country.

"It should not be considered a loss when an entrepreneur gets to stop worrying about every operational detail and starts spending more time doing the things that made them exceptional in the first place," Kortas said. "Imagine what some of the best mortgage owners in America could create if they did not have to spend their day worrying about payroll, compliance, licensing, accounting, operations and infrastructure. That is what I want people to understand about Executive Partner."

And at NEXA, the designation is meant to feel earned because the Executive Partner structure is designed to provide extraordinary economics and benefits commensurate with extraordinary contribution, including opportunities for seven-figure income, access to NEXA's private physician and longevity resources for leaders operating at the highest level, and distinctive cultural traditions reserved for those who reach the position.

Among them is perhaps the most uniquely NEXA symbol of all: a rocking chair at Midnight Canyon, NEXA's ranch. It represents something much bigger than a perk, it represents a permanent seat at the table.

Growth Without Ego

The leadership transition comes as NEXA continues expanding its platform, compensation models, technology, servicing opportunities, strategic partnerships and ability to bring established mortgage organizations into its ecosystem.

Farr will now be responsible for ensuring the organization has the operational strength to support that growth while Kortas and NEXA's Executive Partners will be responsible for creating more of it.

"We are building a company where the CEO does not have to be the loudest person in the room, the founder does not have to protect a title, and incredibly successful entrepreneurs do not have to disappear when they become part of something bigger," Farr said. "Everybody should be operating where they create the most value. That is what this structure accomplishes."

For Kortas, that philosophy ultimately comes back to the same constituency around which NEXA has built nearly every major decision: the loan officer.

"If removing my title helps us grow faster, I will remove the title," Kortas said. "If putting Geri in the CEO seat makes NEXA better, she gets the seat. If partnering with somebody who used to compete with me creates more opportunity for our loan officers, I will drop my ego and partner with them, none of this is supposed to be about us, it is supposed to be about the loan officer."

With Farr leading NEXA's execution and its Executive Partners focused on innovation, acquisition, expansion and new economic opportunities, NEXA is not simply changing who holds the CEO title, it is defining what leadership looks like for the company's next era of growth.

SOURCE NEXA Lending

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