Tag: 3BL

Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking the world by storm, and for good reason. AI can help automate mundane tasks, improve operational efficiency and enhance human decision-making. 

Some of its benefits extend to investing as well. We believe that powerful AI tools such as natural language processing (NLP) may help active managers deliver better investment outcomes by alerting them to negative environmental, social and governance (ESG) news before it becomes widely disseminated.

The Fallout When Bad News Breaks 

From environmental disasters like oil spills and chemical leaks to social issues such as child labor to governance failures like executive misconduct, negative ESG news can severely damage a company’s reputation, erode investor confidence and undermine financial performance. 

Our research indicates that, while positive ESG news has quickly boosted company returns, negative ESG has done just the opposite. Companies with negative ESG events have underperformed their peers—not just on the first day the news broke, but for weeks after (Display). For stocks associated with negative ESG news, returns over the 10-day holding period shown annualize to –7.3% in excess return (–1.2% for fixed income); for stocks associated with positive ESG news, returns over the 10-day holding period shown annualize to 6.2% in excess return (0.2% for fixed income).

Natural Language Processing Changes the Game

Clearly, if asset managers could uncover ESG-related controversies faster than their peers, they’d have an investment edge. But that’s easier said than done. Manually sifting through mountains of corporate filings and news articles is not just cumbersome and time-consuming; it’s also a Sisyphean task that must be repeated daily. 

That’s where NLP technology comes in. 

NLP is a field of AI that enables algorithms to understand, interpret and generate human communication. NLP applications have evolved dramatically since their advent in the 1950s, progressing from simple pattern matching—such as recognizing the phrase “thank you” and responding with “you’re welcome,” or counting the number of occurrences of a given word in a text—to more sophisticated techniques that involve deep learning and contextual understanding. 

The result is a technology that is highly accurate and nuanced in its understanding and generation of human language, with the power to process and analyze vast amounts of raw data quickly and efficiently.

Putting NLP to Work: Controversy Alerts

We’ve built a powerful NLP tool that serves as a complement to our fundamental analysis. Incorporating the latest large-language models, this tool transforms the daunting task of sifting through thousands of company and news reports into an efficient and insightful process that flags potentially material ESG issues in real time. 

Our tool monitors companies around the world, screening global news in multiple languages for controversies across a wide range of topics, including modern slavery, child labor, discrimination, tax scandals, executive pay and corruption. Furthermore, the tool is scalable, screening for developing ESG controversies across hundreds of companies simultaneously and providing timely alerts before negative news impacts the market. 

It understands financial jargon, is trained in ESG-specific knowledge, and can assess tone and context, with the goal of evaluating the sentiment around a particular ESG news item with respect to a specific company. The tool extracts relevant information from the news sources, creates a summary and highlights what it deems most important for our analysts to evaluate. And it includes links to the original articles, allowing analysts to verify the information quickly. 

For example, our NLP tool flagged a large mining concern with operations in Central America, alerting us to alleged poor treatment of employees and community members that compelled local governments to file lawsuits. Eventually, the company’s local mining permits were pulled, and it had to abandon operations in the area after investing nearly US$10 billion in the project. Fortunately, our tool had alerted us to these risks ahead of the government’s punitive actions.

The Bigger Picture: Integrating Our NLP Tool

Of course, AI and other tools are no substitute for sound fundamental analysis, which is why negative ESG news alerts don’t necessarily keep us from taking a position. The news may represent headline risk with which we’re comfortable or that we find is already priced into valuations. 

As always, it’s up to our investment teams to assemble relevant data, including NLP alerts, into a bigger picture. Ultimately, our NLP tool is just one resource—albeit a valuable one—within a broader fundamental analysis that helps us make an informed decision about a company. 

What’s more, NLP allows our analysts and portfolio managers to devote less time to tracking down data and more time to thinking critically about it—and to putting it to use on behalf of our clients.

References to specific securities discussed are not to be considered recommendations by AllianceBernstein L.P.

The views expressed herein do not constitute research, investment advice or trade recommendations, and do not necessarily represent the views of all AB portfolio-management teams and are subject to change over time.

Learn more about AB’s approach to responsibility here.

The need for sustainability is everywhere, including where we work.

Sustainability is an important consideration for businesses—and with good reason. From rising global temperatures to unprecedented levels of plastic pollution, we are constantly reminded of the importance of this topic

“I’m fortunate to meet with a lot of big companies every week—and this topic comes up in all my interactions,” says Snorre Kjesbu, SVP and GM of employee experiences at Cisco.

He is also fortunate in being able to help these companies out. As the person in charge of a portfolio of collaboration technologies enabling remote working and virtual meetings, he is already instrumental in helping to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions linked to business travel.

As of 2023, 12 percent of travel volume worldwide was for business, but the level is falling thanks to videoconferencing. The technology is also helping cut emissions linked to commuting, by allowing more people to work from home.

Cutting corporate carbon footprints is “the right thing to do,” says Kjesbu. “It’s right that we use the scarce resources of the planet correctly.”

But sustainability is also often good for the bottom line. Research from an industry body called the Energy Efficiency Movement shows the industrial sector could save $437 billion by 2030 by applying efficiency measures such as digitizing machinery and processing data in the cloud.

“There is often a view that being sustainable costs more money, but that’s not the case when it comes to efficiency,” says Energy Efficiency Movement communication and marketing lead Lisa Bounoure. “Efficiency offers clear return on investment.”

For Kjesbu, this quest for efficiency does not stop at helping cut the GHG emissions involved in corporate meetings. Cisco, which has a goal to reach net zero GHG emissions across its value chain by 2040, is also striving to improve the lifecycle efficiency of its products.

As an example, 52% of the plastic in the Cisco Collaboration devices product line is post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. Kjesbu says that replaces the use of 154 tonnes of virgin plastic with plastic removed from the waste stream, an amount of plastic equal to 7 million rubber ducks per year.

The ENERGY STAR®-certified phones are also designed to require minimal amounts of metals, so even the top-end models in the series only weigh around a kilogram. Less weight means less energy is required to ship the phones in bulk, reducing supply chain costs and emissions.

In addition to using fewer materials in manufacturing, office devices are being designed to consume less energy throughout their lifecycle.. The new Cisco Board Pro, for instance, has been engineered to consume85-89 percent less power in standby mode versus Display Off.

Cutting standby power might not seem like a big deal, but all the devices currently in sleep mode around the world account for 1 percent of global carbon emissions, or about a third of the amount caused by aviation in 2023. And cutting these emissions can have a multiplier effect, says Kjesbu.

“If you use less power in sleep mode, it also means you generate less heat and so you don’t need to cool buildings as much,” he notes.

But the real prize for office sustainability is to amplify such multiplier effects with digital technology. Smart building systems can determine whether a work area is being used and—if not—shut down lighting and heating systems automatically, potentially saving massive amounts of energy.

According to the Energy Efficiency Movement, more than 40 percent of the energy used in a typical commercial building is for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)—and around 35 percent of it is wasted.

However, a digital building management system with artificial intelligence can help cut HVAC emissions by up to 40 percent, while slashing 25 percent off operating costs.

This is a remarkable sustainability gain, but Kjesbu has another sustainable office equipment design trick up his sleeve: making things last longer. “If you design products that last longer, you will buy fewer and have a smaller footprint,” he says.

“It’s a big difference if a product lasts four years or seven years,” he adds.

In taking sustainability to heart, Cisco is staying ahead of a growing workplace trend.

Sustainability is an increasingly important factor in office design,” says John Stephan, a building products and services deal advisory partner at the accountancy firm BDO.

“From building materials to office-based technologies, we are seeing a growing appetite for options that reduce waste and emissions,” he says.

As far as the planet is concerned, that is a healthy appetite indeed—and one that conscious corporations such as Cisco are happy to satisfy.

View original content here.

Cummins

The Planet and Me webinar series helps professionals thrive in today’s fast-changing business landscape through focused, expert conversations. In this 30-minute episode packed with actionable insights, I spoke with Delphi Group founder Tom Kouropoulos about enhancing leadership while building innovative organizations. He shared why embracing a “license to fail” mindset drives transformative change, turning today’s uncertainties into tomorrow’s essentials. His insights on forward-thinking solutions, particularly in energy transition, offer surprising yet crucial perspectives for our future.

With 30 years of advising global organizations under his belt, Kouropoulos gets to the heart of why organizations struggle with innovation. “Everyone has to believe that they have the right to submit their ideas and that their ideas, when submitted, will find someplace to get a foothold,” Kouropoulos says. “If you don’t create that sort of a track record, people are going to get the message that it’s not their job.”

Practical approaches to build and strengthen the innovation muscle:

To build and strengthen this innovation muscle in your company, Kouropoulos advocates for two practical approaches I found particularly valuable.

Scenario-based planning builds organizational resilience and adaptability as businesses take risks to get to that next step.Building centers of competency, which are dedicated spaces for innovation within organizations. At Cummins Inc., I have seen multiple business units incorporate centers of competency to foster ideas about how best to engineer our products and services.

Tom says adopting these approaches can help businesses reimagine their innovation strategies. Here are some of his key takeaways.

Innovation is not instant – it requires cultivating a company-wide culture.Every employee needs to feel they have a license to innovate and fail.View AI as a collaborator that enhances human creativity.Measure innovation success through clear metrics and sustainable practices.

Watch the full interview to hear Kouropoulos’ insights on building innovation competency within your team, from setting parameters for acceptable failure to creating a culture where new ideas can flourish.

Men may have traditionally dominated the spirits industry, but innovators are striving to change the image of distillers. When it comes to dark, aged spirits, the challenge is two-fold, with women historically excluded as the makers – or even drinkers – of whisky, Scotch and Cognac.

The Modern Face of Whisky is striving for better. With a campaign to challenge the stereotypical image of whisky drinkers, the stock image library (created by OurWhisky Foundation) promotes the many faces of whisky enthusiasts. Challenging outdated stereotypes, a wealth of women and people of all genders, races and ages enjoying the spirit are featured in the collection. 

Now, the industry is waking up to the talent of skilled artisans – recognizing the influence and continued dominance of female distillers and blenders. Bacardi is proud to have four female Maestros shaping the future of the industry and its drinks – Stephanie Macleod, Master Blender, DEWAR’S® Scotch whisky; Anne Brock, Master Distiller, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin; Nancy Duarte, Master Blender, SANTA TERESA® rum; and Agathe Boinot, Cellar Master, D’USSÉ® Cognac, whose appointment made her the youngest female cellar master of the world’s major Cognac houses.

In 2024, Macleod was named Master Blender of the Year by the International Whisky Competition® for a sensational sixth consecutive time, and is celebrated in the DEWAR’S® “Here’s to the Story” marketing campaign, appearing in the advert as one of the inspiring storytellers and creative minds that has shaped the brand over the centuries.

“Perceptions are shifting, and now women can see the potential for a bright, exciting future career working with spirits. I’m very proud to play my part in that by nurturing future female talent in my team.” Stephanie Macleod, Master Blender Dewar’s® Scotch Whisky

Beyond championing established artisans, Bacardi is also building bridges for access. In 2025, the brand will host two all-female cohorts of its pioneering “Shake Your Future” program in India. The training is designed to help unemployed and underrepresented young adults build careers in the world of mixology. Classes help master bartending basics, covering subjects like mixology, flairing as well as complementary business areas such as personal branding, social media and communication.

The visibility of women at the top of drinks world is empowering the cohort industrywide. Today, over three quarters (76%) of women working in the beverage alcohol industry feel they can be their authentic selves at work and would encourage other women to pursue a career in the sector, according to research from Deloitte.1

Read more in Bacardi’ Limited’s 2025 Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report

1. “Women Raising The Bar”, Deloitte, 2023

By Candace Higginbotham | February 6, 2025

On a crisp January morning, an intrepid team of Birmingham associates walked two blocks east from Regions Center to take part in a city-wide event to honor a valuable community partnership and celebrate new opportunities for local children.

Junior Achievement (JA) of Alabama recently hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for construction of the new McWane Economic Education Center, a 30,000-square-foot experiential learning facility that will serve more than 20,000 Alabama middle school students annually.

JA is a community organization whose mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. The nonprofit delivers programs that deal with real issues such as career exploration and workforce readiness, financial literacy and business and entrepreneurship.

Regions Bank pledged $1 million in financial support for the new center, which will be built on the site of a former downtown parking lot owned by the bank for many years before being sold to JA.

Regions has a longstanding relationship with JA, both in Birmingham and across the bank’s footprint, with associates participating in classroom instruction, fundraising events and serving on boards. JA’s objectives align closely with the bank’s Community Engagement strategy focusing on financial wellness, education, economic development and workforce readiness.

Regions attendees at the groundbreaking event included Chairman, President and CEO John Turner, who serves as honorary co-chair for the education center’s capital campaign and provided remarks at the groundbreaking. Chief Financial Officer David Turner, a longtime member of JA of Alabama’s board of directors, also took part in the event, along with Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Engagement.

“We’re excited to be an investor in this really important project that Junior Achievement is building.”

John Turner, Regions Chairman, President and CEO

The Regions leaders were joined by Chip Reed, president of JA of Alabama, along with Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and other corporate and community leaders and members of local media outlets.

“We’re excited to be an investor in this really important project that Junior Achievement is building,” Turner said. “This experiential learning facility will help children throughout the Birmingham community learn more about how to better manage their finances. At Regions, our mission is to make life better, and we believe that financial education is an important part of making life better. This project will help us achieve that.”

The McWane Economic Education Center will house two key JA programs – JA BizTown; and JA Finance Park, which will be sponsored by Regions. The facility will also serve as headquarters for JA of Alabama.

“This time next year, this facility will be giving 200 children a day – 20,000 a year – the opportunity to imagine and experience a future that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to envision.”

Chip Reed, president of JA of Alabama

JA Finance Park Presented by Regions will provide older middle-school students first-hand experience with financial planning and career exploration in a realistic onsite facility. Students will put classroom learning about budgeting, managing expenses, the importance of saving and the role of credit to practical use. They will work with volunteers to develop a personal budget, explore career interests, learn about investing and the basics of insurance, taxes, credit cards and other financial topics.

JA BizTown is a simulated town that allows sixth-grade students to perform real-life activities, such as operating banks, managing restaurants, writing checks and voting for mayor.

“This time next year, this facility will be giving 200 children a day – 20,000 a year – the opportunity to imagine and experience a future that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to envision,” Reed said. “These students will be able to explore and put into practice real-life activities involving jobs, careers, money, finance, budgets – all those ‘rules of life’ that can be intimidating for those without experience but are so important for building financial success.

“We’re very excited to provide this experience for our local students.”

The center will also provide opportunities for adults in the community, as 4,000 volunteers will be needed to deliver and facilitate the programs each year. Regions will play a big role in those efforts, as well.

In his remarks, Turner said the January event was more than just breaking ground on a building, it’s the first step in building a stronger financial foundation for young people – which will have far-reaching impacts.

“Financial education leads to financial empowerment,” Turner said. “And when more people have greater access to essential skills, training, and employment opportunities they can pursue over time, we make our community stronger.”

Ansel, Home Hemodialysis Registered Nurse at DaVita, is a DaVita Global Nurse from the Philippines and was recruited while working as an international dialysis nurse in Abu Dhabi. He wanted to be a part of DaVita’s culture, benefits, professional and personal growth. When Ansel became a DaVita teammate, he experienced this and so much more.

About DaVita Inc.
DaVita (NYSE: DVA) is a health care provider focused on transforming care delivery to improve quality of life for patients globally. As a comprehensive kidney care provider, DaVita has been a leader in clinical quality and innovation for 25 years. DaVita cares for patients at every stage and setting along their kidney health journey—from slowing the progression of kidney disease to helping to support transplantation, from acute hospital care to dialysis at home. As of December 31, 2024, DaVita served approximately 281,100 patients at 3,166 outpatient dialysis centers, of which 2,657 centers were located in the United States and 509 centers were located in 13 other countries worldwide. DaVita has reduced hospitalizations, improved mortality, helped improve health access and worked collaboratively to propel the kidney care community to adopt a higher quality standard of care for all patients, everywhere. To learn more, visit DaVita.com/Newsroom.

Employers invest in human capital for both their internal and external communities. At Milken Institute Health, we view the workplace as its own community, in which organizational leadership is uniquely positioned to introduce, model, communicate, and normalize a “whole-person” approach to health that prioritizes physical, mental, and financial well-being equally. Investments in whole-person health can come in the form of expanded health benefits, changes to internal policies and programs, shifts in workplace culture to allow people to bring their “whole selves” to work, and increased levels of opportunity that recognize the many roles and responsibilities employees take on, such as caregiving.

Sabrina Spitaletta, senior director, Public Health at the Milken Institute, and Alexandra Guenther, chief information officer, Leidos, sat down to discuss ways leadership within organizations can lead with a whole-person health approach in mind.

Sabrina Spitaletta: Employers are defining “whole-person health” in various ways. From your perspective as an employer, how do you envision a whole-person health approach in the workplace and in community investments from the employer?

Alexandra Guenther: Throughout my career as both an individual contributor and now a manager, I am excited to see companies transition to support “whole-person health” initiatives. Whole-person health means that, as an employer, Leidos takes into account all aspects of an employee’s needs, regardless of their physical location around the globe. The support that Leidos provides to each employee through Leidos Life options, as highlighted previously in this series by Health & Civil President Liz Porter, includes physical, mental, financial, and social support. In addition, as chief information officer, I seek opportunities to leverage digital capabilities that elevate employees’ experiences by accommodating their whole-person health needs. The value of this approach is a win-win for employees and employers, as it removes physical barriers to work, enhances collaboration, facilitates inclusivity, and enables employee effectiveness. The value is compounded when leaders are managing teams distributed around the globe. In other cases, the physical location of employees can be an integral part of management—not just due to logistics but also due to well-being. Providing whole-person health support ensures employees are able to contribute their best work and enables employers to have access to excellent talent—wherever that talent may be.

What are the risks if employers do not adopt or move toward a whole-person health approach?

At best, employers are facing a sub-optimized workforce when they do not embrace a whole-person health approach. At worst, employers are setting themselves up to disappoint or isolate a sizable portion of the workforce, preventing the desire to work at said company. In the information technology sector, during a global talent shortage, employers are motivated to give themselves—and their workforce—every opportunity to succeed; the whole-person health approach does just that.

The IT sector is expected to face a shortfall of 85 million jobs by 2030 according to a study by Korn Ferry. These are not AI-driven jobs; these are human-skilled positions. It requires creativity and compassion to solve this kind of shortage, including seeking opportunistic ways to connect human capacity with open positions. Looking beyond upskilling and reskilling, a whole-person health approach allows employers to see employees as more than just the skills they bring. Instead, a whole-person health approach extends an employer’s view of the person and their skills to include a broader set of capabilities. This presents opportunities to connect unique missions and problems with individuals who feel connected and motivated to solve them. In many remote or isolated workplaces, for example, we are selecting motivated, talented individuals who have a personal passion for the mission. Without being open-minded and looking at a whole-person health approach, employers risk missing significant opportunities to connect individuals with career-advancing positions.

What steps are employers uniquely positioned to take to normalize and achieve a whole-person health approach?

Employers have opportunities to normalize whole-person health approaches with the sheer volume of employee interactions they have on a recurring basis. From the recruiting process to onboarding, to daily responsibilities, to offboarding, employers can demonstrate their commitment to whole-person health. As chief information officer, I look at each interaction with an employee from a qualitative and quantitative perspective to constantly improve our ability to not only react to employees’ whole-person health needs but also to anticipate them. If a technology-enabled digital assistant bot can see there is a planned out-of-office scheduled on an employee’s calendar, it can prompt the employee to ask the bot to generate a request for leave or put up an out-of-office message. Reducing the friction and administrative toil between the employee and its technology and corporate processes relieves the mental load and time for the employee. Seeing each employee’s interaction with technology through the lens of a whole-person health approach is not just about “increasing productivity” but about making the employee’s experience more enjoyable, seamless, and effective—therefore leading to increased productivity.

A few years ago, there was a phenomenon occurring around the globe called “quiet quitting.” Disenfranchised workers weren’t actively leaving their jobs, but their productivity and engagement were plummeting. There is a new trend occurring called “quiet hiring,” which refers to an employer’s ability to subtly re-engage with employees to increase their connectedness to their work and their output. At Leidos, we prefer to think of this as “ethical quiet hiring,” as we are intentional about training and compensating employees for increased responsibilities. These types of gains are a direct correlation with the whole-person health approach. Empathy and support from an employer create connectedness and contentment in the employee, translating into benefits for both parties.

In your opinion, which organizational leadership roles or positions need to be involved for this integrated approach to be adopted across the organization and in the surrounding community?

The most senior leaders are responsible for setting cultural norms, although it’s a shared responsibility for embodying the culture each and every day. All levels of management, as well as the employees, can continuously normalize a more integrated whole-person health approach in their regular interactions and discussions. Starting with a top-down focus and supportive policies and practices, employees, including management, have the opportunity to show empathy for other humans and create a clear path to foster the growth of whole-person health initiatives. A “humans helping humans” mindset is free of charge, and it can reap great benefits, as engaged employees are better performers and more likely to produce better results. A recent 2024 Gallup poll study found that “Highly engaged teams outperform the rest in business outcomes critical to the success of your organization. Engaged employees have higher well-being, better retention, lower absenteeism, and higher productivity.”

How do employers build a sustainable whole-person health approach that anticipates the ebb and flow of the external environment, whether those are shifts in the economic, social, or political landscape?

As an employer, one word I use with my team is “empowerment.” The word means that individuals are more than just set up for success; they have everything they need within their spheres of influence and control to implement success. This is key to building a sustainable whole-person health approach that can outlast the ebbs and flows of the external landscape. Empowering employees—and communicating that to them—allows them to see and navigate their pathway to success, regardless of some minor shifts in the external environments around them. Employers should stay connected with employees to monitor these shifts in case they require a reset by management or an intervention.

Click here to learn more about whole-person health and the Milken Institute Employer Action Exchange.

First time in Scotland for family-owned spirits company’s Shake Your Future initiative

GLASGOW, Scotland, February 28, 2025 /3BL/ – Family-owned spirits company, Bacardi is changing the lives of young adults in Glasgow who are taking part in its free bartender training program, Shake Your Future.

The 12 Shake Your Future students, who are all from the local area, are taking part in the 12-week course which culminates when they face their toughest test, taking over the bar service at the annual Glasgow Bartenders Ball at Saint Luke’s on Bain Street, Glasgow.

The Shake Your Future program gives the skills necessary for not just a job but a life-long career in hospitality. The program is being run by the team from Bacardi together with some of the most respected and talented members of the Scottish bar industry, who are giving expert advice on everything from how to make the perfect BACARDÍ Mojito to delivering first-class service in a busy bar.

I want to inspire these young people to join the industry that I love but I want them to walk into their first bar with their eyes open. A life in the hospitality industry is not a walk in the park, it’s hard work but it is rewarding work. I would not be where I am today without the support and inspiration of others along the way. By supporting Bacardi and its Shake Your Future initiative I can do the same for these students as they set out on their own personal journeys into the world of mixology.”

Liam Grogan, Head Bartender of The Absent Ear on Brunswick Street, Glasgow

The Bacardi Group has a long history in Glasgow. As well as working closely with many bars and restaurants throughout the city, Bacardi-owned John Dewar & Sons has its Scotch whisky headquarters on London Road.

Shake Your Future not only gives people in our local communities a fresh start in hospitality, it also helps our friends in the bar community find the skilled bartenders they need. We are committed to supporting both communities in every way we can and Shake Your Future is an important part of that ongoing commitment. These students now have a confidence and a passion for life behind the bar that I’m sure will give them a great future in the industry.”

Harry Olorunda, Glasgow Prestige Account Manager for Bacardi

Since its launch in Paris in 2018, Shake Your Future has been repeated in countries across Europe, as well as South Africa and India, and has helped find employment for hundreds of Shake Your Future graduates who are now enjoying a new life behind the bar.

Bacardi invests in Good Spirited initiatives that set goals for a brighter future for all, focusing on doing the right thing by its consumers, employees, business partners, the communities where it operates, and the environment. Find out more at www.bacardilimited.com/good-spirited.

Drink responsibly.

Media enquiries:

For more information, please contact bacardi@mercieca.co.uk / + 44 (0)20 7485 0100

About Bacardi Limited 
Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest privately held international spirits company, produces, markets, and distributes spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDÍ® rum, PATRÓN® tequila, GREY GOOSE® vodka, DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON’S® Scotch whisky, D’USSÉ® Cognac, ANGEL’S ENVY® American straight whiskey, and ST-GERMAIN® elderflower liqueur. Founded more than 163 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs more than 8,000, operates production facilities in 11 countries and territories, and sells its brands in more than 160 markets. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit http://www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

BELLEVUE, Wash., February 28, 2025 /3BL/ – The City of New York selected T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS), America’s 5G leader, as the municipal entity single carrier to support a wide variety of mission-critical operations across the city.

“Our mission is to use reliable, cutting edge technology to make New York City safer and more affordable for all, and this collaboration with T-Mobile is helping us do just that,” said New York City Chief Technology Officer Matthew Fraser. “By leveraging T-Mobile’s innovative technology, we’re ensuring that New York City’s first responders have the tools they need to operate at the highest level — a critical component of our mission to enhance public safety.”

A Bold Vision for the Future of NYC 
The deal represents another major step in delivering on the city’s mission of making the city safer and more affordable. By choosing T-Mobile’s proven, best-in-class 5G standalone network, New York City is poised to benefit from:

Unprecedented support for first responders: NYC’s public safety network, will have access to the latest 5G technology in the nation — 5G standalone (SA) — to support public safety innovation that the city is known for. 5G SA brings benefits like network slicing and increased security, and powers T-Mobile’s revolutionary network solution for first responders: T-Priority. T-Mobile was the first provider in the world to roll out a 5G standalone network back in 2020 and runs the largest scaled 5G standalone network in the U.S. today.Unbeatable benefits for NYC employees: City employees and their families will soon have access to incredible discounts on T-Mobile’s best plans on the nation’s leading 5G network. These plans come packed with incredible benefits like the best entertainment streaming bundle in wireless, free in-flight Wi-Fi across major airlines, high-speed data and texting abroad and so much more.

Advanced Technology for NYC’s First Responders 
T-Mobile’s network will serve as the connectivity backbone for the largest public safety departments in the U.S., in one of the most scaled, congested, and demanding environments for connectivity anywhere in the world. That’s why New York City’s first responders will have access to T-Mobile’s T-Priority, an innovative solution that delivers America’s best 5G network experience for first responders on the front lines. It features the nation’s first 5G network slice for first responders, bringing them lower latency and faster 5G speeds more consistently and the highest priority across every single 5G band even — and especially — in times of extreme congestion.

“The opportunity to serve the first responders, employees and residents of New York City is a tremendous honor for T-Mobile and we’re already off to a great start,” said Callie Field, President, T-Mobile Business Group. “The scale and scope of what this city does to keep its people safe every day, paired with the administration’s vision of a safer and more affordable New York is a perfect match for T-Mobile’s relentless focus on delivering innovative, next-generation solutions that combine the nation’s leading 5G network with the greatest customer value in wireless.”

Learn more about T-Priority and first responder benefits by visiting https://www.t-mobile.com/business/t-priority.

Follow @TMobileNews on X, formerly known as Twitter, to stay up to date with the latest company news.

# # #

About T-Mobile 
T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Mint Mobile. For more information please visit: https://www.t-mobile.com

Media Contact 
T-Mobile US, Inc. Media Relations 
MediaRelations@t-mobile.com

Investor Relations Contact 
T-Mobile US, Inc. 
Investor.Relations@t-mobile.com 
https://investor.t-mobile.com

Originally published on GoDaddy Resource Library

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your career journey, and what led you to your current role.

Hi! I’m Rachel Beneke, Director of Product Management at GoDaddy, where I lead an incredible team of Product Managers working on our Website Builder. My journey to product management wasn’t exactly traditional. I always thought I’d be a psychologist—I even earned my degree in psychology at the University of Michigan (Go Blue)! But as I approached the end of college, I realized I wanted a career with a higher ceiling for success and set my sights on the world of business.

After graduation, I joined a management consulting firm and landed in their tech org, where I got a crash course in software development. Over the next few years, I worked across different companies and industries, helping translate business needs into technical solutions. I developed a talent for finding the most efficient ways to meet business requirements with the least amount of software changes. Looking back, I was applying lean software development principles before I even knew what they were.

By the time I joined GoDaddy in 2013, Product Management was just gaining recognition as a career path, and I realized my entire career had essentially been PM-ing. My first role here was working on GoDaddy’s Online Store, helping small businesses sell their products online. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to lead exciting projects like launching GoDaddy’s Website Builder and creating solutions to help new domain customers get up and running with all the tools they need to confidently grow their business.

At the heart of it all, I couldn’t do any of this without my team—they’re the ones who make everything we do possible. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done and the impact we’ve had on empowering entrepreneurs around the world.

How do you keep yourself motivated and inspired in your work?

I find motivation and inspiration by putting myself in our customers’ shoes. I use our Website Builder to manage the website for my son’s high school Varsity soccer team (and previously for my daughter’s softball team). I also use the Online Store to collect team dues, sell practice jerseys, and handle end-of-season banquet tickets.

Using the product firsthand helps me empathize with our customers. I feel how rewarding it is when everything works seamlessly, but I also experience their frustrations when something doesn’t meet my expectations. This perspective drives me to continuously improve our tools so they’re not only functional but truly empowering for the people who rely on them.

Hearing success stories from our customers, combined with the hands-on insights I gain from using our product, keeps me energized and excited to make a difference.

As a key figure in driving the success of GoDaddy Airo, can you share some of the most important insights gained during the product’s launch?

One of my most rewarding experiences was playing a key role in the launch of GoDaddy Airo. At its core, GoDaddy Airo was designed to make the process of starting a business simpler. We saw that new entrepreneurs were often overwhelmed by all the steps involved with starting a business—creating a website, designing a logo, marketing strategies, managing social posts, and more. GoDaddy Airo brings together all the essential tools into one streamlined, easy-to-use package, taking the guesswork out of getting started. We wanted GoDaddy Airo to not only provide the tools but also instill confidence by guiding customers step-by-step through the process.

One of the most important insights we gained during the product’s launch was just how critical simplicity is. We focused on reducing friction at every touchpoint — whether it was simplifying the onboarding process, providing actionable recommendations, or seamlessly integrating tools — so customers could spend less time figuring things out and more time focusing on their ideas.

What aspect of the project are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of the way I helped the team cut through the noise and refine the scope during the critical early stages of the GoDaddy Airo project. As with any ambitious initiative, there were a lot of voices, ideas, and excitement in the room, and the scope quickly began to grow beyond what was realistic for our timeline. While dreaming big is important, I started to worry that we’d miss our launch deadline if we didn’t sharpen our focus.

To address this, I ruthlessly prioritized what features were in scope and what had to wait for future iterations. Drawing a clear line between what was “in” and what was “out” helped the entire team align and focus on delivering the most impactful features by the target date. That clarity allowed us to not only hit our deadline but also launch a product that was cohesive, valuable, and well-received by our customers.

If you had to describe GoDaddy’s culture in one word, what would it be and why?

Driven. GoDaddy is a place where everyone is always pushing to be better—whether it’s improving our products, making the customer experience smoother, or stepping up to support each other as a team.

There’s a real sense of momentum here, and it’s inspiring to be part of a culture that never settles.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Outside of work, fitness is a big priority for me. I mix things up with cardio, weightlifting, and Pilates. On Sundays, I love to cook and try new recipes. Sometimes, my teenage son approves, and other times, I get a polite “it’s…interesting”. That keeps me humble.

I also enjoy keeping up with social media trends, mainly so I can share funny videos with my daughter in college. On weeknights, you’ll often find me at the soccer field, watching my son play in his high school Varsity matches. It’s his senior year, and I cherish every moment.

At home, I shamelessly baby-talk to my two dogs—a sweet standard poodle and a grumpy mini schnauzer. Lately, I’ve been enjoying a new hobby: antiquing with my friend. It’s become our little treasure hunt and a fun way to explore unique finds and imagine the stories behind them.

Are you enjoying this series and want to know more about life at GoDaddy? Check out our GoDaddy Life social pages! Follow us to meet our team, learn more about our culture (Teams, ERGs, Locations), careers, and so much more. You’re more than just your day job, so come propel your career with us.

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