Cobus Loots, CEO of Pan African Resources, on delivering sector-leading returns for shareholders. Watch the video here.
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New position in America listed on LinkedIn today:
The Director of Product Marketing at PCI Pal is a strategic position that lives at the intersection of Product, Marketing and Sales; the role will involve regular engagement with senior-level colleagues both internally and externally and will actively contribute to developing sustainable growth strategies to drive the business forward. As a Director of Product Marketing, you will have an opportunity to drive strong collaboration between functions including Product, Marketing, Sales and Customer Success.
We are looking for an experienced individual who will develop and maintain a deep understanding of our target market, clearly articulate Ideal Customer Profiles and who will paint a compelling vision of our product strategy to our target personas. This is an exciting opportunity to become an ambassador for PCI Pal’s product and work with exceptional colleagues around the globe to accelerate product awareness, education, adoption, and sales.
Reporting to the Global VP Product, the role expertly crafts and executes go-to-market-plans in close collaboration with Sales, Marketing and Partners teams, ensuring that our products and features are adopted by our partner ecosystem and direct customers in a timely and efficient way with a view to generate incremental value and ROI for stakeholders.
Our market position needs to be continuously reevaluated to define and deliver a market-driven, customer and partner-informed roadmap in collaboration with the wider product team. As the Director of Product Marketing you will be expected to regularly run product market fit customer interviews and provide concise, strategic reports to product, marketing, and sales leaders.
We expect the right candidate for this role will rapidly become a product evangelist and pro-actively promote PCI Pal’s value proposition both internally and externally through webinars, explainer videos, fireside chats, engaging social media material, and proactive participation at key in-person and online industry events and partner engagements.
The right candidate should therefore be someone who has a talent and experience of communicating both internally (up and down the chain), as well as externally, particularly within PCI Pal’s market-leading partner eco-system both in the US and internationally where required.
Anyone at the appeal today?
Court of Appeal - Civil Division - Court 63
Tuesday 21 – Thursday 23 May 2024
Sycurio Ltd (appellant) v PCI-PAL Plc & anr respondents)
By an Appellant’s Notice filed on 3 January 2024 the Appellant appeals the Order, dated 18 December 2023 of Mrs Justice Bacon, in which she dismissed the claim for patent infringement, declared the Patent to be invalid and ordered it revoked.
Background:
1. The Applicant owned a patent (“the Patent”) that proposed a new a method of securely processing financial transactions made over the telephone.
2. It was the Applicant’s case that, inter alia, the Respondent’s Agent Assist configurations which carry DMTF signals in the SIP channel infringed on the Patent.
3. The appeal focuses on the Judge’s findings in relation to claim 9 in which the Judge considered the question of whether the Agent Assist system, in its various configurations, breached the Patent. The Judge found that the Agent Assist system fell outside the scope of claim 9 and dismissed the Applicant’s claim and declared the Patent to be invalid.
pcip and star, both here
xperience 2024
may 13 - 15 | denver, colorado
***lord rockies resort & convention center
https://web.cvent.com/event/97a0b94a-1ee8-47ab-9460-13fb016d31b8/websitepage:06bcbb5d-cdd1-46f9-befd-dd61658a7c01?refid=pcipal%7cpcipal%7cxpr2024%7cpcipal-promotion
Star Telecom Partners With PCI Pal For Straightforward PCI Compliance for Contact Centers
Wednesday 05/15/2024
Toronto, Canada – May 15th, 2024 – Star Telecom, a leading innovator in contact center solutions, is excited to announce a strategic partnership with PCI Pal, the foremost experts in secure payment technology. This collaboration is set to redefine PCI compliance for contact centers, offering a straightforward, robust solution that simplifies adherence to the latest PCI DSS standards.
The partnership comes at a critical time when contact centers worldwide are navigating the complexities of PCI DSS 4.0, the latest iteration of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. With an emphasis on enhanced security measures and adaptive compliance strategies, PCI DSS 4.0 presents both challenges and opportunities for contact centers. Star Telecom and PCI Pal’s combined expertise provides a seamless path to compliance, ensuring that contact centers can secure customer data effectively while maintaining operational efficiency.
Highlights of the Partnership:
Simplified Compliance Journey: Leveraging PCI Pal’s advanced technologies, Star Telecom will offer its clients an easy-to-implement solution that demystifies the PCI compliance process.
Advanced Security Protocols: The partnership promises to bolster contact centers with state-of-the-art security measures, safeguarding sensitive customer information against emerging threats.
Seamless Integration: Designed with flexibility in mind, the solution integrates effortlessly with existing contact center infrastructures, enabling businesses to achieve compliance without disrupting their current operations.
Star Telecom SIP: Our SIP network is capable of differentiating what is already great, but reducing call legs when transferring in and out of the PCI Pal network, remaining compliant and simplifying the architecture.
“It’s not every day a solution can improve CX by reducing customer frustration, and simplify the process, while also reducing telephony costs. PCI Pal has been a key in our CX portfolio.” said Brad Czumaczenko, Director of Client Development and Partnerships at Star Telecom.
This partnership marks a significant milestone in the journey toward more secure, compliant contact center operations. With Star Telecom and PCI Pal at the helm, contact centers can look forward to a future where customer trust and data security are paramount.
Full release here
https://www.startelecom.ca/star-telecom-partners-with-pci-pal-for-straightforward-pci-compliance-for-contact-centers/?hss_channel=lcp-590493
Thanks Victor. If memory serves, James said the result should be pretty quick after the trial.
Https://casetracker.justice.gov.uk/getDetail.do?case_id=CA-2024-000006
Anyone remember the date of the UK appeal? Must be soon.
Present
SADIE SANGSTER..OUT
Adrienne
ADRIENNE BROPHEY..IN
https://www.pcipal.com/why-pci-pal/our-people/
A two year lookback at the changes
Sycurio and Pci-Pal's Leadership teams
Senior
leadership
team.
May 18..2022
Gary E. Barnett..Chief Executive Officer
Iain Regan..Chief Revenue Officer, International
Gary Lumsdon..Chief Financial Officer
Gary Levy..Chief Revenue Officer, Americas
Ian Moseley..Corporate PMO
Scott Whitrow..Vice President of Customer Success
Connor Blier..Vice President of Marketing
https://web.archive.org/web/20220518102903/https://sycurio.com/about/executive-team
--------------------------
Senior
leadership
team.
Sept 25..2022
Nick Viney..Chief Executive Officer
Geoff Baldock..Chief Financial Officer
Ash Patel..Customer Care
Scott Whitrow..Customer Success
Mark Hornsby..Deployment
Shalini Kaushik..Engineering
Kevin Clancy..Legal
Connor Blier..Marketing
Matt Taylor..Pre-Sales Engineering
https://web.archive.org/web/20220925142534/https://sycurio.com/about/senior-leadership-team
--------------------------
Senior
leadership
team.
Dec 01..2022
Nick Viney..Chief Executive Officer
Geoff Baldock..Chief Financial Officer
Shalini Kaushik..Engineering
Connor Blier..Marketing
Matt Taylor..Pre-Sales Engineering
Ruth Schofield..UK and EMEA Sales
Marc Cremer..North America Sales
Mark Hornsby..Deployment
Scott Whitrow..Customer Success
Ash Patel..Customer Care
Vladimir Jirasek..Chief Information Security Officer
Kevin Clancy..Legal
https://web.archive.org/web/20221201164130/https://sycurio.com/about/senior-leadership-team
--------------------------
Senior
leadership
team.
Oct 02..2023
Nick Viney..Chief Executive Officer
Paul Greensmith..Chief Financial Officer
Edward Sweigart..Chief Revenue Officer
Angela Cardani-Liggett..Chief People Officer
Shalini Kaushik..VP of Engineering
David Needham..VP of Customer Delivery Group
Kevin Clancy..General Counsel
Trevor Lovelock..Head of Product
https://web.archive.org/web/20231002084524/https://sycurio.com/about/executive
--------------------------
Senior
leadership
team.
Present
Denise Parker..Chief Executive Officer
Paul Greensmith..Chief Financial Officer...Now Pep Talks..https://www.linkedin.com/posts/paulgreensmith_devone-nicei23-cxandthecity-activity-7072113454261628929-y7ts
Shalini Kaushik..VP of Engineering
David Needham..VP of Customer Delivery Group
Kevin Clancy..General Counsel
Trevor Lovelock..Head of Product
https://sycurio.com/about/executive
--------------------------
Pci-Pal
Our People
Feb09..2022
JAMES BARHAM..Chief Executive
WILLIAM GOOD..Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary
GEOFF FORSYTH..Chief Information Security Officer
MUFTI MONIM..Chief Technology Officer
DARREN GILL..Chief Revenue Officer
SADIE SANGSTER..SVP, Customer Success
JANE GOODAYLE..SVP, Global Marketing
RACHAEL DROUET..Head of People and Development
https://web.archive.org/web/20220209014449/https://www.pcipal.com/why-us/our-people/
-------------------
Present
SADIE SANGSTER..OUT
ADRIE
PCI Pal Integration - Speak to Pay | TTEC Digital
TTEC Digital demonstrates how customers can make a full or partial payment through self service IVR, - no need for agents to be involved! IVR will instruct callers to talk or use their keypad for payment options. Payment is taken through the PCI Pal integrated gateway and processed in the Microsoft Digital Contact Center Platform (DCCP).
At TTEC Digital we help you create deeper relationships with customers by optimizing CX at the point of conversation. We’re leaders in this space, pairing decades of experience innovating, deploying and building on the world’s leading CX technology platforms with proven expertise in CX strategy, analytics, AI and more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkUEOCRE3lU
------------------------
Quenching the thirst for innovation
Greater insights and integrations
One of the biggest revelations has been tightly integrating Genesys and Salesforce. For self-service, this integration introduces data actions that improve IVR applications. It also drives better agent-led conversations by automating screen pops and surfacing customer account information. In addition, PCI Pal integration enables agents to take secure credit card payments over the phone for equipment service repairs.
https://www.genesys.com/en-gb/customer-stories/coca-cola-bottlers-sales-and-services
Cheers, Victor.
It's murder on the dancefloor.
SYCURIO LIMITED
07 May 2024 Termination of appointment of Paul John Greensmith as a director on 29 April 2024
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/06963868/filing-history
---------------------
SYCURIO MIDCO 1 LIMITED
07 May 2024 Appointment of Denise Parker as a director on 12 April 2024
07 May 2024 Termination of appointment of Paul John Greensmith as a director on 29 April 2024
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13451666/filing-history
----------------------------
SYCURIO MIDCO 2 LIMITED
07 May 2024 Termination of appointment of Paul John Greensmith as a director on 29 April 2024
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13451657/filing-history
----------------------------
SYCURIO MIDCO 3 LIMITED
07 May 2024 Termination of appointment of Paul John Greensmith as a director on 29 April 2024
-----------------------------------
Paul Greensmith.
Chief Financial Officer
Paul is a highly experienced CFO and general manager, specializing in the media, technology and healthcare industries.
Paul has extensive experience in working with private equity investors and lending institutions with responsibility for significant fund raising, acquisitions and business development activities for growth capital or buy, build & turn around.
He has led organizations through a number of successful whole company exits to both trade and private equity investors.
Paul qualified as an accountant with Arthur Andersen in 1992.
https://sycurio.com/people/paul-greensmith
=====================
New Job
Customer Success Specialist
Key Responsibilities
Develop and implement strategies to maximize renewal rates and *minimize churn*, collaborating closely with business stakeholders and CS management teams.
https://careers.sycurio.com/jobs/4439237-customer-success-specialist
Michelmores shortlisted for ‘Law firm of the Year: The Independents’ at The Lawyer Awards 2024
Michelmores has been shortlisted at The Lawyer Awards 2024 in the ‘Law firm of the Year: The Independents’ category.
The annual Lawyer Awards celebrate outstanding work and initiatives from across the legal industry. The judging panel includes industry experts from the Bar, Private Practice and in-house sectors. The ‘Independents’ category is open to any UK firms that appear in the current edition of The Lawyer UK 200: The Independents report.
https://www.michelmores.com/firm-news/michelmores-shortlisted-for-law-firm-of-the-year-the-independents-at-the-lawyer-awards-2024/
---------------------------------------------------------------
Lucretuis, I don't know if you are old enough to remember this match?
Almost 40 years ago
Benson & Hedges Cup final of 1984
The valued duck
The opponents of Lancashire in the title round were an extremely strong Warwickshire side. Led by Bob Willis, they boasted in their ranks men like Alvin Kallicharran, Dennis Amiss, Chris Old, Norman Gifford and Gladstone Small.
But, when Abrahams inserted the Warwickshire men on a spicy Lord’s track, Paul Allott bowled his heart out. Left-arm seamer Stephen Jefferies provided adequate support and the batsmen found it extremely tough to negotiate the movement. Only Kallicharran, playing a supreme knock, scored a superlative 70 while the rest of the batting withered away. The vaunted batting line up could not last the stipulated 55 overs and were bowled out for 139.
In the field, Abrahams quietly led the side. He did not bowl his occasional off-breaks, caught Kallicharran at mid-wicket off Jefferies, and dropped a rank sitter at point.
He did little more with the bat. The skipper came in to bat with the score on 70 for three, snicked the third ball he faced to the wicketkeeper, and walked back for a duck. Apart from not scoring a run, he had also fallen to the part time medium pace of opening batsman Paul Smith.
Lancashire finally won the match by six wickets with 74 balls to spare, thanks to an unbeaten 69-run association between Neil Fairbrother and David Hughes.
However, the climax of the day was yet to take place.
The adjudicator for the Man of the Match award was the former England captain Peter May. And during the post-match ceremony he announced that the Gold Award would go to John Abrahams. The stunned players of the two sides pinched themselves. Abrahams himself was seen to mouth, “Who, me?”
And the man, who had turned 32 that day but had done little else, walked up to receive the Man of the Match award for his duck, a dropped catch and unbowled off-breaks.
Full read here
https://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/adjudicator-peter-may-presents-lancashire-captain-john-abrahams-with-birthday-gift-209173/
Victor,
I must admit past errors and fess up that relentless negativity about Sycurio has been misplaced. The Sycurio job advert that you posted says: “Sycurio is well funded and growing fast, you’ll be joining an organisation that combines an entrepreneurial ‘start-up’ culture with the professionalism of a mature and established business. This is a fabulous opportunity to gain experience on a variety of commercial matters of an international business.”
I realise how wrong I would have been if I had been drafting the advert and if I had written: “Sycurio has a weak balance sheet, encumbered with £30m of external debt, and is struggling for growth against a far nimbler competitor, which spotted the cloud and channel partner opportunities miles before we did.
The organisation combines a freewheeling approach to respecting confidentiality agreements with aggressive and opportunistic engagement in expensive--and to date--unsuccessful patent litigation worldwide.
We are on track to destroy our IP portfolio. If you believe non-expert experts make good trial witnesses and you enjoy seeing millions wasted on litigation, this is a fabulous opportunity.
You will need to be comfortable engaging with staff at all levels of the company including the CEO and fellow members of the executive team. Our executive team is so fast-moving and dynamic that, within 6-12 months of joining, you will be working with a completely different team.
We have painted ourselves into a very tight corner—help.“
Sycurio. hiring Corporate Counsel Job in Guildford, England
Glassdoor
10 hours ago
Corporate Counsel
Guildford, England
Main purpose of the job
You will also be expected to participate in company intellectual property protection and management efforts and liaise with our outside IP attorneys. You will be expected to have or develop a strong knowledge of relevant data protection and privacy regulations relating to PCI DSS and GDPR.
-------
Key Responsibilities
Participate with the General Counsel in IP enforcement and protection matters including assisting in the management of ongoing patent litigation.
-----------------------------
Sycurio. Reviews by of counsel
Pros
"Good people to work with" (in 5 reviews)
"Great culture, great team is a company full of challenges and opportunities" (in 6 reviews)
"The company is rapidly growing so new opportunities are frequently available." (in 3 reviews)
-----------------------------
Cons
"unnecessary amount of pressure" (in 4 reviews)
"The amount of time spent navigating the political infighting, finger pointing and general blame culture was exhausting." (in 2 reviews)
More here
https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/job-listing/corporate-counsel-sycurio-JV_IC3294630_KO0,17_KE18,25.htm?jl=1009263698532
----------------------------
Corporate Counsel
https://careers.sycurio.com/jobs/4407875-corporate-counsel
Letting the court cases run their courses is definitely the most viable option for Sycurio and Livingbridge, in my opinion. They already know that they won’t get the management team to stay, so they have to hope they can trigger a management exodus from PCIP by wearing them down. The hope would be that new people would bring anew perspective on a 90p bid and a quiet life will be the clincher. Fortunately for us, PCIP seems to be as solid as ever.
Well, Livingbridge paid £113m for Semafone - a clearly inferior business.
Candidly, I don't think 7.5x ARR is a crazy stretch for a 90% gross margin software business with low-single digit churn growing at 20-30%. In the states that would be a totally believable price to pay. Look at Darktrace getting taken out at 6.6x forward revenue. Same multiple on PCI-Pal would be pretty much £150m. I personally consider PCI-Pal to be a superior business to Darktrace. Just to cherry pick one example from today, but I think it's decently representative.
Hi Leycrjb.
£150m is a massive stretch at 7.5x ARR.
5x ARR = £100m = . 140p.
If, and it's a big if, Sycurio comes back again, it'd probably start at 120p and maybe they'd stretch to 140p/150p. Can't see it going higher than that. The main reason I'm thinking about it more seriously is because of all the management changes at Sycurio that Victor has flagged up. Sycurio appears weaker than in May 2023. They look to have more reasons to acquire PCIP.
It's the most logical thing, but I'm not sure Livingbridge/Sycurio are driven by logic at this point. I'm also not sure they could afford the £150m it would potentially cost to acquire PCI-Pal at the price that would be acceptable to the big owners.
Hello Leycrjb - do you expect Sycurio to come again with a higher offer? It seems the most logical move. It's interesting to note that the Chairman, CEO, CFO & CTO bought shares in March 2022. Did they think Sycurio was coming to come with a hard offer?
I think we all know that was their motive. I suspect it would take 150p+ to get a sale. Still think that would be a very good deal for Livingbridge.
-September 2021: Sycurio initiated patent case.
-March 2022: Sycurio Chairman asks PCIP Chairman if they are open to being acquired.
-May 2023: Sycurio offers 90p to the largest PCIP shareholders.
Did Sycurio start the patent case to acquire PCIP at a knockdown price? Is that the philosophy?
Isn't Livingbridge's philosophy to acquire PCIP? The first move was Sept 2021, then March 2022 and May 2023.
Morning.
Too much water under the Livingbridge for that. But to give up, goes against Livinbridge's philosophy. So option 1 looks most likely. Nice people to do business with.