Consulting & Advisory

Frederick, Md. – September 13, 2026 -- TydeCo will host the US debut of "HR & Finance Walk Into a Bar" on September 24 at Charley's Chesapeake Chophouse in Gaithersburg, Maryland, bringing Sage on as a collaborating partner after the event proved successful in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Event pairs finance and HR leaders with four courses and live magic from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The complimentary, capacity-limited gathering targets finance, HR and payroll leaders, business owners and senior decision makers. Rather than a traditional networking format, the afternoon combines speaker discussions with paired food and drinks and live magic performances designed to run alongside the business conversation.

New York – September 12, 2026 -- Artificial intelligence will put $4.7 trillion of global corporate profits at stake by 2035, more than tripling the $1.4 trillion profit shift triggered by the Internet over two decades, according to a new analysis from Bain & Company.

AI reshapes 71% of sectors versus 41% for the Internet

Bain's study of 92 individual sectors finds AI will structurally transform 71% of industries, compared with 41% during the Internet era, extending into physical production and knowledge work the earlier technology wave never reached, including industrial manufacturing, healthcare delivery and pharmaceutical R&D.

Tempe – September 12, 2026 -- Institute for Supply Management (ISM), the world's largest professional association for supply chain and procurement, has appointed Neal J. Couture, CAE, FASAE, as its next president and chief executive officer, effective September 12, 2026.

ISM Board completes global search to select next leader

The ISM Board of Directors selected Couture following a comprehensive global search to guide the organization's next phase of growth, member value and global professional impact. Stacey Taylor, MBA, Chair of the ISM Board of Directors, said Couture's track record of leadership, innovation and member engagement aligned closely with ISM's mission.

San Francisco – September 12, 2026 -- Arkestro has been identified as a Sample Vendor for Supplier Discovery in the Gartner Hype Cycle for Multienterprise Solutions, 2026, marking the company's continued presence in Gartner's procurement technology research.

Gartner defines Supplier Discovery as AI-driven identification of new supply sources

The Hype Cycle report categorizes Supplier Discovery as solutions that help organizations identify, assess and onboard new suppliers using extensive databases and graph technologies to match sourcing criteria against potential vendors. Gartner cites supply chain disruptions, capacity constraints, cost optimization pressure and innovation targets as the drivers pushing procurement teams to qualify alternative suppliers faster. The report also notes that Supplier Discovery is increasingly embedded within third-party risk management and source-to-pay platforms rather than standing alone as a distinct market.

New York – September 12, 2026 -- Ankura Consulting Group, LLC has appointed Joanne Taylor as Chief Operating Officer, tasking her with running the firm's global day-to-day operations and building the infrastructure needed to scale efficiently.

Taylor brings 25 years of transformation experience to the role

Taylor has more than 25 years advising boards, private equity sponsors, and executive teams, with expertise in business transformation, operating-model design, and operational excellence. Before joining Ankura, she held senior leadership and general management roles across global consulting, technology, and services organizations, leading enterprise-wide transformations and large-scale operational turnarounds.

Arlington, Va. – September 12, 2026 -- Eighty-four percent of senior business leaders say at least one cultural factor is limiting their organization's success with artificial intelligence, even as AI adoption delivers measurable productivity and quality gains, according to a new survey from Eagle Hill Consulting.

AI adoption spreads evenly across core business functions

The Eagle Hill Consulting AI Capabilities survey of 306 U.S. director-level and above executives finds organizations deploying AI at nearly equal rates across business operations (73 percent), decision support and analytics (72 percent), and employee productivity and knowledge work (71 percent). Sixty-six percent of respondents report improved employee productivity, 59 percent cite improved operational efficiency, 55 percent report improved quality of work, and 53 percent report improved customer experience.

New York – September 12, 2026 -- Genpact (NYSE: G) has appointed Sumita Pandit as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective September 12, 2026, placing a 25-year finance and capital markets veteran at the helm of its balance sheet as the company pushes its Agentic Operations strategy.

Pandit succeeds Michael Weiner, who exits after five years as CFO

Pandit takes over from Michael Weiner, who has held the CFO post since 2021 and will remain with Genpact as an advisor through the end of Q1 2027 to support the transition. She will report directly to President and CEO Balkrishan 'BK' Kalra and join the Genpact Leadership Council.

Kalra credited Weiner with strengthening Genpact's financial foundation over the past five years and positioning the company for its next growth phase.

Tamarac, Fla. – September 12, 2026 -- A PuroClean Franchise Owner has surpassed $20 million in gross sales from a single location for the first time in the restoration franchise's history, according to figures disclosed in the company's Franchise Disclosure Document. The milestone underscores accelerating reinvestment across the system, with 20% of PuroClean's 2026 unit growth coming from existing Franchise Owners adding territories.

Multi-unit ownership climbs to 44% of the franchise base

Nearly half of all PuroClean Franchise Owners, 44%, now operate multiple units. The company frames this reinvestment rate as evidence of confidence in its unit-level economics and scalability.

Beachwood, Ohio – September 11, 2026 -- Referna, a referral network for independent professionals, has been accepted into the Google for Startups Cloud Program, gaining Google Cloud credits and technical resources to scale its AI-driven matching and live-meeting infrastructure.

Referna organizes independent professionals into structured referral circles of 8 to 12 peers

The platform groups fractional CFOs, consultants, recruiters, and other client-service experts into small circles of non-competing peers serving the same type of client. Members meet regularly and refer business to one another, replacing informal networking with a structured system for warm introductions.

Enfield, Connecticut – September 11, 2026 -- Annex Brands, Inc. has opened a new PostalAnnex Express franchise inside Tobacco Hut at 2 Middle Road in Enfield, CT 06082, expanding its franchise network to a new local owner, Gaurav Trehan.

New location bundles shipping carriers under one roof for local customers

The express location offers shipping services through USPS, UPS, and DHL, alongside expert packing services, private mailbox rentals, and packaging supplies. The site combines retail tobacco operations with parcel logistics, a model Annex Brands has used to broaden its franchise footprint into non-traditional retail spaces.