January 10, 2024 – Senegal Newswire

[INVNT GROUP]™ the Global Brand Storytelling Agency Portfolio, Expands to South Asia Opening Tenth Office in Mumbai, India

Mumbai, India, Jan. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — [INVNT GROUP] The Global BrandStory Project, announces its expansion into South Asia opening its tenth office across seven countries in Mumbai, India. The move aligns with the Group’s vertical and horizontal growth strategy, which supports the increasing demand for innovative brand storytelling in one of the fastest-growing markets including Tata Motors, Hitachi Vantara, Samsung, Amazon, Unilever, Sun Pharmaceutical, and more.

With a significant presence already established in key locations such as New York, London, Sydney, Singapore, Dubai, San Francisco, Detroit, Washington D.C, and Stockholm, the addition of Mumbai to [INVNT GROUP]’s global footprint marks another step in bolstering its services to both local and multinational clients.

“We are excited to extend our reach and expertise to South Asia, a region that is rapidly emerging as a hub for technological and marketing communications innovation. Establishing a base in Mumbai is not solely a strategic decision but also a response to our client’s growing needs to engage and build wider and deeper communities. It reinforces our commitment to delivering impactful brand stories globally and locally, catering to the unique challenges and opportunities in the region. Our goal is to create unparalleled brand experiences that resonate deeply with local audiences and set new standards in creativity and strategic execution on the global stage. We’re also thrilled to welcome Laveesh Pandey, who joins our team with the perfect experience to drive the group’s expansion in the region,” said Scott Cullather, President & CEO of [INVNT GROUP], and CEO of INVNT.ATOM.

Laveesh Pandey has been appointed Managing Director of [INVNT GROUP] South Asia, reporting into Scott Cullather and Kristina McCoobery, INVNT CEO and [INVNT GROUP], COO. Pandey, previously Chief Operating Officer at Starlight Gaming, joins the global agency with over two decades of experience in the Media & Entertainment industry. Having held key positions at MindShare, Reliance Entertainment, Zapak Digital Entertainment and Clockwork Events, Pandey brings a deep knowledge of technology, gaming, experiential marketing, and advertising, with his award-winning leadership powering transformative B2B and B2C brand experiences.

“I am elated to lead [INVNT GROUP]’s expansion into South Asia, particularly in the dynamic and crowded Indian market. Brands in this region are eager for innovative ways to stand out, and we are here to deliver a blend of global best practices with deep local insights. In a world that is rapidly evolving, our focus is on connecting brands with their most important communities and audiences in meaningful, authentic, and engaging ways. With [INVNT GROUP]’s diverse capabilities, we are set to redefine brand storytelling in the vibrant South Asian market, creating real impact through the next great era of brand engagement in this region,” said Laveesh Pandey, Managing Director of [INVNT GROUP] South Asia.

INVNT also welcomes Abhishek Pandey as Producer (previously Senior Manager of Operations & Client Relations at MidasNext Media), and Varun Parashar as Manager of Account Services (previously Marketing & Community Lead at Starlight Gaming).

With this expansion, [INVNT GROUP] continues to uphold its vision of engaging audiences everywhere by crafting compelling and impactful brand stories across all platforms.

For more information, please visit [INVNT GROUP].

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ABOUT [INVNT GROUP]
[INVNT GROUP] THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT is a growing portfolio of complementary disciplines designed to help forward-thinking organizations everywhere, impact the audiences that matter, anywhere, with offices in New York, London, Sydney, Singapore, Dubai, San Francisco, Mumbai, Stockholm, Detroit, and Washington D.C. Led by President and CEO, Scott Cullather, [INVNT GROUP] was established as a growing evolution of the live global brand storytelling agency INVNT, with a vision to provide engaging, well-articulated, impactful brand stories across all platforms.

The GROUP consists of: modern brand strategy firm, Folk Hero; creative-led culture consultancy, Meaning; production studio & creative agency, HEVĒ; events for colleges and universities, INVNT Higher Ed; digital innovation division, INVNT.ATOM; creative multimedia experience studio, Hypnogram; ITP Live (Any Venue Video, Thunder Audio, In Sync), portfolio of full-service production for live entertainment; and the original live global brand storytelling agency, INVNT.

Attachment

INVNT GROUP OpensTenth Office in Mumbai, India

Jhonathan Mendez de Leon
[INVNT GROUP]
Jmendezdeleon@invnt.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9015785

Fortrea Establishes Industry Partnership with Veeva and Advarra to Streamline Patient and Site Clinical Trial Experience

Companies partner to provide patients and sites with easy access to study information in one integrated solution

DURHAM, N.C., Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE) (the “Company”), a leading global contract research organization (CRO), today announced an industry partnership with founding members Veeva Systems Inc., a leading provider of industry cloud solutions for the global life sciences industry, and Advarra, a leading provider of clinical research technology for clinical research investigator sites and sponsors, to deliver an integrated patient- and site-centric solution that streamlines the clinical trial experience.

In an industry faced with complex challenges to clinical trial execution, Fortrea is establishing an alliance of industry partners—beginning with founding members, Veeva and Advarra—to tackle some of these challenges head-on. Many sites are burdened by administrative operations that have multiple, complex technologies with limited interoperability. This impacts their ability to focus on what matters most—the patients—and improving their recruitment and experience participating in clinical studies.

Fortrea, Veeva and Advarra are partnering to offer a seamless, unified technology solution that integrates best-in-class technologies and leverages Fortrea’s process expertise. This will help ease the administrative burden for patients and sites and increase the accessibility of clinical trials for the public.

“We heard from our Site Advisory Board that the multitude of technologies used on a study is one of their greatest challenges,” said Fortrea Chief Operating Officer and President of Clinical Services Mark Morais. “Working with industry-leading partners and founding members, Veeva and Advarra, we’re taking action to remove complexities so we can address the pain points of sites and patients and make a difference. We are leveraging our unique vantage point in the industry that enables us to layer our expertise over the tech and data ecosystems from best-in-class partners—adding to our alliance as we go—to dramatically simplify the experience for patients, sites and sponsors.”

For sites, the partnership is set to deliver:

a cloud-based, simplified sign-on experience for Fortrea-run studies
access to study technologies through a single dashboard
a unified environment with a single repository for study documents and records

For patients, the solution is being designed to offer:

easy-to-access, step-by-step, visit-by-visit support and education throughout a patient’s trial journey
a simplified user experience through a single platform
self-referral functionality to search and find studies in their disease area of interest
ongoing patient support and education via an online portal or mobile app
a simplified mobile and web application for consenting and responding to outcome surveys

“Veeva is helping to advance clinical trials with connected applications that reduce the burden of participating for patients, streamline execution for research sites and increase transparency for sponsors,” said Jim Reilly, vice president, Veeva Development Cloud Strategy. “Extending our partnership with Fortrea to deliver Veeva Clinical Platform applications will meet the unique needs of patients, sites and sponsors while significantly improving study data quality and collaboration with sites.”

“Advarra’s mission is to break the silos that impede clinical research, so we are excited to provide our Longboat solution and IRB services as part of this innovative and collaborative partnership aimed at reducing site and patient burden,” said Elisa Cascade, chief product officer at Advarra. “By leveraging our Longboat solution, Fortrea will deliver a reimagined clinical research experience that will improve both protocol compliance and site and patient engagement throughout the clinical trial process.”

Learn more about how Fortrea is driving healthcare innovation throughout the world at Fortrea.com. For more information on the technology platforms, visit Veeva Clinical Platform and Advarra Longboat.

About Fortrea

Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE) is a leading global provider of clinical development and patient access solutions to the life sciences industry. We partner with emerging and large biopharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostic companies to drive healthcare innovation that accelerates life changing therapies to patients in need. Fortrea provides phase I-IV clinical trial management, clinical pharmacology, differentiated technology-enabled trial solutions and post-approval services. Fortrea’s solutions leverage three decades of experience spanning more than 20 therapeutic areas, a passion for scientific rigor, exceptional insights and a strong investigator site network. Our talented and diverse team of about 19,000 people working in more than 90 countries is scaled to deliver focused and agile solutions to customers globally. Learn more about how Fortrea is becoming a transformative force from pipeline to patient at Fortrea.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) @Fortrea.

Fortrea Contacts:
Fortrea Media: Galen Wilson – 703-298-0802, media@fortrea.com
Fortrea Media: Kate Dillon – 646-818-9115, kdillon@prosek.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9015283

We must defend our Constitution with all our might – NCCE

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has called on the public to do everything in their capacities to protect and defend the 1992 Constitution of Ghana to help consolidate the country’s democratic gains ahead of the 2024 general elections.

Mr Justice Yaw Ennin, the Western Regional Director of the NCCE, who made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Takoradi, said the Constitution was the backbone of the country’s democratic principles, and that it was the duty of every citizen to ward off any attacks on the Constitution.

‘The Constitution is the supreme law of the land that ensures we enjoy our fundamental rights, so as citizens we must protect the Constitution with all our might for its continuous survival,’ he said.

Mr Ennin noted that the country’s socio-economic development aspirations were anchored on its democratic credentials, saying, ‘We must not substitute anything for our democracy if we want to realise the kind of development we desire as a nation.’

Speak
ing on some of the threats to Ghana’s democracy, he mentioned the monetisation of Ghana’s political landscape by political actors, and said the act undermined the democratic doctrines of the country.

He said: ‘The act of voter inducement that is taking centre stage in our political landscape is very bad, and we are heading towards a situation where only the rich can go into political leadership positions.’

Mr Ennin indicated that the phenomenon bred corruption among those elected to leadership positions, and subsequently led to underdevelopment, ‘so we must come together and put a stop to this menace.’

On the December 7 general elections, he asked politicians to run their campaigns based on their ideas and solutions to the country’s socio-economic challenges.

The Western Region NCCE Director appealed to stakeholders, especially the security agencies to ensure the conduct of a violence-free election, adding; ‘We do not want what happened in 2020 where eight people lost their lives to repeat this year.’

Mr
Ennin also asked journalists to be circumspect in their political reportage, and not give room for activities that threatened the peace and stability of the country before, during and after the elections.

He said they must use their media platforms to educate the electorate, especially the youth, against indulging in all forms of activities that bred violence during the electioneering period.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Save the Nation Movement: new political party in the offing

The Save the Nation Movement, a new political party, has been unveiled as it bids to contest the 2024 General Election.

At an outdoor ceremony in Accra, supporters, executives, and the presidential candidate wore paraphernalia of the movement, including t-shirts, cloth, and flags, to grace the occasion.

Supporters and the leaders of the party alike sang cheerful and patriotic songs to demonstrate their excitement over the launch of the new political movement in Ghana.

The emblem of the party consists of a lion, and the colours include yellow and white.

In an address to the supporters, Mr Desmond Kwame Abrefa, the presidential candidate, said his decision to contest the 2024 election was based on the social, economic, and political deficit the country was facing.

He said the challenges confronting the country required a new kind of leadership to break the political duopoly that had marked Ghana’s fourth republican democracy.

‘When we look at the level of development in the country, it is clear that Ghan
a has no future. Clearly, roads, markets, health centres, and educational structures are not up to the standard as compared to most developing and developed countries across the globe,’ he said.

Mr Abrefa also said the future of the country lied in the hands of leaders who understood the progress and development of the country.

The presidential candidate also bemoaned the policy formulation approach of the country, saying the adherence to the party manifesto instead of a long-term national development plan by political parties in government had occasioned the development deficit of the country.

When given the nod to become the country’s president, Mr Abrefa promised to run an all-inclusive government that would feature resource persons from various fields and political parties.

‘I believe that every individual, regardless of party affiliation, has something good to offer the nation; as such, creating a politically inclusive government will ensure that all of the country’s human resources are utilised for
the benefit of the nation as a whole,” he said.

The Movement promised to develop the human resource potential of the country, notably the youth, to reduce the reliance on foreign experts.

Mr Abrefa urged the supporters to avail themselves of voluntary services, particularly speaking on behalf of the party on various media platforms if the need arose.

Source: Ghana News Agency

NPP needs another term to continue with good policies and programmes – Samira Bawumia

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) needs a new mandate to continue with its social intervention policies and programmes aimed at transforming and improving the lives of Ghanaians.

Mrs Samira Bawumia, the second Lady, who stated this, said it was important for the NPP to break the eight year rule to enable it to continue the country’s socio-economic transformation agenda for the benefit of all.

Mrs Bawumia stated this during a New Year interaction with market women and traders at the Kejetia market in Kumasi.

She said Dr Bawumia, the flag-bearer of the NPP, was committed to the transformation agenda of the country and that was why he had consistently supported the President to undertake various policies and programmes that had helped to transform the economy and move it to the path of growth and development.

Mrs Bawumia charged the market women and traders to have faith in the NPP government and support Dr Bawumia to win the 2024 elections to help consolidate the gains achieved so far.

She said the government
would continue to work to address the challenges facing trading and commerce and improve the conditions and environment in which they carried out their business activities.

Nana Ama Ampomah, Ashanti Regional Women’s organizer of the NPP said it was important to strengthen the bond between the traders, the first lady and the NPP to help identify the problems facing the women and find solutions to them.

She cautioned the traders against the activities of the members of the NDC who would come to the market and spread falsehoods during the campaigning period to discredit the good works of the government.

Nana Ampomah asked the traders not to yield to propaganda and continue to support the NPP to continue with the various interventions which were helping to improve the lives of the people across the country.

Source: Ghana News Agency

PPP to open nominations for flagbearer by March

The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) says it will open nominations for its flagbearer position by March 2024.

In an exclusive interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Nana Ofori Owusu, National Chairman of the party, said the group would be able to open nominations by the end of the first quarter of the year because it would have put in place structures that could make the party eligible to participate in the 2024 elections.

He said currently, the party was electing its constituency and regional executive elections.

He also noted that the party was putting measures in place to get offices in two-thirds of regional capitals in the country in fulfilment of the provisions of the Political Parties Act, 2000 (Act 574).

‘First an assignment was given at the national committee for us to conclude the constituency election, regional elections, the offices and all of those things. Having concluded that the next level is for us to pick a date to open the nominations for the presidential candidate. So definitely
within the first quarter of this year, we will open nominations,’ he said.

Speaking on whether or not the party will perform in the upcoming elections, the chairman said the PPP would make a significant impact.

He said the party did not perform well in the last elections because its structures had been weakened through a lot of activities, including the financial sector clean-up which occurred in 2017.

He, however, noted that the party had used the past three years to put in place measures to strengthen its structures.

‘We conducted research and the research showed that the structures at the time had been weakened and so that’s why we spent all this time improving our structures and the people on the ground.’

Nana Ofori said one of the things the party has done is that it has simplified the processes by which one can become a member of the party using technology.

He also said the initiative has enabled the party to have a credible and strong database of its members across the country and those outside t
he country.

‘These are part of the technology we have infused into the political architecture that did not exist before, and making sure that we have committed people on the ground who are helping us to do the work.

‘We are more poised than ever to make a strong show and probably surprise many people come this 2024 election,’ Nana Ofori said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Made in Ghana products promoted at cook-a-thon grounds

Suppliers of local products have taken advantage of the cook-a-thon event to showcase their products and make sales at the event’s venue in Tamale.

Products being sold at the event include groundnut paste and oil, local rice, millet drink, soap, and gels.

Some suppliers, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency, said the Guinness World Record breaking attempt was an avenue to promote made in Ghana products.

Miss Rahama Inusah, a young lady, who produces drink from millet, said northern Ghana had many healthy foods and products that must be presented to the world when there came the chance to do so.

She said the cook-a-thon event was a good time to draw attention to local products.

Mariama Musah, Founder, Mari NutriWorld commended Failatu for creating an avenue for others to make incomes saying she had made good sales since the event commenced on January 01.

She said, ‘people have come from other regions to witness what Tamale has and we are here to showcase the region’s capabilities.’

Source: Ghana News Ag
ency

Technology has revolutionalised Africa’s economy – Minister

Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance, says technology has revolutionised Africa’s economy, contributing 180 billion dollars a year.

The African continent, he said, must leverage the digital revolution for transformation by enhancing efficiency in the financial sector.

This is in a speech read on behalf of the Minister at a panel discussion in this year’s Annual New Year School and Conference in Accra.

The Conference theme is: ‘Nurturing Resilience:Adopting Technology and Embracing Humanism for Sustainable Development’.

It is organised by the School of Continuing and Distance Education of the University of Ghana in collaboration with the Ministry of Communication and Digitization and other stakeholders.

The Minister said the government was working to upscale access to technology and ensure that Ghanaians had the full benefits of digital technology.

On global economic challenges, he said a new era of reform, driven by the necessities and opportunities of the technological revolution, served as a to
ol for recovery and a cornerstone for sustainable growth.

Sustainable growth in a post-pandemic world would be contingent upon the presence of digital technologies that created employment and opened new opportunities.

Research shows an estimated 50 per cent internet penetration rate across the country, with 18.5 million Ghanaians using the internet.

The 2024 Budget Statement forecasts that the ICT sector will grow by an average of four per cent over the medium term (2024-2027).

The Minister said the government launched initiatives such as the Revenue Assurance and Compliance Enforcement Initiative to reduce tax noncompliance and revenue leakages.

‘We have also supported the rollout of Ghana.gov, the paperless part, the national ID, digital property addresses, and land records digitization, among others,’ he said.

Mr Ofori-Atta said the government’s task in the medium term was to stay on the path of macro-fiscal stability and achieve sustainable growth.

He said the government would continue to ensure th
at the transition to a digital economy was inclusive, ensuring that vulnerable groups were not left behind.

Dr Ken Ashigbey, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunication, said the country must change its policy direction and push for e-governance to ensure transparency and accountability.

He said the country needed to break the technology gap.

Professor Katrin Niglas, Vice Rector, Tallinn University, Estonia, encouraged all to embrace technology to facilitate growth.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Certified herbal malaria drugs are effective – Herbal Physician

Dr. Michael Tetteh, a herbal physician and head of the Herbal Unit at the Tema General Hospital, has debunked assertions that herbal medications do not cure malaria.

Some doctors in conventional medicine have indicated that herbal medications could not destroy the malaria plasmodium parasite but rather only manage the symptoms of the disease.

Dr. Tetteh, speaking at the weekly Tema Ghana News Agency Health advocacy platform Your Health, Our Collective Responsibility!’ platform, said such an assertion could not be generalised to all herbal medications as those certified could treat malaria just like conventional medicines.

He explained that the chemical compound artemisinin found in conventional medicine was extracted from the plant Artemisia annua, adding that the same compound was found in plants like neem and others used in the preparation of herbal medicines in Ghana.

‘There are several studies done on this issue that proves that herbal medicine clears the malaria parasite either from the lever or blo
od stream,’ he added.

He therefore advised the public to rely on herbal medicines approved by the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) to treat malaria and other illnesses instead of using the services of drug peddlers.

He said they could visit any of the public secondary health facilities, such as the Tema General Hospital, to opt for herbal treatment for all their diseases, as herbal medicine was being integrated into mainstream health care.

Meanwhile, the list of health facilities recommended by the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to use approved herbal medicines in Ghana includes: LEKMA Hospital, Tema Polyclinic, Police Hospital, Shai-Osudoku District Hospital, Ga South Hospital, Ga West Hospital, Maamobi Government Hospital, Ga North Municipal Hospital, Ofankor; and Tema General Hospital in the Greater Accra Region.

In the Eastern region, the list includes Eastern Regional Hospital, New Tafo Hospital, Nsawam Government Hospital, Asamankese Government Hospital, Kibi Government Hospital, Kade
Government Hospital, and Atibie Government Hospital.

Facilities in the Volta Region mandated to provide herbal services include Ho Municipal Hospital, Volta Regional Hospital, Sogakope Regional Hospital, and Hohoe Municipal Hospital, while Oti Region has Worawora Government Hospital.

The Ashanti Region has the following facilities: Obuasi Municipal Hospital, Suntreso Government Hospital, Kumasi South Government Hospital, Tafo Government Hospital, Ashanti Bekwai Government Hospital, Ashanti Juaben Government Hospital, Kokofu Government Hospital, Manhyia Government Hospital, Effiduase Government Hospital, and Ejisu Government Hospital.

In the Western Region, there is Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital, Tarkwa Municipal Hospital, Axim Government Hospital, and Prestea Government Hospital, while in the Western North, there is Bibiani District Hospital.

The Central Region has the following facilities: Cape Coast Metropolitan Hospital, Ewim Polyclinic, Winneba Municipal Hospital, Twifo Praso District Hospital, and
Swedru Government Hospital.

The Ahafo Region is Asunafo North Municipal Hospital; the Bono Region is Sunyani Regional Hospital; and the Bono East Region is Kintampo North Municipal Hospital, Kintampo.

Facilities in the Northern Region are Tamale Central Hospital, Yendi Municipal Hospital, and Tamale West Hospital; Savannah Region: Salaga Government Hospital, Bole District Hospital, and Damango Government Hospital; and North East Region: Walewale District Hospital.

The Upper West has the regional hospital, and the Upper East also has the regional hospital, Bawku Municipal Hospital, and Navrongo Government Hospital.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Collapsed-storey building traps carpenter to death at Hwidiem

A dilapidated Storey building has collapsed and trapped to death a 30-year-old carpenter at Hwidiem in the Asutifi South District of the Ahafo Region.

The Police had since deposited the body of David Dayo, now deceased at the Hwidiem St Elizabeth Catholic Hospital mortuary for autopsy and preservation.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) gathered from residents the incident happened on Monday, January 8, 2024, around 0900 hours while the deceased was working in one of the rooms of the collapsed building.

An Officer at the Hwidiem Fire Station, Sampson Awuvofoge who confirmed the story, told the media it took hours before the Police and the Fire Service personnel were able to retrieve the body from the debris.

‘We received a distress call and when we arrived at the scene, the deceased had been trapped to death’, he said.

Mr Robert Dwomoh Mensah, the Asutifi South District Chief Executive described the incident as sorrowful and that the Police were investigating the matter.

Source: Ghana News Agency