| | JUNE 20238IN FOCUSSTRAIVE NAMES ANKOR RAI AS CEOSHL TO BUY ITS THIRD-PARTY DISTRIBUTOR, SHL JAPANAnkor Rai, a seasoned data technology leader, has been named as Straive's new CEO. Straive (previously known as SPI Global) is a leader in providing technology-driven data/AI solutions for EdTech, Research, and Information Services to top worldwide organisations. BPEA EQT, a subsidiary of the EQT Group and a purpose-driven global investment company that specialises in active ownership techniques, is the owner of Straive.Ratan Datta, who oversaw Straive for more than ten years, the last seven as President and CEO, is succeeded by Ankor. Ratan will continue to serve on Straive's board of directors and take on the responsibilities of vice chairman beginning on May 1 in order to assist in the changeover to Ankor.Ankor joins Straive from EXL, where he held the positions of Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer and was a member of the Executive Committee. Ankor has developed high-impact solutions for Fortune 1000 firms across North America, the UK, and Asia for more than 20 years, driving the creation of high-value data-led tech businesses. Ankor assisted EXL in transforming its analytics division from a specialised practise to a full-stack powerhouse. "Over the last 15 years, Ratan has greatly influenced the company's growth and diversification. The transformation he has brought in the company's strategy and structure leaves Straive positioned well for the future. On behalf of our Board of Directors, I would like to thank Ratan for his exceptional leadership at Straive. Ankor brings an outstanding track record of building customer-centric data, analytics, and AI businesses to service clients across sectors and geographies. I am excited to welcome Ankor to the firm, and I look forward to working with Ankor, complemented by our talented leadership team, to take Straive to new heights," said Josh Blair, Chairman of the Board. SHL has announced that it will purchase, a third-party distributor, in a public-to-private (or "P2P") deal. Since 1987, SHL Japan has served as the SHL Group's local partner for the Japanese market.With leadership in each of Asia's top three markets--Japan, India, and China--the deal positions the company in an unrivalled position. It also broadens SHL's worldwide footprint, giving it the only player with established scale in the US, EMEA, and APAC regions.The deal is set up as a joint venture with Mynavi, a well-known supplier of graduate hiring services in Japan and a steadfast customer of SHL Japan products.SHL's strategic development from a provider of workplace evaluations to a personnel partner offering information from its data intelligence platform to guide decision-making across the employee lifecycle is represented by the purchase.Since 2018, M&A has been crucial to this transformation, including the acquisition of Aspiring Minds in India and the collaboration with IBM on Kenexa Talent Assessments. Additionally, the company recently sold PDRI to Pearson in order to concentrate on its core B2B business."SHL Japan is a market-leading business with fantastic people that we've worked alongside for more than 30 years. We are really pleased to join with them to bring more of our powerful SaaS solutions to this important and growing market," said Andy Bradshaw, Chief Executive of SHL, adding that "Mynavi is a key sales channel for SHL Japan, and have unparalleled market knowledge. They are a perfect partner for us to grow SHL Japan together."
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