Latest news with #JackMcDonald
ABC News
04-08-2025
- Health
- ABC News
More grievances against prosthetic eye maker Jack McDonald's work
Ron Clark lost an eye after developing a severe infection. "The eye sort of melted, and they had to do emergency surgery to remove it," he said. As a consultant who spends much of his time doing business face-to-face, Mr Clark was eager to have an artificial eye made. But he was very unhappy with the eye made for him by ocularist Jack McDonald, which he said "bulged out of the socket". He said the situation became "intolerable" after the eye fell out while he was at dinner. "It was quite undesirable and confronting — a bit embarrassing frankly," he said. Mr Clark decided to speak out after other clients of Mr McDonald shared their experiences with the ABC. "I don't want anybody else to suffer through like I have," he said. Mr McDonald is described on his website as a trained ocularist and maxillofacial (face and jaw) prosthetist providing "ultra-realistic and world-class prostheses". His website states his services include prosthetic eyes, ears, fingers and noses. Previously, his website stated Mr McDonald was operating out of offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Dandenong, Hobart, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Geelong and Auckland. Now, his website no longer lists the locations he works from, but there are contact numbers for Sydney and Melbourne offices. Fifteen people contacted the ABC with similar stories of disappointment and dissatisfaction with Mr McDonald's work after the initial story about him was published. "It's something that brings out a lot of emotion in me because it's a very confronting experience," Mr Clark said. Do you know more? Contact Fiona Blackwood at Mr Clark said his experience with Mr McDonald was characterised by "multiple visits, multiple cancellations, multiple attempts at creating the eye, followed by a failure to succeed". Mr Clark lost faith in the process and has since had an eye made with a different ocularist, which he is very satisfied with. The president of the Ocularists Association of Australia, Peter Knowles, who has more than 35 years of experience, took a look at the eye Mr McDonald made for Mr Clark. He described it as unsightly and "bulging, its gaze is upward, its colour doesn't match". "It's loading the lower eyelid in a manner that could cause damage and therefore [could] need surgical construction," Mr Knowles said. Mr Knowles said he also received phone calls from unhappy clients of Mr McDonald after the ABC story was published. Mr Knowles is concerned Mr McDonald is continuing to see patients. Liana* lost her eye to melanoma when she was just 29. She initially saw Jack McDonald for an unrelated matter last year, and he promised he could make her a better artificial eye than the one she already had. With high hopes, Liana paid $2,800 up front for the eye at her first appointment in August last year. She said she attended 11 appointments, but Mr McDonald struggled to get the eye right. "The prosthetic he created looked unnatural and was the wrong size; it protruded so far that it was unsettling to look at," she said. Liana said she also received frequent text messages from Mr McDonald's office cancelling or rescheduling appointments. "On the last occasion, when they blamed flight delays from Hobart, I checked all carriers and found no cancellations or delays that day," she said. She twice asked Mr McDonald for a refund, but was refused. In the end, she provided evidence to her bank demonstrating that she had not received an acceptable eye and the bank agreed to reverse the $2,800 credit card payment to Mr McDonald. Liana's experience has come at a personal cost. "My experience with Jack was traumatic, losing my eye to cancer in 2019 was one of the hardest years of my life, and Jack reopened many of those emotional wounds while making me feel even more insecure," she said. She is calling for regulation of the industry. "There needs to be someone there to say: 'Your work is not up to standard, you can't be operating,'" she said. There are no government regulatory hurdles to clear before being able to act as an ocularist in Australia and no requirement to be a member of an Ocularist Association. Mr McDonald is not a member of the Ocularist Association of Australia, nor is he required to be. He has not responded to the ABC's request for comment. Wayne Dryden described his year-long wait for Jack McDonald to make him a suitable eye as "one of the worst experiences" of his life. He said after 21 appointments, he has given up hope Mr McDonald will ever make him a wearable artificial eye. Those so far have been the wrong colour, ill-fitting and painful, he said. "Absolutely terrible and very disheartening," Mr Dryden said. Mr Dryden took out a bank loan to pay $2,800 for the eye. With travel costs associated with his many appointments, he said his efforts for a suitable prosthetic have "roughly cost me $6,000 within the 12 months". He said he pursued a refund, but Mr McDonald refused. Mr Dryden is having to make do with a scratched artificial eye, which he has had for more than 30 years — as he can't afford to see another ocularist. He said he wants to take legal action against Mr McDonald, but can't afford that either. "He needs to be accountable for what he's done to people, not only myself, other people." Ocularist Peter Knowles has encouraged unsatisfied clients of Jack McDonald to go to their state's Health Complaints Commission. But he is concerned that many clients with grievances, like Mr Dryden, are out of pocket. He said while some clients can't afford legal fees, clients could consider a class action. Mr Knowles said people who have lost an eye through trauma, birth deformity or disease are vulnerable, and there "should be a mechanism whereby a person can be made accountable". 'There is no such thing as pleasant eye loss … and so to give them back an eye is to give them back their connection with people," he said. The unregulated nature of the industry means avenues for help or refunds are unclear, according to the Health Consumers Commission. "The health complaints space is a very busy and sometimes very messy area to navigate as a community member," chief executive Dr Elizabeth Deveny said. The Health Consumers Commission is calling on the federal government to bring the sector together with clients and clinicians to talk about how best to improve the situation. "These devices affect people's lives in their function, their dignity, their ability to do things. "It's terrible to hear that people have had a very poor experience." *Name has been changed for privacy.
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Scotsman
30-07-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Local man aiming to pull off amateur dramatics in Scottish Challenge in Borders
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Any Jack McDonald supporters following this week's £250,000 Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by The R&A have been warned……there are two of them in the field at Roxburghe Schloss near Kelso! One is a HotelPlanner Tour regular and hails from Ayrshire while the other is an amateur who not only plays his golf at this week's host venue but works there as well over the winter. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Yeah, I am looking forward to it,' said that Jack McDonald, one of two amateurs in the professional field in the Borders along with Blairgowrie's Connor Graham. Schloss Roxburghe member Jack McDonald, pictured in action during The Amateur Championship at Ballyliffinin 2024, is hoping to make home advantage count in this week's Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by The R&A | Patrick Bolger/R&A/R&A via Getty Images 'It is nice to get the opportunity to play, especially on my home track and in a field of this calibre. I found out last Thursday, though I had been given the heads up that it was looking promising.' This assignment means that McDonald, a former Tennant Trophy and Battle Trophy winner on the Scottish amateur circuit, missed out on playing in this week's Scottish Amateur Championship, which is taking place at Gullane. 'It is hard to turn down an opportunity like this. I had to take this opportunity when it came along,' said the Scottish international of that call. 'It is a great opportunity for me, especially around a place I know better than anyone. I was probably around 15 when I first played here and have been a member here since I was 17, so six years now. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I've shot 66 in a tournament here but, unofficially, my best score round here is 63. You can get it going, but it's a proper test of golf. Now the seventh has been made a par 4, it's tough and the eighth, ninth and tenth are always three of the tougher holes. 'I've not worked so much the last few months due to being busy with my own game, but, yeah, I am still contracted here. I help out in the shop and also did a bit of greenkeeping last winter as well. I've floated about wherever they've needed me.' The Scottish Seniors Open was held on the Dave Thomas-designed course after it first opened, but this event is probably the biggest one that has ever been staged in the Borders. Jack McDonald reckons the Schloss Roxburghe course is the best condition he's ever seen it | National World 'It is great for the club and great for the area,' observed McDonald. 'Obviously we had the Q-School First Stage here for a spell a few years back, but this seems like it is on a bigger scale. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The course has been ready forever, but now they have the hotel and all the other facilities here, it is perfect for a tournament like this. I've never seen it in better condition than this. The boys have put in some serious graft the last few weeks and I am really looking forward to it.' The local man has been paired with England's Bradley Bawden and Frenchman Julien Sale for the opening two rounds of Thursday and Friday, with his initial target being to make it through to the weekend. Peebles man Craig Howie also has a home gig 'It's been alright,' he said of his form this season. 'Some ups and downs, but that's golf, isn't it? The highlight so far was probably seventh at the Brabazon Trophy and I also played well in the Tartan Pro Tour event at Cardrona, finishing fifth there. Yeah, pretty happy.' It's also a home gig this week for Peebles man Craig Howie, who is hoping to kick-start a frustrating season and should have lots of support when he heads out on Thursday afternoon with Swede Per Langfors and South African Daniel Van Tonder. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Business Wire
28-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Upland Software Announces the Successful Completion of Debt Refinancing
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Upland Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: UPLD) (the 'Company' or 'Upland Software'), a leader in AI-powered knowledge and content management software, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with private credit direct lender Sound Point Capital to refinance its existing debt with a new $240 million, six-year term loan, extending the maturity of its debt to 2031. The new credit agreement also includes a $30 million revolving credit facility, further enhancing the Company's financial liquidity. 'We're pleased to complete this new credit facility with Sound Point Capital, their speed and certainty throughout this process was a differentiator,' said Jack McDonald, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Upland Software. 'This refinancing enhances our financial flexibility, allowing us to invest further in our AI-powered knowledge and content management software solutions and drive long-term value for our customers and shareholders.' 'Sound Point Capital's one-stop lending platform was the optimal solution for Upland Software's next phase of growth and we're excited to support management and HGGC in their vision,' said Andrew Eversfield, Co-Head of Sound Point Direct Lending. Morrison & Foerster LLP acted as legal advisor to Upland Software, and Paul Hastings LLP acted as legal advisor to Sound Point Capital. About Upland Software Upland Software (Nasdaq: UPLD) is a leader in AI-powered knowledge and content management software. Our solutions help enterprises unlock critical knowledge, automate content workflows, and drive measurable ROI—enhancing customer and employee experiences while supporting regulatory compliance. More than 1,100 enterprise customers rely on Upland Software to solve complex challenges and provide a trusted path for AI adoption. For more information, visit About HGGC HGGC is a values-driven, partnership-focused private investment firm. The firm's ecosystem of investors, operators, and professionals are united by the shared mission to develop leading enterprises and build long term value together. HGGC invests in technology, business services, financial services and consumer enterprises generally valued between $200M - $1.5B+. The firm is based in Palo Alto, CA and manages over $8 billion in cumulative capital commitments. For more information, visit About Sound Point Capital Sound Point Capital is an alternative asset management firm founded in 2008 with particular expertise in credit strategies. Based in New York, with offices in London, Connecticut, Florida and California, the firm manages money on behalf of institutional investors including top-tier pensions, foundations, insurance companies, wealth management firms and family offices. Sound Point's strategies span the spectrum of liquid and illiquid credit alternatives and include funds and managed accounts focused on leveraged loans, special situations, distressed debt, structured credit, direct lending and commercial real estate. Sound Point currently manages $43+ billion of assets and was founded by Stephen J. Ketchum, who is the controlling shareholder. Five principals of Stone Point Capital LLC, as well as Blue Owl GP Stakes, a division of Blue Owl Capital Inc. [NYSE: OWL], and Assured Guaranty Ltd, through one or more subsidiaries, are strategic investors in our business. For more information, visit The statements and opinions presented above are endorsements provided by an executive of Upland Software. Upland Software is not a client of Sound Point or an investor in private funds managed by Sound Point. Sound Point has not provided any cash or non-cash compensation for the use of these statements. Sound Point's commercial relationship with Upland creates a conflict of interest since the executive has an incentive to make positive statements about Sound Point and its experience to maintain the goodwill with Sound Point. These statements describe the executive's experience with Sound Point and/or its supervised persons and may not be representative of the experience of others. Provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities. All investing involves risk, including the risk of a total loss.
Finextra
10-07-2025
- Business
- Finextra
Ripple picks BNY for stablecoin custody
Ripple has chosen Bank of New York Mellon as primary custodian for its US dollar-pegged stablecoin reserves. 1 Like 1 Issued under a New York Department of Financial Services Trust Company Charter, Ripple USD has been purpose-built for enterprise utility, particularly in improving the speed, cost and efficiency of cross-border payments. The firm says that by teaming up with Wall Street player BNY as primary reserve custodian, it will pave the way for adoption at institutional scale and help bridge the gap between traditional finance and crypto. Ripple will also tap into BNY's transaction banking services to underpin its operations. Jack McDonald, SVP, stablecoins, Ripple, says: 'Ripple USD addresses a critical gap in the market as a stablecoin developed for enterprise-grade financial use cases, designed to meet the rigorous standards of leading financial institutions. 'BNY brings together demonstrable custody expertise and a strong commitment to financial innovation in this rapidly changing landscape, as well as a forward-thinking approach to digital asset infrastructure, making them the ideal partner for Ripple and RLUSD.'
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ripple Taps BNY to Custody Stablecoin Reserves as RLUSD Surpasses $500M
Ripple, the payments-focused digital asset firm, on Wednesday, named banking giant The Bank of New York Mellon as the primary custodian of reserve assets backing its U.S. dollar stablecoin Ripple USD (RLUSD). BNY, one of the oldest and largest custody banks in the world overseeing $53 trillion of assets, will safeguard the stablecoin's reserves and support the token's operations with transaction banking services, including conversions during minting and redemption, according to a press release shared with CoinDesk. RLUSD, launched in December and regulated by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), is backed by short-term U.S. Treasuries, money market funds and cash. "BNY brings together demonstrable custody expertise and a strong commitment to financial innovation in this rapidly changing landscape, as well as a forward-thinking approach to digital asset infrastructure," Jack McDonald, SVP of stablecoins at Ripple, said in a statement. The move comes as stablecoins are enjoying a breakthrough moment in the broader financial world, with the U.S. advancing to regulate the sector. Ripple recently applied for a national banking license with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The company also filed for a Federal Reserve master account, which would allow it to custody RLUSD reserves directly with the central bank and further integrate with the U.S. financial system. RLUSD saw rising demand as well. The token's market capitalization has surpassed $500 million, growing over 30% through the past month, CoinGecko data in to access your portfolio
