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5 days ago
- Entertainment
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Severance's Jen Tullock on overcoming financial trauma and shame
In this candid and emotional interview, actor and writer Jen Tullock opens up about the deeply personal intersections of financial trauma, queerness, and healing. Jen tells hosts David & John Auten-Schneider how growing up in an emotional and cultural chaos environment shaped her early relationship with money. Tullock reveals how she hit financial rock bottom - but also gives great insight, emphasizing the importance of therapy for separating self-worth from economic status. With vulnerability, humor, and heart, Jen Tullock offers a story that many in the queer community will recognize - and celebrates thriving with your real, authentic full episodes of Living Not So Fabulously, listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on our website. Yahoo Finance's Living Not So Fabulously is produced by Dennis Golin. My value is linked to the money I do or don't have. In this interview, pay particular attention to our discussion around healthcare in the movie and TV industries, and the hamster wheel that everyone seems to be on. I'll say it'll shock you. Yeah, I agree, it shocked us, and it begs the question why we make it so hard for actors and musicians trying to get their big break, AKA startup hearing that term here first, and I'm publicly givingnullo the copyright privileges to to living not so fabulously. So David, be honest, if you had the option to sever your professional self from your personal self, would you doit? no, absolutely not. That would mean forgetting you. And let's be real, I forget enough of what you tell me on a dailybasis. How rude is that? But fair. Besides, who wants to separate their professional self from the work self and not share the best parts of themselves with their favoriteperson? Exactly. And speaking of brilliant people who blur all the boundaries in all the best ways, Jen Tulloch is a Kentucky and all-round scene stealer, best known as Devon in Severance on Apple TV, and Anita Saint Pierre on HBO's Perry Mason. She's a Sundance alum, a stroke survivor, and a proud lesbian who once said her goal in life was to be a character actress who gets fan mail from librarians. So she's our kind of people, to the show, Jen. Thanks y'all. I'm so happy to be with you. Thank you. Yeah, so you portrayed queer actors on several shows including Severance and uh as as Anita uh Saint Pierre on Perry Mason. How do you infuse your personal experience as a queer person into roles like that? Those two were were certainly different beasts to take on with Severance, um, my character is married to a man, but our show creator Dan Erickson and I had always discussed the fact that she had probably had a pretty splashy time in her twenties and dated people of all genders, and I always joked that I think she probably played rugby at Oberlin and had like a hot rugby girlfriend, you know, named like Tank or and then, and then met, met her husband, fell in love and settled down, but we had talked about before, before the episode or sort of revealed officially that she was queer, that she had been, and I said, you know, something we don't see very often represented, I think, in TV and media at large is uh our queer people in straight relationships. And um I've I've never ventured that way myself. I'm about as gay as a sequined handbag, butI did think it was important for that character to distinguish, whereas with Anita on Perry Mason, that was obviously such a different situation playing someone who's closeted for obvious reasons in 1933 and um having to that that entailed, both story wise and just physically what it looks like to be in a relationship with someone, for which, you know, you could have been jailed. So uh that was really special and and bittersweet to play. Yeah, absolutely. So in severance, if we understand correctly, you sort of impro improvised the line revealing that Devin was a queer character. Dude, I left you like 5 messages. Are you better? No, well, I'm still sick. Well, you can't not pick up when we're doing corporate espionage shit. The floodlight thing was a bust, right, because I have had an idea that is a little dumber. OK, Devin, do you remember the rich lady from baby camp, the one I like kinda hard to crush on? Do you have that kind of autonomy and was was like were the producers and directors all prepared for that coming out? We're pretty biblical with the script on that show, I think because it's so meticulous and focused and intentional, it's not a huge improv heavy set, um, but because of the space, I think that my character and Adam Scott's character, his Audi, uh Occupy on the show, I think we probably have a little bit more wriggle room because they uhThey wanted to feel lived in and fraternal. So that was one of those moments where we were just being cheeky. I, if I remember correctly, it was the end of a long shoot day and it was one of the last takes and I just set it off the cuff. Um, and I was so pleased that they kept it, and I ended up texting Dan and I was like, is this OK? I think I accidentally outed her. And he was like, no, we'd always talked about that, so we were eager to keep it in, but it was funny to see the internet response to it. It was wild. So then that that's really interesting, not surprising, but it's really interesting that, of course, the internet caught on fire when you say like when you outed your character. So, what was, what were some of the things that they were saying and, and what was your reaction? How did you handle that? I, it was,it was twofold for me or or two pronged I should say. One, I was just thrilled that that people, straight and queer, seemed really excited at the prospect. There was a lot of uh there were a lot of responses I saw online that were like, oh this makes so much sense, of course, um, but one thing I did have to contend with and felt like it was my responsibility to contend with, was when people would say fans would say, oh well, that's know, there's a fissure in her her marriage. That's why she's with somebody like Rick and who we don't think is right for her, and I get really defensive of their relationship, both because I trust why they're together as characters and because of my personal love for Michael Turners, the actor who plays Rickon so much. And I had to say, no, it's not because she's actually gay. I think this is a pansexual person who who fell in love with this man and has for whatever to carve out a life with him and um I think that it was important for me to to respond to some of those and say, no, it it's, you know, we, my, uh, there are plenty of people in my life that are queer and have dated and had meaningful relationships with all genders that found themselves in an opposite or, or hetero, you know, normative relationship and felt a little, you know, erased and, and because of that, and I, I, I respect that feeling, so I wanted to make sure people knew it wasn't, oh well, she's gay, and so that's why she's not all over her husband. I think she's just in a boring marriage cause they just had a baby and we ran an interview once and somebody said, why they together, we don't get it, and Michael Turner said, have you ever been to an airport?Like, have you ever, what a marriage actually looks like? And I thought that was so well said. Yes, but I appreciate that you had the courage to throw that in there and that the producers and directors kept it there, because I don't know that straight people can truly understand what it means to get that indication that there's somebody like me in this particular world that I can, I can, I can understand with, and it was done with such authenticity and um not like overblown in any way, shape or form, it was just said in passing and it's more like real life. it should be, you know, I think there was the, the Reddit lore that that came out after that time, uh, I had friends send me a lot, and it was I was tickled reading it and and that you tickled that people cared, but also, um,Uh, making it a big coming out moment to me wasn't the focus, because my, my hope is that in life, that's what we're moving towards, that our, our queerness, our gayness is just 11 aspect of many, you know, about ourselves. And, um, for Devin, that's certainly true. I think that she didn't leave behind women to be with a man. She's a queer person who dated people before Rickon and is now with Rickon. And also,Normalize married people having crushes, you know, I think like it doesn't mean stepping out on your partner. I think that uh it was it was a funny moment for me to be like, yeah, I just met this really cool, you know, uh, gorgeous person at the birthing cabin and woo, uh, it's funny the actress who plays Abby, a person that Devin is the character Devin is talking about in that name is Nora Dale, she's great. And I texted her and I said, listen, sorry to accidentally drag you into this too, but we're in itnow. Yeah, absolutely. So thanks for sharing that. If you're just joining us, we're talking with actor and writer Jen Tullo. So you, you've mentioned that me. You mentioned that fiction is cheaper than therapy. Do you mind elaborating on that? What does that mean exactly? I think like many people that were raised in restrictive religious environments, I was raised uh in an incredibly conservative evangelical community in Kentucky, and I knew early on that I didn't fit there in many ways, um, namely my queerness, but also just being a weirdo, and uh I think that I had alwaysBe acting any way that I can, like I was taking, I, I was, if it meant being on stage at church, yes, I would take it. If it meant finally convincing my parents to let me audition for a community theater uh production of Fiddler on the Roof in Southern Indiana, I took it. And let me tell you, I dazzled, I dazzled in the ensemble, but I, I think there'sI'll, I'll tell you what it is. When I was young and and saw Funny Girl for the first time, which is the story of, I think so many actress, um.I thought, that looks closer to the outline of how I see myself, and my grandparents, my beloved grandparents did a wonderful job of introducing me to old jazz, like they played Bill Evans for me and I can Cole and EiddoJ and Betty Carter and uh showed me all the old MGM musicals, and I remember thinking I felt suchRespite and comfort when I was living inside of those musicals that I wanted a life that kept me in close proximity to those stories and that genre that felt like my friend. I was like, I just want to be with my friends. And these old movies were my friends. And so I, I think I wasI knew early on that I wanted to be in show business and umI guess to answer your question more pointedly, when you're having to channel intense feelings as a character, I find it easier to grab when you have the mask of a character than it is for me in my waking life, where I, I think there, I probably have some more restrictions I've put on myself emotionally. So the irony of, um,You know, having to live a truthful moment that is make-believe is not lost on me, and probably my therapist either. Gotcha. Thank you. I, I really appreciate you sharing that. Um, I, I, I, for two reasons. One, I was raised a Jehovah's Witness, so I know exactly where you're coming from in that kind of being raised in that kind of household, and the idea that fiction is something that you would I I gravitated towards, um, literally whenever my parents would go out of out of town when I was a teenager.I had set aside money so that I could go to the video store and rent queer themed videos that I could only watch when they were out of town. And so I, that was kind of my therapy during that time period, you know, we're talking about my my later teens, and so I completely understand that. It it kind of speaks to this idea that sometimes we do need to, as queer some of the aspects of our lives and some of that sometimes is financial. Have, have there ever been any financial constraints that have shaped your creative endeavors? Oh my God. Financial restraints have have shaped every aspect of my life. I think being raised in a conservative Christian environment meant that scarcity was often mythologized and ultimately weaponized because it was part of a system that posited that you had no control of your predestined life. And so any moment of abundance or scarcity was divinely appointed. And so if it was abundance, well, you must have done something right. And if it was scarcity, well, you must have not done something right. AndThatThat honestly colored my relationship with money. It still does, uh, for a long time in a really detrimental way. I, I think, um, I was raised in an environment where there wasn't money in the money, that there was was often, um,Uh, mismanaged and, and by no fault of my parents, they were very young when they had me, um, and.I thinkI realized early on that this is also very Southern. My, my, my mother's from Arkansas. My dad's from North Carolina, and I was brought up in Kentucky, and the mythologizing scarcity is very Southern. It's very Tennessee Williams to me. It's like, well, we can't do that. Well, we can't, we don't have the money to do that. And it would be, you know, there would be moments where I would say, oh, I, you know, I need, I think a new pair of shoes for school, like my shoes are falling apart, and you'd be like, what do you think this is?You know, but, you know, we don't have that money, and they were doing. My parents were doing their best. Like I, they were struggling and, and, uh, but, but I remember thinking at that time, oh, my value is linked to the money I do or don't have, and I think there are certainly ways to live a life with not very much money and not feel that way, but I think it was baked into the culture, especially as a in the church, it was like, well, the Lord will grant you what you need, and if you are not granted that, then maybe that's something to examine, you know. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, sort of weaponized in a way. So I'm, I'm curious with all the anti-LGBTQ plus initiatives today, thinking about your backstory, do you think a young gen Tullock from KentuckyStill feels hopeful today? I think I have I, I, my head will pop off my body and roll across the floor like a bowling ball. It's a terrifying time in this country. It's certainly terrifying in other parts of the queer people, um, I think especially like our trans siblings right now, um, that keeps me up at night, but I, you know, I have a 10 year old stepson andAs cliched as it is, it's true. I haveMy relationship with him has altered the way I think about I, I look at him and the freedom with which he lives his life and the friends of his that are gender expansive, um, and so very much themselves and so situated comfortably in themselves in a way that I didn't have access to at that age. And I think, well, they, if they're doing it now, we're going to be OK. And, um,Yeah, but it's scary. It's, it's, it's scary, and you know, I think for those of us that are lucky enough to live in communities that feel safe for queer folks, it's also been a great wake up call to remember thatUh, just because your state is blue doesn't mean there isn't bigotry, and I've, I've experienced since this current president has been back in office, um, a, energy shift and moments where I thought, oh, this person that lives in my very progressive New York community feels deputized now to say questionable about queer people that they wouldn't have otherwise. Yeah, it's an interesting word deputized. It's a very poignant. Yeah, it definitely is. Speaking of another scary experience in your life, um, you went through having a stroke, and you have a solo show about this. You talk about it in your show, you shall not, I'm sorry, you shall inherit the earth, did this health event affect your financial planning or perspective? I think it affected me uh generally in the sense that IAny any semblance of security or safety or implied uh like rights to safety and health went out the window. I think this probably is often the case for people that suffer any type of sudden health event, shook me in a couple of ways, uh, namely that when I didn't know what was gonna happen when I'd got into the hospital and I had expressive aphasia, so I wasn't really able to speak properly, um, and they said, oh, you know, we need to just make sure you don't go to a brain bleed cause that's where things can get really dicey. I thought, oh, right, this isn't, OK, this is happening. And I remember being, I talked about this on my show, but being uh pushed into the MRI machine and I found myself I hadn't prayed in in decades, and I, whether or not it was by rote or, you know, just sort of a trauma response from muscle memory.I don't know, but all I know is that my body did something that my mind did not give consent to. And I remember thinking, I have to look at this. If I, if I make it through this and I'm fine on the other side, which, you know, thankfully I was, I, I need to look at this moment and what that means for me. And, um, but as far as finances are concerned, I don't have to tell you, the American medical system is a the the health insurance system is a gauntlet, it is, it is built to fail. It is a a a classist, capitalist, in my opinion, that does not serve way that uh the way that it could and should. And I was very lucky when I had my stroke that I had good health insurance, um, through my job, and that I was able to get the care that I needed. But I also know, you know, I, I was telling you before, when my wife and I were in France, I had like a little problem with my eye. I had this thing called neurovascularization of your cornea, which means I had like a blood vessel content warning, like growing into my cornea, and it burst and it was bleeding in my I had, I spent hours on the phone when we got back to the states finding someone that took my insurance. But the first doctor I saw said, you have to see a corneal specialist, otherwise you could lose vision in your eye. But I was like, I can't find anyone that takes my insurance and out of pocket, it was going to be astronomical. And I remember thinking, yeah, this is how it happens. There's so many preventable health emergencies in our country because we make it nearly impossible to get care. Absolutely. So please hold that thought. I want to continue this discussion right after this back to Living Not So Fabulously. We're talking with one of the stars of everyone's favorite dystopian sci-fi, Severance Gent continuing the discussion we were having before the break, Chapo Rone recently famously shared that the music, the music industry's inadequacies with covering performers' health insurance. How are the movie and television industries the same or different with health care coverage, especially for startup stars? Yeah, I for one thing startup stars is the most generous description I've ever heard of a fledgling actor. Um, I think that that's incredible. I'm gonna start, I'm gonna start referring to myself as a startup star. I think, um, I think when, when we had the SAG and and WGA strikes a couple years ago, uh, which actually started the day before I had my stroke. I always joke that's why I had one, but I, you know, we were, everyone was doing their best during that time to negotiate better with our, with, with my union, and I'm in a couple, I know for actors Equity, for stage actors it functions a little differently, but with SAG, it's commensurate with your, uh, your quarterly income, so you can lose it just as quickly as you, you got it. And I've had friends that had insurance because they had worked enough in that have their insurance, have a health problem. I, I know a a a person I I really like in LA, a gifted comedian was, was diagnosed with cancer and had just lost her insurance, but couldn't work enough to make it back because she was so I know, I know that people in the union are working hard to rectify that and and make it more accessible to people, but it's tough, you know, where we live under capitalism and it's, it's, it's pay or play more often than not. And so I evenThere, I, I think I'll I'll speak for only for myself, but you could be in a situation where you're on a successful show and maybe you've just shot a string of successful things, a big studio movie and a couple of shows, but then if you have a a hiatus where you're not shooting, meaning you're not technically on payroll, you could be on the highest gross grossing show in the country and still lose your Els and res because you didn't technically have enough coming that quarter to maintain it and now with the residual model being what it is, um, you know, now some of that changed uh during the strikes, which is great, and I'm sure someone in the comments is going to correct me from the union, but I may be misquoting it, but well we, you know, we, most of the streaming shows did residuals uh until the strike. So back in the day, you know, TV actors on network shows, you'd be good if you didn't work for a while, you had some residuals coming in that would maintain you and your insurance, an ever changinglandscape. That's so convoluted and way harder than it needs to be. Well, I yeah, I think we, we have this kind of perception of you're, you're on a big show and oh, once you've landed your big gig, your life is like, oh, it's easy now. you just hit the easy button. It's easy in the sense that it's wonderful to be a part of something I feel proud of and it's amazing to have more access to other work that that for me has always been like the biggest but no, none of it goes away, you know, like you can't, uh, for by no one's fault, you know, we, we, we, as, as everyone sort of knows now, it took a, took a while to make these two seasons of severance, and it, again, it was no one's fault. We, we, COVID happened and then the strikes happened. We keep joking but like what's left a hurricane, a tsunami, or an asteroid, um, to keep us, keep us from season 3, but of that, you know, weWe're all scrambling to work elsewhere in between, but then when the strikes happen, we couldn't work at all. And so most of us went back to the stage, which was great, but, uh, not always the most uh lucrative endeavor. And it, it's, it's one of the number one, I think, misconceptions about, um, what I'll call middle class actors, which is working actors, consistently working actors, working on great things, um, but you don' I wish I had been told as a young actor, as a as a startup uh star was um much, what a big percentage of your income goes to other people. You know, you're, uh, you could be making more money, which is great, but you're, you're paying lawyers, managers, agents, publicists, sometimes stylists out of pocket, um, and those things sound, uh, elective or, or, um, by choice, but they're they're not always, like you, those are all things that you need to sort of keep the train uh yeah, so it's like the more, the more you make, the more you have to make to keep it up. Yeah, very insightful. Definitely. So I'm gonna kind of weave two questions here. We usually like to, to get when we get towards the end of the show, ask folks that we're interviewing, what is one piece of personal finance advice that you would give to the LGBT community, but I'm gonna actually weave this in with idea that you're talking about right now is of how do you cope with income fluctuations because we're seeing more and more queer people end up in 1099 roles and roles where they don't have work, yeah, contract work. So do you have any suggestions or what piece of advice would you share with the community? Yeah, and that doesn't surprise me because I think oftentimes when you're in a sort of life where you're having to hide part of yourself, where, you know, I'm 41 and coming out at 19, it still was, um, it, it, it still wasn't a totally safe time to be out, um, in the workplace, you could still certainly be discriminated against or not hired altogether, especially if it were straight men that were making the decisions. And I'd flat out been told that before, early on in my career. not to say I suffered greatly. I've been very lucky in a lot of ways, but um I think because a lot of queer people come from a scarcity place, whether it was because they were kicked out of their home or didn't feel safe in their home, that it is generally harder, I think, for for queer folks to find consistency and to prioritize consistency because we were raised in a in a sort of chaos and in an emotional chaos, a cultural chaos. And so my advice would just beIt it by by any by hook or crook, if you can get into therapy for me healing, the first part of that experience is imperative to developing a healthy relationship with money, even if you don't have any. It took me years to get to the point where in a moment of financial tumult, I didn't go into total adrenal overdrive, where I was in my amygdala, where I was in like fight or flight. Um, I, the greatest shame I've ever experienced in my life has been around the greatest terror and has been aboutBecause the worst case scenario did happen to me a couple times when I was younger. I did run out of money. I did sleep in my car a couple times and like I did not have any resources, and thenAt points in my life, I was lucky enough to have folks that helped me, um, and eventually was able to work enough to survive and and thrive, but I would just say,It sounds impossible, but if you can find the mental health resources to try and separate the shame from the money you do or don't have, it's really, to me, very important. That is great advice. Thank you so much for sharing that and thank you so much for coming on the show, Jen. It's been a thrill having you. Thank you for having me. It's lovely to talk to you. So I love that interview. Jen is so super insightful. So what was your takeaway? So I think that Jen's take on how religion shapes our money beliefs is really powerful. If those beliefs are hurting more than they're helping, it may be time toSever them, or at least realign them with support from a therapist or even a financial therapist. I mean, did you know that many of our money habits are actually formed by the time we're age 7, oftentimes shaped by our family, our faith, or even fear. Yeah, it's quite surprising. So, did you also know that there are certifications for financial therapy? If money stress runs deep for you, this might be the help that you need. For even deeper healing, check out the chum of money Financial Therapy Association or the Chama Money Institute for more information. Thanks for tuning in. Like what you see, scan the QR code and follow Yahoo Finance podcast for more videos and expert insights, because when you do, you get all of the financial insight with none of the creepy break room vibes. And until next time, stay fabulous. This content was not intended to be financial advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional financial services. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Mid East Info
20-03-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
Farnek launches Flexitalent to address increasing demand for technology-driven workforce outsourcing solutions
Leading UAE-based smart and green facilities management (FM) company Farnek has launched Flexitalent, a dedicated technology-driven workforce provider, offering versatile and tailored solutions for a range of vertical industry sectors throughout the UAE. Flexitalent, part of the Farnek Group of companies, integrates technology-driven workforce management solutions, through smart payroll systems, digital attendance tracking and AI-powered workforce analytics, enabling organisations to streamline staffing operations across a range of diverse industry sectors. Farnek launched Flexitalent as a dedicated workforce solutions company to satisfy the increasing demand from businesses that want to enhance operational efficiency, compliance, flexibility and cost-effectiveness. According to a report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the total spending by UAE-based organisations on outsourcing services was expected to reach $6.8 billion in 2023, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 7%. Carrying that growth estimate forward to 2025 would put the UAE market value at around $7.8 billion. 'Flexitalent benefits from Farnek's many years of experience in workforce management and has the expertise to tailor staffing models that align with specific organisational needs. 'Its solutions are compliant with UAE labour laws and in addition, the company uses technology-driven workforce management tools for transparency, accountability and enhanced performance. Flexitalent can also integrate eco-friendly practices into staffing operations to support broader sustainability goals,' commented Markus Oberlin, Group CEO of Farnek. 'Since its inception, Flexitalent has already successfully onboarded over 3,000 professionals across multiple sectors, demonstrating its capacity to meet complex workforce demands with efficiency and agility,' he added. Flexitalent offers AI-powered recruitment and selection, which utilises smart talent-matching tools to ensure precision hiring for businesses. Its Fully automated Wage Protection System (WPS)-compliant payroll ensures seamless salary processing, in line with current UAE labour laws. The company has managed to develop a competitive edge, not only through its flexible staffing models, but also through its AI-driven business strategy. Real-time GPS-enabled tracking of its workforce increases transparency and accountability. Furthermore, Flexitalent's HR outsourcing and workforce analytics provide AI-driven insights for data-backed HR decision-making and its digital learning platforms increase employee upskilling and workforce productivity. 'By leveraging these advanced HR tech innovations, Flexitalent can provide a broader range of solutions to key industry sectors such as, hospitality and events, e-commerce and logistics, manufacturing and construction, as well as retail and customer service,' said Oberlin. About Flexitalent: Flexitalent is a leading manpower supply company based in the UAE, providing seamless outsourced staffing and recruitment solutions. From short-term projects to long-term workforce needs, Flexitalent combines compliance, efficiency, and industry-leading technology to deliver tailored services. Backed by Farnek Group's legacy and expertise, Flexitalent specialises in supporting industries such as logistics, hospitality, manufacturing, marketing, and more. About Farnek: Farnek is the leading provider of sustainable and technology-driven Facilities Management in the United Arab Emirates. Established in the UAE since 1980, Farnek Services LLC is a Swiss-owned independent total facilities management company. With a skilled workforce of more than 9,000 employees, Farnek delivers professional Facilities Management and security services across several sectors; Aviation, Hospitality, Banking, Retail, Shopping Malls, Telecom, Residential, Commercial, Infrastructure, Government, Education, Leisure and Entertainment.
Zawya
20-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Farnek launches Flexitalent to address increasing demand for technology-driven workforce outsourcing solutions
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Leading UAE-based smart and green facilities management (FM) company Farnek has launched Flexitalent, a dedicated technology-driven workforce provider, offering versatile and tailored solutions for a range of vertical industry sectors throughout the UAE. Flexitalent, part of the Farnek Group of companies, integrates technology-driven workforce management solutions, through smart payroll systems, digital attendance tracking and AI-powered workforce analytics, enabling organisations to streamline staffing operations across a range of diverse industry sectors. Farnek launched Flexitalent as a dedicated workforce solutions company to satisfy the increasing demand from businesses that want to enhance operational efficiency, compliance, flexibility and cost-effectiveness. According to a report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the total spending by UAE-based organisations on outsourcing services was expected to reach $6.8 billion in 2023, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 7%. Carrying that growth estimate forward to 2025 would put the UAE market value at around $7.8 billion. 'Flexitalent benefits from Farnek's many years of experience in workforce management and has the expertise to tailor staffing models that align with specific organisational needs. 'Its solutions are compliant with UAE labour laws and in addition, the company uses technology-driven workforce management tools for transparency, accountability and enhanced performance. Flexitalent can also integrate eco-friendly practices into staffing operations to support broader sustainability goals,' commented Markus Oberlin, Group CEO of Farnek. 'Since its inception, Flexitalent has already successfully onboarded over 3,000 professionals across multiple sectors, demonstrating its capacity to meet complex workforce demands with efficiency and agility,' he added. Flexitalent offers AI-powered recruitment and selection, which utilises smart talent-matching tools to ensure precision hiring for businesses. Its Fully automated Wage Protection System (WPS)-compliant payroll ensures seamless salary processing, in line with current UAE labour laws. The company has managed to develop a competitive edge, not only through its flexible staffing models, but also through its AI-driven business strategy. Real-time GPS-enabled tracking of its workforce increases transparency and accountability. Furthermore, Flexitalent's HR outsourcing and workforce analytics provide AI-driven insights for data-backed HR decision-making and its digital learning platforms increase employee upskilling and workforce productivity. 'By leveraging these advanced HR tech innovations, Flexitalent can provide a broader range of solutions to key industry sectors such as, hospitality and events, e-commerce and logistics, manufacturing and construction, as well as retail and customer service,' said Oberlin. -Ends- About Flexitalent Flexitalent is a leading manpower supply company based in the UAE, providing seamless outsourced staffing and recruitment solutions. From short-term projects to long-term workforce needs, Flexitalent combines compliance, efficiency, and industry-leading technology to deliver tailored services. Backed by Farnek Group's legacy and expertise, Flexitalent specialises in supporting industries such as logistics, hospitality, manufacturing, marketing, and more. For more details, visit About Farnek: Farnek is the leading provider of sustainable and technology-driven Facilities Management in the United Arab Emirates. Established in the UAE since 1980, Farnek Services LLC is a Swiss-owned independent total facilities management company. With a skilled workforce of more than 9,000 employees, Farnek delivers professional Facilities Management and security services across several sectors; Aviation, Hospitality, Banking, Retail, Shopping Malls, Telecom, Residential, Commercial, Infrastructure, Government, Education, Leisure and Entertainment. For more information please visit, For media enquiries, please contact: STEVEN JONES Managing Director E-mail: Indigo Icon Tower, Jumeirah Lakes Towers PO Box 337521 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates Website: A member of the ECCO Communications Network
ME Construction
17-03-2025
- Business
- ME Construction
Farnek achieved record sales revenue of over $18.63mn in 2024
Financial Farnek achieved record sales revenue of over $18.63mn in 2024 By Farnek was awarded more than 460 contracts, with over 1,500 additional members of staff, mobilised to sites across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, bringing their total headcount to over 9,000 Facilities management (FM) company Farnek has achieved record sales revenue in 2024, securing a host of new and retained contracts, valued at more than US $18.63mn. In total during 2024, Farnek was awarded more than 460 contracts, with over 1,500 additional members of staff, mobilised to sites across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, bringing their total headcount to over 9,000. According to Markus Oberlin, Group CEO at Farnek, '2024 was an outstanding year for new business development and contract retention. We managed to increase our market share in the UAE and in Saudi Arabia, through sectors such as energy, healthcare, aviation, hospitality, retail, commercial and residential property. Given the rapid growth in real estate development, demand for innovative AI-driven smart and green solutions will continue to drive the FM market throughout the GCC, as companies strive for automation, sustainability and cost efficiency.' Farnek has steadily increased its share of the Abu Dhabi FM market with new business wins totalling $64.8mn, which includes Khalifa Sport City, Etihad Airways Engineering and the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant. The firm also made considerable gains in the hospitality sector by winning multiple hospitality contracts valued at $19.4mn mobilising 450 staff. Security was another sector where Farnek gained multiple contracts valued at over $6.75mn, from major companies such as GMG, Aramex, MAG EYE, AZADEA, NAS 2 and MIZA Investments. Farnek's home maintenance company Hitches & Glitches, secured a significant contract with Emaar Hospitality to manage back of door services, for 14 Emaar Residence Towers featuring more than 7,000 apartments, as well as the contract for King's College Hospital and its clinics. Farnek's smart FM solutions company HITEK, has implemented its digital solutions at Sports Boulevard in Riyadh, with an additional contract for the mining company Maaden and has successfully developed and activated a community app for the MAG City development in Dubai plus a waste management agreement with du. 'HITEK also launched its Housekeeping Plus solution last year, a smart mobile application for the hospitality sector and its MEDTEK solution has been set up successfully and is already supporting more than 10,000 patients,' added Oberlin. Another achievement in 2024 was Farnek's support for the Burj Khalifa's successful LEED O+M Platinum Certification. Farnek has been providing MEP hard services for the world's tallest building since 2010. Farnek services a wide range of industry sectors and its scope of work includes a considerable number of contracts for total facilities management (TFM), as well as dedicated hard and soft services such as MEP, cleaning, maintenance, security and housekeeping, amongst others.
CBC
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Indian language films take centre stage at reopened Winnipeg cinema
15 years after closing its doors, Garden City Cinemas has reopened with a big focus on Indian language films. From Bollywood to South Indian movies, the theatre will spotlight Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam and Telugu films, while also playing new Hollywood releases. "The community is thrilled that we're open," says Thomas Oberlin, the manager of the movie hall located in the Garden City Shopping Centre on McPhillips Street. "There's a lot of nostalgia just in the building itself." The double cinema house opened in 1970 and closed its doors after 40 years. Oberlin says the reopening has been in the works for three years, after York Cinema bought it. The cinema company is based in Ontario and is linked to theatres across the country like Albion and Woodside Cinemas — all of which show Indian language movies. According to Oberlin, this theatre is the first in Manitoba for the company. "It feels great to have this back open and kind of a new life in it," said Oberlin, who frequented the theatre before it shut down in 2010. He says his fondest memory is coming with his family and lining up to see Star Wars when he was young. While the layout of the theatre is the same, York Cinemas put money into renovating everything including theatre seats, sound systems, screens, washrooms and concessions. The cinema opened its doors on Feb. 21. Oberlin says there's been a big spike in interest from community members in Garden City, with requests coming in for Hindi, Punjabi and Filipino movies. 'Really fun for the community' Payal Pardasani and her husband Rahul Bhavnani often watch Hindi and Gujarati films in theatres when they're available in Winnipeg, but they say they often aren't. The reopening of Garden City Cinema means they have more options. "It's gonna be really fun for the community," Pardasani said. Cinema City Northgate also shows Indian language movies, but Pardasani says showtimes are limited and seating isn't the best. "We'll have more options for the timings for the movie as well … we'll have a different experience," said Pardasani. Pardasani and Bhavani have been in Canada for less than a decade, and watching Indian movies allows them to feel at home. "It's not just a movie," Pardasani says, as most of the moviegoers in the theatre share the same language. "There's community … you get to connect and then it's just a feeling that everyone is enjoying." The pair often have to wait for films to release on streaming platforms if they aren't available in theatres, something Bhavnani says does a disservice to the films. "It's a different experience … during the movies, we laugh together, we enjoy." Winnipeg movie theatre strikes a balance between Hollywood and Bollywood 4 minutes ago Duration 3:11 There is now another option in Winnipeg to watch multicultural films on the big screen. Garden City Cinemas has reopened after 15 years, offering South Indian films as well as English blockbusters.
