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Business Wire
07-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Bregal Investments Appoints Neil Syers as Chief Financial Officer
LONDON & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bregal Investments ('Bregal'), a leading private equity investment firm providing a platform for its family of direct investment and fund-of-funds teams, today announced the appointment of Neil Syers as Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Based in London, Mr. Syers will be responsible for overseeing the firm's global finance function and supporting its continued growth across investment strategies and geographies. Mr. Syers brings over two decades of senior financial leadership experience in the industry, most recently serving as CFO at Hayfin Capital Management. As a founding partner of Hayfin, he helped scale the firm into a €30 billion alternative investment platform, building its finance, operations, and infrastructure from the ground up. Prior to Hayfin, he also held senior roles at Gandhara Capital and Henderson Global Investors. 'We are thrilled to welcome Neil to Bregal,' said Lawrence Brenninkmeyer, Deputy Chairman at Bregal Investments. 'His deep expertise in scaling investment platforms, managing global finance organizations, and navigating complex regulatory environments will be instrumental as we position Bregal for long-term growth and we believe that Neil will bring both strategic perspective and operational excellence to our leadership team.' Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Syers added, 'Bregal has built a highly respected global investment platform with a strong values-based culture and long-term orientation. I'm excited to join the firm at this pivotal time and contribute to its next phase of evolution.' Mr. Syers holds a BSc (Hons) in Geography from the University of Birmingham and is a Chartered Management Accountant. He previously participated in the F-TEN CFO leadership program and was nominated to the Deloitte CFO Development Program. Bregal Investments ('Bregal') is a leading private equity investment firm providing a platform for its family of direct investment and fund-of-funds teams. Bregal manages over €19 billion in assets across its strategies and has closed over 150 direct investments and invested in more than 200 funds. The Bregal family of funds focuses on long-term sustainable value creation and provides access to private equity, growth equity, credit, and a fund-of-fund strategies. Headquartered in London and New York, Bregal has more than 250 employees across its eight offices.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Are Girl Scout Cookies Safe to Eat Amidst Heavy Metal Lawsuit?
This article may contain affiliate links that Yahoo and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links. Girl Scout cookie season is here — if you drive around your neighborhood, you'll likely spot groups of kids in uniforms, ready to sell boxes of cookies. The Girl Scouts of America organization, founded in 1912, has evolved but remains focused on empowering youth to take risks and build agency. A key part of this mission is its entrepreneurial program, which teaches kids important life skills as they sell treats like Samoas and Thin Mints to eager customers. However, in recent weeks these beloved baked goods have faced controversy with claims of toxic ingredients. And just a few days ago, those concerns escalated to a serious lawsuit. Here's what we know: On March 10, 2025, Amy Mayo, a woman from New York, filed a federal lawsuit against the Girl Scouts of America organization, along with cookie manufacturers Ferrero U.S.A. and Interbake Foods. She claims they are selling cookies containing heavy metals and herbicides. The lawsuit draws its fuel from a study funded by Moms Across America and GMO Science, which found that 100 percent of the cookies tested contained traces of aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Additionally, the findings show that 13 cookie flavors had high levels of the herbicide glyphosate. It's important to note that this study hasn't been peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal and relies on a small sample size. So the Kitchn spoke with Wade Syers, a food safety specialist at Michigan State University, to get a clearer understanding of whether there's really cause for concern. More importantly, we wanted to know if people should think twice before buying Girl Scout cookies. Syers emphasizes that the claim of Girl Scout cookies being contaminated with heavy metals and herbicides is a serious one. 'Exposure to lead could cause lowered IQ, nervous system damage, slowed growth, hearing problems, and other issues,' he says. However, he notes that the likelihood of these symptoms would depend on the specific contaminant, how much is present, and how long someone is exposed. When asked if he'd buy a box of Thin Mints or Samoas, Syers said, 'At this point, I'm not too concerned.' With years of experience in food safety, he explains, 'There has not been a recall issued, and there are safety mechanisms in place that check for dangerous levels of contaminants. For instance, the FDA has a pesticide residue monitoring program that ensures many foods do not exceed limits.'Last month, when reports surfaced about the possibility of the cookies being tainted with toxic materials, the Girl Scouts of America responded in a press release, saying, 'The health and safety of Girl Scouts and cookie customers is our top priority. Rest assured: Girl Scout Cookies are safe to consume.' The organization also pointed out that its iconic treats are made with ingredients that meet food safety standards set by the FDA and other relevant authorities. We Asked 3 Chefs to Name the Best Ice Cream, and They All Said the Same Thing Le Creuset Launched a Pan That's Perfect for Everything from Stews to Stir-Fry — and It's Already on Sale Ball Just Dropped the Most Beautiful Mason Jars for Its 140th Anniversary ("So Iconic!") Sign up for The Kitchn's Daily newsletter to receive our best recipes, posts, and shopping tips in your inbox.
