Latest news with #growthstrategy
Travel Daily News
a day ago
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Sonesta executes 31 franchise agreements in H1 2025
Sonesta adds 31 new franchise deals and opens 10 hotels in H1 2025, reinforcing its strategic growth and global brand expansion. NEWTON, MA – Sonesta International Hotels (Sonesta), the 8th largest hotel company in the US, announced the execution of 31 new franchise agreements during the first half of 2025 as well as 10 openings that showcase Sonesta's global expansion and continued growth strategy. 'The continued growth in the first half of 2025, with 31 new franchise agreements, highlights Sonesta's sustained momentum and our attractive value proposition for owners,' said Keith Pierce, Sonesta's EVP and President of Franchise & Development. 'We're seeing continued demand across our diverse portfolio, which speaks to our ability to meet the needs of various markets and strengthens our existing owner relationships.' Sonesta's ongoing franchise expansion, in spite of the macroeconomic and political headwinds that started the year, highlights its success in growing its footprint. This growth is bolstered by its fast, friendly, and flexible model, which especially appeals to hotel owners during times of uncertainty. 'Our tailored brand offerings and flexible standards are clearly resonating with developers looking for strategic growth,' said Brian Quinn, Sonesta's Chief Development Officer. 'These 31 new agreements, spanning our distinct brands, along with the 10 recent openings, demonstrate our continued commitment to providing solutions that drive success for our franchisees and expand Sonesta's footprint in key locations.' Sonesta had 10 new hotels add nearly 1000 new rooms to the portfolio in the first six months of 2025. They include (in order of opening): Sonesta Essential Baton Rouge – Baton Rouge, LA – Baton Rouge, LA Red Lion Hotel Charlotte – Charlotte, NC – Charlotte, NC Signature Inn Berkeley – Berkeley, CA – Berkeley, CA Americas Best Value Inn Donaldsonville – Donaldsonville, LA – Donaldsonville, LA Americas Best Value Inn Fredonia – Fredonia, NY – Fredonia, NY Sonesta Essentia Blue Springs – Blue Springs, MO – Blue Springs, MO Sonesta Essential Overland Park – Overland Park, KS – Overland Park, KS Signature Inn Miami – Miami, FL – Miami, FL Americas Best Value Inn/Knights Inn Pilot Mountain (dual brand) – Pilot Mountain, NC In late 2021, Sonesta RL Hotels Franchising Inc. launched four Sonesta-branded hotel concepts in the U.S., complete with a comprehensive platform of franchise services, hotel operations, and franchise support. Building on this momentum, 2023 marked another milestone with the introduction of four new brands: The James, Sonesta Essential Hotels, and two soft brands – Classico Collection by Sonesta and MOD Collection by Sonesta. In 2024, Sonesta expanded its reach by introducing the 'by Sonesta' endorser branding to the Red Lion portfolio, further reinforcing its commitment to strategic growth and innovation. Sonesta's diverse portfolio of 13 distinct brands provides owners and developers with a wide range of options across the upper-upscale, lifestyle, upscale, midscale, extended-stay, and economy segments. With a focus on strategic growth, an owner-first approach, available market opportunities, and direct access to its leadership team, Sonesta stands out as an attractive partner for developers seeking flexibility and innovation in hospitality. Guests of these new locations can earn or redeem points as members of the award-winning Sonesta Travel Pass guest loyalty program.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Procter & Gamble announces new CEO as it aims to unlock next era of growth
A long consumer products career winds to a close at Procter & Gamble (PG) as the company aims to unlock its next era of growth. And it's tapping another long-tenured P&G executive to pull it off. The consumer products giant announced late Monday that Shailesh Jejurikar will succeed CEO Jon Moeller on Jan. 1, 2026. Jejurikar is currently the company's COO but has been with P&G since 1989. He has helped lead some of P&G's most important businesses around the world, notably a fabric care business led by the Tide brand. Moeller has been the CEO of P&G since November 2021. He has been with the company since 1988, holding positions such as COO and CFO before landing the top job from David Taylor. Moeller will assume the position of executive chairman of P&G. P&G is set to report its fiscal fourth quarter results on Tuesday morning. The company is coming off reporting a weaker-than-expected outlook three months ago as lower-income shoppers have become more discerning. Analysts are bracing for a mixed outlook from P&G for the new fiscal year as it restructures operations to offset top-line sluggishness. To that end, Jejurikar brings extensive supply chain experience and has worked closely with major retailers. Both experiences should aid P&G as it tries to gain more shelf space online. 'We're working in a new way with retailers on the totality of the supply chain, end-to-end, versus simply trying to optimize each piece,' Jejurikar told me at the April 2024 Shoptalk conference (see video above). 'Seeing one supply chain from the shelf back presents a breakthrough opportunity and the most efficient way to ensure products are available for shoppers when and where they want them,' he said. Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance's Executive Editor and a member of Yahoo Finance's editorial leadership team. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email 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
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Colliers International Group Inc. (CIGI): A Bull Case Theory
We came across a bullish thesis on Colliers International Group Inc. Stock Analysis Compilation's Substack. In this article, we will summarize the bulls' thesis on CIGI. Colliers International Group Inc.'s share was trading at $139.65 as of July 21st. CIGI's trailing and forward P/E were 48.49 and 21.79 respectively according to Yahoo Finance. Colliers International Group Inc. is a premier global leader in commercial real estate services and investment management, built on a decentralized structure and an entrepreneurial culture that create a durable competitive moat. Unlike peers with centralized operations, Colliers empowers local leaders with autonomy and a strong ownership mindset, supported by significant insider equity stakes that align interests with long-term shareholders. This approach attracts top talent and drives profitable, locally tailored growth while leveraging the scale, resources, and reputation of a global brand. The company's strategy emphasizes disciplined execution, balancing steady organic growth with a programmatic and accretive acquisition model. Management has a long record of acquiring entrepreneurial firms that expand geographic reach or enhance service offerings, carefully integrating them to preserve their cultures while benefiting from Colliers' broader platform. A strategic focus on Investment Management and Outsourcing & Advisory—its most durable, high-margin segments—has meaningfully increased revenue stability by generating recurring, annuity-like cash flows less exposed to transaction-driven market swings. This deliberate shift improves earnings predictability and reinforces Colliers' positioning as a best-in-class compounder. The company's cultural DNA, combining local agility with global capabilities, remains its key differentiator and a formidable competitive advantage. With disciplined capital allocation and a proven ability to compound value, Colliers offers an attractive long-term investment case, well-positioned to sustain profitable growth and enhance shareholder returns through a high-quality earnings mix and continued expansion of its stable, high-margin businesses. Previously, we covered a bullish thesis on CBRE Group, Inc. by Stock Analysis Compilation in November 2024, which highlighted CBRE's resilient model with strong recurring revenues and signs of recovery in transactional businesses. The company's stock price has appreciated by approximately 7.33% since our coverage, as the thesis played out. The thesis still stands. Stock Analysis Compilation shares a similar view on Colliers International Group Inc. but emphasizes its decentralized structure and high-margin focus. Colliers International Group Inc. is not on our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 19 hedge fund portfolios held CIGI at the end of the first quarter which was 19 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of CIGI as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock. Disclosure: None. 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
Entrepreneur
22-07-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Why Predictive Service Is the Next Big Thing in Customer Service
To drive growth, companies should transform customer support from reactive to predictive and proactive. Using foresight, ethical data and strategic alignment can turn customer experience into a key competitive advantage. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. For decades, customer support has been treated as a defensive necessity — a cost center designed solely to resolve issues after they arise. In today's landscape, that paradigm is obsolete. Your customers are no longer benchmarking you against your direct competitors; they are benchmarking you against the best, most intuitive digital experiences in the world. This shift has paved the way for a new model of value creation: transforming customer experience from a cost center into an offensive growth lever. Unlocking this growth, however, requires moving beyond simply resolving issues faster and instead developing genuine foresight — a transition from a reactive to a predictive service model. The critical shift from reactive to predictive Customer expectations have permanently changed. The new standard set by digital leaders has created a powerful demand for proactive personalization. This reality forces a change in business posture. A reactive model is inherently defensive, waiting for a customer to raise a flag that signals a problem. A predictive model, in contrast, is offensive. It uses data to see that flag coming before it's ever raised, allowing a business to anticipate needs and resolve friction points before the customer even feels the pain — a feat that hinges on one critical element: the right kind of data. Related: A Complete Guide to Using Predictive Analytics in Your Business Earning the data that fuels prediction While predictive service runs on data, its true power comes from the "Golden Nugget" of behavioral data — usage patterns, sentiment signals and key lifecycle events. This information provides the clues to future needs, but it presents a profound ethical challenge. In an era of heightened privacy concerns, this data cannot be taken; it must be earned through unwavering transparency and trust. This is achieved by building a relationship, not just executing a transaction. When customers understand how their data will be used to create a better experience, they are far more willing to share it. This approach ensures your service feels like a trusted concierge providing personalized guidance, not an invasive tracker. Related: 3 Tips for Using Consumer Data to Create More Personalized Experiences How predictive service turns disruption into loyalty To see this in practice, consider the masterclass in execution from Delta Air Lines. Instead of allowing travelers to experience that sinking feeling of a flight or baggage delay, Delta's predictive models get ahead of the disruption. They proactively reroute baggage and notify travelers of the new plan, often before the traveler even realizes a problem has occurred. The result is a brilliant strategic reversal. Delta tries to transform a moment of high frustration into an opportunity to build deep trust and loyalty, elevating its role from a simple service provider to a truly valued travel partner. Overcoming the human barrier to prediction Given the power of this model, why haven't more companies made the shift? I've found the deepest gap is not in the technology, but in the organizational mindset. Most support teams are still structured for triage, not foresight; their success is measured by legacy KPIs, like reaction time, that inherently reward a defensive posture. This, combined with fragmented data and a natural cultural resistance to change, creates powerful internal friction. Overcoming these barriers requires a genuine commitment to breaking down silos, realigning incentives toward prevention and building cross-functional teams that are empowered to think proactively. Preparing for the next frontier Going forward, this trend will only accelerate toward what I call "agentic ecosystems," where integrated AIs don't just send alerts but autonomously manage complex processes. For any forward-thinking leader, preparing for this future must begin now, and it rests upon two foundational pillars. First, invest in a unified data infrastructure — the unglamorous but essential foundation for everything that follows. Predictive models are only as good as the data they can access, so ensuring your data is clean and unified is the non-negotiable first step. Second, begin rethinking your customer experience roles. The future of CX is not about designing a single customer journey; it's about developing teams of strategic problem-solvers capable of managing hundreds of thousands of unique, hyper-personalized experiences at scale. Related: Why Generative AI is the Secret Sauce for Good Customer Experiences A new definition of service The organizations that build these pillars today will do more than just meet future customer expectations; they will be the ones who redefine them. This is the true promise of the predictive model. It is more than a new methodology — it is a fundamental redefinition of the relationship between a company and its customers, a final evolution from transactional problem-solving to proactive partnership. And it's how customer experience will become your most powerful and durable engine for growth.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Polen Focus Growth Strategy Decided to Exit Its Position in UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
Polen Capital, an investment management company, released its 'Polen Focus Growth Strategy' second quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The market sentiment shifted in the second quarter, from a sharp decline to a V-shaped recovery. In the second quarter, the strategy returned 9.36% (gross) and 9.15% (net) compared to 17.84% for the Russell 1000 Growth Index and 10.94% for the S&P 500 Index. In addition, please check the fund's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2025. In its second quarter 2025 investor letter, Polen Focus Growth Strategy highlighted stocks such as UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH). UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) is a diversified healthcare company that operates through UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx segments. The one-month return of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) was -6.17%, and its shares lost 49.49% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On July 21, 2025, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) stock closed at $282.14 per share, with a market capitalization of $255.94 billion. Polen Focus Growth Strategy stated the following regarding UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) in its second quarter 2025 investor letter: "Finally, we exited our remaining small position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) (~1%). After years of continuous earnings growth and durability, the consistency we've come to expect from UNH has been fractured. The company reduced its earnings guidance twice recently, as medical costs have exceeded expectations in both the UnitedHealthcare (insurance) and Optum Health (medical practice) segments. A senior healthcare professional giving advice to a patient in a clinic. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) is in 18th position on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 139 hedge fund portfolios held UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) at the end of the first quarter, which was 150 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. In another article, we covered UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) and shared the list of most undervalued healthcare stocks to buy according to analysts. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 2025 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
