Featured Stories
ST Engineering IDirect Advances Intelligent Satellite Operations With New AI Capabilities
HERNDON, Virginia, Sept. 12 -- ST Engineering iDirect, a satellite communications company, issued the following news release on Sept. 10, 2026:
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ST Engineering iDirect Advances Intelligent Satellite Operations with New AI Capabilities
New capabilities for AI governance, operational control and rapid onboarding help operators simplify complexity, strengthen compliance and scale automation with confidence
Herndon, Va. - ST Engineering iDirect, a global leader in satellite communications, today announced new capabilities for Foresight, its AI-driven orchestration and intelligence platform
... Show Full Article
HERNDON, Virginia, Sept. 12 -- ST Engineering iDirect, a satellite communications company, issued the following news release on Sept. 10, 2026:
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ST Engineering iDirect Advances Intelligent Satellite Operations with New AI Capabilities
New capabilities for AI governance, operational control and rapid onboarding help operators simplify complexity, strengthen compliance and scale automation with confidence
Herndon, Va. - ST Engineering iDirect, a global leader in satellite communications, today announced new capabilities for Foresight, its AI-driven orchestration and intelligence platformdesigned to help satellite operators simplify increasingly complex multi-orbit and multi-service network environments. The new capabilities introduce enhanced AI governance, operational controls, and guided onboarding tools that help operators adopt AI responsibly, maintain oversight of operational changes and accelerate deployment.
"Satellite operators are under increasing pressure to deliver services faster, manage growing operational complexity and adopt AI responsibly," said Sridhar Kuppanna, CEO of ST Engineering iDirect. "With these new Foresight capabilities, we're extending the intelligence, automation and governance that operators need to confidently modernize their operations. From accelerating onboarding to governing AI-assisted workflows, Foresight provides a practical path toward more intelligent and automated satellite operations."
With support for air-gapped deployments, strong data governance and secure AI operations, Foresight enables operators to accelerate automation while maintaining control of their networks and data, helping them move from reactive management toward autonomous network operations.
Foresight's latest AI capabilities include:
* Agentic Governance: Delivers oversight, auditability and risk controls for AI agents through governance policies, audit trails, operational safeguards and compliance-focused controls.
* Governed Change Management: Enables approval-based workflows with review, risk assessment and authorization before AI-driven operational changes are applied.
* AI Usage Visibility and Cost Controls: Provides monitoring, budgeting and policy-based controls to help operators manage AI consumption and maintain operational oversight.
* Accelerated Onboarding: Simplifies deployment by automatically discovering network inventory, deploying required platform components and guiding administrators through privacy, data and deployment configuration options.
First introduced in March 2026, Foresight represents ST Engineering iDirect's vision for more intelligent and automated satellite operations, bringing together automation, orchestration and AI-driven insights in a unified operational environment.
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Original text here: https://www.stengg.com/en/newsroom/news-releases/st-engineering-idirect-advances-intelligent-satellite-operations-with-new-ai-capabilities
[Category: TelecommunicationsBiz]
Morgan Lewis Partner Lesli Ligorner Named Employment Lawyer of the Year at 2026 Asia Legal Awards
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Sept. 12 -- Morgan Lewis, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Morgan Lewis Partner Lesli Ligorner Named Employment Lawyer of the Year at 2026 Asia Legal Awards
BEIJING and TOKYO: Partner Lesli Ligorner has been named Employment Lawyer of the Year as part of the 2026 Asia Legal Awards. Hosted by Law.com International, the awards celebrate the significant transactions, cases, and legal work shaping Asia's legal industry.
Lesli, who leads the firm's labor and employment practice in mainland China, was recognized for her work overseeing a series of complex
... Show Full Article
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Sept. 12 -- Morgan Lewis, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Morgan Lewis Partner Lesli Ligorner Named Employment Lawyer of the Year at 2026 Asia Legal Awards
BEIJING and TOKYO: Partner Lesli Ligorner has been named Employment Lawyer of the Year as part of the 2026 Asia Legal Awards. Hosted by Law.com International, the awards celebrate the significant transactions, cases, and legal work shaping Asia's legal industry.
Lesli, who leads the firm's labor and employment practice in mainland China, was recognized for her work overseeing a series of complexemployment-related internal investigations.
Drawing on more than 25 years of practice, Lesli advises clients on an array of labor and employment matters.
She frequently conducts internal investigations across the Asia-Pacific region and counsels on hiring and termination, discrimination and harassment policies, and training practices.
Lesli also advises employers on global mobility and immigration, leaves of absence, wage and hour laws, intellectual property protection, and unionization and collective bargaining.
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Original text here: https://www.morganlewis.com/news/2026/09/morgan-lewis-partner-lesli-ligorner-named-employment-lawyer-of-the-year-at-2026-asia-legal-awards
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Littler Issues Commentary: New York City Opens the Nation's First Office of Worker Power to Support Labor Organizing and Workplace Rights
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Sept. 12 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following commentary on Sept. 11, 2026, by shareholder Adriana Foreman and associates Grecia Veronica Santos and Jerry Zhang:
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New York City Opens the Nation's First Office of Worker Power to Support Labor Organizing and Workplace Rights
On Labor Day, September 7, 2026, New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced an executive order establishing the Mayor's Office of Worker Power (MOWP), which his administration describes as the nation's first city office dedicated to helping workers organize, connecting them with
... Show Full Article
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Sept. 12 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following commentary on Sept. 11, 2026, by shareholder Adriana Foreman and associates Grecia Veronica Santos and Jerry Zhang:
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New York City Opens the Nation's First Office of Worker Power to Support Labor Organizing and Workplace Rights
On Labor Day, September 7, 2026, New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced an executive order establishing the Mayor's Office of Worker Power (MOWP), which his administration describes as the nation's first city office dedicated to helping workers organize, connecting them withunions, and keeping them informed of their rights.
Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su will oversee MOWP, and Tony Perlstein, a former organizing director for United Auto Workers, will serve as its inaugural executive director. The creation of MOWP aligns with the Mamdani administration's broader emphasis on worker protections and labor organizing. Since taking office, the administration has highlighted initiatives addressing wage theft, worker misclassification, delivery-worker protections, workplace safety, and other measures intended to strengthen workers' rights and increase enforcement of workplace standards.
What Will the Office of Worker Power Do?
MOWP will focus on outreach, education, research, policy development, and strategic partnerships. It aims to convene rank-and-file workers, union leaders, worker centers, immigrant workers, and gig and platform workers to identify workplace concerns and connect them with information about their rights and available resources. MOWP also plans to increase accessibility to workplace rights information and education by providing workplace rights information into everyday touchpoints, including workforce centers, libraries, schools, and community events.
In addition, the MOWP plans to hold public hearings on significant worker issues, refer workers to labor organizations, coordinate with city agencies to produce research, and develop policy proposals drawn from worker feedback. Mayor Mamdani's administration also identified four emerging priorities: new technologies, worker misclassification, immigration-based exploitation, and climate risks to worker safety.
What Resources Are Being Offered to Workers?
MOWP's website informs workers that "worker power is the ability of working people to have a real say in their jobs, their communities, and their City," and that workers "do not have to simply accept whatever they are given." The site organizes its message around solidarity, knowledge, community, and law.
The website explains worker rights at the municipal, state, and federal level, such as federal protections for private-sector organizing and bargaining, the illegality of retaliation, and city laws including the Protected Time Off Law, the Fair Workweek Law, and the Delivery Worker Laws setting minimum pay for for-hire vehicle drivers and app-based delivery workers. The site also provides resources to workers who are seeking to organize, including a step-by-step guide on how to form a union. Workers also have the ability to request a "Know Your Rights" training for their workplace, organization, or community group, although it is unclear who will conduct such presentations and what information will be shared.
What Does This Mean for Employers?
The creation of MOWP represents a new approach to worker outreach and engagement in New York City. Unlike traditional workplace enforcement agencies, MOWP expressly identifies supporting worker organizing as part of its mission and intends to connect workers directly with unions and other worker organizations.
As MOWP begins implementing its initiatives, employers in New York City may see increased employee awareness of workplace rights, greater engagement with labor organizations, increased organizing activity, and additional public attention to workplace issues through MOWP's planned hearings and other activities.
Accordingly, employers should continue to ensure that supervisors and managers are appropriately trained on workplace rights issues and that their policies, practices, and employee relations strategies comply with applicable law. In addition, given the potential for increased organizing activity, employers should consider consulting with counsel regarding how best to prepare for potential workforce organizing efforts. Employers may also wish to monitor developments from MOWP, including its public hearings, policy proposals, and other initiatives as the office's priorities continue to evolve.
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Authors
Adriana Foreman
Shareholder
New York
aforeman@littler.com
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Grecia Veronica Santos
Associate
New York
gsantos@littler.com
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Jerry Zhang
Associate
New York
jezhang@littler.com
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Original text here: https://www.littler.com/news-analysis/asap/new-york-city-opens-nations-first-office-worker-power-support-labor-organizing
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Dentons Advises Kommunalkredit on the Euros50.6 Million Refinancing of the 60 MW Ruginoasa Wind Farm in Romania
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 -- Dentons, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Dentons advises Kommunalkredit on the Euros50.6 million refinancing of the 60 MW Ruginoasa wind farm in Romania
Bucharest--Global law firm Dentons has advised Kommunalkredit Austria AG on the Euros50,630,000 refinancing of the 60 MW Ruginoasa onshore wind farm, owned and operated by DRI, the EU renewables arm of DTEK, in Iasi County, Romania.
The refinancing will help fund the project's transition from construction-stage to operational-stage through an extended facility on improved economic terms, reflecting the strong
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 -- Dentons, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Dentons advises Kommunalkredit on the Euros50.6 million refinancing of the 60 MW Ruginoasa wind farm in Romania
Bucharest--Global law firm Dentons has advised Kommunalkredit Austria AG on the Euros50,630,000 refinancing of the 60 MW Ruginoasa onshore wind farm, owned and operated by DRI, the EU renewables arm of DTEK, in Iasi County, Romania.
The refinancing will help fund the project's transition from construction-stage to operational-stage through an extended facility on improved economic terms, reflecting the strongrisk profile of the operational asset, that has been generating electricity since December 2023.
The wind farm comprises ten Vestas wind turbines and is expected to generate renewable electricity for more than 30 years, contributing to Romania's energy transition and long-term energy security.
Acting as lender legal counsel, Dentons' Banking and Finance team in Bucharest managed and coordinated all English and Romanian law aspects of the transaction from structuring to completion.
Bucharest-based Banking and Finance partner Simona Marin led the legal team, assisted by counsel Stefi Ionescu, associate Maria Brinza and paralegal Iulia Alexandrescu (all Banking and Finance), partner Claudiu Munteanu-Jipescu, counsel Angelica Pintilie and associates Alin Dimache and Carolina Mitea (all Energy), as well as partner Bogdan Papandopol, counsel Luiza Onofrei and associate Diana Anghel (all Real Estate).
Simona Marin commented: "We are delighted to have supported Kommunalkredit on this important refinancing. The transaction reflects the growing maturity of Romania's renewable energy market and the continued appetite of international lenders for high-quality operational assets. Ruginoasa is a significant wind project, and we are pleased to have contributed to securing its long-term financing alongside an excellent team of professionals."
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About Dentons
Redefining possibilities. Together, everywhere. For more information visit dentons.com
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URL: Kommunalkredit Austria
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Original text here: https://www.dentons.com/en/about-dentons/news-events-and-awards/news/2026/september/dentons-advises-kommunalkredit-ruginoasa-refinancing
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Courier Issues Commentary: Why the Backlash to Laura Loomer's Attacks on Black Women Matters
NEW YORK, Sept. 12 -- Courier, an independent advocacy news and media network, issued the following commentary on Sept. 11, 2026, by author of Once Upon a Hill Michael Jones:
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Why the backlash to Laura Loomer's attacks on Black women matters
When Laura Loomer went after Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon last month, she wasn't exactly subtle.
The right-wing activist and close ally of President Donald Trump unleashed a series of racist attacks against Nixon and several other prominent Black women in public life, including Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.)
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Sept. 12 -- Courier, an independent advocacy news and media network, issued the following commentary on Sept. 11, 2026, by author of Once Upon a Hill Michael Jones:
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Why the backlash to Laura Loomer's attacks on Black women matters
When Laura Loomer went after Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon last month, she wasn't exactly subtle.
The right-wing activist and close ally of President Donald Trump unleashed a series of racist attacks against Nixon and several other prominent Black women in public life, including Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.)and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and former Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.).
The attacks on Nixon, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, drew a particularly forceful response. Politicians and public figures rallied to her defense. Members of Congress denounced Loomer. The Congressional Black Caucus weighed in.
The backlash was striking in its breadth.
But Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) told me there's another question worth asking: Why should it take an especially grotesque episode of racism for Black women to receive that kind of solidarity in the first place?
Lee, the first Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania, has dealt with racist abuse since long before she acquired the national profile that comes with serving in Congress. She said prominence can actually give people, in their minds, permission to say things about Black women they might otherwise suppress.
"People use that higher profile as an excuse," Lee told me. "All their racist fantasies--they're like, well, I can use them on these public figures and get away with it."
The problem is bigger than Loomer.
"Anti-Blackness has been pervasive throughout this entire administration, and obviously not just this administration, but definitely this one," Lee said. "And it just doesn't get the attention that other forms of hate or bigotry get, because people expect that anti-Blackness is just the norm."
Then she put her finger on an assumption that has followed Black women through American public life for generations: They can take it.
"Black women know how to handle it, right?" Lee said. "Like, I don't have to worry. I don't have to check in on that Black woman because they're strong. And that's how they treat all of us."
That expectation--the strong Black woman who can endure whatever gets thrown at her--is often framed as admiration. In practice, it can become an excuse for indifference.
And American politics has spent generations demanding that Black women endure.
Long before social media made it possible to hurl a racist insult at an elected official from a smartphone, racial stereotypes were used to define which Black women were considered respectable, intelligent, feminine or worthy of exercising authority. Black women who challenged existing power structures could be cast as angry, aggressive, ignorant or otherwise outside the boundaries of acceptable public life.
The particulars have changed across generations, but the underlying function is familiar: reduce a Black woman to a racial caricature and you make it easier to dismiss her ideas, question her competence and portray her presence in positions of power as illegitimate.
That history matters because Loomer isn't shouting into some political vacuum.
She has maintained proximity to a president who has himself repeatedly attacked prominent Black women. And House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told me he sees Loomer's rhetoric as part of something broader.
"We've seen an unprecedented attack on Black women by the Trump administration and MAGA extremists," Jeffries said, pointing to attacks against New York Attorney General Letitia James, Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.
"Laura Loomer's extreme racist comments are just an extension of the assault that we've seen on Black women all across America by the Trump administration," he added. "It's unacceptable, unpatriotic and un-American. We've got to forcefully push back against it."
Jeffries was even more direct during a recent press conference, calling Loomer a "stone-cold racist" and saying Republicans in Congress and the White House should be ashamed to continue associating with her.
Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas), who publicly defended Nixon despite telling me the two have never met, made a related point.
"We've seen the president declare war on Black women," Menefee said, citing Trump's rhetoric toward Jackson and former Vice President Kamala Harris, along with attacks on Omar and Pressley.
But Menefee's criticism wasn't reserved for Republicans.
"What I've seen from folks in media and folks on the Democratic side is a silence and a failure to stand up and stand in the gap for Black women," he said.
Menefee noted that Black women are among the Democratic Party's most important constituencies, but he rejected the idea that their political importance should be the reason others defend them.
"Even if they weren't, they are human beings who deserve dignity and respect and protection," he said.
Political solidarity can easily become transactional: Defend the people whose votes you need. Praise the constituency that anchors your coalition. Condemn racism when the offense becomes so egregious that silence carries its own political cost.
But Lee is asking for something harder.
She told me she notices how quickly people mobilize when other groups or public figures are attacked. She sees the Facebook posts, tweets and Instagram messages. But when racist abuse fills her comment section or those of other Black women, the response can feel different.
"It's almost like they just move on, they go about their life, and everyone's like, 'Oh, that was gross,' but they don't actually give it the same energy that they give other people," Lee said. "That is a normalization."
And normalization is precisely why this episode matters beyond whatever Loomer posts next.
The backlash to her attacks on Nixon demonstrated that elected officials and institutions can respond forcefully when a Black woman becomes the target of overt racism. But solidarity is most meaningful when it isn't reserved for the moments that are easiest to condemn.
It requires challenging the subtler assumptions that make the spectacular episodes possible: that Black women are uniquely equipped to withstand abuse, that racist attacks are simply part of the price of seeking power, that someone else will speak up or that saying something could make a family gathering, friendship, workplace or political coalition uncomfortable.
Lee told me that discomfort is exactly where the work begins.
"A lot of the reason why people don't speak up is because it's familiar to them," she said. "It might not be their own thought process, but they see it in their relatives, they see it in their social circles, and they don't want to be a social outcast."
Then she offered a question that extends far beyond Laura Loomer, Angie Nixon or one ugly stretch of posts on social media.
"Think about whether your social comfort is more important than us having a society where Black women are actually respected."
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Michael Jones is an independent Capitol Hill correspondent and contributor for COURIER. He is the author of Once Upon a Hill, a newsletter about Congressional politics.
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Original text here: https://couriernewsroom.com/news/why-the-backlash-to-laura-loomers-attacks-on-black-women-matters/
[Category: BizMedia]
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey Reaches $1.677 Billion At The Global Box Office To Become Universal ...
NEW YORK, Sept. 12 [Category: BizMedia] -- NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast, posted the following news:
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Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey Reaches $1.677 Billion At The Global Box Office To Become Universal...
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Christopher Nolan's adaptation of the 3000-year-old poem, The Odyssey, has surpassed Jurassic World to become the Studio's biggest film of all time.
September 12, 2026
Universal Pictures today announced that Christopher Nolan's adaptation of the 3000-year-old poem, The Odyssey, has surpassed $1.677 billion at the global box office, passing 2015's Jurassic World to become
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Sept. 12 [Category: BizMedia] -- NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast, posted the following news:
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Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey Reaches $1.677 Billion At The Global Box Office To Become Universal...
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Christopher Nolan's adaptation of the 3000-year-old poem, The Odyssey, has surpassed Jurassic World to become the Studio's biggest film of all time.
September 12, 2026
Universal Pictures today announced that Christopher Nolan's adaptation of the 3000-year-old poem, The Odyssey, has surpassed $1.677 billion at the global box office, passing 2015's Jurassic World to becomethe Studio's biggest film of all time. This weekend, The Odyssey will gross $601.2 million domestic, $1.083 billion international and $1.685 billion globally. It is now the 12th highest-grossing film ever and the third-biggest non-franchise title of all time.
"What Chris and Emma [Thomas] have created will go down as one of the most ambitious and brilliantly executed films in cinematic history. A generational event that galvanizes moviegoing itself."
- Donna Langley, Chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment
Defying conventional box office trends at every turn, The Odyssey experienced a 6.33 multiple at the global box office and returned to the No. 1 position globally in its eighth weekend, dropping only 9% domestically.
Throughout its expansive theatrical run, the film broke numerous records including:
* Opening
* Opened No. 1 worldwide and held this position for its first two weeks.
* Biggest opening for director Christopher Nolan ahead of Dark Knight Rises internationally and globally.
* Biggest opening weekend for IMAX 70MM domestically.
* Biggest Universal R-rated opening weekend domestically.
* Biggest opening weekend for a Best Director Follow-Up film domestically.
* Cume
* Highest-grossing film for director Christopher Nolan domestically, internationally and globally.
* Highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.
* Highest-grossing film ever for IMAX.
* First non-sequel and non-remake to gross over $1 billion internationally since 2009.
* Second-highest-grossing film of the year.
In addition to this global milestone, The Odyssey is the highest-grossing Universal Pictures film of all time in 45 international markets, including Australia, France, Italy, India and Korea. The film is also the second highest grossing Universal Pictures film domestically.
Universal continues to lead all major studios with more than $4.92 billion to-date. The studio is the first to cross $4 billion at the global box office this year and the first to cross $3 billion at the international box office.
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Original text here: https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/christopher-nolans-odyssey-reaches-1677-billion-global-box-office-become-universal-pictures-biggest
Brightstar Capital Partners: Why the Age of AI is the Age of Operations
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, Sept. 12 -- Brightstar Capital Partners, a middle-market private equity firm focused on control-oriented investments, issued the following news:
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Why the Age of AI is the Age of Operations
September 10, 2026
Andrew Weinberg, Founder, CEO and Co-Chair
Generating compelling returns has become significantly more difficult for private equity firms. A combination of higher interest rates and lower multiple growth means that EBITDA growth must be significantly higher today than last decade - in fact, nearly 2.5 times higher. Another study shows EBITDA growth now accounting
... Show Full Article
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, Sept. 12 -- Brightstar Capital Partners, a middle-market private equity firm focused on control-oriented investments, issued the following news:
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Why the Age of AI is the Age of Operations
September 10, 2026
Andrew Weinberg, Founder, CEO and Co-Chair
Generating compelling returns has become significantly more difficult for private equity firms. A combination of higher interest rates and lower multiple growth means that EBITDA growth must be significantly higher today than last decade - in fact, nearly 2.5 times higher. Another study shows EBITDA growth now accountingfor over four fifths of value creation, up from half in 2019.
We believe growth rates of that magnitude can no longer be achieved by just tracking a growing market. Instead, they require hands-on, operational interventions at the portfolio company level.
Neither does AI on its own offer a solution - and we say this as a private equity firm that has made efforts to build significant AI expertise, with over 80 in-house built AI agents available to our own investment teams. Recent real-world studies put median productivity gains in software development (one of current AI's most straightforward use cases) at just below 8%. This comes on top of a body of research by McKinsey, Bain and BCG stating the vast majority of companies sees no material gains from AI initiatives - 94% in McKinsey's estimates.
How can private equity firms deliver in this tough environment? In our view, the BCG study mentioned above gives a clue. It estimates that only 10% of AI value comes from algorithms and 20% from data and technology, leaving 70% dependent on something that's been core to operational value creation since long before most people had heard of ChatGPT or agentic workflows - changes to people and process. Without those, AI is simply a shiny facade built on foundations of sand. And this is why we believe that solid operational capabilities in 'old-fashioned' areas like change management and process re-engineering are essential to success, no matter the value creation levers you are trying to pull.
This is particularly relevant for mid-sized and smaller enterprises in the U.S. which, according to research by the McKinsey Global Institute, show a 53% productivity gap to large enterprises, the widest such gap in all advanced economies covered by the study. The gap is driven by areas such as technology (CRM and AI adoption is only half that of large companies), human capital (large companies are twice as likely to provide formal training and are more active in monitoring performance and awarding performance-related bonuses), access to markets and finance. This gap offers natural value creation potential and makes a strong case for the benefits of private equity ownership, a point we have made since Brightstar's inception. But each of the gaps requires significant transformation and change management expertise - a CRM implementation or change in people management practices doesn't happen at the mere stroke of a pen, neither does a successful go-to-market strategy.
Corporate transformation and value creation are complicated processes, whether they incorporate AI or not. Ask the CEO of most companies, and they will tell you that their constraint is not the number of initiatives they want to implement. It is the availability of talent, experience and knowledge of what to prioritize. At Brightstar, we aim to solve for that with a strong team of operating partners and advisors that understand the corporate context from their own careers. They know when and how to engage third parties, and what to hire for when it comes to operational change.
It is also why at Brightstar we usually focus on 2-4 high-confidence value creation initiatives. Pick too many, and the organization cannot deliver due to talent constraints and change fatigue, even with a strong bench of operators. Pick too few, and the company is exposed to concentration risk as markets evolve, particularly with the accelerated pace that AI brings. The discipline of financial milestones and hold period provides a helpful framework for prioritization -making a strong case why particularly in the middle market, the combination of "good company plus operationally strong PE owner", is likely to create future winners as markets evolve and AI allows strong companies to punch above their weight against larger incumbents.
Two examples shown here illustrate our approach. At America's Group, we have implemented a Program Management Office (PMO) that has delivered in excess of $12M in operational efficiencies in the last year (with a further $3M in clear sight) and $15M in revenue uplift through disciplined pricing and channel strategy. It has also grown through a structured and disciplined approach of acquiring smaller auctions and integrating them well. The company is now in a position to embark on a wider AI transformation, having already seen success in pilots with targeted marketing campaigns enabled by AI tools.
Stratus, another platform, has set up a structure similar to America's PMO to enable the integration of M&A targets. The reality is that nearly three quarters of acquisitions fail against their targets. In our view, this is often due to a mindset of "signing the deal is all that matters", leading to two organizations languishing alongside for far too long - and the structure at Stratus is designed to mitigate that.
AI is capturing many headlines today, in our view with good reason. The technology's transformative potential is immense, possibly in line with or even greater than that of previous industrial and economic revolutions. But we believe it will not be unlocked without the less glamorous effort of change management and operational improvement that is needed to make it work - and only in combination will the two levers create the conditions for private equity owners to build great companies and deliver the commensurate returns for their investors. That is why for us the age of AI is also the age of Operations - and with the combination of a strong AI capability plus a team of 20 Operating Partners and Advisors, we believe we are well positioned to deliver on both.
Case Study: How Stratus Has Built an M&A Integration Function
In February 2025, Stratus acquired BREC, a North Carolina based engineering and consulting firm with strong expertise in environmental services. In order to facilitate this and following acquisitions, Stratus built and institutionalized an Integration Function, establishing a scalable, enterprise-wide framework across 50+ functional workstreams that standardizes execution, enhances visibility, and reduces integration risk while accelerating synergy realization across the platform; currently managing five concurrent integrations through a structured governance model supported by six workstream leads and 30+ task owners
* Established a centralized Integration Tracker serving as a single source of truth across allworkstreams, providing real-time visibility into milestones, risks, and dependencies, supported by weekly risk and forward-looking reporting and monthly executive analytics across all active integrations
* Implemented a disciplined operating cadence, including monthly cross-workstream reviews to assess integration status and dedicated monthly engagement with each acquisition's integration partners to gather feedback, address open items, and align on upcoming milestones
* Transformed integration from an ad hoc process into a repeatable, enterprise-scale capability with standardized playbooks, templates, and phased execution, further enhanced by the launch of a Partner Hub providing acquisitions with a centralized view of their integration roadmap, access to key communications, and direct connection to Stratus resources and support teams
Three workstreams were prioritized for the function
* One Stratus -- Led the transition of 8 legacy operating companies into One Stratus, using the rebrand to unify market identity, streamline the client experience, and reinforce Stratus 'positioning as an integrated national platform. Five remaining companies to operate under Stratus brand by January 1, 2027, with an additional two to follow
* ERP upgrade and roll-out across the organization
- Led by Integration Function, in collaboration with Brightstar Operating Partner who has decades of experience in IT Enterprise consulting and large-scale platform roll-out
- While the ERP upgrade represents a system transition at the interface level, its real impact is the enterprise-wide standardization of processes, data, and workflows across all 15 operating companies. This unified foundation, combined with integrated bolt-on capabilities for analytics and planning, enables real-time visibility into performance, improves operational consistency, and positions Stratus to identify growth opportunities, optimize resource allocation, and drive data-informed decision making at scale
* Cross-sell as a driver of EBITDA growth and equity value
- BREC is a prime example of Stratus cross-sell value creation: the business was acquired because its environmental engineering capabilities and North Carolina footprint were complementary to Stratus, with clear opportunity to introduce Stratus services into BREC's client base and take BREC capabilities across the broader platform
- BREC's EBITDA more than doubled for the remainder of 2025 post-acquisition as a result of cross-selling services across the platform. This mutual success became a flywheel for M&A origination, as the BREC management team introduced Stratus to the owners of Page Interworks. Stratus ultimately succeeded in acquiring Page Interworks and continues to evaluate opportunities through its strong existing partner relationships
- Following the 2025 acquisition of Kilian, Stratus has quickly become a top 10client via cross-selling, replacing external outsourcing with internal demand and demonstrating the platform's ability to capture revenue synergies, enhance margins, and drive integrated growth across the portfolio
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Original text here: https://brightstarcp.com/why-the-age-of-ai-is-the-age-of-operations/
[Category: BizFinancial Services]
