WELLINGTON, New Zealand, June 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, the 2024 Ningbo City Image Exhibition was held at the Miramar Creative Centre in Wellington, New Zealand. The city image film "Ningbo" as well as six short films created by Chinese directors, including "Lost In Count", "What You Can't See", "Where do Ants sleep at Night", "Graveyard of Horses", were shown on site. Topics such as intimacy, women, man and nature, and artificial intelligence were explored, showcasing China's beautiful grasslands, the current state of contemporary life and traditional culture.
The screening was jointly curated by 30°Ningbo Short Film Festival and the New Zealand Showtime Short Film Festival, and it was also the first time that Ningbo's selected short films appeared in New Zealand! The venue attracted local film professionals, Victoria University film students, and New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) curators. The six short films screened left a deep impression on the audience with unique style and profound themes. The short film "Lost In Count" gave people a strong sense of impact, letting the audience feel the spirit of never give up on sports and competition. The short film "What You Can't See" is thought-provoking with its strong sense of picture and storyline. The short film "Graveyard of Horses" is a deep meditation on the subtle connection between women, animals and nature. At the end of the screening, the creators shared their behind-the-scenes stories and creative ideas with the audience in the form of a VCR. In the post-screening session, Lulu, a filmmaker from China, and Gina, Chairperson of Showme Short Film Festival, discussed "How to Find Inspiration and Transform it into Visual Storytelling".
Gina said she was glad to see that many New Zealanders love Chinese films, and hoped that this event could help people better understand China and bring the two peoples closer together. She also hopes to welcome more friends to go to China to have a walk, have a look and experience the beauty of China for themselves.
As the New Zealand stop of the overseas tour of the 2024 Ningbo City Image Exhibition, this event uses film and television as a bridge to dig deeper into the excellent traditional Chinese culture. The search for transnational emotional common factors and the realisation of Chinese stories to the world's culture is a path that contemporary filmmakers are constantly exploring.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Ningbo short film debuts in New Zealand, 2024 Ningbo City Image Exhibition Successfully Closed
Martin Sjolund appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, effective June 17, 2025
Vikram Atal to serve as senior advisor through December 31, 2025
NORFOLK, Va., April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- PRA Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRAA), a global leader in acquiring and collecting nonperforming loans, today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed President of PRA Group Europe Martin Sjolund to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective June 17, 2025. Sjolund succeeds current President and CEO Vikram Atal, who announced that he will retire and serve as a senior advisor through December 31, 2025. Sjolund will be appointed to the Board upon assuming the role of President and CEO, and Atal will retire from the Board at that time.
"On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Vik for his leadership of PRA Group during a pivotal time," said Executive Chair of the Board Steve Fredrickson. "Today's announcement is the culmination of the Board's ongoing succession planning process and commitment to enabling long-term, profitable growth."
"It has been a privilege to lead PRA Group through this transformative time in the company's history," said Atal. "Since March 2023, I have worked closely with Martin, and I am highly confident in his ability to further strengthen our global leadership position. His strong track record in our European business, extensive industry knowledge, thoughtful leadership and commitment to our culture and customers will build on our strengths and create meaningful value for our shareholders in the years to come."
"I am honored to have the opportunity to lead PRA Group as we enter our next phase of growth," said Sjolund. "As a team, we have already achieved record global portfolio purchases and double-digit cash growth, expanded our leadership team, improved operational processes and strengthened our capital structure. These actions have positioned us to continue driving the company forward while delivering value to our shareholders."
About Martin Sjolund
Sjolund has served as President of PRA Group Europe since 2018, providing leadership across 15 markets in Europe, Canada and Australia. During his tenure, Sjolund oversaw nearly $3 billion of successful portfolio investments across Europe, all while significantly improving the profitability of the European business. He led our expansion into two new markets, modernized the IT infrastructure and contact platforms, enhanced the data and analytics function and ultimately created one of Europe's most cost-efficient debt buying platforms.
Before being promoted to his current role, Sjolund served as Chief Operating Officer of Europe from 2015 until 2018. He was previously Director of Group Strategy and Corporate Development (Europe), a position he also held at Aktiv Kapital from 2011 until PRA Group acquired Aktiv Kapital in 2014.
Prior to joining Aktiv Kapital, Sjolund held leadership positions in global technology companies and was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in Singapore and London. Sjolund holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and is a graduate of Georgetown University.
About PRA Group
As a global leader in acquiring and collecting nonperforming loans, PRA Group, Inc. returns capital to banks and other creditors to help expand financial services for consumers in the Americas, Europe and Australia. With thousands of employees worldwide, PRA Group companies collaborate with customers to help them resolve their debt. For more information, please visit www.pragroup.com.
News Media Contact:
Elizabeth Kersey
Senior Vice President, Communications and Public Policy
(757) 641-0558
Elizabeth.Kersey@PRAGroup.com
Investor Contact:
Najim Mostamand, CFA
Vice President, Investor Relations
(757) 431-7913
IR@PRAGroup.com
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
PRA Group Announces Leadership Succession Plan
