SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 19, 2024--
Presented by Human Resources Online, global employee benefits specialist Pacific Prime CXA ’s Flex Portal was honored with the Bronze Award for Best HR Management System (SMB) at the HR Vendors of the Year Awards in Singapore.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219490281/en/
A resounding echo of last year, where the company won the Bronze Award for Best HR Management System (Enterprise), Pacific Prime CXA has gone to outstanding lengths to remain a top insurance broker in terms of HR management systems and international health insurance, retaining their unique position as the only broker to win awards in this category.
The HR Vendors of the Year, which took place on November 8th, 2024, stands as a distinguished annual ranking with a longstanding history dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the premier HR solutions providers in Asia. This year’s edition of the awards was held at the Sofitel Singapore City Centre, where Singapore’s most forward-thinking solution providers converged.
Voted as a top 3 HR management system, Pacific Prime CXA's Flex Portal is a state-of-the-art benefits management system designed specifically to address the needs of small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). In an era of evolving workforce demands and an increasingly competitive talent market, this platform empowers HR teams and employees by streamlining employee benefits administration and boosting staff engagement. With features such as real-time eWallet updates, seamless integration with third-party providers, and a highly customizable interface, the Flex Portal simplifies complex insurance mechanisms, ensuring efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
For HR teams, the portal automates administrative processes, reduces manual workloads, and provides a centralized platform for managing flex and insurance claims. Employees, on the other hand, benefit from a user-friendly interface that offers a personalized experience, from adjusting life and medical insurance coverage to accessing wellness resources and tailored health assessments. Additional features like OCR receipt scanning, a clinic locator, and in-app purchases further enhance its convenience.
By addressing the unique challenges of SMBs, the Flex Portal maximizes return on investment through flexibility and strategic cost management. With a commitment to continuous improvement and user-centric design, Pacific Prime CXA positions the Flex Portal as a vital tool for businesses seeking to thrive in a dynamic global environment.
Heena Bose, CEO at Pacific Prime CXA, shared:
"This recognition is a testament to the hard work and innovation of our talented team. The Flex Portal was designed with a strong commitment to helping small and medium-sized businesses attract and retain top talent. We remain focused on ongoing innovation, and with continued collaboration, we are confident that the Flex Portal will continue to shape the future of HR management and employee benefits, enabling businesses and their employees to thrive in a rapidly changing world.”
To learn more about Pacific Prime CXA’s Flex Portal, please visit: https://www.pacificprime.com/corporate/pacificprime-cxa-portal
About Pacific Prime
Established in 2000, Pacific Prime is an award-winning global insurance brokerage and employee benefits specialist that offers international health insurance and corporate insurance solutions. With a USD $1 billion premium under management, Pacific Prime is now the third largest employee benefits broker in the Asia Pacific. The brokerage has over 1,000 employees and 15 offices worldwide, including Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Thailand, Malaysia, the UAE, Indonesia, the UK, the US, Mexico, the Philippines, and Australia.
To learn more about Pacific Prime, please visit: https://www.pacificprime.com/corporate
Pacific Prime CXA Wins HR Online’s Prestigious VOTY 2024 HR Management System (SMB) Award. (Photo: Business Wire)
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin 15-year-old who shot and killed a teacher and a fellow student Monday was only in her first semester at the school but seemed to be settling in, a school official said Thursday as families of the victims remembered them as people of faith who had deep connections within the Christian school.
Abundant Life Christian School student Rubi Patricia Vergara, 14, of Madison and teacher Erin West, 42, of DeForest were killed Monday. Two other students who were shot remained hospitalized Thursday in critical condition.
Barbara Wiers, the school’s director for elementary and communications, told The Associated Press that the attack lasted eight minutes — shorter than the school’s regular snack break. She said the community’s faith and connection to one another has sustained them as they struggle with the possibility that the shooter’s motive might remain undetermined.
“Are we broken right now? Yes. Are we bruised and battered? Yes," she said. “But we will laugh again, and He will turn our mourning into joy again. And we will go on.”
Police say student Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow killed herself at the school and died at a Madison hospital. Police have said her motivation for the attack remains a key part of their investigation.
This was Rupnow’s first semester at ACLS, Wiers said. The school was working with her family on attendance, but teachers had no significant concerns, she said.
“I pray for this family because right now they’ve lost a daughter and they are wounded," she said. "And they’re dealing with the fact that their daughter did this terrible thing and hurt these other people. It has to be one of the loneliest, bitterest places to be.”
Vergara's funeral is set for Saturday at City Church, which is adjacent to the school, and West's funeral is Monday at Doxa Church in Madison, where she was a member, according to obituaries published Wednesday and Thursday.
West had worked at the school for four years and is the mother of three daughters, according to her obituary. She enjoyed camping with family, attending school sporting events, serving at Doxa Church and spending time with her daughters and the rest of her family, the obituary said.
“ALCS is a better school for the work of Erin West,” the school said in a statement.
West worked three years as a substitute teacher before accepting a staff position as the sub coordinator and in-building substitute teacher, according to the statement.
“She served our teachers and students with grace, humor, wisdom, and — most importantly — with the love of Jesus,” the school said. “Her loss is a painful and deep one and she will be greatly missed not just among our staff, but our entire ALCS family.”
Vergara was a freshman at the school and “an avid reader, loved art, singing and playing keyboard in the family worship band,” according to her obituary.
The school described her as gentle and loving.
“Rubi was a blessing to her class and our school,” the school said. “She was not only a good friend, but a great big sister. Often seen with a book in hand, she had a gift for art and music.”
Attempts to obtain comment from relatives of West and Vergara have been unsuccessful.
The shooter brought two guns to the school. A man in California told authorities he had been messaging her about attacking a government building with a gun and explosives, according to a restraining order issued against him Tuesday under California’s gun red flag law. The order required the 20-year-old Carlsbad man to turn his guns and ammunition in to police within 48 hours, but it’s unclear Thursday whether he complied, would be charged or was in custody.
The order didn’t say what building he had targeted or when he planned to launch his attack. It also didn’t detail his interactions with Rupnow except to state that the man was plotting a mass shooting with her.
A spokesperson for the Carlsbad Police Department said federal authorities were leading the investigation and “we do not believe there is a threat to our city.”
Police, with the assistance of the FBI, were scouring online records and other resources and speaking with the shooter's parents and classmates in an attempt to determine a motive, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said Wednesday.
Police don't know if anyone was targeted or if the attack had been planned in advance, the chief said.
While Rupnow had two handguns, Barnes said he does not know how she obtained them and he declined to say who purchased them, citing the ongoing investigation.
No decisions have been made about whether Rupnow's parents might be charged, but they have been cooperating, Barnes said.
Online court records show no criminal cases against her father, Jeffrey Rupnow, or her mother, Mellissa Rupnow. They are divorced and shared custody of their daughter, but she primarily lived with her father, according to court documents.
Abundant Life is a nondenominational Christian school of about 420 students that offers prekindergarten classes through high school.
Adam Rostad, who lives near Madison, went to ALCS from kindergarten through high school. His grandfather was pastor of the church that helped establish the school, and his mother and aunt both worked there.
Rostad said Thursday that even though he graduated about 20 years ago and doesn’t even consider himself a “church person” any longer, ALCS is family.
He has collected a list of about 440 people who are eager to either cook meals or buy gift cards for those affected and is coordinating with the school and church to make sure that’s the best way to help.
“Bullets don’t really care what your faith is, or if you have one," Rostad said. "They really don’t.”
Dell’Orto reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press Writer Ryan J. Foley in Iowa City, Iowa, contributed to this report.
Madison Police chief Shon F. Barnes speaks at a news conference Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Madison, Wis., following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Flowers and candles are placed outside the Abundant Life Christian School Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024 in Madison, Wis., following a shooting on Monday. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Supporters sign crosses during a candlelight vigil Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, outside the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison, Wis., following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, Dec. 16. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
A supporter holds a candle during a candlelight vigil Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, outside the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison, Wis., following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, Dec. 16. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Supporters sign crosses during a candlelight vigil Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, outside the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison, Wis., following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, Dec. 16. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway speaks during a candlelight vigil Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, outside the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison, Wis., following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, Dec. 16. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Supporters hold candles during a candlelight vigil Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, outside the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison, Wis., following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, Dec. 16. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Supporters hold candles during a candlelight vigil Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, outside the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison, Wis., following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, Dec. 16. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Supporters hold candles during a candlelight vigil Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, outside the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison, Wis., following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, Dec. 16. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Supporters hold candles during a candlelight vigil Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, outside the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison, Wis., following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, Dec. 16. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
A supporter signs a cross during a candlelight vigil Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, outside the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison, Wis., following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, Dec. 16. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Supporters hold candles during a candlelight vigil Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, outside the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison, Wis., following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, Dec. 16. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Police tape remained after a shooting Monday at Abundant Life Christian School on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024 in Madison, Wis. (AP photo/Mark Vancleave)
Supporters hold candles during a candlelight vigil Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, outside the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison, Wis., following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, Dec. 16. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Dan Beazley stands with the homemade cross he brought from Michigan for victims of a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Mark Vancleave)
