Latest news with #Lyall
Cision Canada
6 hours ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
Royal LePage Benchmark Partners with Virtuo to Elevate the Agent and Client Experience
Partnership enables one of Alberta's leading brokerages to empower agents to deliver seamless, personalized, AI-empowered homeownership journeys. CALGARY, AB, July 23, 2025 /CNW/ - Virtuo, the AI-powered agent and buyer success platform that streamlines the homeownership journey, announced today a strategic partnership with Royal LePage Benchmark. Alberta's high-performing real estate brokerage will leverage Virtuo to equip their agents with an all-in-one platform to grow their business and enhance client experiences. With more than 200 agents, Royal LePage Benchmark is the largest Royal LePage franchise in Alberta and has built a reputation for excellence since its founding in 1978. Led by Corinne Lyall, the brokerage is committed to equipping its agents with innovative tools to differentiate themselves in the marketplace and live by its vision of "Helping You Is What We Do ®." "We are always looking for ways to support our agents in providing an exceptional client experience," said Lyall, Broker and Owner of Royal LePage Benchmark. "Virtuo gives our agents instant access to all brokerage tools in one platform while delivering a differentiated experience to their clients. This partnership is an investment in our agents and their success." Virtuo combines AI-driven technology with a human-led approach to enhance every stage of the homeownership experience. To date, Virtuo has helped 30,000 homebuyers transform the most stressful aspects of moving. HomieAI™ is designed specifically for individual agents and the homes they represent, delivering personalized insights and answering questions instantly, 24/7. Unlike generic chatbots, it draws from unique data provided by the agent, brokerage, and property to create a tailored experience for both clients and real estate professionals. Benchmark agents will benefit from Virtuo's AI-powered platform that delivers access to all the brokerage's tools, consistent branding and the ability to offer a differentiated experience that begins as soon as their clients go under contract on a home and extends through their homeownership journey. "Our collaboration with Royal LePage Benchmark marks a pivotal moment in real estate innovation and a shared vision of empowering agents with smart technology to create outstanding customer experience," said Virtuo Co-Founder and CEO Casey Kachur. "By leveraging AI to augment the personal touch, we're setting a new standard for real estate professionals, not just improving the agent and client experience – we're redefining it." About Royal LePage Benchmark Royal LePage Benchmark is a respected, award-winning, family-owned real estate brokerage based in Calgary, Alberta. With a proud history dating back to 1978, we've served Alberta communities for over 45 years. Originally launched under the Realty World brand, the company evolved under the leadership of founder Jan Lyall and her daughter Corinne Lyall, who became Broker/Owner in 2008. Today, Royal LePage Benchmark is home to over 200 full-time REALTORS® and a robust support team across multiple Alberta locations, including Calgary, Cochrane, Strathmore, Airdrie, and Fort McMurray. The brokerage has been nationally recognized with the Royal LePage Canada Brokerage of the Year (2020), Prairies Brokerage of the Year, and several National Technology, Charitable, and Recruiter of the Year awards. Led by Corinne Lyall and a dedicated leadership team, Royal LePage Benchmark is known for its commitment to professionalism, agent development, community involvement, and integrity. With a legacy of excellence and innovation, we continue to support our clients and REALTORS® with the tools, coaching, and culture to thrive. For more information, visit About Virtuo Virtuo is the leading AI-powered home concierge platform, streamlining the homeownership journey for builders, brokerages and service providers. By seamlessly integrating advanced technology with personalized service, Virtuo ensures a smooth experience from contract to move-in and beyond. Learn more at
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
The ICC: A members' club with a very small number of members
Writing in the Wisden, Gideon Haigh characterised the International Cricket Council (ICC) as 'an unloved beast that is ostensibly a global governing body but too often looks like a forum in which the representatives of national monopolies come to split the spoils of cricket's commercial exploitation.' In one of his more mellow moods, an ICC official once said that 'if we sold the television rights to ICC board meetings, we would make a fortune…' Another thought meetings of the ICC Executive Board are almost pointless, since 'Everything has been decided by the time they take place, on the basis who owes a favour to whom.' How did cricket get to where it is today? The glib answer is, the greatness of its players, from W.G. Grace to Virat Kohli, guided by a benevolent international governing body which has had only the game's interests at heart. If only. But while there are numerous biographies of Grace and Kohli, we haven't had someone getting into the nitty gritty of how the ICC ran the sport. Until now that is, when an Australian, Rod Lyall has, after deep research into primary sources published The Club: Empire, Power and the Governance of World Cricket. This is what the ICC has always been, 'a members' club, with a very small number of members', says the author. Today it is seen as merely an events management company, the real power being in the hands of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Changing times From colonial power to money power, from exclusivity to inclusion, from being a Commonwealth preserve to welcoming the wider world, from being seen as the MCC's Foreign Desk to an extension of the ruling BJP, and the possible take-over of the game by corporates, the journey of the ICC has been unique. No single country has the kind of clout India has in cricket in any other sport. Brazil might be football to many, but they don't rule it. The skewed position was built into the ICC from the start. As Lyall writes, the central objective (of the ICC) had been to 'concentrate power in a small number of hands, and to protect the interests of that small group at the expense of anyone else….the administrators had been consistent in their exploitation of race and class to maintain their grasp on power.' The eagerness with which the ICC is wooing the United States is ironical considering they were kept out for not being in the Commonwealth. 'The US might have been invited to join in 1909 but had been kept out by that unfortunate War of Independence back in the 1770s,' comments Lyall drily. The ICC has been chary about dealing with the big issues: corruption, politics, on-field changes, but has defended its turf keenly. By the 1930s, when the original three members had expanded to six with the inclusion of New Zealand, West Indies and India, it proposed that the founding members would have two votes and the newcomers just one each. It was only in 1947 that a First-Class match was defined. ICC meetings were 'the usual mixture of platitudes and procrastinations.' India's attempts to shake the grip on the game and its administration from England and Australia began with the shifting of the World Cup to the subcontinent in 1986-87 after the first three had been held in England. A few years later, the founding members lost the power of veto, and Jagmohan Dalmiya, speeded up the eastward shift. When the ICC shifted its headquarters from London to Dubai, one newspaper headline said simply, 'ICC Moves Closer to Money'. Dalmiya's membership drive not only gave India greater influence thanks to the votes the new countries had, it also hastened the acceptance of cricket into the Olympic fold. India's argument has been, since the time of N. Srinivasan, that when England and Australia were calling the shots, no one else had a say in matters but now it was India's turn. Srinivasan became the ICC's first chairman in 2014, and set about establishing India's suzerainty in the sport. Is the ICC a necessary evil or an unnecessary do-gooder or a mix of the two depending on the situation? The Club gives us the background to decide for ourselves.
Glasgow Times
18-06-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow University study sheds light on Alzheimer's risk
The research, led by the University of Glasgow, published in the journal npj Dementia, found that while better memory, reasoning, and reaction times were linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease up to 15 years later, this protective effect was significantly reduced in people with a higher genetic risk. Researchers focused on the APOE e4 genotype, which is present in roughly one in four people and is the strongest known genetic predictor of late-onset Alzheimer's. Read more: Glasgow drugs trial to use genetics to 'personalise' treatments A single copy of the APOE e4 gene increases Alzheimer's risk threefold, while two copies raise the risk by twelvefold. Dr Donald Lyall, senior lecturer in population brain health at the University of Glasgow's School of Health and Wellbeing, said: "Our study adds to the knowledge gap that exists on the relationship between genetic factors, cognitive health generally, and subsequent risk of dementia in later life. "Our findings suggest that genetics plays a more significant role than previously thought and may influence the risk or protection conferred by other factors like premorbid cognitive health." In the study, people with above-average reasoning ability were found to have a 36% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's within 15 years. However, for those who also carried the APOE e4 gene, the risk reduction dropped to just 21%. More strikingly, individuals with high reasoning skills but who carried the APOE e4 genotype were more likely to develop Alzheimer's than those with below-average reasoning but no genetic risk factor. The researchers analysed data from over 252,000 UK Biobank participants aged 55 and older, with the average age at the start of the study being just over 62. To ensure long-term accuracy, individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's within two years of testing were excluded. Researchers excluded individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's within two years of cognitive testing. The study reinforces the challenges in identifying effective therapies for Alzheimer's, particularly given the influence of genetic factors. Read more: Public urged to shape health board's anti-racism strategy - how you can help Dr Lyall said: "Our study has important implications regarding dementia; namely that genetics clearly plays a significant role in influencing someone's overall risk of Alzheimer's disease as they age." The findings underscore the complex interplay between cognitive health and genetics and the challenges in developing therapies that can effectively prevent or treat Alzheimer's. While cognitive resilience still matters, the research highlights the urgent need to understand genetic risk factors in the fight against one of the world's most devastating neurodegenerative conditions.
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Council Purchases Strategic CBD Site
Press Release – Marlborough District Council This purchase is about future proofing a vital part of Blenheims town centre for future development opportunities. The site is next to an iconic Council asset Te Kahu o Waipuna a special building which has quickly established itself as … A site on High Street next to the Marlborough Library and Art Gallery at Te Kahu o Waipuna has been purchased by Marlborough District Council. The property, zoned Business One in the Marlborough Environment Plan, is made up of five freehold titles with frontages to both High Street and Wynen Street and is 1147sqm in area. Mayor Nadine Taylor said the chance to purchase a strategic site such as this did not happen often and was an opportunity Council could not afford to miss. 'This purchase is about future proofing a vital part of Blenheim's town centre for future development opportunities. The site is next to an iconic Council asset – Te Kahu o Waipuna – a special building which has quickly established itself as a hub for our community. Council has decided to secure the site to ensure what is developed is complementary to our library and art gallery, adds value to our CBD and to our community at large. 'It also gives us a chance to talk more broadly about the future of Blenheim's CBD as we explore options for the best long-term use of this site. We are keen to get the community's input and this will happen as part of Council's planning processes,' Mayor Taylor said. Group Manager Property and Community Facilities Jamie Lyall said a valution was obtained for the property and the agreed purchase price was within 10 per cent of that valution. The purchase will be loan funded from existing budgets for the first year. 'This purchase shows Council is prepared to invest in the future of the Blenheim CBD. We know there are challenges out there for our retail sector and that the town centre has been changing over time. 'Over the past three or four years we have had numerous approaches to Council with ideas for developments in the centre of town including parking, apartments and pocket parks. With this acquisition, we are demonstrating Council is committed to the future development of Blenheim's central business district. 'Step one is to secure the site so we can then consider all future options for it and engage with the public to have their say about its longer term use. We are also keen in the more immediate term to improve the site and Council will confirm the plan for this once finalised,' Mr Lyall said. With its current zoning, 100 per cent site coverage could be allowed with any development with a permitted building height up to 20m. 'It is advantageous for Council to be able to control future development of the site so that whatever is done is complementary to the library and art gallery and The Quays public space,' Mr Lyall said.
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Council Purchases Strategic CBD Site
Press Release – Marlborough District Council This purchase is about future proofing a vital part of Blenheims town centre for future development opportunities. The site is next to an iconic Council asset Te Kahu o Waipuna a special building which has quickly established itself as … A site on High Street next to the Marlborough Library and Art Gallery at Te Kahu o Waipuna has been purchased by Marlborough District Council. The property, zoned Business One in the Marlborough Environment Plan, is made up of five freehold titles with frontages to both High Street and Wynen Street and is 1147sqm in area. Mayor Nadine Taylor said the chance to purchase a strategic site such as this did not happen often and was an opportunity Council could not afford to miss. 'This purchase is about future proofing a vital part of Blenheim's town centre for future development opportunities. The site is next to an iconic Council asset – Te Kahu o Waipuna – a special building which has quickly established itself as a hub for our community. Council has decided to secure the site to ensure what is developed is complementary to our library and art gallery, adds value to our CBD and to our community at large. 'It also gives us a chance to talk more broadly about the future of Blenheim's CBD as we explore options for the best long-term use of this site. We are keen to get the community's input and this will happen as part of Council's planning processes,' Mayor Taylor said. Group Manager Property and Community Facilities Jamie Lyall said a valution was obtained for the property and the agreed purchase price was within 10 per cent of that valution. The purchase will be loan funded from existing budgets for the first year. 'This purchase shows Council is prepared to invest in the future of the Blenheim CBD. We know there are challenges out there for our retail sector and that the town centre has been changing over time. 'Over the past three or four years we have had numerous approaches to Council with ideas for developments in the centre of town including parking, apartments and pocket parks. With this acquisition, we are demonstrating Council is committed to the future development of Blenheim's central business district. 'Step one is to secure the site so we can then consider all future options for it and engage with the public to have their say about its longer term use. We are also keen in the more immediate term to improve the site and Council will confirm the plan for this once finalised,' Mr Lyall said. With its current zoning, 100 per cent site coverage could be allowed with any development with a permitted building height up to 20m. 'It is advantageous for Council to be able to control future development of the site so that whatever is done is complementary to the library and art gallery and The Quays public space,' Mr Lyall said.
