Go Green

CN is building the premier railway of the 21st century by investing in Michigan

HOMEWOOD, Ill., June 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) announced today plans to invest approximately $55 million in Michigan in 2022. This includes investments in technology, capacity, rolling stock units and company-wide decarbonization initiatives, as well as network improvements. These investments will power sustainable growth and ensure the continued safe movement of goods in Michigan and everywhere on CN’s transcontinental network.

“We continue to make significant investments in our network, technology, and capacity. We are building the premier railroad of the 21st century to do even more for our customers, railroaders, shareholders, and the communities in which we operate.”

• Sean Finn, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Services and Chief Legal Officer of CN

“CN’s railroad provides a key tunnel for commerce to flow between Port Huron and Sarnia, which is more critical now than ever before, due to supply chain issues. I’m grateful to CN for providing a quick and efficient way for goods to move between the United States and Canada, and appreciate their continued support and investment in our local economy.”

• Lisa McClain, U.S. Congresswoman, Michigan’s 10th Congressional District

Maintenance program highlights include:

• Replacing more than 4 miles of rail;
• Installing approximately 50,000 new railroad ties;
• Rebuilding 19 road crossing surfaces; and
• Maintenance work on bridges, culverts, signal systems, and other track infrastructure

Michigan in numbers:

• Capital investments: More than US$350 million in the last five years
• Employees: approximately 940
• Railroad route miles operated: 905
• Community partnerships: US$111,000 in 2021
• Local spending: US$107 million in 2021
• Cash taxes paid: US$2.4 million in 2021

Forward-looking Statements
Certain statements included in this news release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and under Canadian securities laws. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company cautions that its assumptions may not materialize and that current economic conditions render such assumptions, although reasonable at the time they were made, subject to greater uncertainty. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “assumes,” “outlook,” “plans,” “targets,” or other similar words. Forward-looking statements reflect information as of the date on which they are made. CN assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect future events, changes in circumstances, or changes in beliefs, unless required by applicable securities laws. In the event CN does update any forward-looking statement, no inference should be made that CN will make additional updates with respect to that statement, related matters, or any other forward-looking statement.

About CN
CN is a world-class transportation leader and trade-enabler. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. As the only railroad connecting Canada’s Eastern and Western coasts with the U.S. South through a 18,600-mile rail network, CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship.

Contacts:
Media	Investment Community
Mathieu Gaudreault	Paul Butcher
Senior Advisor	Vice-President
Media Relations	Investor Relations
514-249-4735 media@cn.ca	(514) 399-0052 investor.relations@cn.ca

SHANGHAI, China, June 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dada Nexus Limited (“Dada” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: DADA), China’s leading local on-demand delivery and retail platform, today released its first ESG report. The report details the Company’s key initiatives and development in areas pertaining to environmental, social and corporate governance issues.

Based on materiality assessment result, the Company identified ESG issues that matter most to its business and stakeholders, and summarized six key themes in the report. To view the report in full, please visit the ESG section on the Company’s IR website at https://ir.imdada.cn/corporate/environmental-social-and-governance. Highlights of the Company’s ESG efforts and performance include:

Responsible Governance

• Board diversity: The Company has a diversified board structure with female directors exceeding 57%, and directors are experienced in a wide range of industries and expertise.
• Anti-corruption efforts: Offline business ethics training covered 2,230 employees and online trainings covered 100% of employees in 2021. The Company’s anti-corruption efforts are recognized by both employees and partners.
• Strengthening cybersecurity: The Company had no major cybersecurity-related incidents in 2021. The well-functioning cybersecurity management system lays a solid foundation for business continuity and security.
• Improving ESG governance structure: The Company has strengthened the overall responsibility of the Board of Directors for ESG issues in 2021 and developed an ESG strategy in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Human Resources Development

• High-quality and diverse talent pool: In 2021, 1,482 employees newly joined the Company, with females accounting for more than 40%.
• Enhancing employee competencies: In 2021, various trainings covered 100% of employees. The Company’s e-learning platform “Dadao Learning Hub” provides more than 600 courses for employees to access at any time.
• Virtuous knowledge-sharing ecosystem: In 2021, the Company recognized around 150 employees as “Sharing Stars”, who created sharing contents of over 17,000-minute long.
• Multi-channel employee communications: As of end of 2021, the Company signed collective agreements with around 70% of its employees, protecting employee rights and interests in all aspects.

Quality Products and Services

• Implementing personal information protection: In 2021, the Company conducted training programs related to personal information protection covering 100% of employees. Both JDDJ and Dada Now Apps are upgraded to be in compliance with regulations.
• Ensuring fulfillment service quality: In the fourth quarter of 2021, the fulfillment rate of Dada Now intra-city delivery services exceeded 95%.
• Enriching supplies and expanding geographical coverage: In 2021, number of active retail stores on JDDJ was around 150,000, covering 1,800 cities and counties.
• Responding to users’ feedback and complaints: In 2021, the Company handled 920,000 cases of users’ complaints, with 100% of after-sales complaints settled.
• Establishing customer protection mechanism during special period: In 2021, the Company dynamically adjusted customer service capacity in response to the impact of the epidemic and flood, to guarantee the answer rate and timeliness of customer service.
• Exploring technology innovations: In 2021, the Company actively engaged in cooperation with industry partners and made innovative achievements such as the launch of “Dada autonomous delivery open platform”.

Enabling Partners

• Engaging in new forms of employment: In 2021, Dada Now added more than 3 million registered riders. The next-month retention rate of active crowdsourcing riders maintained high at over 80%.
• Enhancing rider health and safety protection: In 2021, the Company provided more than 1.5 million online training sessions for the riders, while actively preparing for the pilot program of work-related injury insurance.
• Empowering retailer with digital tools: By end of 2021, the Company’s Haibo system had been deployed in 6,000 retail chain stores, significantly improving the efficiency of merchants’ O2O operations.
• Expanding brand cooperation via digital marketing innovations: In 2021, the Company directly partnered with 215 brands, up 38% year over year.
• Promoting industry development: The Company’s efficient local retail model and on-demand delivery network contribute to ensuring basic living needs, promoting growth and stabilizing employment. The Company also opens up its digital solutions to enhance the overall industry efficiency.

Promoting “Green” Philosophy

• Responding to climate change: In 2021, the Company identified and assessed risks and opportunities arising from climate changes, laying a foundation for low-carbon transformation.
• Committed to green packaging: In 2021, nearly 80% of packaging materials provided by JDDJ were biodegradable, covering more than 70% of orders on JDDJ.
• Low-carbon operations throughout the value chain: The Company adopts low-carbon delivery modes while keeping optimizing delivery routes. In 2021, orders delivered by electric vehicles accounted for nearly 100% of total intra-city and last-mile delivery orders. Meanwhile, the Company provided a number of digital solutions to improve labor efficiency and thus helping reduce carbon emissions in upstream warehousing and picking operations.
• Fostering a green office culture: The Company launched a light-off campaign in 2021 to turn off light at office for one hour during noon, leading to a 4% reduction in electricity consumption.

Delivering Social Values

• Caring for children's education and well-being: In 2021, the Company launched the “Guardianship Program” and “Waiting for a Good Book - Squirrel Project” to promote children's healthy growth.
• Responding to social needs in a timely manner: In 2021, as a key enterprise appointed by local governments to ensure supply in pandemic-struck areas, the Company engaged in various initiatives to meet consumer needs while supporting merchants.
• Providing humanitarian assistance in disaster situations: In 2021, the Company supported the flood-stricken groups in Henan Province, including commission reduction to help merchants resume operations, and a series of caring measures to protect riders’ health and safety.
• Promoting digital inclusion: In 2021, the Company actively engaged in aging-friendly and barrier-free design for JDDJ App, which passed the assessment by MIIT in Jan 2022. During Jan to May 2022, the average monthly visits of the JDDJ Elderly Edition reached approximately 200,000, with total orders exceeding 120,000 and GMV around RMB20 million.

About Dada

Dada is a leading platform of local on-demand retail and delivery in China. It operates JDDJ, one of China’s largest local on-demand retail platforms for retailers and brand owners, and Dada Now, a leading local on-demand delivery platform open to merchants and individual senders across various industries and product categories. The Company’s two platforms are inter-connected and mutually beneficial. The Dada Now platform enables improved delivery experience for participants on the JDDJ platform through its readily accessible fulfillment solutions and strong on-demand delivery infrastructure. Meanwhile, the vast volume of on-demand delivery orders from the JDDJ platform increases order volume and density for the Dada Now platform.

For more information, please visit https://ir.imdada.cn/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “likely to” and similar statements. Among other things, quotations in this announcement, contain forward-looking statements. Dada may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Dada’s beliefs, plans and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Dada’s strategies; Dada’s future business development, financial condition and results of operations; Dada’s ability to maintain its relationship with major strategic investors; its ability to provide efficient on-demand delivery services and offer quality on-demand retail experience; its ability to maintain and enhance the recognition and reputation of its brands; general economic and business conditions globally and in China and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Dada’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Dada does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For investor inquiries, please contact:

Dada Nexus Limited
Ms. Caroline Dong
E-mail: ir@imdada.cn

Christensen

In China
Mr. Rene Vanguestaine
Phone: +86-178-1749 0483
E-mail: rvanguestaine@christensenir.com

In US
Ms. Linda Bergkamp
Phone: +1-480-614-3004
E-mail: lbergkamp@christensenir.com

For media inquiries, please contact:

Dada Nexus Limited
E-mail: PR@imdada.cn

The Great Place to Work designation demonstrates the company’s dedication to promoting a workplace of credibility, respect, fairness, pride, and camaraderie

HYDERABAD, India, June 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pythian Services Inc. (“Pythian”), a leading data, analytics, and cloud services company, announced today that its Indian subsidiary, Pythian India Private Limited Ltd. (“Pythian India”), has been Great Place to Work-Certified™ in India. The recognition is a testament to Pythian's commitment and ongoing efforts to build a transparent, High-Trust, High-Performance Culture™ for all employees. 

Great Place to Work-Certified™ companies exhibit equal opportunities for advancement and inclusive engagement practices. The Great Place to Work Model© is a workplace assessment used to evaluate an organization's culture and people practices based on their Trust Index© and Culture Audit©. The anonymous evaluation gathers employee feedback on several fundamental elements: credibility, respect, fairness, pride, and camaraderie.

“We are honored to receive this workplace designation in India where we have a growing and thriving part of our company,” said Keith Angell, CEO at Pythian. “This recognition as a top employer is a testament to what we try to live every day—an inclusive, equitable, and transparent culture. One of our mottos at Pythian is “people always” and we empower our teams to find work-life balance, give back to their communities, and function with integrity and respect. I believe combining these attributes with an environment that continually challenges our teams to learn and grow makes Pythian an extraordinary place to work.”

Pythian’s employee footprint in India has grown significantly in the last three years, from 25 team members in 2019 to 170 as of June 30, 2022. To accommodate this accelerated growth, Pythian India expanded its offices in Hyderabad by relocating to Aurobindo Galaxy, Hitech City. The organization also plans to open a new Bangalore office in Fall 2022. 

With nearly 500 employees worldwide, Pythian employs industry experts to help the world’s leading enterprises unlock the value of their data. Learn more about Pythian’s unique culture and career opportunities at https://pythian.com/careers/.

About Great Place to Work® Institute 

Great Place to Work® is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. The Institute serves businesses, non-profits, and government agencies in more than 60 countries and has conducted pioneering research on the characteristics of great workplaces for over three decades. For more information, visit www.greatplacetowork.in. 

In India, the institute partners with more than 1,100 organizations annually across over 22 industries to help them build High-Trust, High-Performance Cultures™ designed to deliver sustained business results. Hundreds of CEOs and CXOs from India Inc. are part of the great place community that is committed to the vision of making India a great place to work FOR ALL™.

About Pythian

Founded in 1997, Pythian is a leading global services company that helps organizations digitally transform by leveraging the power of data, analytics and the cloud. With a spectrum of solutions ranging from infrastructure modernization and data enablement to application acceleration and business collaboration, Pythian delivers full-lifecycle consulting, professional services and managed services to create outstanding business outcomes. For more information visit www.pythian.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and on our Blog.

Media Contacts

Elizabeth Walsh
Senior Vice President of Marketing
ewalsh@pythian.com
+1 612-605-3559        

Elisabeth Grant
Branch Out Public Relations
egrant@branchoutpr.com
+1 612-599-7797