Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 20, 2026) - CEO.CAMeet the Executive Shaping the Tech Landscape'Inside the Boardroom' is more than just an interview series - it's a chance to gain firsthand knowledge from industry leaders, understanding their vision, challenges, and strategy.We sit down with Evan Gappelberg, CEO of Nextech3D.ai (CSE: NTAR) (OTCQB: NEXCF) (FSE: 1SS) to review the company's breakout Q3 financial results. Evan details the fundamental shift in their business model — moving from lo ...

Core Viewpoint - Pershing Square, led by Bill Ackman, is facing a shareholder lawsuit regarding a deal with Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. that allegedly disadvantaged minority investors and granted Pershing Square significant control over the company [1][2]. Group 1: Lawsuit Details - The lawsuit claims that Ackman "coerced and bullied" Howard Hughes directors into agreeing to an "unfair" deal, which included a $900 million purchase of newly-issued shares, increasing Pershing Square's stake from approximately 37% to nearly 47% [2][3]. - The deal was executed at a 48% premium to the closing share price prior to the transaction, raising concerns about its fairness for minority investors [3]. - The lawsuit alleges that Ackman threatened the board members, leading them to approve the deal without securing a control premium for minority shareholders [5]. Group 2: Strategic Intent - Ackman aimed to transform Howard Hughes into a business model similar to Berkshire Hathaway, focusing on acquiring controlling stakes in various public and private companies [4]. - The deal included provisions for Howard Hughes to pay Pershing Square a steady stream of quarterly fees and appointed Ackman as executive chairman of the board [3]. Group 3: Historical Context - Ackman's involvement with Howard Hughes dates back to his investment in General Growth Properties, which spun off Howard Hughes in 2010, and he served as chairman until stepping down in 2024 [6].

Core Insights - Sallie Mae is a leader in the private student lending space, providing financing and resources to support college students in achieving their educational goals [1] Group 1: Business Model Transformation - Sallie Mae is undergoing a transformation of its business model, with a focus on strategic changes to enhance its operations and offerings [2] - The company is looking to achieve specific goals over the next few years as part of this transformation [2]

Core Insights - Southwest Airlines has experienced a significant stock surge of 18.7%, closing at $48.50, marking a four-year high and the largest single-day percentage gain since 1978 [1] - The airline has undergone substantial operational changes over the past two years, including the end of open boarding and the introduction of fees for checked bags and basic economy fares, aimed at increasing revenue [2] - The transition to assigned seating and paid options for preferred locations has enhanced pricing power and revenue predictability for the airline [3] Financial Performance - The stock has shown impressive growth, with a 56% increase over the past 52 weeks, a 63% rise in the last three months, and a 19% gain in the past month, indicating strong market confidence in the airline's transformation [6] - Despite the recent rally, the stock remains attractively valued at 14.13 times forward adjusted earnings and 0.82 times sales, both below industry averages and historical multiples [8] Strategic Initiatives - CEO Bob Jordan has indicated that the airline is exploring new revenue streams, including airport lounges, while focusing on cost-cutting and operational efficiency [4] - Management anticipates profits to quadruple by 2026, significantly exceeding analyst expectations, as the new revenue strategies reshape the business model for sustainable growth [4] Company Overview - Southwest Airlines, based in Dallas, Texas, operates a fleet of Boeing 737s and serves 117 airports across 11 countries, with a market capitalization of approximately $25.1 billion [5]

Core Insights - Acquiring Hollywood's largest studio would significantly alter the streaming giant's business model, but it would come at a high cost [1] Group 1: Business Model Transformation - The acquisition is expected to enhance the streaming giant's content library and production capabilities, potentially leading to increased subscriber growth and retention [1] - This move could position the company as a more formidable competitor in the streaming market, challenging existing players [1] Group 2: Financial Implications - The financial outlay for the acquisition is projected to be substantial, raising concerns about the impact on the company's balance sheet and cash flow [1] - Analysts suggest that the steep price tag could limit the company's ability to invest in other growth areas or manage existing debt [1]

Core Insights - Solutions30 has appointed Olivier Domergue as a member of the Group's Management Board, responsible for performance improvement [1][3] - The company is undergoing a transformation of its business model to restore operating margins, generate cash, and expand its customer base [2][6] - Domergue's experience in operational transformations and team leadership is expected to drive the Group's strategic roadmap [4][6] Company Strategy - Solutions30 aims to leverage its sectoral and geographical diversification to focus on new priorities, including restoring operating margins and generating cash [2][6] - The appointment of Olivier Domergue is part of strengthening governance to enhance operational and financial performance [3][6] Leadership Background - Olivier Domergue has a proven track record in improving performance and operational excellence, previously serving as Managing Director of SPIE France [4][5] - His leadership experience and understanding of business models are seen as significant assets for Solutions30 [5][6] Future Outlook - Domergue will officially assume his role on January 1, 2026, and will step down from the Supervisory Board [6] - The Supervisory Board expresses full support for Domergue's appointment and the Group's strategic roadmap [6] Company Overview - Solutions30 operates in 10 countries and has completed over 65 million call-outs, focusing on digital transformation and energy transition [7] - The company has led over 500 renewable energy projects with a combined output exceeding 1800 MWp [7]

Core Insights - Kartoon Studios has appointed Jeffrey Schlesinger, a veteran in global media, to its Board of Directors, which is expected to significantly impact the company's growth strategy [1][5][6] Company Overview - Kartoon Studios is a leading global producer and distributor of premium children's and family entertainment, with a strong portfolio of intellectual properties (IP) [7] - The company operates Mainframe Studios, one of North America's largest animation producers, delivering over 22,000 minutes of award-winning programming [7] Leadership Experience - Schlesinger brings over 30 years of experience, having previously led Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution, expanding its television business across more than 220 territories [2][4] - Under his leadership, Warner Bros. generated recurring revenue from iconic shows such as "Friends" and "Game of Thrones," and managed the world's largest animation library with over 10,000 episodes [2][3] Strategic Growth Plans - Schlesinger's appointment aligns with Kartoon Studios' ambitious growth plan to capture a larger share of the global kids' entertainment market [6] - The company aims to expand distribution for its premium IP portfolio, including new franchises based on "Winnie the Pooh" and the "Stan Lee Universe," while developing new revenue streams across various platforms [6][9] Business Model Transformation - Schlesinger is expected to accelerate the transformation of Kartoon Studios' business model by enhancing global distribution channels and leveraging his expertise in deal-making [9][10] - The focus will be on driving revenue growth through syndication, licensing, and international co-productions, as well as optimizing content exploitation across multiple platforms [9][10]

Core Viewpoint - Lucid Group is undergoing a significant transformation in its business model, shifting from a capital-intensive manufacturing focus to a technology licensing approach, particularly highlighted by its partnership with Uber Technologies [1][3][6] Group 1: Partnership with Uber - Lucid Group's stock surged by 40% following the announcement of a robotaxi partnership with Uber, which includes the sale of 20,000 vehicles and a $300 million cash infusion [1] - The partnership is seen as a strong endorsement of Lucid's technology, indicating that major transportation companies are willing to invest significantly in its technology stack [6] Group 2: Analyst Sentiment - While not universally praised, many Wall Street analysts expressed optimism about Lucid's future, with price targets suggesting potential upside ranging from 45% to 240% [2] - The excitement among analysts is largely driven by the anticipated shift in Lucid's revenue generation strategy [2] Group 3: Business Model Transformation - Lucid's current manufacturing model is capital-intensive, requiring continuous capital for vehicle production, contrasting with Uber's capital-light model that primarily relies on software [3] - The former CEO of Lucid indicated a desire for the company to derive only 20% of its sales from manufacturing, with the remaining 80% coming from technology licensing, which is less capital-intensive and offers higher margins [4]

Financial Performance - Revenue decreased by 7.9%, equivalent to USD 6.2 million year-over-year, due to reduced scheduled capacity as two aircraft were allocated to ACMI operations[31, 32] - EBIT fell by USD 3.6 million year-over-year, driven by a USD 6.2 million revenue drop and higher costs from ETS and ISK-related FX[34] - Cash position at the end of Q2 2025 was USD 11.9 million, including restricted cash[35] - PLAY secured subscription commitments totaling USD 20 million, equivalent to approximately ISK 2.4 billion, to be finalized in August[17, 36] - Shareholders' equity is negative at USD -81.1 million due to losses and tax asset write-off at year-end 2024[47] Operational Highlights - Passengers totaled 521 in Q2 2025 with a load factor of 83.2%[6] - ACMI operations generated USD 6 million in revenue[38, 39] - Yield per passenger from scheduled operations increased 4.1% year-over-year to USD 179[42] - Net Promoter Score (NPS) increased by 74% in Q2 2025 compared to Q2 2024[19, 20] Strategic Shift - Leisure destinations will make up 66% of PLAY's schedule in Q4 2025, compared to 25% in Q4 2024[61]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for the second quarter declined year over year to $26.6 million, primarily due to the loss of revenue from the VSAT airtime service [6][7] - Adjusted EBITDA rose to $2.7 million, a $1.7 million increase compared to the first quarter [7][15] - Airtime gross margin increased to 35.8%, up more than 4% sequentially from 31.5% [14] - Total subscribing vessels reached just above 8,000, an increase of 8.3% from the prior quarter and 13.5% from the beginning of the year [14] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - LEO revenue growth for the first time offset the decline in revenue from the legacy VSAT business [8][12] - The company shipped over 1,300 communication terminals for the second consecutive quarter, including Starlink and OneWeb terminals [7][8] - Commvox Edge subscribers increased by 24% compared to the previous year, with over 1,000 vessels subscribing to the KVH Link service [11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Strong demand for Starlink terminals and services was noted across commercial maritime and leisure marine markets [8] - The company is rapidly expanding Starlink land sales in Latin America to support various facilities [8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is transitioning from a geo-based hardware and service provider to a multi-orbit LEO-focused service provider [8][12] - The sale of headquarters and factory facilities is part of a strategic move to optimize operations, with a new combined facility planned for early 2026 [11][12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the ongoing transformation and noted that the LEO business continues to grow, with revenue and gross margins improving [16] - The company updated its guidance for 2025, projecting revenue between $107 million and $114 million and adjusted EBITDA between $8 million and $12 million [17] Other Important Information - The company completed the sale of its headquarters facility and expects to finalize the sale of its factory facility soon [11] - A stock repurchase program was executed, with over 242,000 shares bought back at a cost of approximately $1.25 million [12] Q&A Session Summary Question: Total number of activated Starlink terminals - The company reported approximately 2,500 standalone Starlink additions, with total net adds just short of 4,000 [20][22] Question: Differences between OneWeb and Starlink customers - Customers are seeking diversity between Starlink and OneWeb, with no significant preference noted [26] Question: GEO costs in the second half of the year - GEO costs are broadly fixed, but a slight increase is anticipated in Q3 and Q4 compared to Q2 [28] Question: Service margin outlook - The company aims to maintain service margins in the 35% to 40% range, with LEO revenue growth positively impacting margins [29] Question: Renewal discussions with Starlink and OneWeb - The company is in discussions regarding renewal with Starlink but could not disclose specific details about OneWeb [30][31] Question: Changes in customer demand patterns - No significant impact from tariffs or changes in global shipping demand has been observed [45]