{"id":508478,"date":"2021-06-30T16:18:24","date_gmt":"2021-06-30T20:18:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/skillsoft-acquires-pluma-to-expand-leadership-development-capabilities\/"},"modified":"2021-06-30T16:18:24","modified_gmt":"2021-06-30T20:18:24","slug":"skillsoft-acquires-pluma-to-expand-leadership-development-capabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/skillsoft-acquires-pluma-to-expand-leadership-development-capabilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Skillsoft Acquires Pluma to Expand Leadership Development Capabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Skillsoft Acquires Pluma to Expand Leadership Development Capabilities<\/b><\/p>\n

Pluma\u2019s Innovative, Scalable Platform Enables Organizations to Build the Next Generation of Leaders with Personalized Coaching<\/i><\/p>\n

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE<\/a>)–Skillsoft Corp.<\/a> (NYSE: SKIL) (\u201cSkillsoft\u201d or the \u201cCompany\u201d), a global leader in corporate digital learning, today announced it has acquired Pluma, Inc. (\u201cPluma\u201d), a leading digital professional development and executive-quality coaching platform, for approximately $22 million in cash. The acquisition deepens Skillsoft\u2019s Leadership Development portfolio, adds a new modality to its blended learning model, and marks the Company\u2019s entry into individualized coaching.\n<\/p>\n

\nPersonalized coaching is an area of growing global demand as organizations seek to foster critical leadership competencies while adapting to the rapidly changing ways their leaders work, learn, and grow in the digital economy. The International Coaching Federation estimates that the number of leadership coach practitioners increased by 33% globally between 2015 and 2019, with the number of leaders using coaches rising by 46%.\n<\/p>\n

\nPluma\u2019s responsive SaaS solution accelerates the professional growth and development of leaders through personalized introspective coaching, assessments, and action plans designed to drive behavioral change. The experience is delivered via in-app messaging and video sessions, tailored to meet the specific needs of an organization while driving engagement, enablement, and measurable improvement. Pluma\u2019s global network comprises hundreds of executive coaches across six continents speaking more than 20 languages. Pluma will be integrated into Skillsoft\u2019s AI-driven, immersive Percipio platform, and the Company\u2019s existing customers will gain access to Pluma\u2019s highly skilled coaches and their expertise.\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cWe are committed to accelerating our growth by acquiring businesses with comprehensive, industry-leading content and solutions that will benefit our current and future customers,\u201d said Jeffery R. Tarr, Chief Executive Officer of Skillsoft. \u201cThe shift from classroom to digital and blended learning has continued to increase demand for personalized virtual coaching to help companies address leadership blind spots and develop talent. Pluma\u2019s solution quickly addresses gaps and achieves meaningful, quantifiable improvement with a highly scalable model. We are excited to bring Pluma\u2019s innovative solution to our customers around the world.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\nAlexandra Connell, Pluma\u2019s Co-Founder and CEO, said, \u201cWith its award-winning Percipio platform and global enterprise customer base serving approximately 70% of the Fortune 1000, Skillsoft is the ideal partner for Pluma. Combined, we will make leadership development far more accessible by moving one-on-one leadership coaching beyond the executive levels to managers and individual contributors within companies. We believe that our customers will also benefit from Skillsoft\u2019s blended learning model and industry-leading content, and we look forward to accelerating our vision for the future of leadership development together with Skillsoft.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

About Skillsoft<\/b><\/p>\n

\nSkillsoft (NYSE: SKIL) is a global leader in corporate digital learning, serving approximately 70% of the Fortune 1000, customers in over 160 countries and more than 45 million learners globally. Skillsoft provides enterprise-grade solutions for learning to prepare companies and their learners for the future of work. The Company\u2019s solutions are an advantage for the entire enterprise, enabling organizations to overcome critical skill gaps, drive demonstrable behavior-change and unlock the potential in their greatest assets \u2013 their people. <\/i>Skillsoft offers the world\u2019s most comprehensive suite of premium, authorized, and original content, including the broadest and deepest library of technology & developer curricula, and multiple learning modalities that dramatically increase learner engagement and retention. Skillsoft\u2019s offerings are anchored in Percipio, its award-winning, AI-driven, immersive learning platform designed to make learning easier, more accessible and more effective. Learn more at www.skillsoft.com<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

About Pluma<\/b><\/p>\n

\nFounded in 2015, Pluma\u2019s customizable digital platform offers executive-quality coaching that is personal, scalable, actionable and measurable. At Pluma, we are committed to leading with authenticity, and providing outstanding service. Pluma partners with Fortune 1000 clients and global enterprises including Adobe, Dropbox, and Gap Inc. to support and develop their employees so they can thrive as leaders.\n<\/p>\n

Forward-Looking Statements<\/b><\/p>\n

\nThis document includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, \u201cforward-looking statements\u201d within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created by those laws. These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results of our operations. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that address activities, events or developments that we expect or anticipate may occur in the future, including such things as our outlook, our product development and planning, our pipeline, future capital expenditures, financial results, the impact of regulatory changes, existing and evolving business strategies and acquisitions and dispositions, demand for our services and competitive strengths, goals, the benefits of new initiatives, growth of our business and operations, our ability to successfully implement our plans, strategies, objectives, expectations and intentions are forward-looking statements. Also, when we use words such as \u201cmay,\u201d \u201cwill,\u201d \u201cwould,\u201d \u201canticipate,\u201d \u201cbelieve,\u201d \u201cestimate,\u201d \u201cexpect,\u201d \u201cintend,\u201d \u201cplan,\u201d \u201cprojects,\u201d \u201cforecasts,\u201d \u201cseeks,\u201d \u201coutlook,\u201d \u201ctarget,\u201d goals,\u201d \u201cprobably,\u201d or similar expressions, we are making forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Skillsoft\u2019s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. All forward-looking disclosure is speculative by its nature.\n<\/p>\n

\nThere are important risks, uncertainties, events and factors that could cause our actual results or performance to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements contained in this document, including:\n<\/p>\n