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Novo Executive Search supports Smiths News with Managing Director appointment to scale £10m Recycling division
Bristol, UK / 16.04.2026
Bristol, UK – Smiths News has appointed a Managing Director to lead the expansion of its Recycling division, a key leadership role aligned to the company’s five-year transformation strategy.
Operating across 34 sites with a network of 2,400 colleagues and partners, Smiths News is building new profit streams beyond its core distribution model. Recycling is a key part of this, built on existing reverse logistics capability and a national route network already servicing more than 5,000 customers.
The newly appointed Managing Director will lead the next phase of growth, with full P&L responsibility and regular engagement with the PLC Board. The mandate is to scale the division into a £10m profit stream through commercial growth, operational execution, and the development of strategic partnerships and acquisition opportunities.
Novo Executive Search supported the appointment, working closely with the Chief Executive and leadership team to define the role and identify leaders with relevant sector and commercial experience.
The search focused on candidates with a background in recycling and environmental services, alongside experience in scaling business units within regulated environments. Assessment centred on P&L ownership, go-to-market strategy, regulatory understanding, and the ability to influence at Board level.
Smiths News appointed a Managing Director with sector experience and a commercially focused approach to growth. Since joining, the new leader has begun refining the division’s strategic direction, strengthening customer acquisition, and reviewing partnership and acquisition opportunities to support expansion.
Early activity has established clearer commercial metrics, improved alignment across internal teams, and accelerated the development of growth initiatives across the division.
This appointment provides Smiths News with the leadership structure required to scale its recycling business and support long-term growth beyond its core market.
About Novo Executive Search
Novo Executive Search is a privately owned executive search firm specialising in board and senior executive appointments across multiple sectors, both nationally and internationally. The firm supports organisations to define leadership requirements and secure executive candidates aligned to strategy, governance, and long-term performance.
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Schwab Earning Cash Management Concerns Weigh on Stock Despite Robust Results
WESTLAKE, TX
The Charles Schwab Corporation today reported strong quarterly financial results, showcasing solid revenue growth and continued client engagement. However, investor sentiment remained cautious as concerns surrounding the company’s cash management dynamics weighed on its stock performance.
The company delivered better-than-expected earnings, driven by higher net interest revenue, increased trading activity, and steady asset inflows. Schwab’s diversified business model and expanding client base contributed to overall resilience in a competitive financial services landscape.
Despite these positive indicators, analysts and investors expressed concerns over ongoing shifts in client cash allocation. The migration of client cash into higher-yielding alternatives has put pressure on Schwab’s net interest margins, a key driver of profitability. This trend, while industry-wide, has raised questions about the sustainability of earnings growth in the near term.
“Our performance this quarter reflects the strength of our client-first strategy and the durability of our business model,” said a Schwab spokesperson. “At the same time, we are actively managing through a dynamic rate environment and evolving client preferences.”
Schwab emphasized its proactive approach to balance sheet management, including adjustments to funding strategies and continued focus on expense discipline. The company also highlighted its commitment to delivering long-term value through innovation, technology investments, and client service enhancements.
Market reaction to the earnings release was mixed, with shares experiencing pressure following the announcement, reflecting investor sensitivity to cash sorting trends and margin outlook.
Looking ahead, Schwab remains focused on navigating macroeconomic uncertainties while capitalizing on growth opportunities across its core business segments. The firm reaffirmed its long-term strategy centered on client engagement, operational efficiency, and sustainable financial performance.
About The Charles Schwab Corporation
The Charles Schwab Corporation is a leading provider of financial services, offering a full range of brokerage, banking, and advisory solutions to individual investors and institutions worldwide.
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UK Testing Specialist Intertek Rejects EQT’s £9.3bn Takeover Proposal
London, UK
Intertek Group plc, a leading provider of quality assurance, testing, inspection, and certification services, today confirmed that it has rejected a £9.3 billion takeover proposal from EQT AB.
The Board of Intertek carefully reviewed the unsolicited proposal and determined that it significantly undervalues the company and its long-term growth prospects. As a result, the Board has unanimously decided to reject the offer, stating that it is not in the best interests of shareholders.
Intertek emphasized its strong market position, diversified global operations, and continued momentum across key sectors, including consumer goods, healthcare, and industrial services. The company highlighted its strategic initiatives and robust financial outlook as key drivers of sustainable value creation.
“We remain confident in Intertek’s strategy and future growth trajectory,” said a spokesperson for the company. “Our focus continues to be on delivering high-quality services, expanding our global footprint, and generating long-term value for our stakeholders.”
EQT AB, one of Europe’s largest investment organizations, has been actively pursuing opportunities in the testing, inspection, and certification sector as part of its broader investment strategy. However, Intertek’s leadership indicated that the current proposal does not adequately reflect the company’s intrinsic value or future potential.
Intertek reassured investors that it remains open to opportunities that align with its strategic vision and shareholder interests but reiterated that any proposal must fully recognize the company’s value.
About Intertek Group plc
Intertek Group plc is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. With a network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices across over 100 countries, Intertek delivers innovative and bespoke assurance, testing, inspection, and certification solutions for customers’ operations and supply chains.
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Happy Horse 1.0 Surges to No.1 in Pure Visual Quality on Artificial Analysis Video Arena
Montgomery, Alabama
Happy Horse has surged to the top of the Artificial Analysis Video Arena — the trusted blind human-vote Elo leaderboard — in pure visual quality. While other models focus primarily on motion control and audio synchronization, Happy Horse 1.0 prioritizes what truly makes videos feel premium: hyper-realistic textures, film-grade lighting, rich color grading, and artistic consistency that gives every frame the polish of a $10 million Hollywood production.

Major players such as Kuaishou and ByteDance continue to deliver strong technical advances, yet HappyHorse 1.0 stands out as the model that prompts viewers to pause and say, “This actually looks real.” Tests conducted on the generator at happy-horse.art confirm next-level output, including soft volumetric lighting, intricate material details, natural skin tones, and exceptional character consistency across shots — all achieved without additional prompting.
Artificial Analysis Video Arena: What It Is and Why It Matters
The Artificial Analysis Video Arena remains the most respected blind-testing platform for video generation models. Real creators vote on side-by-side clips without knowing which model produced them. Elo scores update in real time based on thousands of preference votes, providing a transparent benchmark free of self-reported metrics or marketing claims.
It is especially effective at separating hype from actual performance in categories focused on pure visual beauty.
Current Leaderboard Snapshot (Apr 15, 2026) – Pure Visual Quality
|
Rank |
Model |
Elo Score |
Key Strength |
|
1 |
Happy Horse 1.0 |
1295 |
Photorealism & cinematic beauty |
|
2 |
Kling 3.0 |
1289 |
Motion Control & physics |
|
3 |
Dreamina Seedance 2.0 |
1225–1275 |
Multimodal + audio sync |
|
4 |
SkyReels V4 |
1141 |
Speed |
Source: Artificial Analysis Video Arena (live data). Happy Horse 1.0 also leads in multiple Image-to-Video and aesthetic subcategories.

What We Know About Happy Horse 1.0
All information in this section is drawn directly from the official Happy Horse platform at happy-horse.art. While leaderboard results and live demos are publicly available, comprehensive independent third-party verification of every technical specification remains ongoing as of April 15, 2026.
Core Claims (Architecture / Parameters / Functionality)
- Hyper-Photorealistic Visual Engine: Trained specifically for maximum aesthetic fidelity, the model delivers film-like lighting, volumetric god rays, intricate textures, realistic skin/hair/cloth physics, and professional color grading.
- Exceptional Character & World Consistency: It maintains industry-leading persistent identity across shots — consistent faces, bodies, clothing, and style with minimal drift. World coherence (lighting, shadows, atmosphere) remains stable even in multi-shot generations.
- Cinematic Quality at Scale: Outputs support 2K resolution, 5–15 second clips, and multiple aspect ratios. The model handles text-to-video, image-to-video, and reference-image control using natural language prompts.
- Artistic Intelligence: The system demonstrates strong understanding of mood, style references (cinematic, anime, documentary, etc.), and subtle emotional tones.
- Production-Ready Output: Generations are clean and highly detailed, typically requiring almost no post-production for visual polish.
What’s Still Unverified / The Gap
- Exact parameter count and full training methodology (the team provides minimal model cards).
- Depth of native audio and lip-sync features (visuals remain the primary focus; audio performance is solid but not the headline capability).
- Maximum clip length beyond 15 seconds without using chaining tools.
- Open-source status: the model is currently fully closed and proprietary.
Access Status
- Claims vs Reality: Fully live with generous free credits.
- Demo / Try Now: Available at the dedicated model page.
- API: Available for high-volume users.
- Open Weights / Local: No — cloud-only.
Builder Implications / What This Means for Creators and Teams
Creators looking for instant results can jump straight into the HappyHorse AI Video Generator and start generating with generous free credits—no credit card required. For the latest examples, technical details, and cinematic demonstrations, visit the official Happy Horse 1.0 model page.
For curious creators, the recommendation is to visit the HappyHorse AI Video Generator and test the free credits. The results immediately illustrate why the model ranks #1 in visual beauty.
For production users working on advertisements, music videos, short films, social content, or branding projects, Happy Horse AI is the preferred choice when premium visuals are essential. Its aesthetic quality can significantly reduce time spent on editing and color grading. Users can begin at Happy Horse 1.0 AI and scale through Pro plans as needed.
For developers, the robust reference system and strong consistency make the model well-suited for building visual-first AI tools and pipelines.
This distinction matters because most AI video tools still carry an identifiable “AI-generated” look. Happy Horse is among the first models that consistently allow audiences to forget they are watching AI-generated content — a development that transforms client work and audience engagement.

FAQ
Can users try Happy Horse 1.0 right now? Yes. New users receive free credits instantly at the Happy Horse 1.0 AI Video Generator. No credit card or waitlist is required, and the platform works on any device.
Is Happy Horse 1.0 truly better than Kling 3.0 or Seedance 2.0? In blind visual quality votes, yes. Kling 3.0 leads in motion control and Seedance 2.0 in multimodal and audio capabilities, but when jaw-dropping beauty and realism are the priority, Happy Horse 1.0 currently holds the #1 position for good reason.
Does it support commercial use? Yes. All outputs come with full commercial rights, making the model suitable for client projects, advertisements, and monetized content.
How strong is the character consistency and lighting? Best-in-class. Characters remain on-model across cuts, lighting feels natural and cinematic, and textures and materials appear tactile. Reviewers frequently note that the output does not look AI-generated.
What about longer videos or advanced motion control? The model is optimized for high-quality 5–15 second clips. Creators can use multi-shot mode or chain generations for longer sequences. Motion performance is strong but not the primary differentiator compared with dedicated motion-control models like Kling.
Is Happy Horse 1.0 open-source? No. It is a closed, proprietary model engineered for maximum visual performance.
How fast is generation? Most 2K clips complete in under 40 seconds on the web generator; API access offers even faster processing.
Bottom line: Happy Horse 1.0 is worth testing today and is production-ready when cinematic quality and visual beauty are the top priorities. Its #1 ranking in pure aesthetics appears well-deserved.
Further updates are expected as longer-context versions and additional features are released.
Related Articles
- Happy Horse 1.0 vs Kling 3.0: Visual Beauty Blind Test
- What Makes AI Video Look “Cinematic”? The Happy Horse Advantage
- Best AI Video Tools for Creators in 2026
HappyHorse AI provides the cleanest and fastest way to access the current #1 visual-quality AI video model. It is highly recommended for projects where stunning aesthetics are essential.
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