<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:420px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5134336569bedd460a00000e-1024-731/sam-shank-hoteltonight.jpg?maxX=420&amp;maxY=300" border="0" alt="Sam Shank, HotelTonight CEO" width="420" height="300" /></div><keyword id="1761746" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="HotelTonight">HotelTonight</keyword><keyword id="1761745" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sam-Shank">Sam Shank</keyword>, HotelTonight CEO</div>Most startups fail. Few startups matter.
Yet every great company began as a startup, from Thomas Alva Edison's lab in New Jersey to Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard's garage in Palo Alto, Calif. And every entrepreneur likewise started out as an unknown.
We hear about a lot of new companies and meet a lot of founders, and write about far fewer. That's a selectivity driven by reality: It only makes sense to focus on the companies that matter most to our readers.
But lately we've run across some genuinely inspiring company builders who strike us as more than just your typical wannabes. Some are first-timers; others are serial entrepreneurs who have yet to become household names.
The one common thread is that they are all at crucial moments for their startups, having proven a concept and gotten ready to test it at massive scale. And in our conversations, buzzwords like "disruption" and "viral loops" never came up. Instead it's the hard, challenging work of signing up customers and breaking into markets.
None are assured success. But for each of these seven, this will be a must-watch, make-or-break year.
And if they do make it? You can say you read about them before they were famous.

7 Entrepreneurs On The Brink Of Greatness

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/4d0a4ddd49e2aea63b080000-590-443/first-round-holiday-62.jpg?maxX=400&amp;maxY=300" border="0" alt="swipely" width="400" height="300" /></div>First Round Capital<keyword id="1761755" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Swipely">Swipely</keyword> has muscled up its <keyword id="6357824" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sales">sales</keyword> operation.</div>When Sandy struck the East Coast, Providence <a href="http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/hurricane-sandy-new-england-20121028">was largely spared</a>. But Swipely, a startup based in the Rhode Island city, had a different problem: The storm wiped out its chance to sell its payments service to businesses up and down the Northeast Corridor, where it had focused its salespeople's efforts.
That didn't stop <keyword id="1761754" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Angus-Davis">Angus Davis</keyword>, the company's CEO and cofounder. Swipely had already built tools to automate the time-consuming process of calling on local businesses. It used those to switch gears in real time.
"Within an hour, we had created a list of 1,200 merchants in the Atlanta area," Davis recalls. Software displayed everything from Yelp reviews of the business to local weather conditions. Instead of losing momentum in the post-Sandy chaos, Davis says his company built a "beachhead" in the southeastern U.S.
Less than a year ago, Swipely launched a payments service that replaces a business's existing credit-card processing with a more sophisticated, Internet-linked payments service. (It was a big change from Swipely's initial notion of encouraging consumers to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/swipely-ceo-tries-to-convince-hes-not-completel-nuts-2010-5">share their purchases with friends</a>.) Nothing changes at the cash register, where clerks swipe cards as usual; Swipely promises to match or beat the fees merchants pay to accept cards. What merchants get in return are online dashboards and marketing tools tied to the transaction data Swipely tracks—a sort of Google Analytics for retail.
It's not a hard sell, since it doesn't cost the businesses more than they're currently paying. But there are a huge number of local businesses to reach. And so Swipely has applied technology not just to its product but to its sales process as well.
Swipely's sales team does most of its sales by telephone, using <keyword id="154290" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Salesforce-com">Salesforce.com</keyword> and InsideSales.com, two Web-based sales tools common to <keyword id="1778424" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Telesales">telesales</keyword> operations, and data from Infogroup, a local-business directory. But it's added customized tools inspired by the viral features of popular social networks.
A salesperson logs on and sees suggestions for leads to call, in a feature inspired by LinkedIn's "People You May Know" feature. Clicking on a prospective business brings up nearby Swipely merchants the salesperson can cite as references customers.
Swipely uses a tool called Clearslide that tracks how customers interact with presentations during a sales call, down to how much time the salesperson and customer spend looking at each slide.
All that data, matched against deals won or lost, gets fed back into the system, generating rules that direct the sales team's efforts.
"We know the best time of day to call on businesses," Davis says.
As a result, Swipely's business is taking off. In September, it was processing the annual equivalent of $50 million in payments. By December, that number had grown fivefold. Swipely's salesforce has likewise grown, rising from 6 in November to 15 currently, out of 35 employees.
Davis aims to have 50 salespeople by the end of the year.
"We're scrambling just to hire an additional batch of telesales people," he said.
But thanks to Swipely's clever use of technology, those new hires won't have to scramble for customers.
Swipely has raised $8.5 million from First Round Capital, Greylock Partners, and Index Ventures, among other investors.

When Hurricane Sandy Struck, This Company Changed Its Entire Sales Plan-In Minutes

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11894337" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword> says it has banned 287 UK MPs from entering the country in retaliation to sanctions.</li><li>Russia's foreign ministry said the bans are because British MPs are creating "Russophobic hysteria."</li></ul>Russia has sanctioned nearly 300 British MPs in retaliation for restrictions imposed on members of its parliament, the Duma, last month, but has included a number of politicians who are no longer serving. In its list of 287 individuals, the Kremlin has targeted current ministers including Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay, minister for Brexit opportunities Jacob Rees-Mogg, trade minister Penny Mordaunt, and solicitor general Alex Chalk, as well as senior MPs such as Jeremy Hunt, Steve Baker, David Davis and Julian Lewis. However Russia has also gone after Rory Stewart, Dominic Grieve and Sarah Wollaston, who haven't been MPs since the 2019 election, and Charlie Elphicke, who stepped down after being found guilty on three counts of sexual assault. In another error, Tory MP Heather Wheeler's name appears twice, as the 18th and 206th entries, meaning there are actually just 286 names on the list. Meanwhile Alun Cairns' name has been misspelled. <a href="https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1810980/#sel=11:1:J1Q,11:6:HJo">According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,</a> the politicians listed "cannot visit the Russian Federation from now on."A translation of a statement reported by state-owned Russian news agency RIA Novosti said the sanctions were being applied "on the basis of reciprocity," following the decision to <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-sanctions-386-duma-members-over-support-for-luhansk-and-donetsk/">sanction 386 members of the Duma after they backed Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine</a>."These persons, who are now banned from entering the Russian Federation, took the most active part in the establishment of anti-Russian sanctions instruments in London (and) contribute to the groundless whipping up of Russophobic hysteria in the UK," it read."The hostile rhetoric and far-fetched accusations coming from the lips of British parliamentarians not only condone the hostile course of London, aimed at demonizing our country and its international isolation, but are also used by opponents of a mutually respectful dialogue with Russia to undermine the foundation of bilateral co-operation."Prime Minister <keyword id="11911533" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boris-johnson" source="Orion">Boris Johnson</keyword>, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and 10 other senior politicians — mostly members of the Cabinet — have already been barred. Theresa May, the former prime minister, was also on the initial list. "Taking into account London's bet on the consistent strengthening of anti-Russian sanctions, work on countermeasures, including the expansion of the Russian 'stop list,' will continue," it added. Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions shortly after the list was published, Boris Johnson said those on the list "should regard it as a badge of honour".He vowed that the UK "keep up our robust and principled support for the Ukrainian people and their right to protect their lives, their families, and to defend themselves".Chris Bryant, the senior Labour MP and prominent critic of the Putin regime, told the Commons he was "absolutely distressed that I am not on the list… and if I am honest slightly surprised". He added: "I can only assume the Russian Federation accepts every single thing I have said about President Putin over the last few years is true. He is a barbarous villain and we should make sure he fails."<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1519284528593973250">April 27, 2022</a></blockquote>Peter Bone, one of the Tory MPs to feature on the list, said: "I am proud to have supported <keyword id="11985141" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ukraine" source="Orion">Ukraine</keyword> and its people. I condemn Russia for its barbaric invasion. Sanctioning me will not stop me speaking out."Tim Loughton, another of the sanctioned Conservatives, said he had "done the double", after he was also banned from China for speaking out against human rights abuses.The list of MPs, as published by Russia's foreign ministry, <a href="https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1810980/#sel=11:1:J1Q,11:6:HJo">can be seen here</a>, or keep scrolling for the full list:<h3>Conservative MPs</h3><ol><ol><li>Stephen Paul BARCLAY,</li><li>David Michael DAVIS,</li><li>Charles George EUSTICE,</li><li>Dominic Charles GRIEVE,</li><li>Christopher HEATON-HARRIS,</li><li>Jeremy Richard Streynsham HUNT,</li><li>Alistair William JACK,</li><li>Daniel Robert KAWCZYNSKI,</li><li>Andrea Jacqueline LEADSOM,</li><li>Julian Murray LEWIS,</li><li>Esther Louise MCVEY,</li><li>Penelope Mary MORDAUNT,</li><li>Caroline Fiona Ellen NOKES,</li><li>Christopher John PINCHER,</li><li>Jacob William REES-MOGG,</li><li>Mark Steven SPENCER,</li><li>Theresa Ann VILLIERS,</li><li>Heather Kay WHEELER,</li><li>Nigel ADAMS,</li><li>Bim AFOLAMI,</li><li>Adam AFRIYIE,</li><li>Peter James Guy ALDOUS,</li><li>Lucy Elizabeth ALLAN,</li><li>Stuart James ANDREW,</li><li>Edward John Comport ARGAR,</li><li>Victoria Mary ATKINS,</li><li>Richard Michael BACON,</li><li>Kemi BADENOCH,</li><li>Steve John BAKER,</li><li>Harriet Mary Morison BALDWIN,</li><li>John Charles BARON,</li><li>Alexander Paul BERESFORD,</li><li>James Jacob Gilchrist BERRY,</li><li>Peter William BONE,</li><li>Peter James BOTTOMLEY,</li><li>Andrew Campbell BOWIE,</li><li>Ben David BRADLEY,</li><li>Karen Anne BRADLEY,</li><li>Jack Edgar BRERETON,</li><li>Andrew James BRIDGEN,</li><li>Steve BRINE,</li><li>Fiona Claire BRUCE,</li><li>Michael Alex BURGHART,</li><li>Conor BURNS,</li><li>Alan Hugh CAIRNS,</li><li>James Roger CARTLIDGE,</li><li>William Nigel Paul CASH,</li><li>Maria Colette CAULFIELD,</li><li>Alexander John Gervase CHALK,</li><li>Atta-Ur-Rehman CHISHTI,</li><li>Joanna Peta CHURCHILL,</li><li>Simon Richard CLARKE,</li><li>Geoffrey CLIFTON-BROWN,</li><li>Therese Anne COFFEY,</li><li>Alberto Castrenze COSTA,</li><li>Robert Alexander COURTS,</li><li>Tracy Elizabeth Anne CROUCH,</li><li>David Thomas Charles DAVIES,</li><li>Edward Glyn DAVIES,</li><li>Mims Jane Alice DAVIES,</li><li>Philip DAVIES,</li><li>Michelle Emma May DONELAN,</li><li>Steve Daniel DOUBLE,</li><li>Richard Grosvenor PLUNKETT-ERNLE-DRAX,</li><li>James Philip DUDDRIDGE,</li><li>David James DUGUID,</li><li>Philip Martin DUNNE,</li><li>Michael ELLIS,</li><li>Charlie Brett Anthony ELPHICKE,</li><li>Michael Louis David FABRICANT,</li><li>Victoria Grace FORD,</li><li>Kevin John FOSTER,</li><li>Mark Gino FRANCOIS,</li><li>George William FREEMAN,</li><li>Mike Whitney FREER,</li><li>Marcus John Hudson FYSH,</li><li>Roger James GALE,</li><li>Mark Robert Timothy GARNIER,</li><li>Nusrat Munir UI-GHANI,</li><li>Nicholas John GIBB,</li><li>Paul William GIRVAN,</li><li>John Philip GLEN,</li><li>Robert GOODWILL,</li><li>Richard Michael GRAHAM,</li><li>James Whiteside GRAY,</li><li>Christopher Patric James GREEN,</li><li>Damian Howard GREEN,</li><li>Justin GREENING,</li><li>Dominic Charles Roberts GRIEVE,</li><li>Samuel Phillip GYIMAH,</li><li>Robert Henry HALFON,</li><li>Luke Anthony HALL,</li><li>Greg William HANDS,</li><li>Mark James HARPER,</li><li>Elizabeth Rebecca Scott HARRIS,</li><li>Trudy Lynne HARRISON,</li><li>Simon Anthony HART,</li><li>John Henry HAYES,</li><li>Oliver HEALD,</li><li>Gordon HENDERSON,</li><li>Damian Patrick HINDS,</li><li>Kevin Paul HOLLINRAKE,</li><li>Philip Thomas HOLLOBONE,</li><li>Adam James Harold HOLLOWAY,</li><li>John Michael HOWELL,</li><li>Nigel Paul HUDDLESTON,</li><li>Eddie Francis HUGHES,</li><li>Bernard Christison JENKIN,</li><li>Andrea Marie JENKYNS,</li><li>Robert Edward JENRICK,</li><li>Caroline Elizabeth JOHNSON,</li><li>Gareth Alan JOHNSON,</li><li>Joseph JOHNSON,</li><li>Andrew Hanson JONES,</li><li>David Ian JONES,</li><li>Marcus Charles JONES,</li><li>Gillian KEEGAN,</li><li>Sema Louise Ghiassi KENNEDY,</li><li>Stephen Charles KERR,</li><li>Greg KNIGHT,</li><li>John Robert LAMONT,</li><li>Pauline Elizabeth LATHAM,</li><li>Philip James LEE,</li><li>Jeremy John Elton LEFROY,</li><li>Edward Julian LEIGH,</li><li>Oliver LETWIN,</li><li>Andrew Iain LEWER,</li><li>Ian Richard Peregrine LIDDELL-GRAINGER,</li><li>Julia Louis LOPEZ,</li><li>Jack Giacomo LOPRESTI,</li><li>Jonathan George CALADINE,</li><li>Tim Paul LOUGHTON,</li><li>Craig MACKINLAY,</li><li>Rachel Helen MACLEAN,</li><li>Alan MAC,</li><li>Scott Leslie MANN,</li><li>Paul Christopher MAYNARD,</li><li>Patrick Allen MCLOUGHLIN,</li><li>Stephen Anthony MCPARTLAND,</li><li>Mark Andrew MENZIES,</li><li>Johnny Luther MERCER,</li><li>Hugh William MERRIMAN,</li><li>Stephen James METCALFE,</li><li>Amanda Anne MILLING,</li><li>Nigel John MILLS,</li><li>Andrew John Bower MITCHELL,</li><li>Damien MOORE,</li><li>Nikola Ann MORGAN,</li><li>James George MORRIS,</li><li>David Gordon MUNDELL,</li><li>Cheryl MURRAY,</li><li>Andrew William MURRISON,</li><li>Robert James MacGillivray NEILL,</li><li>Sarah Louise NEWTON,</li><li>Alexander Jesse NORMAN,</li><li>Neil O'BRIEN,</li><li>Neil Quentin PARISH,</li><li>Mark Julian Francis PAWSEY,</li><li>John David PENROSE,</li><li>Christopher Ian Brian Mynott PHILP,</li><li>Rebecca Faye Clark POW,</li><li>Victoria Mary Boswell PRENTIS,</li><li>Mark Andrew PRITCHARD,</li><li>Thomas Christopher John PURSGLOVE,</li><li>Jeremy Mark QUIN,</li><li>William James QUINCE,</li><li>John Alan REDWOOD,</li><li>Lawrence Anthony ROBERTSON,</li><li>Mary Josephine ROBINSON,</li><li>Douglas Gordon ROSS,</li><li>Lee Benjamin ROWLEY,</li><li>David Henry RUTLEY,</li><li>Paul Stuart SCULLY,</li><li>Andrew Edmund Armstrong SELOUS,</li><li>Richard James SHANNON,</li><li>Alec Edward SHELBROOKE,</li><li>Christopher James SKIDMORE,</li><li>Chloe Rebecca SMITH,</li><li>Henry Edward SMITH,</li><li>Julian Richard SMITH,</li><li>Royston Matthew SMITH,</li><li>Arthur Nicholas Winston SOAMES,</li><li>Andrew George STEPHENSON,</li><li>Andrew John STEVENSON,</li><li>Robert Alexander STEWART,</li><li>Roderick James STEWART,</li><li>Gary Nicholas STREETER,</li><li>Melvin John STRIDE,</li><li>Graham Charles STUART,</li><li>Desmond Angus SWAYNE,</li><li>Robert Andrew Raymond SYMS,</li><li>Derek Gordon THOMAS,</li><li>Margaret Ann THROUP,</li><li>Kelly Jane TOLHURST,</li><li>Justin Paul TOMLINSON,</li><li>Michael James TOMLINSON,</li><li>Craig Paul TRACEY,</li><li>David Arthur Stephen TREDENNICK,</li><li>Shailesh Lackman VARA,</li><li>Martin John VICKERS,</li><li>Theresa Ann VILLERS,</li><li>Robin Caspar WALKER,</li><li>David John WARBURTON,</li><li>Matthew Robert WARMAN,</li><li>Helen Olivia Bicknell WHATELY,</li><li>Heather Kay WHEELER,</li><li>Craig WHITTAKER,</li><li>John Flasby Lawrance WHITTINGDALE,</li><li>William David WIGGIN,</li><li>Sarah WOLLASTON,</li><li>Mike John WOOD,</li><li>William Peter WRAGG,</li><li>Jeremy Paul WRIGHT.</li></ol></ol><h3>Labour MPs</h3><ol><li>Lindsay Harvey HOYLE, Speaker of the House of Commons,</li><li>Diane Julie ABBOTT,</li><li>Deborah Angela Elspeth Marie ABRAHAMS,</li><li>Michael Lee AMESBURY,</li><li>Antonia Louise ANTONIAZZI,</li><li>Jonathan Michael Graham ASHWORTH,</li><li>Margaret Mary BECKETT,</li><li>Clive James Charles BETTS,</li><li>Paul Christopher BLOMFIELD,</li><li>Kevin Denis BRENNAN,</li><li>Karen Patricia BUCK,</li><li>Richard BURGON,</li><li>Don Petula BUTLER,</li><li>Alan CAMPBELL,</li><li>Dan Joseph CARDEN,</li><li>Charalambos CHARALAMBOUS,</li><li>Vernon Rodney COAKER,</li><li>Neil Alan John COYLE,</li><li>Stella Judith CREASY,</li><li>Judith Mary Cummins,</li><li>Janet Jessica DABY,</li><li>Tarnmanjeet Singh DHESI,</li><li>Peter Christopher DOWD,</li><li>Rosie Clare DUFFIELD,</li><li>Chris Philip James ELMORE,</li><li>Victoria Jane FOXCROFT,</li><li>Barry Strachan GARDINER,</li><li>Ruth Stephanie Nicole GEORGE,</li><li>Preet Kaur GILL,</li><li>John Timothy GROGAN,</li><li>Louise HAIGH,</li><li>Fabian UZIELL-HAMILTON,</li><li>David George HANSON,</li><li>Carolin HARRIS,</li><li>Susan Mary HAYMAN,</li><li>John HEALEY,</li><li>Margaret Olivia HILLIER,</li><li>Sharon HODGSON,</li><li>George Edward HOWARTH,</li><li>Daniel Owen Woolgar JARVIS,</li><li>Darren Paul JONES,</li><li>Gerald JONES,</li><li>Mohammed Afzal KHAN,</li><li>Peter KYLE,</li><li>Ian LAVERY,</li><li>Emma Louise LEWELL-BUCK,</li><li>Anthony Joseph LLOYD,</li><li>Justin Piers Richard MADDERS,</li><li>Khalid MAHMOOD,</li><li>Rachel Helen MASKELL,</li><li>Christian MATHESON,</li><li>Kerry Gillian MCCARTHY,</li><li>Conor Patrick MCGINN,</li><li>James Ignatius O'Rourke MCMAHON,</li><li>James Ian MEARNS,</li><li>Stephen James MORGAN,</li><li>Ian MURRAY,</li><li>Alexander James Jordan NORRIS,</li><li>Stephanie Louise PEACOCK,</li><li>Luke POLLARD,</li><li>Eleanor Claire REEVES,</li><li>Matthew Richard Allen RODDA,</li><li>Lloyd Cameron RUSSELL-MOYLE,</li><li>Jeff SMITH,</li><li>Nicholas Desmond John SMITH,</li><li>Karin Marguerite SMYTH,</li><li>Alexander David SOBEL,</li><li>John Francis SPELLAR,</li><li>Mark Richard TAMI,</li><li>Gareth Richard THOMAS,</li><li>Stephen Creswell TIMMS,</li><li>Mary Elizabeth TWIST,</li><li>Alan Patrick Vincent WHITEHEAD,</li><li>Daniel Stephen ZEICHNER.</li></ol>

Russia sanctions almost 300 British MPs in retaliatory move, but its list includes several errors

<ul class="summary-list"><li>During exercises in <keyword id="6355478" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="australia">Australia</keyword> in August, US Marines teamed up with Australian troops to guide Air Force bombers to targets using drones.</li><li>The exercise used Australian training ranges to simulate islands hundreds of miles apart, reflecting the Corps' preparations for what it expects to face if a future war breaks out in the Pacific Ocean.</li></ul>At remote ranges in northern Australia this summer, US Marines and Australian troops trained to guide US bombers to targets on far-flung islands, illustrating the Corps' increasing focus on a potential war in the Pacific.COVID-19 affected the deployment of the Marine Rotational Force based in <keyword id="6358134" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="darwin">Darwin</keyword>, on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/darwin-australian-at-center-of-us-china-struggle-for-influence-2019-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia's northern coast</a>, but didn't keep it from using new assets and concepts.In August, Marines flew <keyword id="9775878" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="rq-21a">RQ-21A</keyword> Blackjack drones in Australia <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marines-flew-rq-21a-drone-in-australia-for-first-time-2020-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for the first time</a> as part of the month-long Exercise Loobye.The exercise, which involved Marines, the US Air Force, and the Australian Defense Force, "focused on a small naval expeditionary force's ability to rapidly deploy, integrate with foreign partners, coordinate airstrikes and call for close air support on targets within contested environments," according to a release.<div type="image" title="Marine Corps RQ-21 Australia" height="1666" width="2500" msid="78773724" hostid="261"></div>The need to prepare to operate in an "amphibious, austere environment" was "the driving force for us to think of these training ranges as islands," Capt. Benjamin Hovies, air officer for <keyword id="10141157" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="marine-rotational-force-darwin">Marine Rotational Force-Darwin</keyword>, told Insider in a September interview.It's also a reflection of the Corps' Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations <a href="https://www.candp.marines.mil/Concepts/Subordinate-Operating-Concepts/Expeditionary-Advanced-Base-Operations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concept</a>, in which Marines deploy to forward locations to support friendly forces and thwart adversary control of surrounding air and water."We had to consider our movements to and from [the ranges] as if we would consider a movement to and from an island to set up an expeditionary amphibious base" to operate from, Hovies said.During the exercise, US B-1 bombers from Guam and B-2s out of Diego Garcia flew as far as 4,000 miles to the Delamere, Bradshaw, and Mount Bundley <a href="https://www.katherinetimes.com.au/story/5585257/delamere-is-a-hidden-jewel-in-the-militarys-arsenal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">training areas</a> in northern Australia, simulating long-range precision strikes. The bombers were supported by tankers flying out of Okinawa.RQ-21s flew over the ranges to gather information before and after the airstrikes.<div type="image" title="Marine Corps RQ-21 Australia" height="1200" width="1800" msid="78773725" hostid="261"></div>"That's the capability that we really wanted to bring to the forefront," Hovies said. "We need the commander at the [Marine Air-Ground Task Force] level, not just at the lower echelons, to be able to see a target, identify a target, confirm that's what we want to have hit, have it hit, and then conduct a post-battle damage assessment."In one case, an RQ-21 over Bradshaw provided a video feed to commanders at an observation post 170 miles to the south."We were able to watch the live feed [and] determined yes, that's the target. The commander was able to come across the net [and] say, 'that is target I want to hit,'" Hovies said. "There was no controller on the ground."US and Australian joint terminal air controllers also coordinated strikes from the ground and from Australian ARH Tiger helicopters."They knew that we had forward-air-control capability, and they saw that as a key integration piece," Capt. Rhys Davies, a Tiger helicopter pilot, said in a Marine release. "Our job was to speak to the Marines on ground, identify what they saw as targets ... and then speak to the Air Force bombers to prosecute those targets."The exercise included "deliberate strikes" on targets identified in advance and "dynamic strikes" in which observers on the ground directed bombers to unplanned targets, simulating close-air-support strikes.<div type="image" title="Marine Corps RQ-21 Australia" height="1234" width="2000" msid="78773726" hostid="261"></div>Loobye was followed by Exercise Koolendong in early September. The culmination of the rotation, Koolendong is a live-fire exercise meant to improve Marine and Australian forces' ability to respond jointly to crises in the region.Royal Australian Air Force Group Capt. Stewart Dowrie <a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/377661/mrf-d-adf-complete-exercise-koolendong" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> this year's Koolendong the "most complex scenario ever attempted," and RQ-21s had a "substantial role," Hovies said.They identified targets, such as people laying IEDs, and sent that information to intelligence units for distribution. They guided artillery fire and helicopter gunships. They escorted convoys, scouting routes and looking for threats, which Marines realized "is something that we need to do all the time," Hovies said.The RQ-21 also relayed communications, which "is something that is always struggle, no matter where you go," Hovies added. "To have a platform that can be raised at a ... higher altitude and relay direct line-of-sight comms was crucial."The drone was also a defense against nature."Australia has these birds that will pick up burning embers and they will fly out and they will drop the burning embers and start a fire," Hovies said. One such fire forced an entire battalion to relocate, "but the RQ-21 was able to find that fire, identify where it was, the size of it, where it was going, and then relay."<h2>The necessity of alliances</h2><div type="image" title="Marine Corps RQ-21 Australia" height="1709" width="2500" msid="78773729" hostid="261"></div>The decision to use the RQ-21 during the rotation was made last year, and the approval and authorization process "has been going on since January at least," Hovies said. The drone <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MRFDarwin/posts/3457840100971932" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reached</a> full operational capability in February.The Marines' deployments paused from March until May because of the pandemic, and it force reduced from 2,500 Marines to about 1,200. The aviation combat element, originally several squadrons of manned aircraft, was reduced to 32 Marines, including those operating the RQ-21.But the smaller footprint <a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/375695/flying-high-rq-21-soars-into-history-with-first-australian-flight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offered</a> a chance to use unmanned systems to support expeditionary operations. Australian forces and their assets, such as vehicles and radios, also "snapped directly in" with Marines, Hovies said, allowing them to conduct "a much more comprehensive exercise."The rotation's success amid the pandemic underscored the value of alliances, Hovies added, echoing other senior officials.At <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5Kkoz9Ybi0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a Lowy Institute think-tank event</a> this month, Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston, former head of the Australian Defense Force, said the US alliance "underpins" Australia's defense policy."We've done an awful lot with the <keyword id="192842" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="US-Marine-Corps">US Marine Corps</keyword>," Houston said. "They basically are the only nation that really gets a chance to routinely mount an exercise invasion of Australia, and that relationship ... has served us incredibly well."

US Marines in remote corner of Australia are practicing to guide Air Force bombers to targets across the Pacific

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5dcc34b07eece55db1166698-1778/david solomon.jpg" border="0" alt="David Solomon" data-mce-source="Paul Morigi/Getty Images" data-mce-caption="WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 10: Executive Director, Fortune MPW Summits and Live Content, Pattie Sellers and Goldman Sachs President and Co-COO David Solomon speak onstage at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit - Day 2 on October 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Fortune)" /></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Goldman Sachs announced its 2019 class of managing directors, with 465 new promotes getting the nod.</li><li>Of the 465 promoted, 29% are women, and 34% identified as an ethnic minority or LGBTQ.</li><li>The firm announces managing-director promotions every two years.</li><li>It's one of the most coveted positions on Wall Street, a step below partner at the premier investment bank.</li></ul><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/GS-Quote"> Goldman Sachs</a> just announced a new class of 465 managing directors, and millennials comprised nearly two-thirds of it. The promotions, which are announced once every two years and are among the most coveted on Wall Street, put recipients one step <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-ceo-solomon-offering-buyouts-to-partners-shrink-senior-ranks-2019-9">below partner</a> at the prestigious investment-banking firm.The 2019 class is smaller than the record-setting class of 509 in 2017, but larger than the class of 2015, which had 425 new MDs.It's also one the youngest classes the bank has promoted - 62% are millennials, up from 44% in 2017 and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-managing-director-list-2015-11">30% in 2015</a>.Other headline stats about the class:<ul><li>66% started their careers as analysts or associates at Goldman Sachs, equal with 2017.</li><li>29% of the class is women, up from 24% in 2017.</li><li>34% of the identified as an ethnic minority or LGBTQ: 26% are Asian, 4% are black, 2% are hispanic/Latino, and 2% are LGBTQ. </li></ul><h2>Here's the full list of all 465 new managing directors:</h2>Rashid Abdalla Angela Abramian-Katz Meredith Adams Keren Adan Vikas Agrawal Mike Ahern Edward Ainsworth Danny Akerman Temidayo Akinola Aaron Albert Eyas Aldossari Marsha Alexander Daniel Alger Asad Ali Brendan Ames Dipam Amin Rebecca Anderton-Davies Junnosuke Ando Ash Ang Timothy Arblaster Kenan Arkan Patrick Armstrong Cameron Arrington Cindy Au Anne-Victoire Auriault John Aurre Frederick Baba Andrew Bailey Tanya Baker Victoria Baker-Duly Venkatesh Balasubramanian Nick Baltas Maria Barron Baratech Luke Barrs Robert Bartlett Dennis Beeson Angus Bell Bob Bengtson Kerryann Benjamin Jeff Bernstein Adam Berry Michel Beshara Justin Betzen Praveen Bhagavathula Peter Biggs Ersen Bilgin Nathan Bird Simon Birtwistle Barnali Biswal Brittany Boals Moeller David Bodenstein Vanessa Bogaardt Kevin Boova Andrea Bora Said Boujnah Jeff Boyd Rachel Boyd Glyn Braganza Joyce Brayboy Pierre Brunet Keith Brunini Steven Budig Francisco Cabeza Kimberly Carabetta Sarah Card Marie Cardoen Gloria Carreno Jonathan Carter Osmar Castellani Junior Lucia Catalan Federico Ceresole Jeffrey Chao John Chappell Yogesh Chati Frank Chen Selina Chen Hakim Cherrouk Christopher Yiu Chung Cheung Tak Cheung Siddharth Chhabria Liz Chick James Chilcott Jon Child Naveen Choppara Leonard Chung George Cole Greg Collett James Colletti Kevin Conniff Simon Constant Charles Corke Krystal Cowan Ben Coward-Talbott Nerissa Cumberbatch Ryan Cunn Nadim Daban Brook Dane Abigail Darby Michael Daub Bill Davis Christopher Dawe Jeffrey Dawkins Adam Dawson Philipp de la Chevallerie Camille de Lamotte Frederik De Neree Joaquin de Soto Dan Deighton Manuel Deijk Stefanie D'Elia Lena Demashkieh Michael Dente Philippe Derimay Bradley Diener Michel Dimitri Angelo Diotisalvi Natalia Dobrinskaya John Doherty Matthew Doherty Jerome Dortmans Hamish Douglas Crista Downey Andre D'Souza Alexander Dupont Brett Durick Tsuyoshi Egawa Gaudenz Eichenberger Nnaemeka Eke Bill Elfsten Abel Elizalde Russell Elliott Scott Epperson Robert Fama Meriem Feghoul Xinyi Feng Roger Fenningdorf David Fernandez Morgan Fitzpatrick Ryan Flanagan John Flood Kellan Florio Kerry Flynn Jeremy Follett Anneliese Foster Fabrice Francois Marissa Freund Anders Furuhed Sebastien Gagnon Timothy Galligan Francesca Gardner Raj Garigipati Brian Garrett Douglas Gilman Aaron Goldman Jeremy Goldman Sanyam Goyal Ricky Grant Steven Gray Jules Gruner Shao Ping Guan Anushka Gupta Sonia Gupta Arvind Guruprasad Itir Guvenc Mungan Raymond Haagen Andrew Haave Sylvia Hadjimamas Terry Hagerty Sharon Hall Jeff Haller Scott Hankey Sara Hanlon Tom Haraldsson Alex Harman Lauren Havens Ken Hayahara James Hayward Tom Healy Victoria Hegan Michael Heller Paula Hendrickson Evan Herring Schuyler Heuer Daniel Hibbert Andrew Hine Megan Hogan Yoomin Hong John Hooton George Horton Dan Howard Christine Hu Katie Hyde Nicole Irvin Ahmed Ismail Kumar Iyer Philip Jacob Raphaelle Jacquemin Rajan Jain Rich James Marene Jennings Kyle Jessen Natasha Jhunjhunwala Brandon Johnson Geddes Johnson Milind Joshi Sojin Jung Amy Jupe Michael Kagan William Kallop Jordan Kaufman Charlotte Keenan Maxime Kennel Aron Kershner Ronald Keung Eugene Khafizov Feroz Khosla Kieron King Tom Knott Simon Knowles Sarah Kong Scott Konicki Robert Koslow Kunal Koya Elisabeth Kozack Joanna Kozlowski Kristin Kramer Jason Kreuziger Daniel Krinsky Kristin Kuney Casey Laflamme Beyrouthawit Lakew Mikael Lang Mark Langham Francesca Lau Karmen Lau Victoria Ledda Adrian Lee Sara Lee Niall Leguillon Chip Lemkau Marie Claire Lennon Matthew Leskowitz Ryan Lester Curtis Leung Jacky Leung Giulia Lewandowski Christian Lhert Aihua Liang Chi-Yu Liang Mony Lim Nyan Lin Tobias Lindemann Jon Lindgren Ada Liu Adrian Loh Syida Long Lorenzo Pasquale Longo Alexandre Lucas Michelle Luk Amanda Lynam Chris Lyon Srivats Madhavan Alok Madhukar Devasish Majumdar Salome Makharadze Shun Manabe James Mann Todd Mansfield Corey Maple Ivan Martinez Farzad Mashayekhi Morad Masjedi Michael Mastropaolo Moe Matar Colin Mathews Ritesh Mathur Brooke Mayne Jordan McCallum Mark McCaskill Catherine McCormack Paul McGregor Andrew McLennan Brian McMahon Nehal Mehra Ramiro Menchaca Mark Midle Giuseppe Milicia Kristin Milot Yusuke Minowa Aric Mizrahi Sherry-Ann Mohan Stacy Mohr Mohammed Mohsinali Helen Moloney Matthew Mottram Richard Mulley Ken Murata Sarah Murray Usman Naeem Soumik Nandy Satish Narang Vijay Narayanan Jamil Nathoo Joseph Natoli Sean Navin Aziz Ndiaye Ryan Newman Sara Nielsen Eyal Nirenberg Quinn O'Bryen Joanna Obstoj Jackie O'Connor Nonso Ogbonna Laide Oginni Mari Oishi Scarlett Omar-Broca Enrico Orlandi Jean Otrakji Edouard Panie Francesco Papa Pratik Pareek Gemma Parrott Atul Pawar Arnaud Payement Yuriy Podoshev Mitesh Popat Matthew Popper Arnaud Porchet Nicole Poulson Joseph Pozzi Anant Prasad Frederic Pripp Chaitra Purushotham Benny Quek Conor Quinn Thomas Radberg Stephanie Raimo Kamal Ramnani Michael Rand Olivia Rascoe Jibraan Rasheed Varun Rastogi Seth Reagen Nikhil Reddy Adil Rehman Elaine Rene Salveen Richter Fabian Riedel Helen Rigley Joe Ritchie Ilan Rochman David Rockliff Pearl Rodrigues Mark Romanczuk Mairin Rooney Delia Rosoga Ranjith Roy Mark Ruffles Benjamin Runnacles Ashley Ryan Eric Ryckman Takeshi Saito Sushil Sancheti Neha Santiago Vijay Saraswat James Sarvis Christian Schaefer Heather Schuyler Katelyn Seager Gowri Sekar Chris Semones Vikram Sethi Hui Shan Adi Sharma Praharsh Sharma Nicole Sharp Inna Shaykevich Jenna Shen David Shih Michael Shin Aekloveya Shyam Haris Siddiqi Adam Siegler John Sienkiewicz Craig Singer Peter Smith Brian Snyder Tejas Sodha Doug Spencer Mark Spitzer Anushree Srivastava Christian Stassen Holger Staude Emily Stecher Becky Steinthal Samuel Su Vivek Sukhatme Danny Suwanapruti Andy Tai Stephanie Tan Kei Tanaka Jacky Tang Hekmat Tannous Michael Tarulli Luigi Tavella Archana Tayade Emma Taylor Lori Taylor Asher Teren Gurtaran Thethi Jonathan Thomas Neil Thomas Bryn Thompson-Clarke Todor Todorov Steven Torbeck Sidney Tordjman Stephen Tripi Clemens Tripp Michael Trokoudes Jason Tsang Christian Tschirdewahn Candice Tse Vicki Tung Mateo Ugas Alekhya Uppalapati Rucha Vaidya Steven Valentic Peter VanDeventer Kyle VanFleet Alexandre Virolle Christopher Volmut Neel Vora Danielle Walsh Jordan Walter Bingwen Wang Phyllis Wang Zac Wang Brandon Watkins James Weaver Deborah Wei* Steven Weiss Robert Whelan Andrew White Anna Whitlow Eva Maria Wiecko Liz Wilcockson Lennart Wilhelm Rob Williams Henry Willoughby Jim Wiltshire Maggie Wojcik William Wolcott Jean Xu Xiao-ou Kevin Xu Susan Yan Julien Yoo Wael Younan Laura Young Nick Young Ali Zaidi Kirill Zavodov Thilo Zeidler James Zhang Wanjing Zhang Yun Zhang <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/10-up-and-coming-fintechs-2019?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;itm_content=finance&amp;itm_campaign=10-up-and-coming-fintechs-2019-2"><img src="https://static.businessinsider.com/image/5dcb0cab7eece5025933c502" alt="Exclusive FREE Slide Deck: 10 Up and Coming Fintechs by Business Insider Intelligence" border="0" style="margin: 0 auto !important; width: 100% !important; min-width: 280px !important; max-width: 640px !important" /></a>

You Searched For "Angus Davis" and got 5 results

7 Entrepreneurs On The Brink Of Greatness

Owen Thomas

When Hurricane Sandy Struck, This Company Changed Its Entire Sales Plan-In Minutes

Owen Thomas

Russia sanctions almost 300 British MPs in retaliatory move, but its list includes several errors

Catherine Neilan

US Marines in remote corner of Australia are practicing to guide Air Force bombers to targets across the Pacific

Christopher Woody

Goldman Sachs' new managing-director list is out, and millennials dominated the class

Alex Morrell,Dakin Campbell