PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 20, 2026--
Phenom, the applied AI leader with the only AI infrastructure built specifically for HR, has been named the highest-designated Leader in Everest Group’s Skills Intelligence Platforms PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2026. With powerful ontologies that capture relationships between roles, tasks, and skills, Phenom expedites the deployment of a skills architecture and AI agents to streamline hiring and development at scale.
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The Skills Intelligence Platforms PEAK Matrix® Assessment evaluates leading technology providers across market impact, vision and capability, examining cost savings, operational efficiency, talent pipeline quality, stakeholder experience and skills-based process augmentation. As workforce demands grow more complex, the ability to clearly see and act on skills has become a strategic imperative, not a nice-to-have.
“Phenom was recognized as Leader in Everest Group’s Skills Intelligence PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2026 for its ability to translate skills intelligence into context-driven workforce decisions and actions,” said Sharath Hari, Vice President, Everest Group. “Its capabilities across skills ontology, integrations, and evolving AI functionality enable organizations to enhance workforce visibility and support execution at scale. These factors have contributed to its positioning as a Leader for the second consecutive year.”
The Skills Visibility Problem Enterprises Can’t Afford to Ignore
Organizations struggle to envision a skills-forward future when they cannot clearly see what capabilities they have today. Skills data sits buried in disconnected systems. Mapping efforts that once took months or years to complete now take days with AI, but only when the right infrastructure is in place to make that data meaningful and actionable.
Phenom’s proprietary ontologies create dynamic, industry-specific data foundations that adapt to organizational structure, business needs, and market evolution. Unlike static skills databases, this living framework connects skills to roles, tasks, competencies, and workforce strategy, giving HR leaders the intelligence to make decisions grounded in data, not intuition.
This foundation empowers organizations with:
Skills Intelligence Connected to Execution
Identifying gaps is only half the problem. Acting on them is where most organizations stall. Phenom's hypercell framework defines the granular needs for every role based on function, industry, location, workflow and business strategy. This powers the company-specific ontologies that map the relationships between work and the capabilities required to be productive, giving HR leaders a basis for talent development decisions grounded in how their business actually operates.
From there, AI agents put that intelligence to work immediately. The Skills Validation Agent verifies employee skills in minutes through adaptive assessments, augmenting existing talent processes without disrupting them; the Career Success Coach Agent delivers personalized upskilling guidance from day one. Organizations get immediate value without starting from scratch for every new challenge.
The Phenom Orchestration Engine gives enterprises the control to act on that intelligence at scale. It enforces policies, routes exceptions, activates agents autonomously, and escalates to humans when needed, with every action logged and auditable.
Proven Results for Global Enterprises
Across industries and use cases, Phenom customers are turning skills intelligence into measurable business results, including:
“You can’t build a skills-first organization without first seeing your workforce clearly,” said John Deal, Sr. Director, Product Marketing at Phenom. “Most enterprises know they need a skills strategy. The challenge is knowing where to start and having the infrastructure to actually act on what you find. Phenom gives enterprises that visibility today and the AI foundation to close the gaps that matter most for tomorrow. Being recognized as a Leader in this PEAK report reflects the real outcomes our customers are achieving, and the continued investment we’re making to stay ahead of what they’ll need next.”
The fastest way to understand what Phenom’s applied AI makes possible is to see it firsthand. Register for Phenom’s HR Innovation Showcase.
For organizations ready to understand their current skills landscape, click here to receive a complimentary Skills Snapshot assessment.
About Phenom
Phenom is an applied AI company with the only AI infrastructure built specifically for HR. Powered by Engines that harmonize data, Ontologies that guide every decision, X AI that hyper-personalizes experiences, and Agents that work alongside teams, Phenom’s platform uses industry and business context to automate workflows, eliminate busywork, and enhance every experience while remaining compliant. Driven by a purpose to help a billion people find the right work, no other company is as dedicated to helping organizations hire faster, develop better and retain longer.
Phenom has earned accolades including: Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing companies (6 consecutive years), Deloitte Technology's Fast 500 (5 years), 11 Brandon Hall ‘Excellence in Technology’ awards including Gold for ‘Best Advance in Generative AI for Business Impact,’ Business Intelligence Group’s Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards (3 consecutive years), The Cloud Awards 2025/2024, The A.I. Awards 2024, and a regional Timmy Award for launching and optimizing HelpOneBillion.com (2020).
Headquartered in Greater Philadelphia, Phenom also has offices in India, Israel, the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom.
For more information, please visit www.phenom.com. Connect with Phenom on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
Phenom has been named the highest-designated Leader in Everest Group’s Skills Intelligence Platforms PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2026. With powerful ontologies that capture relationships between roles, tasks, and skills, Phenom expedites the deployment of a skills architecture and AI agents to streamline hiring and development at scale.
The U.S. Navy's forcible seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship has thrown doubt on President Donald Trump 's announcement that U.S. negotiators would travel to Pakistan on Monday for another round of talks with Iran.
Trump's announcement Sunday had raised hopes of extending a fragile ceasefire set to expire by Wednesday, but then U.S. Marines boarded the cargo ship that tried to circumvent a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s joint military command said Tehran would respond soon to what it called an act of piracy, and Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday said Tehran did not have plans yet to attend any talks with the United States.
The escalating standoff threatened to deepen the energy crisis roiling the global economy and push the two countries toward renewed fighting that has killed at least 3,375 people in Iran, nearly 2,300 in Lebanon, 23 civilians and 15 soldiers in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have also been killed.
Here is the latest:
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates arrested members of a unit with alleged ties to Iran, the state’s media reported.
The UAE-run WAM news agency reported Monday that those arrested had extremist views and were part of a “terrorist” unit, holding secret meetings, threatening internal security, planning to share sensitive location information and trying to recruit people to join suspicious foreign groups.
Dubai has previously shut down the city-state’s Iranian Hospital and Iranian Club, institutions that date back to the time of the shah.
Monday’s opening trades in the U.S. are a sharp turnaround from Friday, when oil prices tumbled after Iran said it was reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Now oil prices are climbing and U.S. stock prices are slipping again as the U.S. seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel on Sunday cast doubt on a second round of peace negotiations before the ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. expires on Wednesday. Airline stocks also tumbled again, as they tend to when oil prices jump.
“The problem for markets is not the absence of hope; it is the overpricing of it,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.
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Captain Rahman Al-Jubouri helms the Palau-flagged Sea Moon in one of the world’s most volatile maritime corridors, where the U.S.-Israel war with Iran has disrupted global trade and left some crews stranded and exposed to attacks.
The hostilities are not new for al-Jubouri, an Iraqi who has worked these seas during decades of upheaval, including the Iran-Iraq War and the 1991 Gulf War. Once again, he finds himself operating in high-risk waters, as military strikes threaten vessels seeking to navigate through chokepoints like Bab el-Mandeb and the Persian Gulf.
“We’re sailing over a ball of fire,” he said, speaking to The Associated Press by phone as he guides the ship from the Gulf of Aden toward the Gulf of Oman to unload oil at Ras Isa port in Yemen.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned an Israeli soldier filmed defacing a statue of Jesus Christ during operations in Lebanon, saying he was “stunned and saddened” by the soldier’s actions.
Photos surfaced on Sunday of a soldier smashing the head of a toppled statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer. The Israeli military overnight confirmed the images were genuine, setting off a wave of condemnation. Netanyahu said Israel had launched a criminal investigation into the soldier’s actions. The Israeli military also said it was assisting the community to restore the statue.
The military did not immediately confirm where or when the incident took place. The Israeli military controls a large swath of southern Lebanon, reaching some 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Israeli border, and has not allowed residents to return.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a staunch Christian, said Israel must take action against the “outrageous act.”
It is the first time that Chinese President Xi Jinping has publicly called for the reopening of the waterway. He made the comments in a call Monday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Xi said that China supported an “immediate and comprehensive ceasefire” and backed any efforts at restoring peace in the Middle East, according to a readout of the call published by the official Xinhua News Agency.
Prince Mohammed said Saudi Arabia was committed to resolving the conflict through dialogue and hoped to avoid further escalation.
Iranian authorities have expressed willingness to send a delegation for a second round of talks in Islamabad this week, two Pakistani officials said Monday.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media, said there is cautious optimism that delegations from both Iran and the United States could travel to Islamabad.
They added that Pakistan will not share details about either side’s travel plans due to security considerations.
They also urged media outlets to avoid speculation about the timing of the talks, saying the process remains fluid.
President Joseph Aoun’s comments hinted Beirut will not accept that Iran negotiates on its behalf as part of U.S.-Iran talks.
Aoun said a Lebanese delegation led by diplomat Simon Karam will lead the next round of talks with Israel, as a 10-day fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah remains in place. The date for the talks has not been confirmed yet.
“No one will participate with Lebanon in this mission or replace it,” Aoun said in a statement. He said the aim of the negotiations is to halt “hostile actions, end the Israeli occupation of southern areas, and deploy the army up to the internationally recognized southern borders.”
He said Lebanon faces two options: the continuation of the war, or negotiations to end it. Hezbollah has expressed opposition to direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel. Last week, the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to Washington held the first direct talks in decades.
India’s Shipping Ministry said on Monday that the vessel carrying crude oil and 31 seafarers safely crossed of Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, the same day two other Indian vessels had to turn back after reports of Iranian gunfire.
The vessel is expected to arrive at Mumbai on Wednesday, the ministry said. It added that 10 Indian-flagged ships have so far safely crossed the strait.
Oil prices climbed more than 5% while world shares were mixed Monday as a standoff between Iran and the U.S. prevented tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. benchmark crude gained 5.3% to $87.88 a barrel, while Brent crude, the international standard, was up 5.3% at $95.62 a barrel.
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Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said during a visit to Germany it is unacceptable that hunger, illiteracy and a lack of access to electricity remain unresolved for billions of people while trillions are spent on wars.
“We are experiencing a critical moment in global geopolitics, marked by great paradoxes: While astronauts fly to the moon, women and children are being killed indiscriminately in the bombings in the Middle East,” he said Sunday night at the Hannover trade fair, German news agency dpa reported.
Lula called for modern technologies to be used not for wars, but “for a more sustainable and secure world.”
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern Monday over the U.S. seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship on Sunday.
“We hope all relevant parties will adopt a responsible attitude, abide by the ceasefire agreement, avoid escalating tensions or intensifying contradictions,” spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.
“The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway, and ensure its unimpeded passage serves the common interests of countries in the region and the international community,” Guo said.
China has called for the resumption of the normal operation of the waterway.
Iran’s military offered an explanation Monday for why it didn’t fight back against U.S. Marines who raided an Iranian vessel in the Gulf of Oman.
The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which oversees operations of Iran’s regular military and its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said it held back attacking the Marines because the ship’s crew had family members aboard the Touska.
“Due to the presence of some family members of the ship’s crew, they faced constraints in order to protect their lives and ensure their safety, as they were in danger at every moment,” it said.
However, Iran also has seen much of its navy and airborne assets destroyed in the war.
Khatam al-Anbiya vowed it will take “necessary action against the terrorist U.S. military” in the future, without elaborating.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday said Tehran did not have plans yet to attend any talks with the United States.
He did not rule out Iran attending talks.
Authorities in Islamabad had been making preparations for another round potentially happened there this week.
“So far, while I am here, we have no plans for the next round of negotiations and no decision has been made in this regard,” Baghaei said during a news conference.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad on Monday.
The meeting focused on strengthening Pakistan-U. S. relations and preparations for a second round of talks scheduled to take place in Islamabad this week, Naqvi’s office said.
The statement did not specify when the talks are expected to begin.
Naqvi briefed Baker on security arrangements, saying special measures had been taken to ensure the safety of visiting delegations.
“We have made comprehensive security arrangements for our distinguished guests,” Naqvi said in the statement.
Baker offered an appreciation for Pakistan’s role in easing regional tensions and efforts to facilitate dialogue.
Pakistani authorities on Monday prepared to host a second round of talks between Iran and the United States, despite questions about whether the negotiations will take place.
Pakistan has intensified diplomatic contacts since Sunday with Washington and Tehran to ensure the talks proceed as soon as Tuesday, officials said on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke by phone late Sunday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Sharif’s office said in a statement that did not mention the planned talks.
Authorities began closing key roads and stepping up security in the capital Islamabad over the weekend, particularly around a luxury hotel where the delegations are expected to meet.
Authorities deployed troops at checkpoints, closed tourist sites and instructed major hotels to limit bookings to ensure availability.
Iran on Monday offered a new death toll for the war with Israel and the United States, with its forensic chief saying at least 3,375 people had been killed in the conflict.
The figure came from Abbas Masjedi, who oversees Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization.
Masjedi, quoted by the judiciary’s Mizan news agency and other outlets Monday, said only four of the dead remain unidentified.
His comments did not breakdown casualties among civilians and security forces, instead just saying 2,875 were male and 496 were female.
Masjedi said 383 of the dead were children 18 years old and under.
Masjedi’s figures raised questions about whether or not they included security force members, particularly given the levels of intense bombings targeting military bases and arsenals in the country.
Iran said Monday it hanged two men it accused of setting fire to buildings on behalf of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad.
An Iranian exiled opposition group earlier claimed the men as members and alleged their charges stemmed from events that happened after they already had been detained.
The Mizan news agency of Iran’s judiciary identified the men hanged as Mohammad Masoum Shahi and Hamed Validi.
The Mujahedeen-e-Khalq opposition group identified Shahi as Nima Shahi.
The MEK said the men had been “subjected to interrogation and torture.” This brings to eight the total number of MEK members executed since the start of the war.
Activists and rights groups say Iran routinely holds closed-door trials in which defendants are unable to challenge the accusations they face.
Hezbollah said it detonated explosives Sunday afternoon in an attack against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
The group said in a statement Monday that bombs planted by Hezbollah fighters exploded and destroyed four tanks in a convoy of eight tanks that was passing the village of Deir Siryan.
It was the first claim of an attack by Hezbollah since a 10-day ceasefire went into effect at midnight Thursday.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment.
Iran’s first vice president, Mohammad Reza Aref, says global fuel prices could stabilize only if economic and military pressures on Iranian oil exports end.
“One cannot restrict Iran’s oil exports while expecting free security for others,” Aref wrote on X. “The choice is clear: either a free oil market for all, or the risk of significant costs for everyone.”
Women share a moment as they look at a smartphone at the main gate of the Tehran University as a banner shows portraits of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, and the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A soldier stands guard on a bridge ahead of second round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/M.A. Sheikh)
A U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft prepares to land at Nur Khan airbase, ahead of second round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ehsan Shahzad)
Residents of northern Israel living near the Lebanese border protest the security situation, outside the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem Sunday, April 19, 2026. Hebrew on a sign bearing an image of President Trump reads "Hezbollah thanks Trump." (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
An army soldier stands guard on a roadside to ensure security ahead of the second round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
An army soldier, left, walks as police officer drives motorcycle on an empty road ahead of second round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Excavators remove rubble from buildings destroyed in Israeli airstrikes on Thursday as rescuers search for victims in the city of Tyre, southern Lebanon, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Displaced people cross a destroyed bridge as they return to their villages, following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, in Tayr Felsay village, southern Lebanon, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
