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Cushman, newmark win REBNY Retail Deal of the Year Awards. Team behind Urban Outfitters' Fifth Avenue downsizing take home top award Urban Outfitters wanted to shrink its Fifth Avenue footprint and needed to find a space that would still work with its multi-level store layout. The solution - a 15,000-square-foot lease at 575 Fifth Avenue - earned Cushman & Wakefield's Sean Moran, Patrick O'Rourke, Catherine Merck and Steven Soutendijk the Most Ingenious Retail Deal of the Year award on Wednesday at REBNY's 2025 Retail Deal of the Year Awards at Vornado's 2 Penn Plaza, where dealmakers gathered to celebrate. The brokers masterminded a move from Urban Outfitters' 23,000-square-foot, two-level corner store at 521 Fifth Avenue into the smaller space on the corner of 47th Street. In order to seal the deal, they promised to build a new escalator connecting the lower level of the retail condo to the street level. The space, which previously served as part of L'Oréal's headquarters, was only connected to the building's atrium, a common area subject to a thicket of zoning and city-planning requirements. "To modify those spaces can be time-consuming and costly and challenging," Moran said. "That's something in retail we don't normally get involved with." The Cushman team spent almost two years securing approvals to remove the escalators connecting the atrium to the lower level. They also won approval to open an elevator door on the opposite side of an existing one, allowing it to access the store directly and serve as Urban Outfitters' ADA-compliant elevator. The brokers negotiated a one-year extension at Urban Outfitters' existing Fifth Avenue store, giving them time to finish construction. Then they encountered another complication. The building was being sold as the lease was being negotiated. Real estate investment firms Sovereign Partners and HudsonPoint Capital bought the property from Beacon Capital Partners and MetLife for $378 million in April. That left the Urban Outfitters deal in jeopardy if the new owner decided it wanted the retail space delivered vacant. (They ultimately decided to honor the lease.) "That was another layer of approval that we rarely, rarely see," Moran said. Newmark's Jeffrey Roseman and Drew Weiss took home the Most Impactful Retail Deal of the Year award for brokering luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet's 12,000-square-foot flagship at 785 Fifth Avenue. And Daija US COO Jeffrey Kleiner won the Retail Development/Project of the Year award for his work on the Waldorf Astoria New York redevelopment.

MetLife launches health insurance that combines protection and savings. Sep 20, 2026 MetLife Bangladesh has launched the MetLife Health Savings Plan (MHSP), a first-of-its-kind solution in Bangladesh's life insurance industry that combines protection against major illnesses, health-focused savings accumulation, and convenient access to healthcare funds in a single plan. The launch comes at a time when healthcare costs are becoming an increasingly important financial concern for Bangladeshi families, while insurance penetration in Bangladesh remains significantly below global averages, highlighting the need for innovative solutions that promote financial preparedness and protection. Designed to help customers prepare financially for future healthcare needs, the MetLife Health Savings Plan goes beyond traditional health protection by enabling policyholders to build a dedicated fund for future medical expenses while maintaining insurance coverage against serious illnesses. The plan provides protection against a range of critical illnesses, including cancer, heart diseases, stroke, kidney failure, major organ transplantation, and other covered conditions as specified in the policy terms and conditions. A distinctive feature of MHSP is the MetLife Health Wallet, which enables customers to access eligible accumulated value throughout the policy term to cover healthcare-related expenses through a dedicated Health Card, subject to the policy's terms and conditions. In addition to providing convenient access to funds, the Health Card enhances customers' financial preparedness and offers access to exclusive discounts and other privileges across the designated medical network, helping policyholders manage their healthcare needs more effectively and affordably. Ala Ahmad, Chief Executive Officer, MetLife Bangladesh, said: "Healthcare expenses are one of the biggest financial concerns for families today. MHSP is designed to help people prepare for those expenses before they arise. What makes this solution unique is that it combines health protection, health savings, and access to healthcare funds in one plan. Customers can build a dedicated healthcare fund, access it when needed through the Health Wallet, and remain protected against major illnesses. This gives them greater financial confidence andpeace of mind throughout their lives." MetLife Bangladesh serves more than one million individual customers and over 900 corporate clients across the country. The company settled BDT 1,384 crore in claims in the first half of 2026 and BDT 2.853 crore in 2025, the highest among all life insurers in Bangladesh during both periods. With a claims settlement ratio of over 98%, MetLife continues to provide reliable financial protection to customers and their families. Customers interested in preparing for future healthcare needs through the MetLife Health Savings Plan can contact their MetLife agents or visit www.metlife.com.bd to learn more and express their interest. About MetLife MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("MetLife"), is one of the world's leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits, and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com MetLife Bangladesh is the leading international life insurer in the country, serving over a million customers in Bangladesh. To learn more, please visit: www.metlife.com.bd Saifur Rahman Director & Head of Communications MetLife Bangladesh Cell: +8801313089065, Email: [email protected]

OneStage, MetLife Foundation launch Plastic-Free Gurugram initiative. TheCSRUniverse Team Published 17 Sep 2026 Representational Image Gurugram | September 17, 2026: MetLife Foundation has partnered with OneStage to launch the Plastic-Free Gurugram (PFG) Initiative, a city-wide programme focused on reducing single-use plastic consumption and promoting responsible waste management across Gurugram. The initiative aims to reach more than 100,000 residents through awareness campaigns, community mobilisation and waste management interventions. It will engage residents, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), government institutions, malls and communities to encourage sustainable practices and long-term behaviour change. Discover more Install Solar Panels Send Money Overseas Support Local Charities The initiative was unveiled during PNB MetLife's 25th anniversary celebrations by Lyndon Oliver, Regional President, MetLife Asia, Sameer Bansal- MD & CEO, PNB MetLife and Pankaj Gupta, CEO, One Stage. A baseline survey conducted for the programme covered 228 respondents across 27 locations. It found that awareness of plastic pollution was relatively high, although consistent adoption of sustainable practices remained a challenge. According to the survey, 93.8% of mall visitors and 75.6% of residents were aware of issues related to single-use plastics, while 84.4% of respondents reported practising waste segregation at home. At the same time, 77.8% said they continued to use disposable products during social gatherings, and 66.7% cited convenience or lack of alternatives as the primary reason for using single-use plastics. Speaking on this, Tia Hodges, President and CEO, MetLife Foundation, said, "A cleaner environment is fundamental to healthier, more resilient communities. Through Plastic-Free Gurugram, MetLife Foundation is supporting a community-led movement that brings together residents, institutions and local partners to address plastic pollution and create lasting change. Our ambition is not only to reduce plastic waste, but also to foster a culture of environmental responsibility that will benefit Gurugram for years to come." Discover more Find ESG Investments Hire Urban Planners Download Interactive Maps Adding to this, Mr. Sameer Bansal, MD & CEO, PNB MetLife, said, "Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing urban environmental challenges of our time, and meaningful progress requires collective action from citizens, institutions, businesses, and civil society. The Plastic-Free Gurugram initiative is an important step towards helping residents adopt more sustainable habits while contributing to a cleaner and healthier urban environment." Pankaj Gupta, CEO, One Stage, said, "Plastic-Free Gurugram is about turning awareness into collective action. Through this partnership with MetLife Foundation, we aim to bring residents, communities, institutions and local stakeholders together to adopt sustainable practices and create lasting behavior change. We are delighted to be part of this shared effort to make Gurugram cleaner, healthier and more sustainable for generations to come." Top stories. Featured. Latest Coverage