The Best of Series exists to record and celebrate the enterprises and institutions that define their markets. That work depends on trust. We collect only what we need, protect it carefully, use it responsibly, and never sell personal information. If we ask you for information, we believe you should understand why we need it and how it will be used. This policy explains exactly that.
1. Who we are
The Best of Series is published by Bolden Publishing.
Bolden Group (Pty) Ltd is the controller of personal information collected through bestofseries.com, unless we tell you that another Bolden entity is responsible for a particular service.
Bolden Group (Pty) Ltd operates alongside affiliated entities, Bolden Ltd (United Kingdom) and Bolden OÜ (Estonia). Where Bolden Ltd or Bolden OÜ processes personal information in connection with a particular service, the relevant entity and its role will be identified where appropriate. References to "Bolden", "we", "us", and "our" in this policy refer to Bolden Group (Pty) Ltd unless the context indicates otherwise.
2. Who this policy applies to
This policy covers everyone who interacts with the Best of Series through this website, including website visitors, newsletter subscribers, companies enquiring about being featured in an edition, individuals and organisations applying to become publishing partners, individuals featured in or contributing to our publications, clients, partners and sponsors, and anyone who corresponds with us.
3. The laws that apply
We comply with the data protection laws applicable to the relevant activity, entity, and individual. These include the Data Protection Act of Botswana, the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 where processing is carried out by Bolden Ltd, the EU General Data Protection Regulation where processing is carried out by Bolden OÜ or concerns individuals in the European Economic Area, and other applicable data protection laws in the countries in which we operate. We may apply consistent group-wide safeguards where practicable.
4. Information we collect and where it comes from
Information you provide directly. This includes your name, organisation, job title, role, email address, telephone number, country, city or market, website, professional background, biography, photographs you submit, correspondence with us, and any information you provide when you:
- Complete the contact form on this website
- Enquire about featuring your company in an edition
- Apply to become a publishing partner for a city or country
- Subscribe to our newsletter
- Respond to a questionnaire, nomination form, or editorial submission for one of our publications
- Correspond with us by email, telephone, or messaging platforms
Information we receive from other sources. As a publishing business, we sometimes receive personal information about individuals from third parties. These sources may include the person who nominated you for an edition, your employer or institutional partner, our publishing partners in your market, referrals from professional contacts, publicly available professional sources, and professional networking platforms. Where we receive your information this way, we will inform you at the point of first meaningful contact and process your information under this policy.
Information collected automatically. When you visit bestofseries.com, we collect limited technical information such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, device information, pages viewed, referring website, and analytics data, through cookies and similar technologies. See section 10.
Payment information. Where you pay for a feature, sponsorship, or other services, payment is processed by certified third-party payment providers. Bolden does not store complete card details on its systems.
5. Sensitive personal information
We do not ordinarily seek sensitive or special-category personal information. Where it is necessary, for example to conduct appropriate due diligence on a prospective publishing partner, or to produce editorial content with your knowledge, we process it only where permitted by law and with appropriate safeguards.
6. Why we use your information
We use personal information to:
- Respond to your enquiries (legal basis: legitimate interests, or steps taken at your request before entering a contract)
- Assess and administer applications to become a publishing partner, including due diligence and commercial discussions (steps taken at your request before entering a contract; legitimate interests)
- Assess and administer enquiries from companies wishing to be featured in an edition (steps taken at your request before entering a contract)
- Produce our publications, including verifying editorial content with featured individuals and partners (legitimate interests; consent where required)
- Send our newsletter and relevant invitations (see section 11)
- Process payments (performance of a contract)
- Operate, secure, and improve this website (legitimate interests)
- Comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, and regulatory requirements in the jurisdictions in which we operate (legal obligation)
We do not sell personal information to anyone. We do not rely solely on automated systems to make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects.
7. Editorial participation and professional profiles
The Best of Series produces books, publications, and editorial features profiling individuals, companies, and institutions. Information submitted for editorial consideration, including biographies, headshots, achievements, and interview material, may be retained as part of our publishing records. Professional profiles are published with the knowledge of the individuals concerned, and editorial subjects are given the opportunity to verify factual content before publication wherever practicable.
Where we process personal information for journalistic and editorial purposes, we do so in the public interest and in accordance with the exemptions that applicable data protection laws provide for journalism and publishing. This policy applies to such processing only to the extent consistent with those exemptions.
8. Publishing partner applications
Applications to publish a Best of edition in a city or country are treated confidentially. Information you provide about your business, your market, and your commercial capability is used to assess your application and, where an application proceeds, to negotiate and administer a publishing arrangement.
Applications are shared only with those within Bolden and its affiliated entities who need to assess them, and with professional advisers where necessary. We do not disclose the identity of applicants to other applicants or to competitors in the same market. Submitting an application does not create a partnership or any contractual relationship. Commercial terms are agreed separately in writing.
9. Who we share information with
We do not sell personal information. We share it only where necessary, with:
- Our affiliated entities, where the relevant entity has a defined role in providing a service to you, as described in section 1
- Our publishing partners in the relevant market, where you have enquired about being featured in an edition produced in that market
- Trusted service providers who help us operate, including form and survey tools, email and newsletter providers, digital publication and flipbook hosting platforms, website hosting and domain providers, and certified payment processors, all under contractual confidentiality and security obligations
- Publication partners, where you are featured in or contribute to a publication produced in partnership with another organisation
- Professional advisers such as lawyers, accountants, and auditors, where necessary
- Regulators, courts, and law enforcement, where required by law
10. Cookies
This website uses cookies and similar technologies to make the site work, to understand how visitors use it, and to improve your experience. Essential cookies are necessary for the site to function. Analytics cookies help us understand how the site is used, and are applied only with your consent where the law requires it. If we introduce marketing cookies in future, they will be optional. You can manage your choices through your browser settings or our cookie banner. Disabling cookies may affect how the website functions. See our Cookie Policy for more detail.
11. Marketing communications
We may send our newsletter and relevant invitations where you have requested them, consented to receive them, or where applicable law permits us to contact an existing professional or commercial relationship. Every marketing email contains a way to opt out, we do not send spam, and your preferences are respected. Opting out of marketing does not affect service communications we need to send you, such as correspondence about an enquiry or application you have made.
12. Artificial intelligence
We use carefully selected artificial intelligence-assisted tools to support administrative, editorial, and research activities. Where we use such tools, we seek to ensure they are appropriate for the type of information being processed. We do not knowingly submit confidential partner or client information or unpublished editorial material to public AI services without appropriate safeguards and, where necessary, permission. We do not rely solely on automated systems to make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects.
13. International transfers
The Best of Series is published across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and the Americas, and some of our service providers operate internationally. Your personal information may therefore be stored or accessed in countries other than your own. Where international transfers occur, we take steps appropriate to the transfer and the applicable law, which may include contractual safeguards with our service providers and affiliated entities, reliance on jurisdictions recognised as providing adequate protection, or your explicit consent where required. You may contact us for more information about the arrangements that apply to a particular service.
14. Security
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, misuse, loss, and disclosure. No system is completely secure, but we take the protection of your information seriously. If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights, we will notify the relevant authorities and affected individuals as required by law.
15. Privacy by design
We aim to collect only the personal information reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it is requested, and we seek to consider privacy whenever we introduce significant new services or technologies.
16. How long we keep information
We keep personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy. As a general guide:
- Enquiry correspondence: generally up to 2 years after our last contact
- Unsuccessful publishing partner applications: generally up to 2 years, unless you ask us to keep your details on file
- Publishing partner records: for the duration of the arrangement and generally up to 5 years after it ends, for legal and accounting purposes
- Marketing lists: until you unsubscribe or after a prolonged period of inactivity
- Published editorial content and publishing records: retained as part of the published record, subject to applicable law
- Financial and accounting records: as required by tax and company law in the relevant jurisdiction
When information is no longer needed, we delete it or anonymise it securely.
17. Your rights
Subject to applicable law, you have the right to access the personal information we hold about you, correct inaccurate or incomplete information, request deletion in certain circumstances, object to processing based on legitimate interests including direct marketing, restrict processing in certain circumstances, receive your information in a portable format where processing is based on consent or contract, and withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
You also have the right to complain to a supervisory authority, including the Information and Data Protection Commission in Botswana, the Information Commissioner's Office in the United Kingdom, or the Estonian Data Protection Inspectorate, depending on where you are and which entity processes your information.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@bolden.world. We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law and may ask you to verify your identity before acting on a request.
18. Children's privacy
This website and our services are directed at professionals and are not intended for children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
19. Third-party websites
This website and our communications contain links to third-party websites and platforms, including digital editions hosted on third-party publication platforms and social media. This policy does not cover those services, and we encourage you to read their privacy policies.
20. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time as the series grows. The current version will always be available at bestofseries.com, with the effective date shown at the top. Where changes are material, we will take reasonable steps to bring them to your attention.
21. Contact us
For any questions about this policy or how we handle your personal information: