Be Bold Cocktails: Celebrate Social Change

Be Bold Cocktails is an annual cocktail party and fundraiser for Echoing Green, the leading nonprofit social venture fund for rising social entrepreneurs. Hosted by our Social Investment Council, Be Bold Cocktails is a lively evening of celebration – join us in the elegant Prince George Ballroom for music, light food, libations, and the Be Bold Awards, which honor three bold leaders for their inspiring work. This year, we will be honoring William A. Ackman (Founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, philanthropist), Doug Ulman (1999 Echoing Green Fellow, Founder of The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, Founder of the Lance Armstrong Foundation), and one as-yet-unnamed awardee!

Seventy members strong, Echoing Green’s Social Investment Council is a group of highly talented and socially conscious rising leaders from the private sector who support our work through mentoring our fellows, helping with the fellow selection process, and hosting fundraising events. The network offers a powerful way for motivated professionals to apply their own knowledge toward their desire to effect social change.

Tickets are available here

/by

Catalyst Award Winner: KPMG LLP

,

In the early 2000s, KPMG had a turnover rate of employees in the mid twenty percent, with an even higher percentage for women. “The profession itself is very challenging and demanding. And if you look back into the early 2000s it was particularly so in general and more so for us because we were the smallest of the large professional services firms. There was a tremendous war for talent, and it was very competitive.”

The wakeup call came in 2003 when a commissioned employee satisfaction survey revealed that only 53% of employees surveyed agreed that KPMG was a great place to build a career. “Our chairman at the time, Gino Kelly, decided that it was not going to be business as usual. We put a lot of focus on a lot of different initiatives, one of them being the women’s initiative,” added Angela Avant, Partner in Charge of Diversity at KPMG. And that was the foundation for their award-winning Great Place to Build a Career Initiative, which was recognized by Catalyst this year. Read more

/by

WIIT: Classification 101

Guest Speaker:

Heather K. Pinnock, Esq., Regulations and Rulings, Office of International Trade, U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), Department of Homeland Security

Duty rates for imported goods are determined by their correct classification under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Correct classification is also important for determining quota applicability and special program eligibility. Because the Customs Modernization Act imposes a duty on importers to use reasonable care when classifying their goods, knowing how to correctly classify imported merchandise is not only important to the business decisions importers make but is also a legal obligation. This program will provide a basic understanding of the classification process, including how to use the General Rules of Interpretation (the GRIs) and the Explanatory Notes, and will be most useful for those new to classification or for whom classification is an occasional part of their responsibilities.

Please RSVP to Kristen Smith – ksmith@strtrade.com

/by

Webcast: Way out of Economic and Financial Crisis: Lessons and Actions

Japan Society’s Corporate Program will feature Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa at a luncheon program. Governor Shirakawa will address the current global economic crisis and offer lessons from Japan’s recent experience.

Register here

/by

Cap-And-Trade Forum: Carbon Constraints and the Economy

Don’t miss this is unique opportunity to gain information valuable to your business on an element of strategic importance to the North American Economy.

Learn about:

  • Carbon constraints, credit crunch and pragmatism (North America and Internationally)
  • US House and Senate Action
  • Status of the Federal Climate Change Policy (tentative)
  • North American regional update: RGGI, WCI, and the Midwest Governor’s Accord
  • The credit crisis’ associated impacts
  • Refocusing on core business vs. continued engagement in carbon finance
  • Using project based credits – structures to manage emerging market project and country risk
  • “Managing” risk through not-so-obvious partnerships
  • Essential building blocks of a successful carbon management strategy
  • Carbon credibility and verification
  • The cost of climate change – integrating carbon into financial disclosure — how much, how little and why
  • Protocol development and the Carbon Offset solutions
  • Market mechanisms – still a credible way of going forward?

Register here

/by

Latinas in Corporate America

,

by Tina Vasquez (Los Angeles)

Latinas are statistically the most underrepresented group in the workforce amongst minorities in the U.S. according to Ramona Armijo, a Latina Ph.D. candidate in Walden University’s Masters in Education/Knowledge Management. That’s the bad news. The good news is that their cultural understanding and language skills make Latinas extremely competitive candidates for filling top positions in the private sector to serve the growing Hispanic segment in the U.S. So why so few Latinas in corporate America? “Societal factors, including education and cultural traditions, often compromise the career objectives of high-achieving Latina women, but the lack of research on Latina professionals makes it difficult to address these factors,” Armijo said.

Successful Latinas often say that some of the biggest challenges they faced had little to do with finances or the pursuit of education and more to do with their culture, family, and selfless guilt as the top reasons they felt held back. Carmina Pérez, former Vice President of Lehman Brothers, editorial producer at CNN, and personal finance writer for AOL Latino, felt the strange cultural pressure to dream small as a young girl growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico. “One of the professional hardships I’ve had to overcome is the attitude towards women in business that I learned from Latin culture. Growing up, I was never really pushed to study hard or find a high-paying job because it was more important to be a señorita and to focus more on looking good and finding a husband,” Pérez said.

Read more

/by

100 Women in Hedge Funds: The Future of Hedge Funds

Following one of the worst periods in history for the hedge fund industry, some question its continued survival.

Undoubtedly there will be ramifications for the industry in terms of its risk management, liquidity, leverage, regulation and its relationships with service providers and investors going forward. Alexander Ineichen of UBS will present his recent research into this subject and we will receive the industry and investor perspective from our panel. Participants Alexander Ineichen, UBS Global Asset Management
Adam Sorab, CQS
Claire Smith, Albourne Partners
Jean-Charles Crouzet, Banque Heritage
Lindsey Clavel, Moderator, Hedgebay

Networking and cocktails following session

Register here

/by

Talent Matters: Self-Improvement During an Economic Downturn

In times of economic downturns, talent management initiatives tend to go by the wayside. Many companies don’t invest in developing their people, and individuals focus more on survival rather than long-term improvement. Yet for companies, focusing on talent retention and development efforts can lead to more engaged employees who go the extra mile during tough times. For individuals, now is precisely the time to think about how you can improve as a manager or leader to position yourself for opportunities down the road. What managerial or leadership skills are companies most in search of? Where are the “competency gaps?” Greg Janicik, a Principal in Korn/Ferry’s Leadership & Talent Management Consulting practice, will address where the biggest gaps occur and why and discuss ways for you to increase your potential in the current economy.

Register here

/by

NBA Annual Convention

The National Bar Association Annual Mid-Year Conference and Gertrude E. Rush Award Dinner will be held April 22-26, 2009 at the Hilton New York Hotel. Panel discussions will include the following topics:

“Meltdown: A Case Study in the Failures of Board Leadership and its Impact on your Practice” The financial market debacle did not start with a few bad loans. It started because some members of corporate boards did not ask the right questions. A case study analysis of themeltdown of the financial market will be our starting point to learn how to be a leader in a corporate or not-for-profit board. The panel will then discuss the impact of the financial marketmeltdown on litigation, corporate, and employment practices.

“Board Leadership: Unleashing Your Power”Are you ready for the task? Are you ready to take your seat at the table of a prominent board? Building on the Financial Market Meltdown case study panel, panelists will prepare you to take on the task. Topics to be discussed: using recruiters to obtain a position on corporate and not-for-profit boards, effectivelyhandling board meetings, strategically choosing committee positions, and understanding regulatory requirements.

“Board Leadership: Navigating Ethical Landmines and Employing Best Practices”Objective: The strength of a leader is measured by how that leader manages and survives conflicts and challenges. Building on the earlier panels, panelists will give you tools to rise to the challenge. Topics to be discussed: fiduciary obligations, director and officer insurance coverage, handling restatement of financial statement, and managing sensitive public relations situations.This panel will provide 1.5 CLE credits of ethics. “Waging a Successful Litigation Campaign: Leadership in the Courts-A Case Study on the Fall of Segregation”Objective: The walls of segregation were not felled in a mighty swoop. The walls were chipped away through the leadership of thousands who challenged segregation in the courts. Panelists will explore the leadershp of Charles Hamilton Houston, and analyze his litigation campaign that tore down the walls of segregation in education. Topics will include: the power of precedence, the strategy of seizing upon “low hanging fruit,” the need for the right public face of the campaign, and the value of community support. Register here

/by

Corporate Development Conference: Strategies for a Challenging Economy

With the global economy working through a severe downturn, corporate development officer (CDOs) and their teams have much to contribute to their organizations—but face a range of tough issues and constraints.

The Corporate Development Conference: Strategies for a Challenging Economy offers corporate development professionals and other transaction leaders and team members an opportunity to learn from some of the nation’s leading CDOs. They are finding new ways to structure transactions, refine process, add value to their enterprises—and many are rethinking their roles.

Please visit this website for details

/by