Contributed by Martin Mitchell of the Corporate Training Group

In case you were too busy to have kept up with all the news, contributor Martin Mitchell has gathered some important market events from last week to help you start this week well informed:

Mergers and Acquisitions

• In its contingency plans for its European unit in the event of filing for bankruptcy in the US, General Motors is prepared to part with a controlling stake in its Opel/Vauxhall subsidiary effectively for nothing. An investor will be asked to pay at least €500m for the equity, but General Motors will inject the proceeds into Opel/Vauxhall.
• Three major M&A deals were announced on the same day – Oracle agreed to buy Sun Microsystems for $7.4bn, Glaxo SmithKline agreed to buy Stiefel Laboratories for $3.6bn and PepsiCo offered $6bn in cash and stock to buy out investors in its two biggest bottling units.
• Volkswagen is considering making a bid for Porsche’s automotive business. A bid would help relieve the net debt burden of Porsche’s parent company Porsche SE that currently stands at €9bn. The estimated bid price is thought to be in the €6bn to €9bn range. Porsche’s parent would still retain an interest since it would keep its 50.76% holding of Volkswagen.

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The Unlimited Vision 2009 Conference will inspire and prepare you for the next decade of advancement for women. This important conference will be an unparalleled gathering of distinguished experts – where our Corporate Partnersand the alumnae and mentors associated with WOMEN Unlimited programs cannetwork and share forward-looking best practices for leveraging the unlimitedpotential of women in corporate America.

Here are some early highlights of what you can expect to experience during this twoand ½ day conference. These events and MORE will give you the solid, tactical approaches that can become critical differentiators for success… for your company, your colleagues, and yourself.

• “Creating and Realizing YourPersonal Brand Vision” – a challenging and inspiring keynote address bySusan Sobbott, President OPEN / American Express. Susan will set the stage forour learning about, networking, sharing, and putting into action an Unlimited Vision for women over the next decade

• An exploration of Executive SuccessPrinciples® with author and consultant Charmaine McClarie, whose expertise inrecruiting, developing, and retaining executive talent has been recognized byThe New York Times, Harvard Management Update, the London Financial Times, Forbes, and People magazine

• A stimulating discussion by Rosalyn Taylor O’Neale, author of Seven Keys 2 Success: Unlocking the Passion forDiversity

• A dynamic closing presentation by Dr. Tieraona Low Dog about moving beyond prevention to the conscious proactive promotionof health and vitality, specially geared for active professional women

For more information, and to Register

Learn the secrets of negotiating better salaries, benefits and perks in any economy.

When the economy is strong, job seekers feel not only that they can negotiate, but that it would be foolish not to. When the economy is weak, however, many candidates wrongly feel that they have to accept what’s offered or risk losing the offer. This is a myth that employers are only to happy to perpetrate. Whatever the economic climate, what really matters is how you negotiate.

Lee E. Miller, a Harvard trained employment lawyer and former head of Human Resources at US Networks, TV Guide and Barneys New York and author of the soon-to-be-released “Get More Money on Your Next Job in Any Economy” (McGraw Hill April 2009) shares the secrets of negotiating better salaries, benefits and perks in any economy. Whether you are a supervisor or a CEO, the Eleven Commandments of Employment Negotiating will work for you. Even if you are unemployed you can negotiate a better salary when you get hired if you know how. As the co-author of A Women’s Guide to Successful Negotiating Lee will also offers tips for women and how they can avoid the most common mistakes women make when negotiating.

Pre-registration necessary. NO WALK-INS ALLOWED. No payment at the door. To purchase tickets click here

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