On November 18th, I had the pleasure of moderating a fantastic panel on “Evaluating & Managing the Ever-Changing Landscape of Technology Risk.” Our expert speakers included:

• Neal Maguire – Investigations Manager, Verizon RISK Team
• Augusto Russell – Partner, May, Bonee & Walsh
• Michael W. Wanik - Director, Corporate Security, United Therapeutics

We discussed and learned quite a bit about some strange and scary terms like Phishing, Pre-texting, Trojan Horse, Malware, Social Engineering, Keystroke Loggers, Spyware and Worms… Lots of new things to be worried about that seem to change all the time. Our speakers were incredibly knowledgeable and informative, helping attendees separate the hype from what is real. They offered great advice appropriate for keeping any sized business safe, and shared useful Data Loss Prevention guidelines, which we’ve added to our member website Library for reference. Handouts included “How to Secure Your Company's Most Sensitive Data,” and “Protecting IP Data from Loss and Theft: The Shortest Path to Prevention and Risk Reduction.”

Stay safe… and enjoy!

-- Joe Tait, CEO Trustee - CIO, Lydall, Event Chair, and Founding Philadelphia Chapter Member 

George Strompolos, CEO and founder of Fullscreen, and a previous CEO Trust speaker, is quoted in an article on 4-Traders.com, regarding a new single sign-on feature that unlocks VIP access and benefits with game-changing creative services.  "With the launch of Sign In with Fullscreen, we can seamlessly integrate into the Fullscreen Creator Platform a wide range of third-party partners who complement our mission. We're very excited about all the possibilities this opens up for our creators," says Strompolos. 

On November 7^th, “Workforce 2020 – Colliding Trends and a New Game” was the subject of CEO Trust’s NYC Chapter event at the stylish Terrace Club in midtown, adjacent Rockefeller Center.  The event kicked off with a look at the fascinating short video, “How Will the World be in 2020?,” which offered a glimpse into many demographic and technological changes to come.

Our expert panel: Doug Blitzer, Director of Talent Acquisition & Development at Tribridge; Andrew O'Connor, President of A.J. O'Connor Associates, Inc.; and Maureen McGurl (Moderator), Principal at Sutton Place HR Consulting Group.  Afterward, participants were invited to test their knowledge on US & global workforce trends during the interactive “Future Work" challenge. Our panelists then discussed evolving trends and methods to handle the challenges of an ever-changing global workforce.

Predictions & projections include that, by the year 2020:

• There will be five generations in the workforce, with employees ranging in age from 16 to 70+ working side by side in many organizations
• One in four US workers will be 55+, with the 55+ demographic being the fastest growing demographic group in the workforce
• 50 billion devices will be connected to the Internet – more than 6 devices per person on earth
• 75% of jobs will require a two- or four- (or more) year degree, special postsecondary occupation certificate, or apprenticeship, as the global economy shifts to more of a “knowledge economy”
• Almost one in four US workers will be of Hispanic or Asian origin
• Contingent workers may constitute as much as 50% of the global workforce

Strategies our panel presented for handling the challenges of this ever-changing global workforce included:

• Strengthen and develop traditional leadership skills & competencies, such as emotional intelligence, conflict management/resolution, and change readiness
• Develop newer competencies, such as learning agility, global mindset, 360 communication skills, and digital proficiency
• Consider one-on-one executive coaching for leaders and high-potential employees for targeted, accelerated development
• Accelerate the development of newly-appointed executives and newly-formed teams through assimilation/integration coaching
• When hiring and striving to retain Millennials, know and focus on what’s important to their demographic, including:
  • Opportunities for mentoring and participation in special interest community groups within the organization
  • Worker character traits such as self drive and ability to learn
  • Providing career experiences that offer opportunities for learning and building competencies & foundational skills
  • Creating a strong corporate culture and sense of corporate values
  • Encourage the development of a shadow management committee made up of high-quality employees who meet with management regarding concerns facing the company

Our panel shared information, ideas, and best practices drawing on their expertise and experience with individuals, teams, and corporations.  Attendees gained insight into how to address the changes to come proactively in order to attract, hire, train, and retain the very best team members possible.  All on hand came away with concrete strategies for providing productive and satisfying work environments for an increasingly heterogeneous workforce. 

This morning, the PA Chapter roundtable spent some time on the impact of the next generation Millennials in the workplace.  There are clear cultural differences (there always are) between generations.  One question that arose:  should the senior generation be retraining the junior or vice versa? 

Not trying to answer the question, but here are some interesting blogs and ideas from both sides of the generation gap...

Business Insider

Inc Magazine

Linkedin

There is a lot to be learned as well as taught. Happy Team Development! 

-- RJ Juliano, CEO Trustee

Social Media will find you, you can’t hide!  After our recent session on Strategic Social Media, our Trustees can’t say they don’t know this.

The PA Chapter explored the rapidly changing world of strategic social media at an event held at the Pyramid Club in Philadelphia.  The agenda focused on how CEOs should approach social media, why they often shy away, and why they benefit from using it.  The top-flight panel focused on how social media is part of a wider brand strategy, why a response plan is critical, and how to get involved even with limited resources and knowledge.

Evan Urbania, CEO & Co-Founder – ChatterBlast Media, Michelle Price Taglialatela, President, Certified Brand Strategist – Tag Strategies, and Cass Bailey, Principal – Slice Communications led the lively discussion of this critical and often perplexing topic.   Networking time and a lively interchange and Q&A with the audience focused the conversation on the strategic aspects that every business should address. 

-- RJ Juliano, CEO Trustee

Dr. Jonathan Haidt, Author, NYU Stern School of Business Professor, and TED Speaker shared with CEO Trustees a glimpse into the future of teaching "ethics."  At an interactive program in New York City, Dr. Jonathan Haidt walked us through a couple of the key ideas of his bestselling book, "The Righteous Mind," explaining how people are driven far more by their passions than by their reason, and how that makes teaching ethical behavior, or any kind of behavior, such a challenge. 

He led the group through an exercise of evaluating the ethics of business by recalling situations that challenged their respective organizations in the past, and how they or their colleagues responded to that challenge.  This resulted in a fascinating exchange among Trustees. 

By the end of the evening, the audience was thinking about ethics on a new level, while giving Jon valuable feedback on how to advance the communication of the research on ethical behavior and systems. 

A magnificent view of the picturesque Saugatuck River set the scene for Connecticut Chapter’s June celebration at the stylish Moja Cafe.  This waterfront gem in the heart of Westport overlooks the patriotic Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Memorial Bridge, lined with dozens of waving American flags.  With it’s vibrant, urban atmosphere, ambient music, boardwalk-style waterfront deck, and stunning views, Moja was the perfect venue for catching up with friends and making connections with peers.

Guests enjoyed great conversations and plenty of laughs over fine wines, cocktails, and delectable Asian-fusion fare, including delicate Rice Paper Shrimp Wraps, savory Pepper Steak Arepas, and Crab Musubi.  Glorious weather was the pièce de résistance of this picture perfect evening. Comments from guests included, “Very nice event in a very nice location.” “Well done!” and “Conversation with fellow members ended up taking precedence over the wonderful river view.” 

The Philadelphia Chapter of CEO Trust held their Celebration at Longwood Gardens, one of the premier botanical gardens in the country. On the over 1,000 acres that was once held by William Penn, industrialist Pierre DuPont created his private estate and gardens that was later bestowed that is now a stunningly beautiful indoor and outdoor garden. The location was perfect for an outdoor Celebration that had Trustees and their guests mingling over cocktails and getting to know their fellow Trustees over a delicious dinner. I overheard comments from a number folks about how much the Chapter has grown and the great learning and networking opportunities that the CEO Trust provides.

In addition to cocktails and dinner, guests had a chance to win a fabulous raffle prize.  Below is a list of our raffle prize winners:

CEO Trust Coffee Cup – Abe Hughes, Vice President, New Holland Agricultural

CEO Trust Baseball Hat – Mark Spool, Ph.D., Management Development Solutions

CEO Trust Keepsake Box – Joe Tait, CIO, Lydall

Gift Certificate to The Capital Grille – George Nelson, CIO and Senior Vice President, Toll Brothers

Gift Certificate to the Four Seasons Hotel – Dr. Christine Stiles, The Center for Breast and Body Contouring

Exquisite bottle of Tignanello Sangiovese Cabernet along with a quality wine tote –
Ted Kaminer,EVP & CFO, Bioclinica

After dinner, guests were invited to stroll the grounds and Conservatory, ending the evening with a beautiful fountain and light show. Our host, Joe Calandra, of ADPI, knows how to throw a Celebration! Joe is to thank for providing such a terrific evening for our Trustees and their guests.

-- Patrick Callihan, CEO Trustee, Celebration Chair, Executive Director, Tech Impact 

We had an outstanding event this past Monday, April 8 that was attended by a packed room of more than 25 people which is great for this growing chapter.  We even ended up cutting off the conversation after running over the time limit.

In the spirit of “Learn what it’s like from some of the best” we gathered a great panel to share their experience with us.

MIKE LORELLI -- CEO of WaterJel Technologies, accepted his first Board assignment in 1990.  He has since served on the board and chaired the compensation committees of 3 publicly traded companies and served on 5 private equity boards. Mike is presently on the board of CP Kelco and Rita’s Italian Ices. He has master’s level accreditation at the National Association of Corporate Directors and The American College of Corporate Directors. Mike is a Founding Trustee of CEO Trust’s NY & CT Chapters and served two tours of duty as a PepsiCo division president in the 90’s.

Kerry D. Moynihan -- Managing Director at the executive search firm, ZRG Partners, specializes in board search and the strategic restructuring of boards of directors. Previously, Kerry was a partner with two of the world’s largest executive search firms. He has served on a number of advisory boards for emerging companies in technology and business services. He has written about and is sought by the media for his views on corporate governance, human capital, and executive compensation.

Lionel Nowell -- Lionel Nowell has held senior leadership roles over the past thirty years with fortune 500 companies such as PepsiCo, RJR Nabisco and Diageo PLC. Lionel currently serves on the boards of Bank of America, American Electric Power, and Reynolds American, as well as the Dean’s Advisory Board at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business. A requested speaker at conferences and seminars, and a contributor to numerous publications, Lionel is also author of the self-help book “You Are Better Than Your Best.”

Some of the things we covered included what to watch out for when joining a board of directors: 

• Financial Accountability: Are there robust financial controls and procedures in place?
• Regulatory Compliance: Do the other directors meet the standards of independence and financial expertise as newly promulgated by Sarbanes-Oxley, the NYSE, CALPERS, etc.?
• Personal Financial Liability: What D&O insurance is in place?
• Time Commitment: What are the typical time commitments required
• Legal Liability: Is there any outstanding litigation against the company?
• Try to predict Surprises: What are the potential financial or operational surprises, the not-so obviousrisks, or “bear traps”?
• Watch out for structural conflict: Does the board have a unified agenda?
• Interpersonal issues can hamper Board effectiveness: How does the board truly interact?
• What gets measured gets done: Does the board engage in an annual review of its overall performance?

Overall this was one of our best ever events in my opinion – looking forward to seeing more of you at future sessions!