Tag Archive: mission


Crackdown on conferences clears Senate

Filed Under: Insurance News
Apr.25, 2012

The Senate on Tuesday voted to curb agency spending on conferences and to limit the number of employees from a single agency who can attend.

An amendment by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., was approved by voice vote and attached to a larger Postal Service reform bill. A similar provision has been added to the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, which the House is scheduled to vote on Wednesday.

Coburn called the amendment a “first step in comprehensive conference and transparency reform.” It would cap the amount that could be spent on any conference at $500,000 (except when an agency is the primary sponsor) and require all conference expenses to be posted online. Agencies could shell out no more than 80 percent of what they spent on conferences in 2010, according to a Coburn statement. No more than 50 employees from a single agency would be allowed to attend international meetings.

The crackdown also would allow nonfederal foundations and other parties to finance a conference as long as they are publicly listed and vetted for conflicts of interest. Outside sponsors would be limited to one conference per year. Details on conferences would have to be posted quarterly and include a rationale for the event linked to the agency’s mission.

“Congress has finally said ‘the party’s over’ when it comes to conference spending,” Coburn said. “We have seen scandal after scandal because Congress has failed to do oversight. The purpose of oversight is to prevent scandals, not respond to scandals.”

Coburn said his reforms could save $65 million a year.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
read more

Does Life Imitate Art at Goldman Sachs?

Filed Under: Insurance News
Mar.15, 2012

ARCHIVES

When Greg Smith quit his job running a London based line of business for Goldman Sachs — and told the world why in an op-ed in the New York Times – he acted out the fantasy of everyone who’s ever wanted to tell their employer what they really think of them as they walk out the door.

Smith’s article reminded me of two great lines from “Jerry Maguire.” The first, of course, is the one immortalized by Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Ron Tidwell: “Show me the money!” As Smith writes, the only way that customers came up in regular sales meetings at Goldman was “purely about how we can make the most possible money off of them,” and that managing directors of the firm routinely referred to customers as “muppets.”

The second line from Jerry MaGuire that came to mind isn’t quoted as often, but it’s actually my favorite. It’s the title of the mission statement that Tom Cruise’s Jerry wrote at the beginning of the movie and slipped into the hotel mailboxes of all the sports agents with whom he was attending the company’s offsite. It was called, “The Things We Think And Do Not Say.” It was a plea for more humanity in the way his firm did business. The only difference at Goldman this week was that Smith actually said it and did so in the most publicly possible way.

As the Times reported later in the day, Smith’s resignation article took Wall Street by storm. I’d sum up the reaction as “where you stand depends on where you sit.” If you’re inclined to believe that Goldman represents a broken business culture, you believe Smith hit the nail on the head. If you’re in the industry, you take a more skeptical view.

For me, it all reminds me of a post I wrote a couple of years ago when 29 coal miners were killed in an explosion in an unsafe mine run by the now defunct Massey Energy. It was called I and It or I and Thou? It was based on the work of the theologian Martin Buber and in it, I wrote that we can view our interactions with people as “I – It” relationships in which people are essentially functions of production that enable us to achieve our goals. Alternatively, we can approach our relationships as “I – Thou” relationships in which we look for, acknowledge and act on the sacred aspects of the human experience.

If Smith is at all accurate in what he wrote, there was an I-It culture at work in his firm. I’ll end this post with a version of the question I ended with a couple of years ago. What behaviors and outcomes would we see in an organization where the leaders practiced an I- Thou approach with all of their stakeholders, customers included? Is such a workplace even possible?

Executive coach Scott Eblin’s goal is to help you succeed at the next level of leadership. Throughout the week, he’ll offer his take on the leadership lessons in the news and his advice on your most pressing leadership questions. A former government executive, Scott is a graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and is the author of The Next Level: What Insiders Know About Executive Success.

Want to contribute to this story? Share your addition in comments.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
readers comments powered by

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
read more

Video: Clinton addresses global business conference

Filed Under: Insurance News
Feb.22, 2012

 

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the first-ever State Department Global Business Conference on Tuesday.

Speaking to an audience of both private sector executives and government officials, she discussed several measures State is taking to enhance “jobs diplomacy” initiatives.  The agency plans to promote U.S. businesses, attract investment back to the country and allow for fair competition, Clinton said.

“American companies haven’t always seen the federal government as an ally, and I know the State Department has not always been the first call when you’re looking for help. So we can and we will, and in fact we are doing better,” Clinton said.
 

“I have made “jobs diplomacy” a priority mission at the State Department, with a clear goal: Just as our companies are ready to out-work, out-innovate, and out-compete their rivals, so we intend to be the most effective diplomatic champions for prosperity and growth,” she said.

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
read more

White House gives rundown of the rescue raid in Somalia

Filed Under: Insurance News
Jan.25, 2012

The White House provided National Journal with some background about the U.S. rescue mission that freed two aid workers – American citizen Jessica Buchanan and Danish citizen Poul Hagen Thisted – who had been held hostage by Somali pirates since October.

October 25: Jessica Buchanan and Danish citizen Poul Hagen Thisted are kidnapped in Somalia and taken hostage.  

October 26:  The President is advised of the kidnapping and asks to be kept apprised of Ms. Buchanan’s status.  Over the next three months, the President is provided updates and makes regular inquiries about efforts to locate Ms. Buchanan.

November 21: John Brennan meets with Danish Minister of Justice Morten Boedskov, and they discuss the status of Ms. Buchanan and Mr. Thisted.

November 23: The President holds a meeting with top White House National Security Staff and discusses the Jessica Buchanan hostage situation.  The President directs that efforts to find Ms. Buchanan continue.

Week of January 16: New intelligence emerges and shows that Jessica’s health was deteriorating rapidly.  Brennan begins daily POTUS updates noting that an attempt to rescue Ms. Buchanan might be made in the near term.  The President directs that planning proceed for a rescue.  

January 21: Key national security officials hold a secure video teleconference (SVTC) to discuss potential rescue options. Brennan briefs the President on the status of rescue efforts.

Monday, January 23:

7:15pm: Key national security officials hold a SVTC to review options for rescue operation.

9pm: After discussing the proposed rescue operation with National Security Advisor Tom Donilon and Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough, Brennan briefs the President in the White House Residence and the President authorizes the operation to proceed.    

Tuesday, January 24:

The President is provided a half a dozen updates by Brennan during the day on movement of forces, progression of rescue operation, and extraction of hostages and forces.

6:43pm: Brennan briefs the President that Buchanan and Thisted are safe and in U.S. hands.  

10:32pm: The President calls John Buchanan, Jessica’s father and informs him of the successful rescue operation.

Sara Sorcher contributed to this report.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
read more

5BARz International Inc. – European Subsidiary, 5BARz AG to Raise US 7 Million Dollars

Filed Under: Insurance News
Nov.07, 2011


MISSION VIEJO, Calif., Nov. 7, 2011 /NEWS.GNOM.ES/ — 5BARz International Inc. (OTCBB: BARZ), (Berlin Stock Exchange: O5B), (hereafter “5BARz” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that 5BARz AG, a subsidiary of 5BARz, based in Zurich, Switzerland has engaged BDC Investment AG, an independent investment company, based in Zurich, Switzerland, to raise up to US 7 million dollars, on a best efforts basis.  In addition BDC Investment AG will provide 5BARz AG with financial consulting and the dissemination of corporate financial information to shareholders.  

5BARz AG has entered into a Marketing and Distribution Agreement with 5BARz for the exclusive sales and distribution rights of 5BARz products in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Mr. Daniel Bland, the CEO of 5BARz International Inc. states that “We are pleased to be collaborating with BDC Investment AG at this stage of our development.”

Mr. Juerg Burkhardt, CEO of BDC Investment AG stated that “We are very impressed with the 5BARz product and the distinct advantages of their patented cellular booster technology.  Further, we believe there will be a significant need for their product in the 5BARz AG licensed territory as the cellular industry continues to focus on data transmission over their networks.  We are excited in offering this investment opportunity in 5BARz AG to the European investors we have worked with in the past.”    

About 5BARz International Inc.  

5BARz International Inc. holds the exclusive global marketing and distribution rights and holds a 50% ownership interest in the technology underlying the 5BARz™ products. 5BARz™ is a cellular network extender for use in the small office, home and mobile market places.  5BARz™ incorporates a patent-pending technology to create a highly engineered, single-piece, plug ‘n play unit that strengthens weak cellular signals to deliver high quality signals for voice, data and video reception on cell phones and other cellular equipped devices.  5BARz™ represents a key solution for cellular network operators in providing clear, high quality signal for their subscribers with a growing need for high quality connectivity.

About BDC-Investment AG

BDC Investment AG is a regulated financial intermediary based in Zurich, Switzerland. BDC specializes in raising capital for exceptional companies through venture capital and new issue share placements with its investors.

5BARz International Inc’s shares are publicly traded on the OTCBB under the ticker symbol BARZ in the US and on the Berlin Stock Exchange (www.boerse-berlin.com) under symbol “O5B”.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

“Mr. Daniel Bland” CEO & Director  

5BARz International Inc.

Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The information contained in this release consists of forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. These statements may involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such statements. Such forward–looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including all business uncertainties relating to product development, marketing, market acceptance, future capital requirements, and competition in general that may cause actual results to be materially different from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. The Company is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) update or alter its forward–looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

CONTACT:
Parkside Communications Inc.
Phone: 1-877-798-4165
IR@5BARz.com
www.5barz.com
www.bdc-investments.ch

SOURCE 5BARz International Inc.


http://www.5barz.com

Tags: , , , , , , ,
read more

Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization Launches New Website

Filed Under: Insurance News
Nov.04, 2011

www.y-me.org Focuses on the People Behind the Pink and 24/7/365 Y-ME Hotline: 800-221-2141

CHICAGO , Nov. 4, 2011, /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ –Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization™, the only place in the world where a patient can call 24/7/365 to talk to a breast cancer survivor, launched a new website that focuses on the human element of breast cancer, featuring the People Behind the Pink, who are surviving breast cancer and the survivor peer counselors who provide emotional support and educational resources on the Y-ME Hotline.

“Y-ME is all about the people who assure that no one faces breast cancer alone,” said Cindy Geoghegan, Y-ME’s Chief Executive Officer and herself a 16-year breast cancer survivor.  “The women you will meet on www.y-me.org are the people who answer the phone every hour of every day.  Our new website reflects our core mission and answers the questions we get from tens of thousands of patients and the people who love them each year.  We created a web destination to find hope and inspiration in addition to accurate information.  We want our website to be as warm and supportive as we are to the people who call our Hotline.”

The new site features common questions that patients ask, including questions such as “Am I going to die?” and “How do I know I’m getting the right treatment?”  It has comprehensive information about breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, but also features stories about breast cancer survivors, news and updates, and expert blogs to help provide perspective on some of the complex issues related to breast cancer.  

By calling the Y-ME Hotline, a breast cancer patient can talk to a survivor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  Y-ME is the only breast cancer organization that offers that service.  The Y-ME peer counselors, all survivors, are the focus of many of the stories on the new website. 

All Y-ME’s peer counselors must be breast cancer survivors and must complete a basic 40-hour training module and certification test as well as an ongoing series of continuing education modules.  In 2011, Y-ME added new training programs on Evidence Based Medicine and Critical Thinking, Personalized Medicine, and Peer Support, all designed to meet the specialized needs of today’s breast cancer patients.  Peer counselors who complete these special programs have a total of over 100 hours of intense training that includes instruction in handling both informational and emotional issues, making sure they are able to be there to respond to all the needs of breast cancer patients.

“We truly are the people behind the pink,” explained Geoghegan, as October ended with the launch of Y-ME’s new site.  “The pink that raises awareness for breast cancer and money for research is fading, as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month ends.  But the need to talk to someone when your doctor tells you that you have breast cancer continues.   Our new website is about our commitment to being there for breast cancer patients whenever they need us, every month of the year and every day – including upcoming holidays, when emotional support is even more needed for families facing breast cancer.”

About Y-ME
Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization is the only place in the world where someone touched by breast cancer can call – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year – to talk to a breast cancer survivor and be understood in 150 different languages. For more than 30 years, Y-ME has been working to assure that no one faces breast cancer alone.

Talk to a peer counselor at 1-800-221-2141, or visit y-me.org.

SOURCE Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization

Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization Launches New Website | Chicago Press Release Services – Chicago’s leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.



Press release distribution via Chicago Press Release Services

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
read more

Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization Launches New Website

Filed Under: Life Insurance
Nov.04, 2011

www.y-me.org Focuses on the People Behind the Pink and 24/7/365 Y-ME Hotline: 800-221-2141

CHICAGO , Nov. 4, 2011, /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ –Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization™, the only place in the world where a patient can call 24/7/365 to talk to a breast cancer survivor, launched a new website that focuses on the human element of breast cancer, featuring the People Behind the Pink, who are surviving breast cancer and the survivor peer counselors who provide emotional support and educational resources on the Y-ME Hotline.

“Y-ME is all about the people who assure that no one faces breast cancer alone,” said Cindy Geoghegan, Y-ME’s Chief Executive Officer and herself a 16-year breast cancer survivor.  “The women you will meet on www.y-me.org are the people who answer the phone every hour of every day.  Our new website reflects our core mission and answers the questions we get from tens of thousands of patients and the people who love them each year.  We created a web destination to find hope and inspiration in addition to accurate information.  We want our website to be as warm and supportive as we are to the people who call our Hotline.”

The new site features common questions that patients ask, including questions such as “Am I going to die?” and “How do I know I’m getting the right treatment?”  It has comprehensive information about breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, but also features stories about breast cancer survivors, news and updates, and expert blogs to help provide perspective on some of the complex issues related to breast cancer.  

By calling the Y-ME Hotline, a breast cancer patient can talk to a survivor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  Y-ME is the only breast cancer organization that offers that service.  The Y-ME peer counselors, all survivors, are the focus of many of the stories on the new website. 

All Y-ME’s peer counselors must be breast cancer survivors and must complete a basic 40-hour training module and certification test as well as an ongoing series of continuing education modules.  In 2011, Y-ME added new training programs on Evidence Based Medicine and Critical Thinking, Personalized Medicine, and Peer Support, all designed to meet the specialized needs of today’s breast cancer patients.  Peer counselors who complete these special programs have a total of over 100 hours of intense training that includes instruction in handling both informational and emotional issues, making sure they are able to be there to respond to all the needs of breast cancer patients.

“We truly are the people behind the pink,” explained Geoghegan, as October ended with the launch of Y-ME’s new site.  “The pink that raises awareness for breast cancer and money for research is fading, as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month ends.  But the need to talk to someone when your doctor tells you that you have breast cancer continues.   Our new website is about our commitment to being there for breast cancer patients whenever they need us, every month of the year and every day – including upcoming holidays, when emotional support is even more needed for families facing breast cancer.”

About Y-ME
Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization is the only place in the world where someone touched by breast cancer can call – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year – to talk to a breast cancer survivor and be understood in 150 different languages. For more than 30 years, Y-ME has been working to assure that no one faces breast cancer alone.

Talk to a peer counselor at 1-800-221-2141, or visit y-me.org.

SOURCE Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization

Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization Launches New Website | Chicago Press Release Services – Chicago’s leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.



Press release distribution via Chicago Press Release Services

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
read more

U.N. report: Detainees ‘systematically’ tortured by Afghan authorities

Filed Under: Insurance News
Oct.11, 2011

Detainees at Afghan police and intelligence detention facilities have been subjected to torture including hanging by their wrists, electric shock, and twisted genitals, among other interrogation techniques, according to a United Nations report released on Monday.

The report, which was researched by the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, is the result of nearly a year of interviews with more than 300 randomly selected, pretrial and convicted detainees at Afghan National Police detention centers, National Directorate of Security facilities, and Ministry of Justice prisons and juvenile rehabilitation centers.

“Nearly all detainees tortured by NDS officials reported the abuse took place during interrogations and was aimed at obtaining a confession or information,” said the report, which found that 46 percent of NDS detainees interviewed had experienced interrogation techniques that consisted of torture. The report found that torture is practiced “systematically” at NDS detention facilities throughout Afghanistan.

While the report does not apportion any complicity to U.S. or Western officials, it does note that Afghan security forces are trained and funded by the international community.

The ANP’s budget is mainly funded by a multilateral trust set up by the United Nations Development Programme in 2002. The trust receives contributions from the United States as well as a number of other Western nations.

The report points out that despite the systematic nature of the torture, is it not based on institutional or Afghan government policy, but is rather the result of the actions of individual security officials. Reform is, therefore, “both possible and desired,” the report said, noting that government officials had already cooperated with the report’s investigation and begun to take actions to address these problems.

NATO’s International Security Assistance Force responded to the formal release of the report, noting that it has already taken action in suspending detainee transfers to certain facilities based on the findings.

Still, the report may put a wrench in American efforts to hand over security responsibilities to Afghan officials as U.S. troops begin a gradual drawdown from Afghanistan. The Obama administration is set to withdraw 10,000 American troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year.

ISAF, with which UNAMA shared its findings over the course of the last month, said in a statement that it is working closely with the Afghan government and the U.N. panel on efforts to “improve detention operations and establish safeguards to prevent future mistreatment.”

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
read more

New Better Business Bureau Search App Allows Business Reviews To Be Accessed Easier, Faster By iPhone Users

Filed Under: Insurance News
Sep.20, 2011

CHICAGO, IL – September 20, 2011 – A new mobile
application for Apple iPhone users, BBB Search, allows Business Reviews and
other information from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to be available on the
go.

More than four million companies are covered internationally
by BBB Business Reviews. This includes over 120,000 businesses in the Chicago and northern Illinois region.

The iPhone app can be downloaded for free at the App
Store under “BBB Search”.

One key benefit of the iPhone app is information and
graphics are shown in a larger, more user-friendly format.

Features of the new BBB iPhone app include: search
capability for businesses and charities; access to BBB Business Reviews;
information about the BBB’s vision, mission and values; FAQs and support. BBB Business
Reviews also highlight if a company is an Accredited Business with the BBB.

With the BBB Search iPhone app, businesses and
charities can be found by name, phone number or web address. It also allows
users to add Business Reviews to a Favorites list, store business information
to their iPhone contacts and share a link for Business Reviews through email,
Twitter or Facebook.

Users with other smartphones may still find BBB
Business Reviews and connect to the BBB website on their phone’s internet browsers
by going to m.bbb.org

To find more information on businesses you can trust, and
to find easy business referrals visit www.bbb.org

 

###

As a private, non-profit organization, the
purpose of the Better Business Bureau is to promote an ethical marketplace.
BBBs help resolve buyer/seller complaints by means of conciliation, mediation
and arbitration. BBBs also review advertising claims, online business practices
and charitable organizations. BBBs develop and issue reviews on businesses
and nonprofit organizations and encourage people to check out a company or
charity before making a purchase or donation.

 

New Better Business Bureau Search App Allows Business Reviews To Be Accessed Easier, Faster By iPhone Users | Chicago Press Release Services – Chicago’s leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.



Press release distribution via Chicago Press Release Services

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
read more

Workers paying more for health insurance – Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Filed Under: Insurance News
Dec.12, 2010

Her health insurance plan as an employee at Santa Rosa’s Redwood Gospel Mission has a $5,400 deductible, meaning she has to pay the first $5,400 in medical expenses each year.

The plan, which costs her about $250 a month, one-fourth of the total premium, was adequate as long as no one in her family got sick, Lowe said. But a case of acute pancreatitis sent her to the hospital several times this year, and Lowe’s share of the bills surpassed her deductible and hit the $9,000 out-of-pocket limit, wiping out an inheritance.

“I don’t have a cushion to fall back on,” said Lowe, who makes $2,500 a month working at the mission’s Thrift Store on Piner Road. “We’ll just be praying that I don’t have another attack.”

She’s among the 34 percent of California workers with health insurance deductibles of $2,000 or more last year, one consequence of the runaway costs of health care — and health insurance — in the United States.

In 2006, just 15 percent of workers had deductibles in that range.

Jeff Gilman, executive director of the gospel mission, said he has to hold costs for insuring the nonprofit charity’s 25 full-time employees to a total of $150,000 a year.

That meant boosting co-payments, and then the deductible, which is now $5,400 a year for most employees. View Full Article »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
read more
Powered by WordPress and Motion by 85ideas.