A recent blog by SFG Wealth Planning Services shares A Smart Strategy: Adopting a written plan for selling company securities can be an affirmative defense against trading on material nonpublic information.  You need to be sure your plan for selling company stock meets with current SEC standards and aligns with shareholder interests. Planned trading programs, also known as rule 10b5-1 trading plans, can be put in place to facilitate systematic sales. 

Mr. Steege is President of SFG Wealth Planning Services, Inc., SFG Investment Advisors, Inc. (SFG), a fee only financial planning firm. Founded 20 years ago, SFG is dedicated to assisting senior executives and their employees with their complex stock-based compensation and planning challenges.

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