Emissions Cap Fuels Committee

The Obama administration has proposed tougher air pollution rules for 31 states from Massachusetts to Texas to curb smog and acid rain, but this may lead energy companies to shut some power plants. The rules are set to take effect in 2012.

American Electric Power Co, who are among the few that may be affected by the regulations, announced last week that they will form part of the NGU US committee along with Cyrus Wadia the senior policy analyst for renewables at the Whitehouse.

As of yet it is unsure if the new regulations will result in the shutting down of plants, but those who do not meet with standards will have to work hard to resolve the situation. An emergency meeting has been called at the NGU US Summit to discuss regulations and the renewable solutions for a greener future.

The EPA also proposed two alternative approaches to emission caps, one that would permit emissions trading only within a state and another that would enable a company to trade pollution rights among its own power plants.

The NGU US Committee consisting of representatives from AEP (American Electric Power) - Nick Atkins, EVP Generation, Austin Energy - John Baker, Chief Strategy Officer, EDF - Christian Chapus, Senior Manager, National Grid - Edward White, Jr., VP Energy Policy, and Cyrus Wadia the senior policy analyst for renewables at the Whitehouse want to develop low-cost, high-efficiency technologies to spark a wave of adoption, create companies and jobs. Innovation is America's natural advantage; the committee believes that with the resources available in the US innovative expertise can be exported worldwide as other countries seek to adopt cost-effective technologies.

There is no denying that well-designed legislation to reduce carbon emissions in electricity and petroleum could enable the development of substantially. Tom McDonnell the NGU Project Director commented that “the better the alternative technologies we propose the more we can influence electricity providers to use a minimum percentage of energy from renewable sources. If we open the doors we can increase competition and drive prices down’

It has been proposed that better alternative technologies will require electricity providers to use a minimum percentage of energy from renewable sources. If this standard were modified to allow low-carbon electricity from any source, not just renewable, with carbon emissions that are 80 percent lower than coal, it could get support from nuclear, natural gas and even coal advocates. Will opening the playing field like this increase competition and drive down prices or draw focus from the emissions goal?

PayPal Action Fraud

With the online retail sector set to grow, security experts PayPal are leading the charge against the fraudsters.


A new report released today has revealed that more than 15,000 people have become victims of fraud in the first six months of 2010. The report, which focuses on UK consumers, was compiled by Action Fraud – the national fraud reporting centre – and reveals that the amount of money people had been tricked out of ranged from just GBP£6 to more than GBP£1m.

However, the issue of just how secure online shopping is has long been debated.
In the US, for instance, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently sent out a warning to car shoppers to be aware of websites offering ‘too good to be true’ deals on repossessed cars. The warning came after the BBB said it had been contacted by thousands of people across the nation who thought they were buying from a reputable dealer online but were actually sending money to scammers posing as legitimate, already-established community dealerships.

Now though, new technologies and pioneering innovations are working to ensure that standards are met and consumers can shop online securely and safely.

At the heart of such innovation is PayPal, the secure online payment method that allows users to pay or get paid quickly and easily without sharing any financial information. “Payments is a very complicated business,” explains Scott Thompson, President of PayPal in a recent interview with executive channel MeetTheBoss.tv. “As a consumer you probably look at it and say ‘Wow, this is easy; it works all the time; it works exactly as I expect it to,’ but when you’re down inside the business and trying to understand how you build products, how you move transactions around, how you clear and settle things around the world, it’s very, very complicated.”

What’s more, with all signs indicating that the online retail is expected grow exponentially for the retail sector, at least according to the second annual PayPal Online Retail Report released last month, PayPal’s innovate technology is set to become even more critical in the fight against fraud.

“The last two and a half years have indicated to me that the opportunities for PayPal are enormous,” adds Thompson. “So as president, as general manager for this business, what you have to do is to take a step back and ask the question: ‘what do our customers need? What do they want from us? What do they expect from us and then how are we going allocate our capital to best serve those customers?’”

To find out more about how PayPal is securing the online retailer sector, please go to MeetTheBoss.tv

Senates Unemployment Benefits Fail US

Over the last week there have been countless stories covering the filibustering on the unemployment extension legislation, the Senate's fourth attempt this month to pass an extension of federal unemployment benefits which also failed a cloture vote.

The standalone bill would have extended benefits for six months, but how do HR departments deal with the concerns over the influx of applications for roles and employee concerns?

As the economy begins to improve, thanks to government pay outs, companies are once again beginning to re-grow staffing levels. The demand for highly skilled staff is at an all time high and recruiters can, at last, pick and choose from record breaking numbers of applicants.

Companies such as those who are set to make up the NG HR US committee are now focusing on doing more with less - attracting and retaining talent. Those leading companies who rode the wave of the economic crash also want to achieve a positive work life balance to ensure both sustainability and growth in order to remain competitive.

“It was a commitment that we made, because keeping people focused on creative work and keeping people focused on innovation, inherently requires them to take risks. In an environment where people are fearful they will not take risks, and we just cannot afford to let the creativity or innovation that drives this entire company in any way be affected by the uncertainty and fear that the outside world has created over the last 18 months.” Dan Satterthwaite – Head of HR for DreamWorks
Executives such as Capital One - Brian Gruber, VP HR Technology, Coca-Cola Enterprises - Pam Kimmet, SVP HR, McDonald's - Rich Floersch, EVP HR, Virgin America - Frances Fiorillo, SVP People, Hilton Worldwide - Matthew Schuyler, Chief HR Officer will be speaking out at the NG HR US summit (hosted by GDS International) on the challenges they are faced with in the US; they state that the key to formulating a successful organization is aligning both HR and organizational strategy while minimizing costs.

“The most important asset a company has is its manpower, and as the economy begins to bounce back, the war for talent will be more prevalent than ever. In order to remain competitive, forward thinking companies must stay ahead of the game and implement strategies and solutions that address these pressing challenges.”

Capital One’s representative also argued that there will be an increased rise in the use of software-as-service products within HR. This will take more than 20 percent of market share by the end of 2010, with challenging implications for well-known ERP suppliers such as Oracle and SAP. Cheaper, more flexible systems that are easier to set up and use can only be good news for HR professionals and help them to automate processes and focus on more strategic goals.

The last 18 months have been full of trials and tribulations for most CHROs (Chief Human Resource Officers). They were at the front and center of their companies’ crucial cost cutting initiatives, in part leading to the debates over the recent refusal of the unemployment extension legislation. It will now be down to them to capitalize on the business opportunities from the improved economic environment.

Roaming Charges mean Rethink for Telecoms

As of the 1st of July the new European Cap which was introduced to cut the cost of using a mobile phone abroad has now came into effect, telecoms executives from across Europe were keen to discuss the implementations of the new bill and an ever growing ‘customer is king ‘ attitude at the NGT EU summit which concluded last week.

The bill enforced by the EU has not come soon enough with some customers receiving bills up to £27,000 for using mobile broadband abroad. The cap can be increased or decreased by the consumer again backing the idea that relationship with the customer is key to success in the telecoms industry. The new EU rules will also cut the costs of making and receiving calls around Europe, just in time for the holiday season and allow free access to voicemail. The new EU rules were met with little resistance by the Telecoms committee who have been aware that such steps would be taken to protect the consumer sooner rather than later.

The executives who make the NGT EU committee met at Lake Geneva, Switzerland where Paul Excell the Chief Customer Innovation Officer, BT opened discusions. Paul is responsible for ensuring that Innovation and Technology business generates £1 billion over the next three years at BT, he offered his insight to representatives such as Bouygues Telecom - Yves Caseau, EVP Services & Innovation, Belgacom - Stijn Vander Plaetse, VP Innovation, Tiscali - Salvatore Pulvirenti, CIO and Vodafone - Paul Wybrow, Group Technical Director while speaking out about the 7 c’s of communication. Communication is Key and the telecoms industry knows this better than anybody.

“When your communication is important -- that is, when you want it to be remembered -- you need to think carefully and design it to resonate with your intended audience.” Paul Excell – BT

The 7 c’s which consist of context, i.e. is the situation fully understood, and are we asking the right questions. Content, do you have a single definable goal. Components, break down projects into their specifics. Cuts, remove the sections that don’t work and get to the point. Composition, how do you want to deliver your message. Contrast, find the differences and use it to highlight your point, change triggers the attention of others and finally consitancy, make sure your message is maintained.

“The 7 c’s can improve your communication, they lay out a simple sequence which can help you start broadly and work your way down to specifics of a particular problem or project eventually coming up with a solution for the customer .” NGT EU committee member
It is to the benefit of every business to understand and communicate with the customer but how this happens makes the difference between a success or the miscommunication of your message. The Roaming charges for European customers are but another example where companies did not communicate to the customer. It seems at last lessons are being learnt.

CIO’s at Match Point in Australia

The economic volatility of the past few years has undoubtedly transformed the scope of technology for business, creating enormous pressure for CIOs globally. While market giants in the US and Europe struggle to weather the storm, Australia is in an enviable position, with forecasted growth significantly higher than other regions. Executives from across the technology industry believe now is the time to act and plan for the future. Opportunity is rife and the time to invest is now.
A study released last week of CIOs around Australia and New Zealand, found that while technical and vendor-specific skills seem plentiful, strategic and conceptually oriented skills were in short supply.

According to the report, the shortage for these particular skills has grown out of reinstated projects following the economic downturn, and has led to some companies offering up to 100 per cent increases on contract rates in order to attract required personnel. The growth within the CIO sector of Australia has meant that company projects are becoming more diverse which has lead to the need for more integral systems to take the strain in the countries expanding businesses.

The role of IT in the next few years is crucial for any organization seeking to gain strides over the competition. CIOs in Australia recognize 2010 as an opportunity to explore IT best practices, which will not only optimize infrastructure in a cost-effective manner, but create opportunities for innovation and growth within the organization.

Within Australia, IT spend is anticipated to surpass 4% growth overall, with some technology areas like CRM and Virtualization catapulting to over 15% increase in sales. Initiatives such as the National Broadband Network in Australia will provide tremendous opportunities to organizations within the region looking to bring innovative platforms to their businesses and this has not goes unnoticed by the NG CIO Australia Committee.

Representatives from Adecco - Dominic Panzera, CIO, Australia Department of Immigration - Peter McKeon, Head of IT, Kiwi Bank - Ron van de Riet, GM IT, PepsiCo - Jackie Montado, CIO and Energy Australia - Sharron Kennedy, CIO expect a boost in Q3 and Q4 of 2010 and government tenders to drive considerable spending over the next 12 months. Key focus areas will include Regulatory compliance and the to need spend as a result of intense competition in the retail sector, spurring spending on customer relationship management (CRM) and back office systems.

New government projects in sectors such as e-government, healthcare and education are also a driving force for meetings such as the NG CIO Australia summit offering significant opportunities for IT vendors. In mid-2010, the Australian government is expected to launch a standardized reporting system scheme. Australia's National E-Health Transition Authority has the goal to create a paperless environment in Australia's health sector, including public hospitals and influenced the NG CIO committee to set their next meeting date for the end of July.

With so much change on the horizon who will be the first to capitalize and will the staffing deficite of skilled staff limit growth?

McEducation, McEducation, McEducation

How the ‘McJob’ became the newest way to get schooled


Two years ago, McDonald’s began its fight back against the dictionary definition of the so-called ‘McJob’, launching an aggressive campaign to redefine preconceptions about working life at the burger-flipping conglomerate. At the time, a McJob was defined as an “unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects”, but head honchos at the firm argued that this was not only insulting, but grossly out of date.

“Our research shows how 87 percent of people who work for McDonald’s get their first choice university place, which is way above that of the national average,” claims David Fairhurst, senior-vice-president and chief people officer at McDonald’s, when talking to executive business channel MeetTheBoss.tv about McDonald’s recent accreditation as a governing body.

In fact, some two years since the McJob assault, Fairhurst is keen to explain how change has impacted the business, highlighting just why the fast food chain is concentrating on developing its employees and giving them the best possible opportunities.

“What HR should be talking about is, ‘How do you truly understand what it is that your business needs? What’s the engine around people that drives your business performance? How can you get more sales and profitability you’re your people?’” he explained.

“Then secondly HR needs to be thinking about, ‘What is it that your people truly value about working for you organization? What is it that differentiates you as an employer?’ And then you need to bring those two things together to create that energy that can be released around people in an organization.”

So just what are McDonald’s doing? Well, in a move largely spearheaded by Fairhurst himself, the fast food giant has become an accredited educational body in UK, having last year provided Apprenticeships for up to 6000 of its 72,000 UK workforce.

“Our research shows how 87 percent of people who work for McDonald’s get their first choice university place, which is way above that of the national average.

“We’re clearly making a significant contribution towards people’s future and it’s also paying off in terms of how they perceive the company and in terms of how their peers perceive working for an organization like McDonald’s.

“And the reality is the more you give people transferrable skills, the less likely they are to transfer. The intrinsic value lies for me in understanding that what you should be focusing on is engagement, not turnover.”
Surely a lesson in engagement worth learning? To find out more about the way McDonald’s teaches it staff to grow at www.meettheboss.tv

Outsource to Europe

The pharmaceutical industry has faced well documented challenges over the last 12 months, the industry is only to aware of this and understand that now is the time to look at new processes and a change in the way they have traditionally done business.

Globally, the pharmaceutical industry is witnessing rapid advancements in processes and technological developments. Automation is emerging as an integral part of nearly all manufacturing processes and pharmaceutical big wigs are ready to invest in the future. Due to the implementation of regulatory norms and spiraling costs pharmaceutical companies have been opting to outsource their manufacturing processes to contract manufacturing organizations in order to improve on efficiency and productivity. Countries such as Brazil, Ukraine, Mexico, China and India have taken full advantage of the need for lower manufacturing costs and have aided a boost in manufacturing growth. But this in itself has its own drawbacks.

It wasn’t too long ago that most medications were manufactured in the same country they had been discovered, from start to finish; this meant more control and less mistakes. It is now predicted that up to 40% of drugs taken in the EU are imported and up to 80% of the active ingredients in those drugs come from foreign sources. It has been harder and harder to keep track of the quality of ingredients and regularly inspecting the facilities which are producing the chemicals having to rely on paperwork to control production. There has even been some concerning reports that some Indian manufacturers have been accused of forging documentation.

These latest revelations have lead to a need for dramatic change and European pharmaceutical leaders believe now is the time to bring manufacturing back to Europe. The NGP EU summit (hosted by GDS International)has been organized by some of the leading names in the pharmaceutical industry to discuss the need to re consolidate manufacturing within Europe.

Simon Orchard the : VP Biotech Operating Unit Europe and Managing Director of the Strängnäs site (Sweden) and CEO for Pfizer Health AB is only to aware of the trials and tribulations in the world of pharmaceuticals and has become a valued member of the NGP EU Committee. He will be focusing on how to streamline the time-to-market for new products to respond more quickly to the growing demands of consumers, outsourcing the non-core functions to strategic partners and contractors within a better regulated environment and the regulatory compliance needed to ensure the continued quality of product. He will be joined by AstraZeneca - Eva Giertz, Director of Pharmaceuticals & Process Quality Assurance, Novartis - Thibaud Stoll, Head of Global Biopharmaceutical Operations, Sanofi Pasteur - Rene Labatut, VP Global Manufacturing Technology, Genzyme Europe - Raun Kupiec, Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs Europe.

This is set to be a year of revelations for the pharmaceutical industry and with the leading companies wishing to pull back on outsourced manufacturing it looks like now is once again the time to invest in Europe.