CDC Development Solutions Joins Clinton Global Initiative

Commitments Include International Corporate Volunteerism and Supply Chain Development

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CDC Development Solutions (CDS) President and CEO Deirdre White recently returned from the 2010 Clinton Global Initiative Summit, where she made two Commitments to Action in areas in which CDS is a recognized leader: International Corporate Volunteerism (ICV) and Supply Chain Development.  "We are honored to be joining what President Clinton refers to as 'the greatest How network in the world,'" said White.  "And we look forward to collaborating with our CGI partners to implement programs that will deliver on the promise of this important global effort:  turning ideas into action to create a more just and prosperous world."

CDS' two Commitments to Action capitalize on the organization's depth of experience and innovation in two sectors vital to the growth of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging and frontier markets.  With 10,000 Days of Service from the New Global Citizens, CDS will help companies to launch ICV programs, fielding a minimum of 500 volunteers who will provide 10,000 days of service to support social enterprises, governments, and nonprofits in emerging markets over a three-year period. ICV programs, which enable employees to work in teams on pro bono consulting assignments in emerging markets, are the new wave of leadership development and service learning programs for corporations. "More ICV programs will lead to more corporate leaders who are committed to responsible growth, to substantive partnerships in emerging economies, and to innovation that benefits individuals in all markets," noted White. CDS is a leading implementer of ICV programs serving Fortune 100 companies including IBM, Dow Corning and Novartis.

Through its Increasing Local Content – Driving Global Opportunity Commitment, CDS will provide SMEs in emerging markets with the information, training, tools, and networks needed to develop successful community engagement and local content strategies. According to White, "Through our work at CDS, we have shown how these strategies can maximize the opportunities for local business to contract with large corporations, keeping more jobs and money in the country and ultimately building vibrant economies." Through awareness events, workshops, and consulting services, CDS will demonstrate the impact local content, community engagement, and small and medium enterprise development can have on the bottom line. CDS will initially focus on the extractive industries where it has exhibited significant success in oil-rich African countries, including Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

Stan Litow, IBM's Vice President of Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs and President of the IBM Foundation praised CDS' innovative work in the burgeoning area of international corporate volunteerism. "CDS has been an incredibly valuable partner for us. They've worked with us collaboratively as we've developed some of the most challenging and significant customized team assignments on the ground. They've been great problem solvers on the ground to be able to make sure that these experiences are as rich and as filled with opportunity for our emerging leaders within the company as possible. Together we have partnered to understand how to hit the ground running, solve problems in a very succinct and specific way, and build long-term benefit and long-term relationships with nongovernmental organizations and governments around the world. So we've had a rich set of benefits, and we've had them because we've had a very very close partnership and working relationship with our colleagues at CDS."

About CDS

Now celebrating its 20th Anniversary, CDS is a leading provider of innovative, market-driven solutions that empower individuals, businesses, and governments in emerging markets to lead economies towards self-sustained growth and opportunity. The organization was founded by White House initiative in 1990 as a clearinghouse for thousands of men and women who were committed to volunteering their business knowledge and expertise to economic and political reform in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union following the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the intervening years, the organization has diversified its activities, serving small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), local governments and civil society organizations in emerging markets in over 80 countries on five continents around the world.

The Washington, DC-based nonprofit NGO is active in five practice areas. In Global Citizenship and Volunteerism CDS is a leading implementer of international corporate volunteerism (ICV) programs serving Fortune 100 companies such as IBM, Dow Corning, Novartis, and Deloitte.  Its two MBA Volunteer divisions – MBAs Without Borders and the MBA Enterprise Corps (MBAEC)—recruit and place experienced MBA graduates from around the world. All programs support economic development in emerging and frontier markets by providing capacity building, technical assistance and consulting services to governments, NGOs and organizations that advance economic and social development.

Widely recognized for its innovation in Supply Chain Development practice, CDS provides business training, technical assistance and other capacity building tools that address critical market, financial, and technical constraints and enable SMEs to integrate their products and services into supply chains. Its signature Supplier Training Initiative™ has proven to be a highly effective and replicable tool for numerous industries, most recently in the agriculture and extractive industries.

Building on two decades of experience assisting businesses to obtain finance, CDS recently launched its Access to Finance practice.  The A2F practice is multi-tiered, and it includes direct assistance to businesses in securing finance, investment training, as well as advisory services on the design and management of various SME lending and investment models.  

Long active in Tourism Development, CDS has created three specialized approaches – Tourism Employment & Opportunities (TEMPO), Tourism Products Registry™ and Tourism Development Corps™ – to harness the power of tourism to drive economic development in emerging markets. Its programs extend from creating and promoting investment strategies to tourism route development and from supporting the export of handicrafts to supply chain development.

Whether supporting the small business sector in Iraq, linking local businesses to tsunami recovery efforts in Indonesia or providing smallholding farmers in Jamaica with hurricane-resistant technology, CDS' Stability and Economic Recovery programs support the resiliency of businesses, economies and institutions crucial to maintaining peace and driving economic recovery and growth.

For information about the Clinton Global Initiative go to www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.

For further information please contact Kate Ahern at 1-202-530-7663 or [email protected].

SOURCE CDC Development Solutions