ProfNet Expert Alerts on Diversity and Inclusion, Leadership Challenges, Fighting Fraud and more

NEW YORK, Nov. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area.  

You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network – it's easy and free. Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform 

EXPERT ALERTS 

• Diversity and Inclusion
• Leadership Challenges
• Fighting Fraud
• Immigration Taxes Corporate America Energy
• Building Designs and Wildfires
• Black Friday Trends

MEDIA JOBS 

• Team Assistant, WSJ Membership – Wall Street Journal (NY)
• Data Integrity Analyst – Dow Jones (NJ)

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES 

• 8 Retail News Sites to Follow
• Blog Profiles: Climate Change Blogs

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EXPERT ALERTS: 

What has pressured Wall Street to be more diverse and inclusive
Tierra Kavanaugh Wayne
CEO
TKT & Associates
"Looking at the landscape of America today, the one and two percent are still very elitist, especially regarding who is represented in that percentage. Yet, where you are seeing growth is in the footprint of what diversity is; which is enveloped within the faction of minority and women-owned businesses," Kavanaugh states. In a recent article inquiry for a Wall Street Journal Special Report on diversity and inclusion at U.S. banks for a Wall Street Journal Special Report, there were several questions that were raised regarding research a team of analysts conducted on diversity and inclusion at S&P 500 companies. According to the reporter, these researchers found that companies in the financial sector (banks, investment companies, insurance companies...) are the best performers in D&I. Furthermore, after said journalist spoke with the top U.S. banks, they all presented themselves as being ahead of the curve in diversity and inclusion issues. Hence, she wanted to get more elaborative insight into what has pressured Wall Street to be more diverse and inclusive, asking questions such as: 1) Does it have to do with PR and reputation issues, does it have to do with regulatory issues? 2) Are financial firms facing pressure from investors? 3) Are there still old-boy networks in Wall Street? According to Tierra Kavanaugh Wayne: CEO of TKT & Associates, and #2nd on this year's list of Women Presidents' Organization 50 Fastest-GrowingWomen-Owned/Led Companies, she believes that answer isn't one of the questions which have been raised regarding this topic of discussion; rather it is all of the above that has forced a "call to action", inciting this massive shift in Diversity and Inclusion on Wall Street. "Those who are different from the top two percent of the idealized mainstream makeup of Wall Street were confined to a systematic way of how these sectors operate. As they were faced with if they were going to be confined by what those of the system say that they can or cannot do, they were then faced with a decision of: are we going to make your own way?" Kavanaugh illustrates. "Decisively, instead of being trapped in the 'good old boys club', these groups of diverse businesswomen and men play by the rules and have learned to operate by the system, but simultaneously created their own paths. That is innovation, and this is how the change happened. Nonetheless, this change was one that was birthed due to our outright disadvantages and a lack of equal opportunity and inclusion," Kavanaugh further explains. As a result of the aforementioned, Kavanaugh, whose company's culture stands for ideals of diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity for all people, and is the driving force behind her business efforts with her clients which include Toyota, Humana, Omni Hotel and Resorts, Brown-Forman, PGA, and many more, emphasizes that as the world continues to grow larger and larger, coupled with bigger businesses growing into multi-national corporations, it is clear that good practices surrounding women, women of color, gender bias and diversity are a vital key to an organization's future. Yet, despite decades of evidence proving that businesses need diversity, especially with the billions of dollars spent annually on diversity training, statistics are still appalling regarding the lack of these practices in corporate, private, and public culture. Hence, companies like hers and business leaders who specialize in D&I are now more than ever becoming a necessity rather than a luxury for companies across the nation. Hence, Kavanaugh furthermore states that the shift in Wall Street and the financial sectors are taking place due to this new path that diverse groups, especially women, have created from their efforts of seeking inclusion, ergo having to create their own in order to thrive within the system. "You are seeing a real surge in women businesses as business ownership is creating flexibility," Kavanaugh says. "Women are no longer waiting to be invited to the table; they are creating their own tables and 'their' tables have become full. So now, you need to ask to be at our table! Hence, the traditionalists and the elite now see that they need us in their system due to the paths we have carved out and the results we have produced. Now, they understand they were consequently missing out on the billions of dollars being generated. Therefore, for them, it has become a necessity to bring these diverse groups in and get them on board with their agenda so that they will now not be the ones missing out and being deprived of opportunity (especially pertaining to wealth and the future of it)." Shafer has worked for many years as an epilepsy clinical nurse specialist at the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. She has served on the American Epilepsy Society Board of Directors and numerous committees and workgroups. She has also participated in the creation of the North American Declaration on Epilepsy, a public health agenda for epilepsy, and guidelines for first seizures and women with epilepsy.

Contact: Eddie Rhodman, [email protected] 

Leadership Challenges
Mike McHargue
Founder
Mike McHargue, LLC
"The best leaders admit their mistakes so that others might learn from them. This makes everyone on the team and in the organization better. Whether you are a first-time manager or a seasoned executive wanting to continue to hone your skills, I am hopeful that...you'll find some wisdom to help you grow as a leader." Organizational health consultant Mike McHargue can speak to a variety of issues and challenges organizations face. He focuses on themes such as: The five most serious mistakes leaders can make and how to avoid them; Effective ways to communicate with your team and eliminate confusion; How to connect with your team on a deeper level; The best way to run smooth and practical meetings; The core principles of hiring and firing correctly; and How to give useful, constructive feedback and how to receive criticism in return. Mike McHargue is the author of "Rookie Mistakes: Advice from Top Executives on Five Critical Leadership Errors." As a principal consultant, he brings 20+ years of leadership experience to The Table Group. He has worked with early stage companies, Fortune 500 enterprises as well as passionate, forward-thinking non-profits. He is also the co-founder 100 Men For Good in Boise, Idaho, which works to provide support to non-profit organizations in his community.
Contact: Penny Sansevieri, [email protected]

Fighting Fraud
Jim Wilcox
AVP, Risk Management
Affinity Federal Credit Union
"I've seen various types of financial fraud perpetrated on consumers, from newer innovations such as online scamming to old-fashioned counterfeit check schemes with modern twists. In an era when scammers have greater reach than ever before thanks to technology advancements like the internet, it's crucial that consumers are alert to these threats." November 17-23 is "International Fraud Awareness Week." Jim is available to speak about the most common types of fraud and offer ways consumers and members of financial institutions can fight them.
Website: https://www.affinityfcu.com/tips-and-tools/security-center/index.aspx 
Contact: Brian Hyland, [email protected]

Immigration Taxes Corporate America Energy
Jim Doyle
President
Business Forward Foundation
"It's totally reasonable for people in Tennessee to be asking the question, 'Are we full?' or to be worried about immigrants. It's just important to understand the underlying math. And the math suggests that if we cut off immigrants, then Tennessee is one of the states that's going to suffer most. We'll see slower job growth, lower tax revenues, falling property values, and this begins to create a whole negative cycle that's hard to break." Jim Doyle worked closely with the Obama administration.
Website: https://www.businessfwd.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Business-Forward-Foundation-Answering-to-America.pdf 
Contact: Alex Madison, [email protected]

Building Designs and Wildfires
Kathleen Hetrick
Senior Sustainability Engineer
BuroHappold
"Even buildings and houses designed to be environmentally sustainable, or to support occupant wellbeing, may be constructed from materials that contain petrochemicals, halogenated flame retardants, organic solvents and heavy metals," says Hetrick. "These commonly used materials often not only negatively affect environmental justice communities and workers who come into contact with their manufacturing process, but the potential for harm also increases exponentially when these products burn." For your coverage of the California wildfires, the impacts of toxic building materials on firefighters and communities is a significant danger. Burning homes and buildings emit unseen yet deadly toxins from various kinds of materials, from insulation and piping, to siding to carpets. Borne by smoke and air, these health concerns are currently impacting first responders and threaten to impact residents of nearby communities, including those who have been told they are in no danger from the fires. With extensive knowledge of human-focused sustainable design and years of expertise in related engineering and building disciplines, Hetrick is an authoritative source for information on the potential toxic impact of the wildfires on firefighters and others. Notably, she was recently on the BuroHappold team involved in the design of the new, highly sustainable Santa Monica City Services building, for which her team performed extensive research into the life cycles of materials used in construction. National Geographic and others have reported on the toxic smoke emissions, their origins in houses and buildings, and their effects on firefighters and others. Earlier this year, the researcher at Stanford University, Mary Prunicki, published a paper measuring how wildfire smoke can harm the immune systems of children, who stand to sustain the most significant long-term damage from early exposure to dangerous wildfire smoke, adds Hetrick.
Contact: Adam Sullivan, [email protected]

Black Friday Trends
Ross Steinman
Consumer Psychology Professor
Widener University
"American consumers have shifted from a mindset of ownership to access, especially among young adult consumers. Subscription based services, specifically those in the entertainment industry, can capitalize on this change by incentivizing consumers to join during Black Friday Week." Consumer Psychology Professor Ross Steinman says that a strong economy means we can expect consumers to splurge this holiday season, especially on tech products. He can speak to the trend of Black Friday becoming a week-long event, as well as the shift to more mobile purchases.
Contact: Jessica Reyes, [email protected]

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MEDIA JOBS: 

Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://www.cisionjobs.com/jobs/united-states/   

• Team Assistant, WSJ Membership – Wall Street Journal (NY)
• Data Integrity Analyst – Dow Jones (NJ)

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OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES: 

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected] 

• 8 RETAIL NEWS SITES TO FOLLOW. Holiday spending this year is projected to increase 4.5%-5%. "Near record-low unemployment rates, coupled with continued monthly job creation, may encourage people to spend more during the holiday season," according to Daniel Bachman, Deloitte's U.S. economic forecaster. As the holiday shopping season ramps up, we wanted to highlight a few of our favorite sites for staying up-to-date on the latest retail industry news. These trusted industry publications cover the latest news in e-commerce, marketing, trends, real estate, products, and more: https://prn.to/32zufC3.

• BLOG PROFILES: CLIMATE CHANGE BLOGS. Each week, we feature blogs we love to follow. This week is all about climate change blogs: https://prn.to/2qEl7PB.

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