Industry News

• Donna Flagg: Where HR and Finance Departments Split July 29, 2010
  I am always shocked when I hear about the horror stories that come out of HR departments. They often involve recounts of rudeness, unprofessionalism, thoughtlessness and a plain old lack of regard for fellow man. However, this is the group in an organization, mind you, that above all is supposed to be about the people . But in my career after working both si […]
• Rob Carmona: New York Times Article Misses Benefits of Job Training Benefits July 29, 2010
  A recent New York Times article: "After Job Training, Still Scrambling for a Job" paints an inaccurate picture of the benefits of job training, and I'd like to illustrate why. STRIVE International , a workforce development non-profit organization, was overjoyed to place 49% of its 2009 New York trainees in jobs during one of the worst recessio […]
• Justice Department Sues Oracle For FRAUD Over Software Contracts July 29, 2010
  NEW YORK — The U.S. Justice Department said Thursday it is joining a fraud lawsuit against Oracle Corp. related to software contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The agency said Oracle failed to offer government customers the same discounts on its software that it offered commercial customers, as it was required to do. As a result, the lawsuit all […]
• Ken Markman: The Advent of Brand Culture July 29, 2010
  Recognizing the Need for Reinvention Whether you work with brands every day or want to develop your own brand, your success lies in a different place than most experts would have you look. We have a tendency to travel the same road, again and again. We talk incessantly about the same problems: The trade, the economy, the licensor, the licensee, the deal. It […]
• Matt Desch: Setting the Record Straight on Iridium July 29, 2010
  Hilary Kramer makes a number of important points in The Huffington Post story alleging faulty equipment is being supplied to our country's combat troops. Unfortunately, the article included claims about Iridium that are entirely incorrect. The author cited a "first-call connection rate of only 80 percent." The fact is that Iridium's call […]
• Jennings Social Media Marketing Promotes Michelle Jennings-Camber to President July 29, 2010
  KANSAS CITY, MO--(Marketwire - July 29, 2010) -  Jennings Social Media Marketing recently promoted Michelle Jennings-Camber to president. She has been with the company since 2005. […]
• Steve Parker: Wall Street Journal Reporter Misleads Readers, NPR and Huff Post on Toyota Story July 29, 2010
  Seems we may have been taken in. But we're in good company, including the Wall Street Journal and National Public Radio. On July 15th, we ran a blog post entitled "Has Toyota Been Right All Along?" reporting that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), after downloading data from "black boxes" taken from Toyota-ma […]
• American Apparel Shares PLUNGE As Auditor Quits July 29, 2010
  NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--American Apparel Inc. (APP) shares plunged as much as 25% Thursday after the retailer said accounting firm Deloitte & Touche resigned as its auditor, the latest blow for the cash-strapped company. In a vague filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, American Apparel said Deloitte had warned information had come to its atte […]
• Hedge-Fund Manager Allegedly Swindled Universities Out Of Millions Of Dollars, Bought Mansions, Books, Collectible Teddy Bears July 29, 2010
  A former hedge-fund manager has pleaded guilty to criminal charges in an investment scam in which he bilked as much as $900-million from investors, including four university endowments. In his plea, Paul R. Greenwood said on Wednesday that he and his partner, Steven Walsh, had spent money from the investment accounts on themselves and their family members. A […]
• New Rule Cracks Down On Debt Settlement Industry July 29, 2010
  NEW YORK — Companies that promise to reduce or eliminate credit card balances and other debt for customers will no longer be allowed to charge an upfront fee. The Federal Trade Commission said Thursday that the new restrictions are a crack down on the debt settlement industry, which flourished during the economic downturn as borrowers struggled to pay bill […]