Month: February 2024

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

Fortune magazine again recognized U.S. Bank as one of the 2024 World’s Most Admired Companies, naming it No. 1 in the Superregional Banks category for the 14th consecutive year.

Within the Superregional Banks industry category, U.S. Bank topped the list in four of the nine key attributes of reputation: Long-term investment, quality of products/services, people management and use of corporate assets. U.S. Bank ranked second in financial soundness, quality of management and social responsibility.

The Fortune 2024 World’s Most Admired Companies list is determined by a survey of senior executives, directors and analysts rating 660 companies in 29 countries across 52 industry sectors on a series of criteria.

Originally published in Qualcomm’s 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

Qualcomm engineers human progress. We relentlessly innovate to enable intelligent computing everywhere. Our solutions deliver powerful intelligence and connectivity across devices to make our lives better in new ways and transform industries.

Throughout the year, we remained focused on executing our strategy, prioritizing our future growth and setting the pace of innovation, while navigating the challenging macroeconomic environment. Building on our nearly 40-year history of era-defining technology breakthroughs, our proven technologies span across unrivaled connectivity, high-performance, low-power computing, and leading edge artificial intelligence (AI). Together with our ecosystem partners, we are creating opportunities designed to drive innovation, societal advancement and sustainability.

Empowering Digital Transformation 

Qualcomm is playing a fundamental role in enabling industries to digitally transform leveraging our advanced technologies. As a new generation of always connected, smarter and more capable devices scale at the edge, they will help enterprises drive sustainable growth and innovation, unlock operational efficiencies, increase productivity, enable new business models and foster greater opportunities for participation in the digital economy.

The rapid development of generative artificial intelligence promises to accelerate this transformation and enable entirely new experiences and applications. Achieving this will require intelligent computing everywhere – in the cloud and on devices. Qualcomm is the company bringing the capabilities of generative AI directly to smartphones, PCs, virtual and mixed reality devices, vehicles, IoT and more. On-device intelligence will provide greater precision, personalization, reliability, efficiency and privacy.

Acting Responsibly 

We strive to make our technology broadly available in an increasingly digital world. In collaboration with our ecosystem partners, we are working to deliver impactful solutions at scale to enrich lives, improve businesses and enable communities to progress. Providing broad access to technology and programs that strengthen economic and social development helps make quality education, entrepreneurial and employment opportunities, health care and other services more attainable for underserved communities globally.

Our success is rooted in the hard work and dedication of our people worldwide. While economic and industry-wide challenges required certain balancing actions, we remain committed to empowering our employees by providing support and resources to cultivate a company culture that celebrates continued growth, creativity and innovation. We continue to strive to be a workplace that reflects the world in which we do business, and we know that our diverse workforce increases our global awareness, creates an authentic sense of belonging and accelerates our ability to innovate.

Having a diverse talent pipeline helps enable future innovation. Last year, we announced that we had met our science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education goal of engaging 1.5 million students and teachers across the world three years ahead of schedule. This year, I am proud to share that we have met our 2025 Qualcomm® Wireless Reach™ goal – one year early – to bring technology to underserved communities around the world. Since 2006, our Wireless Reach program has directly and indirectly supported over 27 million people.

Operating Sustainably 

We believe that environmental sustainability is critical, and we continue our efforts to reduce our environmental footprint. This year, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approved our corporate GHG reduction targets as consistent with the latest climate science and the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement.

We met our 2025 GHG emissions goal two years ahead of schedule, reducing our Scope 1 and 2 by over 35 percent; we did this by switching to renewable energy and decommissioning one of our electricity cogeneration plants at our headquarters in San Diego, as well as pursuing other purchase power agreements in key markets.

We are honored that our hard work and commitment to environmental and social efforts continue to be acknowledged. This year, we have been recognized on lists such as America’s Greenest Companies and the World’s Best Employers. Once again, we made Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies, Fortune’s Change the World list and led our industry at the top of The Best Corporate Citizen’s ranking. Additional awards can be found in the Our Awards and Recognitions section of this report.

We are driving the world toward a more intelligently connected world. We will continue to focus on purposeful innovation to help enrich lives and shape a better future for all.

Cristiano Amon 

Chief Executive Officer

Learn more about how Qualcomm is driving innovation, societal advancement and sustainability in the 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

Get to know Annette A. Angus, Ph.D., an R&D manager for the microbiology team at Clorox.

A microbiologist by training, Annette’s a social activist at heart. She was drawn to the company after learning about our foundation’s involvement in the Oakland community. “I felt like it was going to be the perfect place for me to be both a scientist and an advocate,” she says.

“There’s so many ways that Clorox puts people at the center,” Annette says. “For me, it was during COVID, the recognition of George Floyd’s murder and allowing spaces for people to be able to talk about it in a professional space really touched me. And the recognition of Juneteenth — some people think that is a new holiday, but I’ve been celebrating Juneteenth all my life. To have a day off recognized by a corporation before it was a federal holiday was huge.”

Annette’s found her personal perspective to be an asset here at Clorox. “I’m a woman of color in the sciences, and that is something that I bring to work every single day. I bring my own unique set of experiences as a consumer, as a scientist and as an employee. That really helps me — especially as a manager — to work with people who have different approaches to solving problems. It’s about allowing others to shine in their own way.”

Annette is building more than just a strong team here at Clorox — her own family is growing, too. “This is my second Clorox baby, and I am so proud and so happy to be at Clorox during this time,” she says. “I’ve had scientific mentors who, during their time, said it was not okay to be a mom, it was not okay to have a family or to have both. But now, this is what a science mom looks like. I just found out that we have benefits that support my ability to hire a doula. My wellness and my ability to thrive and my family’s ability to thrive is top of mind and a priority. I feel so taken care of in so many ways that I’m really grateful for.”

Entergy’s Information Technology organization has announced the application period has opened for its scholarship program for New Orleans metro area college students. The Entergy Technology Scholarship Program will award up to five current college students a one-time $4,000 scholarship toward their education. The students must currently be enrolled in college and majoring in an eligible technology field.

Eligible students can apply now through Jan. 23, 2024, on the Entergy Technology Scholarship Program website.

“This scholarship program is part of Entergy’s commitment to nurturing young talent, supporting the New Orleans metro area, and building a stronger, resilient and more diverse IT workforce for the future,” said Michael Rhymes, Entergy’s vice president and chief information officer.

Applicants to the Entergy Technology Scholarship Program must meet all the following criteria:

Be a graduate of a high school located in the greater New Orleans metro area, including Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany or Tangipahoa parishes.Be current full-time undergraduate students with a declared major in cloud computing, communication networks and security, computer engineering, computer information systems, computer science, cybersecurity, data science, engineering technology, information systems, and information technology.Enrolled in or will be transferring to one of the following universities for the full 2024-25 academic year:Dillard University.Grambling State University.Loyola University.Southern University.

Entergy IT selected the New Orleans metro area as a pilot location for the scholarship program, with hopes to expand to other communities in Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas in the future.

The scholarship program supports the Entergy’s corporate social responsibility mission to create sustainable value for our customers, employees, communities and owners. Aligning with our business objectives, these scholarships serve as a fundamental element in developing a pipeline of future talent in our workforce, expand economic development in the region and meet our customers’ needs.

Learn more and apply online

Eligible college students can visit the Entergy Technology Scholarship Program webpage to learn more about the scholarship and apply. Applications are now open and will be accepted through Jan. 23, 2024. Students who are selected to receive the scholarship will be contacted in March 2024.

Selection of recipients are made by Scholarship America, a leading scholarship facilitator and partner. Entergy does not participate in the selection process.

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., February 15, 2024 /3BL/ – KeyBank and Genesis Housing Corporation have partnered to create a new energy efficiency program as part of the organization’s Healthy Homes Program for income-qualified families of Montgomery County in the greater Philadelphia, PA area. The three-year, $150,000 grant from KeyBank Foundation will enable Genesis Housing to provide energy audits and low-cost energy saving improvements to households who receive Healthy Homes grants. Energy saving measures may include LED light bulbs, facet aerators, efficient flow shower heads and additional insulation. This program would also be coordinated with other housing programs adding additional funding for recommended improvements.

“Genesis Housing is excited with the opportunity that KeyBank has provided to add energy efficiency and conservation for lower income homeowners in coordination with the Healthy Homes Program” said Genesis Housing Corporation’s Executive Director, Judith Memberg. “Existing energy efficiency programs can’t combine fixing a leaking roof with new insulation. Homes with problems like this are not eligible for the energy efficiency work until the roof is repaired. With this innovative program, rehab of deteriorated systems, like roofs, can be completed and insulation installed to provide a more comfortable weather tight home with lower energy costs.”

KeyBank’s grant to Genesis Housing is part of the bank’s $40 billion community investments plan focused on economic access and equity to communities across the country. The scope of the plan includes investments and lending in affordable housing, home lending, small business lending, green initiatives, and transformative philanthropy targeted toward workforce development, education, and safe, vital neighborhoods for underserved communities and populations.

“KeyBank joins Genesis Housing in the belief that all families deserve safe, affordable and stable housing. As a community-minded bank, we are committed to providing access to capital and support to neighborhoods and neighbors who face financial barriers,” said KeyBank’s Eastern Pennsylvania Market President and Market Retail Leader, Youseff Tannous. “Healthy Homes grants are an essential resource for many low- and moderate- income families in Montgomery County and we are proud to help provide an energy-efficient component to the program.”

About Genesis Housing 
Genesis Housing is dedicated to the development of affordable housing, the revitalization of neighborhoods and the education of consumers on housing and financial issues. Since its inception in 1994, Genesis Housing has served Montgomery County and the surrounding counties as a community housing development organization (CHDO) and has renovated or build over 800 units of affordable housing and provided housing counseling services to more than 15,000 clients.

About KeyBank Foundation 
KeyBank Foundation serves to fulfill KeyBank’s purpose to help clients and communities thrive, and its mission is to support organizations and programs that prepare people for thriving futures. The Foundation’s mission is advanced through three funding priorities – neighbors, education, and workforce – and through community service. To provide meaningful philanthropy that transforms lives, KeyBank Foundation listens carefully to understand the unique characteristics and needs of its communities and then backs solutions with targeted philanthropic investments. KeyBank Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation, funded by KeyCorp.

About KeyCorp/KeyBank 
KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $188 billion at December 31, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC

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Media contact 
KeyBank: Karen Crane, Regional Communications Manager | 203-789-2752 | karen_crane@keybank.com

Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

COLUMBUS, Ga., February 15, 2024 /3BL/ — Crucial for the development of new treatments and promising therapies for children with cancer and blood disorders such as sickle cell, pediatric oncology and hematology research has been a focus of support for Aflac for nearly 30 years.

In keeping with that commitment, The Aflac Foundation Inc. recently made a $1.5 million donation to The Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, $1 million of which is earmarked for the hospital’s clinical research office. The remaining $500,000 will help fill critical needs at Children’s Hughes Spalding Sickle Cell Clinic, where more than 85% of patients rely on Medicaid or are uninsured.

“Discovery leading to innovation, hope and better outcomes for patients takes place every day at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center,” said Kathelen Amos, president of The Aflac Foundation. “Our support of the clinical research enterprise is for the ultimate benefit of patients everywhere, starting with patients right here at the Cancer Center.

“Providing care to more than 2,600 children and young adults with sickle cell each year, the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center is home to the largest pediatric sickle cell disease program in the country,” Amos added. “This funding will help them continue to treat the ‘whole child’ at the Hughes Spalding clinic through its support of psychologists, social workers and teachers — crucial positions that are not fully reimbursed by insurance and rely on philanthropy to continue.”

One of the most active research institutions in the country for pediatric clinical trial enrollment, the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center offers patients access to more than 380 clinical studies. Over the past nine years, the program has grown from 44 to 71 full-time research employees and from seven to 28 investigator-initiated clinical trials. Current research surrounding sickle cell disease includes chronic pain management, blood-banking anemia testing, opioid treatment, and stroke biomarkers and prevention.

“The support we receive from the Aflac Foundation is not just a donation; it’s a lifeline to many, a beacon of hope, and a catalyst for a healthier future” said Beatrice E. Gee, MD, director of the Aflac Sickle Cell Disease Program and Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Pain program at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Dr. Jason Payne, MD, Hughes Spalding campus director, echoed Dr. Gee’s gratitude. “We are grateful for this unwavering commitment to our cause and the countless lives that together, we touch each and every day,” he said.

The latest donation by the foundation brings Aflac’s support of pediatric cancer and blood disorders to over $173 million since 1995. Additionally, the Aflac Childhood Cancer Foundation Inc. has provided, free of charge, more than 28,000 My Special Aflac Ducks® to children across the United States, Japan and Northern Ireland ages 3 and up diagnosed with cancer or a blood disorder such as sickle cell since 2018. The award-winning robotic, comforting companion that helps patients through medical play, communication, distraction and more was provided to 6,702 patients in 2023 through hospitals, support organizations and a direct-to-family program.

For more information about Aflac’s commitment to childhood cancer and blood disorders and the My Special Aflac Duck program, visit www.aflacchildhoodcancer.org.

ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED 
Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for more than 68 years to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Japan. In the U.S., Aflac is the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance products.1 In Japan, Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance in terms of policies in force. The company takes pride in being there for its policyholders when they need us most, as well as being included in 2023 in the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for 17 consecutive years, Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies for 22 years and Bloomberg’s Gender- Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year. In addition, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2021 and has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (2023) for 10 years. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn’t cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol. Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability at investors.aflac.com under “Sustainability.”

Media contact: Jon Sullivan, 706-763-4813 or jsullivan@aflac.com

Analyst and investor contact: David A. Young, 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667 or dyoung@aflac.com

1 LIMRA 2022 U.S. Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report

SOURCE Aflac