Tag: 3BL

Originally published on HARMAN Newsroom

At HARMAN, our unwavering commitment to quality and delivery ensures we consistently meet the high expectations of our customers, partners, and employees. This dedication has been recognized through numerous awards from our Automotive customers, showcasing our excellence in both quality and delivery. These accolades not only honor our achievements but also inspire us to continually strive for innovation and improvement in everything we do. Let’s take a closer look at the prestigious quality and delivery awards we’ve earned in the last year:

Geely Motors Best Delivery Performance Supplier Award: Out of more than 2,600 suppliers, HARMAN was selected as one of the ten outstanding suppliers of the year by Geely Motors, an achievement earned through the unremitting efforts and outstanding delivery performance of the Lynk & Co 08 vehicle in 2023 by our manufacturing team in Suzhou, China.

Geely Motors Supplier Excellence Award: Selected out of 100 suppliers, leading automotive manufacturer Geely Motors awarded our manufacturing team in Suzhou, China as an “Excellence Supplier” based on the launch and on-time delivery performance of Volvo’s EX30 vehicle.

Geely Quality Excellence Award: Geely Motors also awarded our manufacturing team in Dandong, China its Quality Excellence Award for outstanding zero-kilometer and after-sales quality performance.

GM Infotainment Supplier of the Year: General Motors (GM) recognized HARMAN as a 2023 Supplier of the Year for a third time, thanks to our cross-functional teams. Evaluation criteria included performance, innovation, cultural alignment with GM’s values, and commitment to achieving GM’s ambitious goals.

GM Supplier Quality Excellence Award: GM recently awarded HARMAN with two Supplier Quality Excellence Awards in Suzhou and Queretaro. This award recognizes GM’s top performing supplier manufacturing locations that have met or exceeded stringent quality performance criteria for the 2023 calendar year.

Golden Peacock Business Excellence Award: Our manufacturing team in Pune, India was honored with the Golden Peacock Business Excellence Award, which recognizes the best management practices that drive organizational improvement.

Great Wall Motors Best Partner Award: HARMAN was selected out of more than 1,500 suppliers for Great Wall Motors’ “Best Partner” award based on quality, delivery performance and professional problem-solving capabilities in Suzhou, China.

Harley Davidson Quality Award: Harley Davidson awarded HARMAN with this exclusive recognition for maintaining a flawless quality record throughout 2023 in Queretaro, Mexico.

Kia 5-Star Quality Award: Kia’s 5-Star System quantitatively evaluates suppliers’ level of quality, technology, and delivery level and HARMAN was awarded for outstanding quality in Queretaro, Mexico.

Maruti Suzuki Limited Performance Award: In Pune, India, HARMAN received this honor for the third consecutive year, a tremendous milestone which speaks volumes of our enduring partnership and mutual trust with our customer of more than five years.

Volvo Cars Quality Best Performance Award: HARMAN was honored with Volvo Cars’ prestigious award for its outstanding support and commitment to delivering exceptional quality and services in Dandong, China.

These accolades reflect our relentless pursuit of excellence, the hard work of our team, and the trust our stakeholders place in us. We proudly highlight these awards and recognitions, which inspire us to aim for even greater achievements. Congratulations to our global HARMAN team for their impressive contributions—we look forward to continuing this journey of excellence together!

The data center sector is witnessing unprecedented growth. Valued at $301.8 billion in 2023, the data center market is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.1% until 2030, reaching a staggering $622.4 billion by then. Additionally, the global colocation market, where companies rent space and resources in data centers, is projected to reach a value of $131.8 billion by 2030, a significant increase from $57.2 billion in 2022. This surge is driven by the rising demand for data processing and storage, leading to the rapid expansion of both existing and new data center providers.

With a multitude of new companies entering the field each year, the landscape is rapidly changing, and the need for standardized safety practices has become increasingly apparent.

Data centers present a diverse array of hazards. From high voltage electrical risks and fall hazards to hazardous materials and heat stress, workers face numerous dangers in both the infrastructure (building shell, power, cooling systems) and data halls (racks housing data equipment).

Further complicating the situation, modern data centers often involve employees from multiple companies working within the same facility. Employees performing operations and maintenance activities may work under the direction of various stakeholders, leading to increased complexity of activities within the data center. Ensuring consistent safety training and protocols across different companies is a significant challenge, compounded by the 24/7 operational demands of these facilities.

Formation of the Data Center Safety Council

Recognizing the urgent need for a standardized safety approach, a group of companies came together in December 2023 to form the Data Center Safety Council, an initiative dedicated to developing and implementing collaborative safety solutions. Composed of both data center operators and cloud technology service providers, the council’s mission is to enhance safety protocols, improve knowledge sharing, and provide robust training resources, ultimately fostering a safer and more efficient industry.

“Our data center engineering teams operate in different facilities all over the world, each with a unique set of processes, requirements and safety considerations. I’m excited for the consistency and efficiency the Data Center Safety Council brings to the industry,” shares Scott Bystrek, Director of Health and Safety at Salesforce, one of the founding members of the Data Center Safety Council. “The expertise, reach, and collaboration of this group are critical in driving the industry to a consistent approach to safety which will enhance our ability to protect our employees and critical infrastructure.”

Read more about “Why” this consortium was formed in this article.

Collective Action that Focuses on Impact

Designed to be an action-oriented group, the members participated in a day-long workshop in December 2023 to identify critical safety gaps that were observed across the data center industry and prioritize actions for greatest impact.

The first initiative focuses on the following identified “Problem”:

Data centers are multi-employer worksites comprised of a workforce made up of people with varying levels of data center health and safety awareness, knowledge, and training.

Currently, there is no standardized process to verify minimum training expectations for employees working in a data center. One founding member and leading global data center operator described a scenario where a technician could visit up to four data center facilities in one day. In one data center facility, the company requires all service providers to demonstrate they have received adequate training (e.g. OSHA 10 certification or equivalent). This first data center company also provides a site-specific safety awareness training prior to permitting the technician on-site. That same technician later visits a second data center company that does not provide, nor require, any safety training for technicians that routinely service their site. The wide range of training requirements with little transparency amongst companies, coupled with a growing industry that includes a steady stream of new data center companies and workplaces, has resulted in a situation that poses a significant risk to data center workers and companies.

These gaps also lead to significant operational inefficiencies because data center tenants must anticipate and prepare their workers for a variety of safety requirements when entering data centers managed by different providers. For example, if a data center worker arrives at a planned time and then finds out that they do not have the specific safety equipment or training required by the provider, they may not be able to enter the facility, leading to rescheduling and frustration for both the tenant and the provider.

Having identified the above “Problem,” the Data Center Safety Council is exploring options to address this gap, including developing a Data Center Worker Health and Safety Awareness Certification that would ensure an industry baseline level of health and safety competency for workers prior to being permitted to work in an operational data center environment. The group is identifying and prioritizing what requirements should be included in this certification, as well as evaluating existing standards and criteria that could be leveraged. Work is expected to be completed later this year and will be shared with data center industry health and safety professionals.

Raising the Bar for Safety

In the fast-evolving data center industry, prioritizing safety is essential. The rapid growth and unique hazards inherent in data center operations necessitate a collaborative approach to standardize best practices and protect workers across multi-employer sites.

By proactively addressing health and safety concerns, the industry can better manage operational complexities and ensure the well-being of its workforce. The establishment of minimum baseline expectations for health and safety competency will prioritize worker safety and facilitate more efficient data center operations. Through the Data Center Safety Council, the industry is taking a collective step towards standardizing safety expectations, improving the work environment for data center professionals, and encouraging a robust culture of safety.

The commitment to collaboration and proactive safety measures through worker certifications will not only safeguard workers but also contribute to the sustained success and growth of the data center industry.

About the Data Center Safety Council

Established by founding members Edgecore, Salesforce, STACK Infrastructure, Vantage, and Yondr, the Data Center Safety Council was created to establish a unified approach towards ensuring safety and wellbeing of personnel in data center operations. The vision is to create a forum where health and safety professionals work collaboratively as an industry group to improve data center worker safety wholistically. Together, member companies will address common issues and seek long-term solutions with vendors and suppliers for the benefit and safety of data center workers. For more information, please contact Kate Asleson at kate.asleson@anteagroup.us

BEDFORD COUNTY, Va., July 16, 2024 /3BL/ – Georgia-Pacific’s Big Island containerboard facility in Virginia earned its first EPA ENERGY STAR® Certification for energy efficiency this year. The facility joins two other Georgia-Pacific facilities – Brewton containerboard in Brewton, Alabama, and Leaf River Cellulose in New Augusta, Mississippi in earning this prestigious recognition for environmental stewardship.

Select manufacturing plants located in the U.S. and its territories and Canada can earn ENERGY STAR® certification by achieving an ENERGY STAR® score of 75 or higher using an industry-specific ENERGY STAR® Energy Performance Indicator (EPI) benchmarking tool. The EPIs measure a plant’s energy performance and compare it to that of similar plants nationwide, generating an ENERGY STAR® score on an EPA scale of 1 to 100. The program, launched in 1992, encourages organizations to improve energy efficiency, which not only helps the bottom line, but also the environment.

The Big Island mill scored higher than 80 on the EPA scale, placing itself in the top percentile. The team at the facility have instituted a disciplined approach to energy management. This approach includes continuous monitoring of the operation to evaluate energy efficiency, reducing its energy use by 10% over five years, and eliminating waste.

“We’re very proud of the team in earning the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® certification,” said Eldon Brammer, vice president and general manager at the Big Island mill. “We recognize the importance of starting with renewable materials, utilizing recycled materials, minimizing waste in our operations, and improving our efficiency and environmental performance. We’re glad to see the EPA recognize these efforts.”

Georgia-Pacific’s Environmental Stewardship framework focuses on improving efficiencies, eliminating waste, and driving conservation activities that leave more resources available to satisfy other needs in society. The Big Island team used this framework in establishing its environmental stewardship initiatives, and relied on its employees, who used their comparative advantage to create and maintain disciplined processes at the facility.

In 2023, the Big Island facility also earned its Wildlife Habitat Conservation Certification® from The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) for two additional years. Certified by WHC since 2011, the facility has facilitated research efforts on the American chestnut tree and maintained pollinator gardens and a food plot for white tailed deer. Its conservation efforts have increased growth in the number of white tailed deer, bear, wild turkey, and bobcats because of the plentiful nutrients available.

Learn more about Georgia-Pacific’s approach to environmental stewardship. Visit energystar.gov to learn more about energy efficiency and ENERGY STAR®.

View original content here.

Countries around the world are anticipating the start of the Paris Olympics, a celebration of the unifying power of sports.

For many, an introduction to sports begins at a young age. From participating in a sport to watching games with family, sports plays a pivotal role in shaping youth, teaching invaluable life skills such as teamwork, leadership, and resilience and encouraging healthy lifestyles through active play. But unfortunately, children are dropping out of sports at alarming rates. Not only does this impact their lifelong health, but it influences whether children will grow up to become sports fans.

We invited Kevin Martinez, Vice President of Corporate Citizenship at ESPN, to highlight programs central to ESPN’s mission to serve sport fans anytime, anywhere. Kevin discusses several of ESPN’s programs, including Don’t Retire, Kid; Foundation V; and ESPN’s partnership with Special Olympics, and highlights ESPN’s aim to support and nurture both athletes and fans, reinforcing the idea that sports are for everyone.

Listen for insights on:

The business and community value of investing in sportsBusiness areas that corporate citizenship professionals need to be aware of to expand their impact and make the business case for social impactMaintaining connections and communication with other corporate citizenship professionals to drive greater overall impact

Listen to this and other episodes of Purpose 360 Podcast here.

Purpose 360 Podcast is a masterclass in unlocking the potential of purpose to ignite business and social impact. Hosted by Carol Cone, CEO of Carol Cone ON PURPOSE, Purpose 360 illuminates the impact of purpose, from engaging employees and fostering deeper consumer loyalty to inspiring product innovation and increasing market share.

Carol Cone ON PURPOSE (CCOP) is a pioneering social impact consultancy helping companies, brands, and nonprofits harness the power of purpose to advance their business and societal impact. CCOP’s proven approach, developed over decades and hundreds of purpose assignments, meets clients at any point on their purpose journey to unlock opportunities to build reputation, inspire and engage employees, ignite organizational culture for innovation and growth, while supporting the greater good.

Written by Elliott Levine

Envisioning the future of education, and the art of learning overall, is nothing new. Over 120 years ago, French artist Jean-Marc Côté suggested how learning may look in the year 2000. While many looked at his image and chuckled — the idea that books may be somehow processed and electronically uploaded directly to the minds of young people — the concept would be re-introduced in the 1999 science fiction movie “The Matrix.”

But can life imitate art? Will artificial intelligence (AI) and extended reality (XR) converge in the coming years to reflect the learning environments depicted by Côté and “The Matrix”?

In the United Sates of America, K-12 education represents a $100+ billion dollar industry,1 of which only about 4% is currently invested in education technology.2 Despite this, many educators turn to technology to unlock students’ potential. But even then, technology is usually used to supplement passive teaching methods (e.g., teaching from flat interactive panels, digital textbooks, online videos and testing), resulting in little to no improvement of academic outcomes due to lack of engagement. Instead, students might be better served with active teaching methods offered through AI and XR learning experiences.

Extended reality (XR) also known as spatial computing, is the spectrum of immersive experiences that blend the physical and virtual space and are accessible through a head-worn device such as glasses or headset.

Today, most educational XR experiences focus on games, virtual tours, and immersive and experiential experiences that enable real-world applications of theory learning in the classroom. But with the convergence of AI capabilities, we are on the verge of a true transformational opportunity to live up to the promise of real “personalized” learning in ways that can deliver measurable academic results. The coming years will allow us to see these various generative AI applications in use today, automating them to deliver real-time learning experiences.

What is possible with generative AI in classrooms today?

Teachers can leverage generative AI to create highly customized lessons. In a series of manual steps, educators can quickly create dynamic videos to serve as instructional tools with little-to-no technical skills. Let’s outline one such path in which such content can be created:

Write base script: Ask Bard or ChatGPT to write you a short three- to five-minute video script about the instructional topic or challenge you wish to address. Adjust any content to address measurable learning goals.Transform to conversational script: Paste the initial text into a tool like Quillbot to paraphrase the content created initially by AI so it comes across as more genuine and conversational in tone.Create your audio narration: Paste the new conversational text into a tool such as Speechify. With their premium subscription, you’ll have a host of voices including Snoop Dogg and Gwenyth Paltrow to choose from.Create your video: Use Movio or Invideo to turn an audio script into a video. You can pick the genre and delivery format.

Using this method and many other avenues like it, educators are empowered to take their custom lessons a step further with personalization. For example, generative AI can create lesson plans that amplify a student’s strengths, while also addressing areas that need improvement. Large language models can be trained to have conversations with students for specific, on-demand support, which in turn can free up time for teachers.

But while modern technology has certainly brought education into the present day, we mostly see this in the form of tablet and computer screens. While current 2D technology takes on a form that is familiar with students today, they still end up looking at screens instead of interacting with their instructors and fellow classmates. This is where XR comes into play and seeks to address this disconnect. Another possibility with generative AI in education is combining it with the power of spatial computing to create an immersive learning environment that engages learners with interactive and collaborative lessons.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a term that encompasses a variety of technologies that give the ability to computer programs to execute tasks that are commonly associated with human intelligence.

Applying the AI approach to XR learning

Today, most XR learning experiences exist as simulations (i.e., the reproduction of an environment, scene or exercise in a three dimensional and virtual environment, or walk-throughs, an elevation of typical videos and manipulatives used in labs and classrooms). They are mostly individual experiences with a clear beginning and completion. And even with XR learning as it exists today, a PwC report found that learners mastered content four times faster than traditional classroom learning, and users were nearly three times more confident to apply the skills learned from their XR training.3

What if we applied the best of generative AI into a real-time platform? The result, I believe, is a transformational tool that allows every learner to achieve their greatest potential. Let’s look at just some of the ways this concept of (Ai)daptive XR (pronounced Ay-daptive) can deliver meaningful results:

Introduces learning where the student is currently at: (Ai)daptive XR works with the reality of that student’s ability. If they are more comfortable learning in an alternate language, then content is immediately delivered in that language (overcoming a typical obstacle for English Second Language learners today).Personalization: While today’s efforts at personalization are often no more than differentiated learning, (Ai)daptive XR can deliver true personalization. In a matter of moments, from typically the first few challenges in a immersive experience, the tool can recognize strengths and weaknesses, as well as adjust the learning objectives. For example, if the simulation’s goal is to measure volume of spaces, yet the learner struggles with complex multiplication, the learner would typically fail the simulation with little progress. (Ai)daptive XR can quickly assess the root cause of the gap — and alter the learning objectives to help the child meet the necessary prerequisites to accomplishing the original learning goal. A new XR experience is created based on the learning challenges identified. Subsequently, the learner can then be better prepared to successfully complete the objectives, rather than allow these deficiencies to gain momentum and cause the child to fail academically later.Making learning relevant: A reason most classroom topics fail to “engage” students is that they fail to see the relevance of the subject matter. However, by understanding the personal passion of a student, (Ai)daptive XR content can be quickly adjusted to present the subject matter in a theme that is both relevant and effective to the student. For example, a simulation measuring area of farmland could quickly be updated in real-time to measuring area of fabric for a young person who daydreams of being a fashion designer. That quick change can have significant changes to the outcome of that simulation.Responsive to User: Rather than merely assessing performance by where one “clicks” with a hand controller, (Ai)daptive XR can respond to vocal feedback from the user(s) in their native language. Whereas today’s XR experiences have limited ability to collect user feedback, accepting conversational speech from the user will allow for more natural interaction and help the system appropriately address questions or concerns.Real-Time Feedback: Not only do virtual and augmented reality experiences enable the learner to see the actual implications for their choices, but it provides an opportunity to reinforce mastery of earlier topics. In traditional classroom settings, teachers often lack ample time to conduct assessments for their students. But with XR, real-time natural assessments can be conducted multiple times daily in a stress-free environment.Collaboration: Few XR learning experiences allow for multiple students to work together on a challenge, as it is easier to create individual-based content. (Ai)daptive XR can assess challenges and new scenarios introduced by the collaborative group of students, changing the content delivered in response to their collective actions in the simulation.

The possibilities are endless for (Ai)daptive XR

The evolution of instructional XR with AI will be a wonderful and welcome addition to EdTech in the coming decade. It represents an opportunity to deliver true personalized instruction for every child in every community. Such changes will require thoughtful discussions across many areas including governance, privacy, connectivity and equity.

As we continue to see examples of generative AI make its way into mainstream adoption over this next decade, the infusion of AI into our daily lives will become commonplace. Qualcomm Technologies stands at the crossroads of this sector, given its leadership in both AI and XR processing. It is my dream to see this evolve from concept to reality during my lifetime.

Editor’s Note: This blog was edited for clarity on May 20, 2024.
 

Opinions expressed in the content posted here are the personal opinions of the original authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of Qualcomm Incorporated or its subsidiaries (“Qualcomm”). The content is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to be an endorsement or representation by Qualcomm or any other party. This site may also provide links or references to non-Qualcomm sites and resources. Qualcomm makes no representations, warranties, or other commitments whatsoever about any non-Qualcomm sites or third-party resources that may be referenced, accessible from, or linked to this site.

References:

1: Allied Market Research. (Nov 10, 2023). K12 Education Market to Reach $525.7 Billion by 2031, Growing at 17.7% CAGR: states Allied Market Research. Retrieved on May 20, 2024 from: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/11/10/2778034/0/en/K12-Education-Market-to-Reach-525-7-Billion-by-2031-Growing-at-17-7-CAGR-states-Allied-Market-Research.html.

2: HolonIQ. (January 2021). Education Technology in 10 Charts. Retrieved on May 20, 2024 from: https://www.holoniq.com/edtech-in-10-charts#:~:text=5.,term%20in%20new%20digital%20models

3: PwC. (Sep 15, 2022). What does virtual reality and the metaverse mean for training? Retrieved on May 9, 2024 from: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/tech-effect/emerging-tech/virtual-reality-study.html.

Covia highlights the dedication and leadership of Team Members who have made a significant impact on the job or in their communities by sharing their stories. Today we recognize Kurt Krebs, Plant Manager at Covia’s Black Lab Chardon plant. Kurt started as a bagger at Chardon and worked his way up to his current role as plant manager. Read on to hear from Kurt about how he got started with Covia and how the team at Chardon has built a community of respect and care.

Growing with Covia

I started working at Covia back in 2010 as a bagger at the Black Lab Chardon plant. Even though I’m nearing 15 years on the job, it feels like I started just yesterday. While working as a bagger, I was able to learn a lot from my coworkers and mentors at the time. They helped guide me toward the leadership position I’m in now.

After four years of learning the different jobs at the plant and taking on leadership opportunities, I was promoted to crew lead/floor supervisor. Then, in 2016, I was tapped to become the new plant manager. From a career standpoint, this was the best thing that ever happened to me. I’m proud that I was able to work my way up, learning about the different situations and jobs so I can help create an environment that empowers others. Plus, having worked alongside nearly half the plant has helped build trust and respect among the Black Lab Chardon team.

As I’ve taken on this leadership position, I often turned to mentors who have been source of inspiration and guidance for me. One of my mentors has been here for over 40 years, he is truly a book of wisdom. I’ve been lucky to have good friends and great resources here, helping me make strategic decisions for the Black Lab Chardon team so we can work even better together.

I’m motivated to pass on the knowledge I’ve received. The Black Lab team is dedicated and always ready to take on any task to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. I’m impressed by the work of the younger employees and look forward to seeing them progress in their careers at Covia.

Black Lab Chardon

The Black Lab Chardon plant is not your typical mining facility. Our team and the work they do is a bit unique compared to Covia’s other operations – providing custom toll blending for various industries like construction and foundries. Every product our team works on is driven by customer specs. The customer provides the instructions, and we utilize our inventory of over 800 raw ingredients to create custom products like our Black Lab blend. On top of that, we provide eight different bag sizes for materials ranging from 10 pounds to 4,000.

This kind of work requires a significant attention to detail, a skill that I have seen in every member of the Chardon team. Their dedication and hard work are the reason why we can create the quality and quantity of minerals we produce at the Black Lab Chardon plant. We take great pride in our work and ability to keep up with every new change that comes our way. The way this team has adapted and grown over the years is truly inspiring.

The Black Lab Chardon team showed just how impressive they are by posting record production numbers last year – improving on the previous title with four fewer members on the team. This was made even more impressive by the fact that they kept up with a massive amount of client needs. Their ability to put in the work says so much about the team we’ve assembled and their commitment to one another. Nobody is just punching in and punching out, they take pride and ownership in what they do. I feel honored to be part of this talented team.

Building a Community of Respect and Care

On top of their work ethic, I am proud of the Black Lab Chardon team for their ability to hold each other accountable. The team looks out for one another, making sure everyone is safe and following protocols. We’ve really built a community of respect and care. If I went out on the floor but forgot my gloves, I wouldn’t make it far before someone turned me around to go put them back on.

This safety-first mindset is something we all take home. I’m an avid hunter and like to ride snow mobiles during the winter. Whenever the plant slows down during the colder months, I head up north with family and friends to ride. My job has really made me think about safety and how I need to take precautions when out in nature. Working at Covia has really helped me be more prepared in my personal life.

For the past ten years, the Black Lab Chardon plant has seen continuous growth. I’m looking forward to seeing how the plant continues to change and what kind of new faces we can bring in, possibly adding more machines and shifts to keep the plant moving forward. Seeing how far we’ve come and how close the team has gotten is really rewarding. Seeing everyone get along so well makes me proud. I’m grateful Covia has helped give me this opportunity to learn, grow, and lead.

Contact us today to discover more about Covia.

Putnam Investments’ Jackie VanderBrug has been announced as one of three winners of the 2024 Joan Bavaria Award, which is awarded for catalysing positive change in the capital markets. This year’s award specifically recognizes the influential and collaborative work in developing the field of gender lens investing*. The award continues the legacy of the late Joan Bavaria, whose pioneering work is viewed as helping to catalyze positive change in capital markets.

The award presentation was held in Chicago in June, during US SIF’s (Sustainable Investment Forum) Forum 2024. The award committee included Mindy Lubber, CEO and President of Ceres, Maria Lettini, CEO of US SIF, and Matthew Patsky, CEO of Trillium Asset Management. Each of these judges lead organizations that were founded or co-founded by Ms. Bavaria, who died in 2008 following a long battle with ovarian cancer.

The other recipients of the 2024 award are Joy Anderson (Founder and President of Criterion Institute), and Suzanne Biegel (posthumously) of Women Effect, and later GenderSmart.

“It is exciting to see recognition across the investment landscape that a gender lens is a powerful tool in identifying opportunities and risks in an increasingly dynamic global environment. The diversity of gender lens investment approaches demonstrates both the insights available and the client interest,” said VanderBrug.

Jackie VanderBrug is Head of Sustainability Strategy at Putnam Investments, a Franklin Templeton company. She is responsible for leading Putnam’s ESG-focused business functions, including stewardship, engagement, partnerships, and ESG strategy and integration. She is co-author of the 2015 book Gender Lens Investing: Uncovering Opportunities for Growth, Returns, and Impact and a co-trustee of Heading for Change.

Judging criteria included a subjective assessment of the nominee’s initiatives or accomplishments that have been the most impactful. This involved consideration of how these achievements reflect a sustained and comprehensive commitment toward maintaining long-term impact in the capital markets. Nominees provided specific examples to convey how their individual accomplishments are especially visionary, groundbreaking, or otherwise unique. Judges also assessed three sources (e.g. press release/coverage, endorsement, or publications) relevant to the nominee’s work.

Important Information

Franklin Templeton did not provide any compensation for Jackie to be considered for this award.

This material is intended to be of general interest only and should not be construed as individual investment advice or a recommendation or solicitation to buy, sell or hold any security or to adopt any investment strategy. It does not constitute legal or tax advice. The views expressed are those of the investment manager and the comments, opinions and analyses are rendered as at publication date and may change without notice. Franklin Templeton has certain environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals or capabilities; however, not all strategies are managed to “ESG” oriented objectives. Integrating ESG considerations into the investment process is not a guarantee that better performance will be achieved. All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Data from third party sources may have been used in the preparation of this material and Franklin Templeton has not independently verified, validated or audited such data. Franklin Templeton accepts no liability whatsoever for any loss arising from use of this information and reliance upon the comments, opinions and analyses in the material is at the sole discretion of the user.

About Franklin Templeton

Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 150 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company offers specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in fixed income, equity, alternatives and multi-asset solutions. With more than 1,500 investment professionals, and offices in major financial markets around the world, the California-based company has over 75 years of investment experience and over $1.6 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2024. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X and Facebook.

MILWAUKEE, July 16, 2024 /3BL/ – Northwestern Mutual announced today that the company earned its sixth consecutive top-score on the Disability Equality Index®. The recognition is a comprehensive benchmarking tool designed to recognize companies that are advancing inclusion practices and building a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions to achieve disability inclusion and equality.

“We’re thrilled to receive a top-score on the Disability Equality Index for the sixth consecutive year because everyone deserves a workplace where they can show up, feel like they belong, and perform at their highest level,” said Amy Hanneman, vice president of diversity and inclusion, Northwestern Mutual. “We’re committed to growing an inclusive workplace and investing in a culture where all people can fully contribute and flourish.”

The Disability Equality Index is administered by the American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability:IN, and is a national benchmark to measure corporate disability inclusion practices and identify opportunities for continued improvement. Northwestern Mutual’s designation is the latest in a series of awards the company has earned in recent years for nurturing an inclusive workplace. Those awards include:

Military Friendly® Employer (2020-2024)Best Employers for Diversity, Forbes (2018-2023)America’s Best Large Employers, Forbes (2023)America’s Best Employers for Women (2023)Top 50 “Best-of-the-Best” Corporations for Inclusion, National Business Inclusion (2022-2023)Best Companies for Diversity, Black Enterprise (2023)Nine consecutive top scores on the National Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index (2015-2023)

Learn more about our commitment to strengthen our culture of belonging.

About Northwestern Mutual

Northwestern Mutual has been helping people and businesses achieve financial security for more than 165 years. Through a comprehensive planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the expertise of its financial professionals with a personalized digital experience and industry-leading products to help its clients plan for what’s most important. With over $627 billion of total assets1 being managed across the company’s institutional portfolio as well as retail investment client portfolios, more than $36 billion in revenues, and $2.3 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than five million people with life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services. Northwestern Mutual ranked 110 on the 2024 FORTUNE 500 and was recognized by FORTUNE® as one of the “World’s Most Admired” life insurance companies in 2024.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (investment brokerage services), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (NMWMC) (investment advisory and services), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance). Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with “Advisor” in their title or who otherwise disclose their status as an advisor of NMWMC are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide investment advisory services.

1 Includes investments and separate account assets of Northwestern Mutual as well as retail investment client assets held or managed by Northwestern Mutual.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 16, 2024 /3BL/ – The United States Department of Defense (DOD) has signed on to Duke Energy’s (NYSE: DUK) Green Source Advantage (GSA) program to provide renewable energy on behalf of the five largest DOD major military installations across North Carolina and South Carolina, including Fort Liberty, USMC-Camp Lejeune, USMC-Cherry Point, USAF Seymour Johnson and USAF Shaw.

The DOD’s participation in the GSA program will provide an estimated 135 megawatts and approximately 4.8 million megawatt-hours of renewable energy in both states over a 15-year delivery period from two newly constructed off-site solar facilities in South Carolina. The facilities will be developed, owned and operated by energyRe, subject to local and state approvals. The projects are expected to become operational in the fourth quarter of 2026.

“This project is a great opportunity to assist our military departments and our warfighters in their decarbonization goals and is paramount to reaching our initial goals of Executive Order 14057, Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability. DLA Energy is committed to supporting the administration’s clean energy initiatives and helping the military services and whole-of-government partners achieve their climate change goals,” said United States Air Force Col. Jennifer Neris, director of carbon pollution-free electricity for the Defense Logistics Agency.

Duke Energy’s GSA program, which supports renewable energy development, provides large nonresidential customers the opportunity to offset their power purchases by securing renewable energy from projects connected to the Duke Energy grid. The customer receives the renewable energy certificates (RECs) generated by the projects to satisfy sustainability and/or renewable, carbon-free energy goals. Customers are credited for the solar power the facility generates against their energy purchased from the Duke Energy grid.

Additional participants in Duke Energy’s GSA program include the City of Charlotte, the City of Durham, Bank of America, Durham County, Duke University and Durham Public Schools.

“As our large business customers plan for the future, they also have increasingly specific goals around decarbonization and require access to renewable energy sources that can support those needs,” said Meghan Dewey, vice president of Products and Services for Duke Energy. “Duke Energy continues to expand its scope of customer options and programs built with critical stakeholder feedback to enable these customers and prospective customers to meet their sustainability goals.”

Executive Order 14057 has established targets for federal agencies to reach 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030, with 50% matching on a 24/7 basis. Participating in the Duke Energy GSA program is one of the DOD’s first major carbon-free energy initiatives and will enable them to make considerable progress toward the requirements of EO 14057.

Duke Energy is leading the largest clean energy transformation in the United States. It owns, operates and purchases more than 5,100 MW of solar power on its energy grid in the Carolinas – enough to power the annual usage of almost 1 million homes and businesses. North Carolina currently ranks No. 5 in the nation for overall solar power. With a portfolio of nuclear, hydro and renewable energy, more than half of the company’s energy mix in North Carolina is carbon-free.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

Contact: Logan Stewart 
24-Hour: 800.559.3853 
Twitter: @DE_LoganS

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Navigating the fast-paced digital world demands strong customer connections, especially in industries like logistics and supply chain management, states Brian Enright, CEO of DP World Americas in a recent article published by the Forbes Business Council.

“In today’s rapidly evolving marketplace, the importance of deeply understanding and engaging with your customer has never been more critical,” Enright writes in The Evolution Of Customer Understanding In The Age Of Digital Transformation. “This is particularly true for the logistics and supply chain sectors, where maintaining strong customer relationships is essential for navigating the complex landscape of global trade.”

The rise of AI tools—think virtual assistants and chatbots—is totally changing the game, reshaping how businesses talk to their customers. Big names like Amazon and Zappos are leading the charge, using chatbots to handle customer questions on the fly, setting new standards for speedy service​​.

But going digital doesn’t mean losing the human touch. In fact, these high-tech tools are there to boost personal interactions by providing tailored, smooth experiences across different platforms. Staying ahead of the curve means companies need to tweak their strategies to keep up with these new customer journeys, using the latest tech to back up their human teams.

Yet, even with all these digital tools, the real magic happens when people connect. In his article, Enright describes a scenario where a face-to-face chat at a customer event helped his company clinch a deal with an automotive OEM. By really listening and getting into the nitty-gritty of the client’s needs, they were able to offer a logistics solution that hit the mark​​.

The article makes it clear that while digital tools are great, they also push businesses to rethink how they connect with customers. It’s not enough to just follow trends. Companies need to meet expectations, boost their efficiency, and work as a team. Balancing tech efficiency with a personal touch will define how good customer relationships are in this digital age, challenging businesses to be as dynamic and forward-thinking as the markets they serve​​.

Read the full article on the Forbes Business Council: The Evolution Of Customer Understanding In The Age Of Digital Transformation.

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