BASF Names New Head of Personal-Care Unit to Bolster Growth
Posted: October 2, 2012 at 2:18 pm
By Andrew Noel - 2012-10-02T10:22:17Z
BASF SE (BAS) named a new head for its European personal-care chemical business as it hones the units focus after a disappointing set of results from additives and ingredients used in cosmetics.
Jan-Peter Sander will take up the role of senior vice president of personal care in Europe on Oct. 1, succeeding Simon Medley, who is leaving to pursue his career outside the group, Ludwigshafen, Germany-based BASF said in a statement.
BASF is seeking more synergies and cost savings from its integration with Cognis after a dip in performance at its care- chemicals business, Chief Executive Officer Kurt Bock said July 26. BASF paid $3.8 billion for Cognis, which was folded into BASFs care chemicals division that saw a decline in second- quarter sales and earnings.
We will continue to establish BASF as the market-leading supplier to the personal care industry by focusing on anticipating customers current and future requirements and providing the market with innovation-driven solutions, Sander said today in the release.
BASF did a very detailed study into whether it may be losing market share to competitor Croda International Plc (CRDA), though there was no evidence of this happening, Bock said in July.
Shares of BASF rose 1.6 percent to 66.67 euros in Frankfurt as of 2:36 p.m.
To contact the reporter on this story: Andrew Noel in London at anoel@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Benedikt Kammel at bkammel@bloomberg.net
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Think Like a Millionaire, says Fortune 500 Consultant John Hawkins
Posted: at 2:17 pm
Portland, Ore. (PRWEB) October 02, 2012
What do successful business leaders such as Warren Buffet, Oprah Winfrey and Donald Trump have that many others dont? Profound success, fame and fortune, but how did they get there? They had a vision and a strategic plan.
Fortune 500 consultant John M. Hawkins says strategic planning is a key factor that many dreamers are missing. His new book, Building a Strategic Plan for Your Life and Business, allows readers to follow in the footsteps of notorious strategic thinkers by providing insight and instruction on how to create their own strategic plan.
This book is about helping people turn their dreams into reality, said Hawkins. Its about helping people reinforce their vision with simple tools that can make that dream come true.
By working alongside his father as a carpenters assistant in multi-million dollar homes, Hawkins learned at a young age that the secret to getting what you want is to build a strategic plan. In Building a Strategic Plan for Your Life and Business, Hawkins provides a detailed roadmap for success by teaching readers to:
Hawkins says his dad, a carpenter by trade and perfectionist at heart, ignited his passion for success. Now a dad himself, Hawkins hopes to pass along these values to his own children.
For more information, visit johnhawkins.blogspot.com.
Building a Strategic Plan for Your Life and Business By John M. Hawkins ISBN: 9781469746265 Approx. 214 pages Paperback 6x9 Retail price: $28.95 E-book price: $3.99 Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iUniverse
About the author John M. Hawkins has 17 years of business/consulting experience. He has helped Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and individuals achieve their short and long term goals. Hawkins graduated with a degree in business from the University of Portland. He is also the author of Affinity: Managing Java Application Servers. Hawkins lives in Oregon.
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Think Like a Millionaire, says Fortune 500 Consultant John Hawkins
How I write software
Posted: at 2:16 pm
Jack Crenshaw
June 1, 2010
Jack Crenshaw
In the two decades or so that I've been writing this column, we've covered a lot of topics, ranging from the best implementation of abs(x) to CRC algorithms to logic theory, Karnaugh maps, and electronic gates, to vector and matrix calculus to Fourier and z-transforms to control theory to quaternions, and lots more. I even wrote about whether or not the ancient Egyptians really built the values of and into the Great Pyramid (they did. And , too).
Almost all of the topics involved math, but they also required software, either for embedded systems or just to illustrate a given algorithm. But I've never talked much about the way I write software. I thought the issue of my own personal software development methodology would be, at best, a distraction from the topic at hand and, at worst, a subject of great hilarity.
I've always known that the way I write software is different from virtually everyone else on the planet. Is this true for everyone? I don't have a clue.
That's why I thought it would be fun to share with you the way I write software. If you do it the same way, that's great. It would be nice to know that there are other folks who share my approaches. On the other hand, if it's not the same way you do it, we have three possible outcomes. Either you'll learn from me, and decide that some of my approaches have merit; I'll learn from you, and decide that I've been doing it wrong all these years; or my revelations will serve as a subject of great hilarity. Any of those outcomes, I submit, would be good. It's a win-win-win situation.
The environment Let's begin with the software development environment. In my time, I've used some really rotten development environments. I've worked with systems whose only I/O device was a Teletype ASR-33. We got so tired of emptying the chad-catcher on the paper tape punch, we just let it flutter to the floor. (At the end of the day, guess who got to sweep it up.)
I worked on one program where my only "compiler" was a line-by-line assembler (meaning that it didn't accept mnemonic names, only absolute addresses). The bulk storage device was an audio cassette. Just so we're clear, this wasn't a homebrew system I cobbled up out of old Intel 4004s. paper clips, and chewing gum. It was a system built up by serious, if boneheaded, managers in a very large corporation.
Perhaps because of these nightmare environments, I really appreciate a good one. I especially love using integrated development environments (IDEs), in which all the tools are interconnected, preferably by a lovely and fast GUI interface. I know, I know, real men don't use GUIs or IDEs. Some folks much prefer to use only command-line interfaces. and to write ever more complex and inscrutable makefiles.
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Fitness and Personal Development Guru John Spencer Ellis Wins Quilly Award from National Academy of Best-Selling …
Posted: at 2:16 pm
Fitness and Personal Development Guru John Spencer Ellis Wins Quilly Award from National Academy of Best-Selling Authors for The Wellness Code
John Spencer Ellis recently received a Quilly Award from the National Academy of Best-selling Authors for his book, The Wellness Code. The academy honors authors who have achieved best-selling status for their literary works.
The Wellness Code: Your Ultimate Guide to Health, Fitness and Nutrition was compiled by a select group of the worlds leading health and fitness experts and offers tips, tools and secrets for better health, fitness and wellness. The book can be purchased at Amazon.
As an author and business owner, I couldnt have been more thrilled to receive this honor and to accept my Quilly Award, said Ellis, founder of John Spencer Ellis Enterprises, a personal development and fitness solutions company. For the past 20 years, I have been incredibly passionate about offering health and wellness solutions to people around the world, and I believe that The Wellness Code can truly help people live healthier, better lives.
The Quilly Awards, which provide a 12-inch commemorative gold statue crafted by the same artisans who sculpt the Oscars and Emmy Awards, were founded by the National Academy of Best-Selling Authors to commemorate an authors achievement of being named to a nationally recognized best-seller list. The awards are exclusively distributed at the Academys Annual Golden Gala in Hollywood.
This years Sept. 26-28 event at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel also honored Jack Canfield, named Publishing Phenomenon of the Decade by Time magazine, with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Wellness Code discusses topics including diet and exercise, nutrition, physical and mental health, careers, healthy habits and more. It was published by CelebrityPress, a leading fitness and health book publishing company.
About John Spencer Ellis Enterprises John Spencer Ellis Enterprises is a solutions provider for fitness and coaching professionals around the world, providing education, turn-key business programs, coaching and resources for new and advanced fitness and coaching professionals. For more information about John Spencer Ellis Enterprises or The Wellness Code, please visit http://johnspencerellis.com/
ClevrU partners with Schulich School of Business Professors to target online education market
Posted: at 2:15 pm
MaRS Innovation and York University's commercialization office support new partnership
TORONTO, Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - In the age of ITunes, videotaping lectures or converting existing textbooks into e-books won't make you the market leader in online education.
Thanks to a new partnership between ClevrU, and NewMindsets Inc., facilitated by MaRS Innovation and York University's commercialization office, Canadian technology and content promises to establish the second-generation online learning standard for millions of students worldwide.
ClevrU, a Waterloo-based tech company, has created a mobile-friendly, e-teaching content delivery platform with advanced tools to create interactive learning environments. ClevrU's intelligent engine helps students and instructors collaborate while adapting course content to suit the individual's personal preferences within a multilingual environment.
The problem? They needed an equally advanced teaching model.
Enter Professors Jean Adams and Gareth Morgan from the Schulich School of Business at York University, the founders of NewMindsets Inc.
Their proven e-teaching model, based on 12 years of research and implementation, breaks up learning sessions into smaller, integrated modules or "learning nuggets" that empower students to discover and understand knowledge.
MaRS Innovation (MI)which commercializes the most promising research breakthroughs from 16 of Toronto's top universities, medical institutions and research institutes, including York Universitymet with Morgan and Adams, in conjunction with York's commercialization office, to assess how to scale their teaching model.
MI staff introduced the professors to ClevrU. Together with York's commercialization staff, they will collaborate with both parties to support the fledgling partnership.
"Students expect interactivity in online learning models," says Dana Fox, president and CEO of ClevrU Corporation. "They want to ask questions, interact with peers and dig deeper into course topics that interest them. We're excited to collaborate with Jean and Gareth, along with MaRS Innovation and York's commercialization office, to jointly create a solution that will give educational institutions a powerful, personalized solution to capture the online learning sector."
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ClevrU partners with Schulich School of Business Professors to target online education market
American Society of Appraisers to Debut New Cost of Capital
Posted: at 2:15 pm
RESTON, Va., Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --The American Society of Appraisers (ASA) announces a new Cost of Capital advanced online education course for valuation professionals to debut November 1-2, 2012.
Presented by Roger J. Grabowski, ASA, co-author with Shannon Pratt of Cost of Capital: Applications and Examples 4th ed., business valuation veteran with more than 30 years of experience and frequent speaker on cost of capital issues, the course is designed for practitioners who may be unaware of the criticisms of and recent developments in the most commonly used methods for estimating Cost of Capital.
Join Grabowski as he examines the latest issues on data sources, the risk-free rate, the equity risk premium, Beta and other measures of risk, alternative cost of equity capital models, issues with distressed companies, pass-through entities and much more. This course is an update of the Center for Advanced Valuation Studies' Cost of Capital Seminar which Mr. Grabowski developed and has taught.
"We are very excited to move into the online delivery of education for the appraisal industry," said ASA's Sabri Math, Manager of Online Education. "This course and others coming soon will enable busy professionals to learn at their convenience and eliminate expenses and time lost due to travel."
The course will take place online over two days starting November 1 from 11:00am 7:00pm EDT and November 2 from 11:00am to 3:00pm EDT and costs $295 for ASA members with a regular price of $345.
12 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) credits will be awarded. Recommended text: Cost of Capital: Applications and Examples 4th ed. (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2010).
To register or more information visit ASA online at http://www.appraisers.org or call (800) 272-8258.
American Society of Appraisers The American Society of Appraisers (ASA) is an international organization of appraisal professionals and others dedicated to the education, development and growth of the appraisal profession. ASA is the oldest and only major organization representing ALL disciplines of appraisal specialists, originating in 1936 and incorporating in 1952. ASA's headquarters is in the metropolitan Washington, DC area. To learn about membership in ASA or find an accredited appraiser near you, visit http://www.appraisers.org or call (800) 272-8258.
Press Contact: Todd Paradis tparadis@appraisers.org (703) 733-2124
This press release was issued through eReleases Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.
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Wiley to Acquire Deltak.edu, LLC, Leading Provider of Online Degree Program Services
Posted: at 2:15 pm
HOBOKEN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE: JWa, JWb), a global provider of content and workflow solutions in areas of scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly research; professional development; and education announced today that it has agreed to acquire Deltak.edu, LLC, a privately held Chicago-based leader in higher education and online learning services, for $220 million. The acquisition, which is expected to close by the end of October, will significantly accelerate Wileys digital learning strategy and diversify the companys service offerings to include operational and academic solutions for higher education institutions. For the fiscal year ended September 2012, Deltaks revenue was $54 million. Deltak will contribute solid growth to both Wileys Global Education business and Wiley overall.
Deltak is a high-growth company that works in close partnership with leading colleges and universities to develop and support fully online degree and certificate programs. The business, founded in 1997, provides technology platforms and services including market research validating program demand, instructional design, marketing, and student recruitment and retention services to leading national and regional colleges and universities throughout the United States to achieve strategic outcomes with online and hybrid program offerings. Today, Deltak supports more than 100 online programs.
A growing number of colleges and universities are looking to enter, expand, and succeed in the online education market. These same institutions often lack the required experience, expertise, and dedicated resources to move rapidly and successfully. Institutions choose to partner with Deltak for their proven model, extensive capabilities, deep experience in higher education, and cultural alignment. The partnership with Deltak allows institutions to achieve strategic objectives by launching online programs, increasing enrollments, and extending their brand with minimal risk and investment.
The acquisition of Deltak will extend Wileys Global Education trajectory into a high-growth segment of the market and bring additional expertise to the organization in such areas as curriculum design, student recruitment services, and next generation technology solutions, said Joseph Heider, Wileys Senior Vice President, Global Education. We will leverage Wiley's publishing assets, student and instructor workflow applications, institutional relationships, and market expertise to add a competitive advantage to Deltak's current offerings and develop new products and services for the higher education market. Well also expand our online learning services to universities worldwide and create opportunities for Deltaks partners to increase their reach to the global markets we serve.
Stephen M. Smith, Wileys President and Chief Executive Officer, added, The exciting combination of Wiley and Deltak provides an opportunity for us to serve the growing needs of a wide range of customers in Higher Education around the world. Looking ahead, it will provide us with a platform for transformative new institutional products and services that will benefit customers across Wiley, including professionals, scholarly society customers, and higher education institutions.
We are very excited to join the John Wiley & Sons, Inc., family, said Craig Pines, Deltaks President and Chief Executive Officer. Wileys scale, digital assets, and international reach will substantially enhance the value we can deliver to our university partners and allow us to accelerate our growth strategies and reach new markets. Of equal importance, our cultures are closely aligned as people-focused organizations with a strong desire to develop our colleagues into leaders.
Deltak is located in Chicago, Orlando, and Denver. The Companys 300+ colleagues will become part of Wiley after the closing. Lazard Middle Market served as financial advisor to Deltak.
Wiley Global Educations mission is to help teachers teach and students learn. The company provides personalized content, tools, and services that deliver demonstrable results to students and faculty at two- and four-year colleges and universities, for-profit career colleges, and advanced-placement classes globally, as well as secondary schools in Australia. In addition to its print and digital textbooks programs, the company offers a variety of cost-effective, flexible print and digital solutions, including customizable solutions and WileyPLUS, a research-based, online environment for effective teaching and learning.
About Deltak
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Wiley to Acquire Deltak.edu, LLC, Leading Provider of Online Degree Program Services
1 in 3 Apple Employees Use macProVideo.com to Learn
Posted: at 2:15 pm
VANCOUVER, Canada, Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Online Education pioneer macProVideo.com today announces that 25,000 Apple Employees are now members of macProVideo.com. With 70,000 workers worldwide, 1 in 3 Apple employees use macProVideo.com's Online Software Courses to learn new computer skills. A realtime Apple Employee signup counter can be found here:
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121001/CG84305)
http://www.macprovideo.com/apple-loves-us
macProVideo.com's Founder, Martin Sitter, was one of Apple's original courseware authors. After writing several best-selling Apple Pro Training Series Books for Logic Pro, DVD Studio Pro, and Soundtrack Pro, Martin took his trademarked "Nonlinear Educating System" and created macProVideo.com.
According to Sitter, "since the beginning, we've worked closely with Apple to create exceptional software courses. We decided to show our gratitude for their support by offering free MPV Library Passes to all Apple employees, worldwide. To our surprise the offer went viral inside Apple, demonstrating how essential our education is to the staff of the world's most valuable company."
Apple Employees can sign up to receive a macProVideo.com Library Pass on a special webpage located inside their employee Source system. Their accounts are verified and activated only if the Apple employee uses their official "@apple.com" email address during the sign-up process. At $199 per year for an unlimited pass to macProVideo.com's Online Course Library, this represents $5,000,000 USD in training that has been provided to Apple employees.
"Apple employees have viewed nearly 2 million videos from our Online Course Library, making Apple the largest user of our service on the planet," continues Martin, "Apple loves us - you will too."
macProVideo.com is an online education community featuring Tutorial-Videos and Online Courses for popular Audio, Video, and Graphics software including Adobe CS6, iLife, iWork, Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro, and more. With over 22,000 tutorials and 1,200 hours of video available, macProVideo.com is the largest Mac-centric training website in the world. Unrestricted Library Passes start at $25 USD / month, or $199 USD / year.
Martin Sitter is available for interviews and comments about working with Apple, developing for the iOS App Store, and Online Education.
For more information, Visit http://www.macProVideo.com Press Relations: kim@macProVideo.com
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1 in 3 Apple Employees Use macProVideo.com to Learn
2012 International Coach Federation Conference Hits the UK
Posted: October 1, 2012 at 10:27 pm
LEXINGTON, Ky., Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Nearly 1,000 coaches will gather for the coaching industry's premier, sold-out Annual International Conference. The industry's largest gathering of coaching professionalsexecutive, leadership, life, career coaches and morewill take place in London, UK, October 3-6.
Professional coaches from more than 55 countries will gather for several days of accredited education, networking, collaboration, and celebration during the International Coach Federation's 17th Annual International Conference. Speakers from more than a dozen countries are scheduled including three diverse Mega Catalysts (keynotes): an inspirational businesswoman who's known as Britain's "most colorful charity leader" Camila Batmanghelidjh; renowned vulnerability researcher and accomplished author Brene Brown; and poet and organizational development expert David Whyte. This year's Provocateur, who will play host and challenge attendees, promises some humor as he is the co-founder of Europe's top improv group the Comedy Store Players-- Neil Mullarkey.
This year's high attendance at the Conference is indicative of the growth of the professional coaching industry despite an economy in flux. According to the 2012 ICF Global Coaching Study, conducted by PwC, there are an estimated 47,500 professional coaches across the world bringing in an annual income close to $2 billion. Many organizations and corporations, such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Verizon Communications, are seeing coaching as an effective action plan to combat the complex and uncertain job market.
WHAT: 17th ICF Annual International Conference
WHEN: October 3 6, 2012
WHERE: The Novotel London West, London, UK
Interviews with ICF officials and coaches can be arranged throughout the week. To set up an interview, please contact Lindsay Bodkin at +1.901.619.1496, or icfpr@coachfederation.org. Check out the official Facebook page, Facebook.com/ICFHQ and Twitter handle @ICFHQ. Plus see what others are saying about the event on Twitter using #ICFGlobal.
MORE INFORMATION: To find out more about conference events and speakers, please visit the Conference website at Coachfederation.org/london2012
ABOUT COACHING: The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires people to maximize their personal and professional potential. According to the 2012 ICF Global Coaching Study, conducted by PwC, the approximate annual worldwide revenue produced by coaching is $2 billion (USD). Results from the 2012 ICF Global Coaching Study are available upon request. Please contact the ICF for more information.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL COACH FEDERATION: The International Coach Federation is the leading global organization for coaches, with more than 18,000 members in more than 100 countries, dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high standards, providing independent certification, and building a worldwide network of Credentialed coaches. For more information on how to become or find an ICF Credentialed coach, please visit http://www.coachfederation.org.
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2012 International Coach Federation Conference Hits the UK
June-Marie Raw Food and Fitness Health videos tonight Arabian princess costume abs 007 – Video
Posted: at 10:26 pm
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June-Marie Raw Food and Fitness Health videos tonight Arabian princess costume abs 007 - Video