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Barbara Ley Toffler, PhD
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Consulted to Leadership of a U.S.-based International Bank
A major money center bank faced challenges in the form of deregulation and increased competition. We helped identify and analyze the key challenges it faced, especially those from investment banks. We worked directly with the Vice-Chairman, CFO, General Counsel, senior line management and all staff heads. As part of the project, executives and senior managers met in structured sessions with groups of employees to learn about the barriers to responsible competitive practice they faced.
Wrote and Produced Vignette-Based Videos for an Oil and Gas Company
A major oil and gas company sought assistance in conducting its Business Practices Reviews. We created three 30-minute training videos consisting of vignettes based on actual workplace situations. One video tackled the difficulties this client faced in meeting the requirements of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The vignettes, customized to the concerns of the company, provided the basis for discussions of compliance, business practices, and effective decision-making. We worked with the Vice-president for Finance and Administration and the Treasurer, as well as line management and personnel in Legal and Control functions.
Designed a Responsible Decision-Making Program for a Large Electric and Nuclear Utility
The holding company for three electric utilities and two nuclear power companies sought our assistance in dealing with the changing regulatory environment. We conducted a two-and-a-half year project addressing the practical realities of large organizational change, restructuring and down-sizing, resulting in a company-wide Responsible Decision-making Program that included a Guide, customized case materials, and employee delivered training program.
Assessed Business Environment and Developed Responsive Measures for a Hazardous Waste Firm
A hazardous waste management firm hired us to identify present and potential problems unique to their business environment. We examined the impact of changing environmental regulations, anti-trust issues, performance pressures, and the effect of rapid growth on business practices. Working with the General Counsel and Director of Human Resources, we developed policies and procedures, communications systems, and training programs.
Consulted to Telecommunications Start-up Company
A telecommunications start-up company was undergoing rapid change and growth through acquisition of local and regional high-speed switched and dedicated data and Internet access service companies, as well as deploying its own proprietary data and voice transmission infrastructure in key markets. The consequences of this rapid growth were lack of a uniform corporate culture and inconsistent business practices and procedures across locations. We helped the company understand the corporate cultures of ten different branches and identified key risks that cut across the company as well as risks in particular locations. We delivered 27 case-based business ethics training sessions to over 400 employees as one element in a risk mitigation and corporate culture-building strategy.
Established a Business Practice Office
A securities brokerage and financial service firm needed to establish a Business Practices Office. We worked with the Vice President, Business Practices to design all aspects of the Business Practices Office, including defining key functions and responsibilities, creating job descriptions, and interviewing job candidates. Among the critical elements of instituting the Business Practices Office was the development of data-gathering mechanisms and educational resources, and creation of operating strategies. We helped the firm develop a communication strategy for their "Credo" and Business Practices Office and created a database to analyze responses to an employee survey.
Developed a Video Based Business Practices Training Program
A Fortune 500 manufacturer with an aggressive acquisition strategy was concerned about ensuring that its employees throughout the world understood and adhered to its business practices and policies. We helped "globalize" their Business Practices Policies and Standards of Conduct by assessing the implications of applying the policies and procedures in different cultures. We advised the company on the development of a Human Rights Policy and created a video-based Control & Business Practices Awareness Training Program.
Assessed Global Business Practices
An international mining and exploration company, wanted to assess the business practices of its Indonesian subsidiary and third-party contractors. We visited sites in Indonesia to compare current business practices against accepted company policies, and reported findings to senior management. We helped company lawyers understand the impediments to compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by facilitating discussions with Indonesian nationals and Australian ex-patriots, and recommended further steps to manage the risk of FCPA violations.
Developed and Delivered Global Business Practices Training
A global financial services firm wanted to ensure its officers understood their fiduciary responsibilities and adhered to responsible business practices. We developed case-based training responsive to the client's concerns. Over a period of three months, we assisted in delivering the program to over 2,000 officers in seven locations throughout the world.
Established a Business Practices Office and Developed Large Scale Training
A health care provider needed to establish a Business Practices Office quickly and provide Business Practices training for 25,000 employees across the United States. We designed all aspects of the Office, including defining key functions and responsibilities, creating job descriptions and interviewing job candidates, developing operating strategies including call intake protocols for a telephone helpline. We also drafted a Code of Conduct and collaborated on creating case-based Business Practices training and a training delivery plan for all employees.
Benchmarked Global Business Practices Standards
A Japanese telecommunications firm was initiating a spin-off of business units and wanted to create global business practices to unify these new operating companies around common goals. Working with our Tokyo and London offices we conducted a benchmarking study of best global business practices by studying the business standards of several global multi-nationals and conducting interviews with select companies to understand their business practices in more depth. We provided our client with a summary of the results of this study and recommendations for program design.
Consulted on Global Business Practices Training
A global consumer products company wanted to create a video series for worldwide employee training in Business Practices Guidelines. We assisted the development of scripts by creating a series of white papers describing issues commonly addressed by business guidelines, including gift giving, conflict of interest, etc. These papers outlined the business rationale for each policy and explored the ways in which the policy can be undermined in practice.
Consulted and Provided Training on Creating Ethics & Compliance Manuals
A Japan-based multinational securities firm wanted to create ethical guidelines to help headquarters staff adapt to a changing regulatory environment. We created and delivered a day and a half long training session to the company's new Compliance team and provided ongoing consulting services to assist in the development of guidelines for each of seventeen departments.
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