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jcmarchi · 4 months ago

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Deepfake misuse & deepfake detection (before it’s too late) - CyberTalk

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/deepfake-misuse-deepfake-detection-before-its-too-late-cybertalk/

Deepfake misuse & deepfake detection (before it’s too late) - CyberTalk

Micki Boland is a global cyber security warrior and evangelist with Check Point’s Office of the CTO. Micki has over 20 years in ICT, cyber security, emerging technology, and innovation. Micki’s focus is helping customers, system integrators, and service providers reduce risk through the adoption of emerging cyber security technologies. Micki is an ISC2 CISSP and holds a Master of Science in Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MBA with a global security concentration from East Carolina University.

In this dynamic and insightful interview, Check Point expert Micki Boland discusses how deepfakes are evolving, why that matters for organizations, and how organizations can take action to protect themselves. Discover on-point analyses that could reshape your decisions, improving cyber security and business outcomes. Don’t miss this.

Can you explain how deepfake technology works?

Deepfakes involve simulated video, audio, and images to be delivered as content via online news, mobile applications, and through social media platforms. Deepfake videos are created with Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN), a type of Artificial Neural Network that uses Deep Learning to create synthetic content.

GANs sound cool, but technical. Could you break down how they operate?

GAN are a class of machine learning systems that have two neural network models; a generator and discriminator which game each other. Training data in the form of video, still images, and audio is fed to the generator, which then seeks to recreate it. The discriminator then tries to discern the training data from the recreated data produced by the generator.

The two artificial intelligence engines repeatedly game each other, getting iteratively better. The result is convincing, high quality synthetic video, images, or audio. A good example of GAN at work is NVIDIA GAN. Navigate to the website https://thispersondoesnotexist.com/ and you will see a composite image of a human face that was created by the NVIDIA GAN using faces on the internet. Refreshing the internet browser yields a new synthetic image of a human that does not exist.

What are some notable examples of deepfake tech’s misuse?

Most people are not even aware of deepfake technologies, although these have now been infamously utilized to conduct major financial fraud. Politicians have also used the technology against their political adversaries. Early in the war between Russia and Ukraine, Russia created and disseminated a deepfake video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy advising Ukrainian soldiers to “lay down their arms” and surrender to Russia.

How was the crisis involving the Zelenskyy deepfake video managed?

The deepfake quality was poor and it was immediately identified as a deepfake video attributable to Russia. However, the technology is becoming so convincing and so real that soon it will be impossible for the regular human being to discern GenAI at work. And detection technologies, while have a tremendous amount of funding and support by big technology corporations, are lagging way behind.

What are some lesser-known uses of deepfake technology and what risks do they pose to organizations, if any?

Hollywood is using deepfake technologies in motion picture creation to recreate actor personas. One such example is Bruce Willis, who sold his persona to be used in movies without his acting due to his debilitating health issues. Voicefake technology (another type of deepfake) enabled an autistic college valedictorian to address her class at her graduation.

Yet, deepfakes pose a significant threat. Deepfakes are used to lure people to “click bait” for launching malware (bots, ransomware, malware), and to conduct financial fraud through CEO and CFO impersonation. More recently, deepfakes have been used by nation-state adversaries to infiltrate organizations via impersonation or fake jobs interviews over Zoom.

How are law enforcement agencies addressing the challenges posed by deepfake technology?

Europol has really been a leader in identifying GenAI and deepfake as a major issue. Europol supports the global law enforcement community in the Europol Innovation Lab, which aims to develop innovative solutions for EU Member States’ operational work. Already in Europe, there are laws against deepfake usage for non-consensual pornography and cyber criminal gangs’ use of deepfakes in financial fraud.

What should organizations consider when adopting Generative AI technologies, as these technologies have such incredible power and potential?

Every organization is seeking to adopt GenAI to help improve customer satisfaction, deliver new and innovative services, reduce administrative overhead and costs, scale rapidly, do more with less and do it more efficiently. In consideration of adopting GenAI, organizations should first understand the risks, rewards, and tradeoffs associated with adopting this technology. Additionally, organizations must be concerned with privacy and data protection, as well as potential copyright challenges.

What role do frameworks and guidelines, such as those from NIST and OWASP, play in the responsible adoption of AI technologies?

On January 26th, 2023, NIST released its forty-two page Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0) and AI Risk Management Playbook (NIST 2023). For any organization, this is a good place to start.

The primary goal of the NIST AI Risk Management Framework is to help organizations create AI-focused risk management programs, leading to the responsible development and adoption of AI platforms and systems.

The NIST AI Risk Management Framework will help any organization align organizational goals for and use cases for AI. Most importantly, this risk management framework is human centered. It includes social responsibility information, sustainability information and helps organizations closely focus on the potential or unintended consequences and impact of AI use.

Another immense help for organizations that wish to further understand risk associated with GenAI Large Language Model adoption is the OWASP Top 10 LLM Risks list. OWASP released version 1.1 on October 16th, 2023. Through this list, organizations can better understand risks such as inject and data poisoning. These risks are especially critical to know about when bringing an LLM in house.

As organizations adopt GenAI, they need a solid framework through which to assess, monitor, and identify GenAI-centric attacks. MITRE has recently introduced ATLAS, a robust framework developed specifically for artificial intelligence and aligned to the MITRE ATT&CK framework.

For more of Check Point expert Micki Boland’s insights into deepfakes, please see CyberTalk.org’s past coverage. Lastly, to receive cyber security thought leadership articles, groundbreaking research and emerging threat analyses each week, subscribe to the CyberTalk.org newsletter.

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nasminstitutes · 8 months ago

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What are the Benefits of doing MBA in Sports Management in India?

Doing an MBA in sports management India offers several benefits for individuals interested in pursuing a career in the sports industry:

Specialized Knowledge: An MBA in sports management provides dedicated knowledge and skills tailored to the unique challenges and dynamics of the sports industry. Students learn about sports marketing, finance, event management, athlete management, sports law, and other relevant areas.

Industry Insights: The program offers insights into the details of the sports industry, including its structure, stakeholders, trends, and challenges. Students gain a wide-ranging understanding of how sports organizations operate, allowing them to make informed decisions and contribute effectively in their careers.

Networking Opportunities: MBA programs in sports management often provide extensive networking opportunities with industry professionals, alumni, and guest speakers. Building a strong network can open doors to internships, job opportunities, and mentorship, facilitating career advancement in the sports industry.

Practical Experience: Many MBA programs in sports management incorporate practical components such as internships, case studies, and real-world projects. This hands-on experience allows students to apply theoretical concepts in practical settings, developing essential skills and enhancing their employability.

Career Advancement: Graduates with an MBA in sports management are well-positioned for various career opportunities within the sports industry, including roles in sports marketing, sponsorship management, event management, facility management, athlete representation, sports analytics, and sports media.

Global Perspective: As the sports industry continues to globalize, an MBA in sports management provides students with a global perspective on sports business trends, international markets, and cross-cultural management. This global outlook is valuable for professionals aiming to work in diverse and multicultural environments.

Transferable Skills: The skills acquired during an MBA in sports management, such as guidance, strategic thinking, communication, negotiation, and project management, are convenient to other industries beyond sports. This versatility allows graduates to explore career opportunities outside the sports sector if desired.

Overall, pursuing an MBA in sports management India equips individuals with the knowledge, skills, and network needed to thrive in the dynamic and competitive field of sports business.

#MBA in Sports Management #Sports Management College in Mumbai #Sports Management #Mumbai College #India

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spider-xan · 6 months ago

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Also, I'm sick of you liberals who think you are anti-US military, but are bootlickers just as much as any Support Our Troops cunts bc you refuse to be actual anti-imperialists and don't see people of the Global South as actual human beings so much as NPCs and props who exist for narratives about how sad US veterans are - 'No one hates the US military more than veterans and soldiers!', 'The US military is bad bc they prey on poor people and then traumatize them!', 'We should oppose the US military bc of the harm they do to vulnerable Americans!', SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT IMPERIALIST MURDERERS BEING SAD VICTIMS, you haven't said one damn thing about the MILLIONS of actual victims who were massacred and more by the US military, do you think they love the US military more than the US military itself, they don't even exist to you, do you think fucking veterans were more innocent and suffered more than all the people they killed, and how many fucking times do people have to debunk the myth that the US military is made up of poor people, it's largely middle-class and rich people from military families, no, killing people to fund college and your MBA so you can be a corporate consultant does not make you a poor victim who had no choice, you could literally have not chosen to murder people for that like everyone else, including people less well off than you, also, how rich do you think the victims in the Global South are after colonization and invasions by the US and the rest of the West.

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blackswaneuroparedux · 2 years ago

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Anonymous asked: What do you think of David Beckham?

As a footballer or as a brand? I find David Beckham more interesting to observe as a brand than as a footballer simply because he paved the way as a modern pioneer of inventing one’s own personal brand. And in turn he influenced how we all, in varying degrees, curate our social media identities as a part of developing our own brand (whether we do so consciously or not, it’s the lens the world sees us through).

I thought your question worth answering as a result of having a fascinating series of conversations with an old school friend over drinks and dinners who works as a luxury branding whizz here in Dubai. She’s followed the Beckham brand ever since she did her MBA and specialised in marketing luxury brands - she also happens to be a mad Manchester United fan (and even consulted for the club on commercialising their global brand outside of Europe). She was giving me a master class in branding the wine my cousins and I have been producing on our old creaky vineyard back in France. I don’t always buy her arguments but I do listen to her as she’s incredibly smart and brilliant in her job - no wonder she is sought out by many luxury brands to help them capitalise on their marketing and image.

As a huge sports fan I do admire David Beckham’s sporting achievements and I have always thought he was was underrated as a football player. I’m saying this not as a Manchester United fan but as a footballing fan. The only team I religiously follow is a local team many, many divisions down, and well away from the big leagues and play on a boggy pitch and the spectator stands leak from the roof down when it rains. So I’m not being partisan, as I know how deeply tribal football fans can be, which is part of the beauty of the beautiful game. I only knew of David Beckham as a little girl watching others watch him and the famed Manchester United football team play on satellite television when I was living overseas across South Asia and the Far East.

People even to this day in the West don’t fully understand how popular not only football is but also how well supported Manchester United football club as a brand really is in those parts of the world, including Africa too. It’s a cliché to say talking about football is an ideal ice breaker between cultures and day to day interactions on the streets and markets. It’s hard for Americans to understand especially how football - the real football that we Brits invented - is the international lingua franca of cultures.

Even here in Dubai where I am enjoying going to the World Cup matches in nearby Qatar. The ‘water cooler’ talk around the office and out in the hotel bars and cafés has been about football, and nothing else. Because I work in the corporate world I’ve gone to my share of many World Cup champagne events and receptions sponsored by corporates and FIFA. Amidst the glitz and glamour, you realise football is seriously big business on a global scale.

Sorry, I digress. But I guess it’s related as Beckham has come under harsh criticism for his ongoing role as an ambassador for the World Cup in Qatar. Beckham has been one of the most high-profile stars to support the tournament, appearing in several promotional videos, and has received a hefty sum of money for his work. It was reported in 2021 that former England legend Beckham signed a deal worth £15m-a-year for a 10 year deal, therefore making a £150 million in total. Beckham - as part of his brand - has long been considered an icon in the gay community. So his involvement in the tournament as the Qatari face of the World Cup has been met with upset and dismay by many in that community, which is their right of course.

As my luxury branding whizz friend put it, it’s hard to separate Beckham the footballer and Beckham the brand simply because from almost the beginning the two were entwined as Beckham’s football star shone.

It’s worth recapping that Beckham's distinguished playing career has been spent mainly with two of the most recognisable professional football teams in the world, Manchester United (his boyhood club) and later, Real Madrid. He built his reputation playing for Manchester United in the English Premier League when the English game, drunk on sponsorship money, began to grip the attention of the entire world. During his 10 years at the club, Manchester United dominated the English Premier League, which both then and now is widely recognised as one of the best and most competitive soccer leagues in the world - and of course the most watched.

During his tenure with Manchester United, Beckham won six English Premiership titles, and was a pivotal member of the Manchester United team that won a unique football treble in 1999, garnering the Premiership, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions league in the same season. Though a midfielder, Beckham scored 86 goals for Manchester United. Beckham's fame, though, was less from his goal-scoring prowess than his ability to deliver pinpoint crosses, strike 40-yard penetrating through balls with unerring accuracy, and bend his signature free kicks around and over defensive walls. ‘Bend it like Beckham’ became a catchphrase made famous of a cute romcom movie of the same name.

Beckham's international career has been luminous. In March 2008, Beckham represented the England national team for the 100th time, making him a member of a very exclusive club. Only four other Englishmen, Peter Shilton (125), Bobby Moore (108), Bobby Charlton (106), and Billy Wright (105) had reached this milestone before Beckham. Beckham's stellar international career has included representing England in the 1998, 2002, and 2006 World Cup final tournaments, and he holds the distinction of being the first-ever English player to score in three successive World Cups. He served his country as its talismanic captain from 2000 through the 2006 World Cups. As captain, Beckham led his England team through example, including some at-times virtuoso performances such as his last-minute bending free kick goal against Greece that secured the England national team's qualification for the 2002 World Cup Finals.

Such performances for the national team endeared him to the English public and Beckham's right foot was even referred to as one of Britain's "national treasures" by Hugh Grant's character, in the 2003 film Love Actually. This and other game-changing performances propelled Beckham mania to unprecedented levels, even prompting The Sun tabloid newspaper to call for Beckham to be knighted. Popular support was there, and in 2003, Beckham was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen's birthday honours list for services to football.

His importance to the national team was highlighted when a broken metatarsal bone in his foot, two months before the 2002 World Cup, bumped the death of the Queen Mother from the front pages of several popular newspapers. Prime Minister Tony Blair publicly implored the nation to be optimistic and the press, both English and foreign, urged their readers to pray for his swift recovery so that he could play for England in the tournament. Beckham recovered in time to be featured in the 2002 World Cup Finals, and scored the winning goal against England's arch-rival, Argentina, before the team was eliminated by Brazil in the quarterfinals. In the same year Beckham was selected as the 33rd greatest Briton of all time by the BBC, the highest position attained by any sports figure.

Although Beckham is perhaps the epitome of the successful postmodern global sport celebrity, his soccer career has had its downtimes, during which he has endured much hostility from England's football fans and severe criticism in the press. Such occurred in the 1998 World Cup finals, when, against arch-nemesis Argentina, with the game delicately poised, Beckham was given a red card and sent off from the field of play for retaliating against an Argentine player. This meant that England was reduced to playing with 10 men, and although the team held the 11 players representing Argentina to a draw by the end of the game, but they were eliminated by a penalty shoot-out.

This lapse of judgement did not go unpunished. England's national pride had been damaged and Beckham was widely vilified in the media for England's premature elimination from the 1998 Cup. Typifying the negative newspaper accounts of Beckham's sending-off, The Mirror's headline tabloid headline read "ten heroic lions, one stupid boy".

After enduring a season of terrace taunts from opposing team fans, Beckham gradually rebuilt his football reputation and popular appeal. Indeed the season after, he played a pivotal role in winning three trophies, the Premier League, the F.A. Cup, and the European Champions League, aptly dubbed the treble, with Manchester United in 1999 in Barcelona.

As his field performances improved, so his image reached iconic status. It peaked in April 1999 when Time Out magazine went as far as to portray Beckham as a pseudo-Christ-like figure and featured him on the front cover in white trousers and see-through shirt in a pose evocative of Christ and the crucifixion. The caption read: "Easter Exclusive: The Resurrection of David Beckham".

In 2003, Beckham left Manchester United for Real Madrid. They paid $41 million for his services as their president, Florentino Perez, sought to build a club of global football superstars known as ‘the Galacticos’ era. Beckham joined a team that included the best-known names in the sport, including Frenchman Zinedine Zidane, Spain's Luis Figo, and Brazil's Ronaldo. This turned out to be an ill-fated strategy as despite their galaxy of football super-heroes, Real Madrid only won one trophy, Spain's La Liga title, during Beckham's time at the club.

Commentators at the time, though, noted the club's upturn in commercial appeal and speculated that the true impetus for the transfer was more Beckham's global celebrity and iconic appeal rather than his playing ability. There is some truth in this. Some commercial synergies were evident with both Beckham and Real Madrid having sponsorship deals with Adidas and Pepsi. Both gained from Beckham's Spanish presence. Real Madrid's commercial revenue from club merchandise sales, such as replica shirts, increased 67% in Beckham's first season alone.

The acquisition of Beckham also helped open up new markets in Asia and the United States with exhibition matches and tours. Such was his impact that it was claimed that the "Beckonomics" of the transfer helped to propel Real Madrid past Beckham's former club Manchester United as the world's richest club in 2006 (according to Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance, 2006 - the bible of football economics).

Beckham has always had his critics, many of whom note that his off-the-field persona masks deficiencies in his on-field performances. Such critics cite that Beckham is "less than the complete" football player, while claiming that he is too one-dimensional in his abilities to deliver the telling through ball, the in-swinging corner, or the pinpoint crosses and free kicks. They point to his lack of genuine pace, his underdeveloped left-footed play, his poor heading, and his dearth of one-on-one dribbling skills. These deficiencies, they note, despite his stellar offensive set-piece play, limit his overall team contribution at the highest levels of the game.

The career of David Beckham, celebrity soccer player, has had its highs and lows. But through it all, one thing has remained constant, David Beckham has rarely ventured out of the media or the public eye. For a decade, from his 1995 debut for Manchester United, his career went from strength to strength, his on-field brilliance matched only by his soaring marketing appeal in a sport that massively commercialised in the 1990s.

But as he hit his thirties, the Beckham star began to fade, and from 2006, his career has experienced turbulence. After resigning the England captaincy in the aftermath of England's disappointing exit at the quarterfinal stage of the 2006 World Cup, Beckham was subsequently dropped from the England national team squad in August 2006. In 2003 he moved from Manchester United to join famed Spanish soccer club, Real Madrid. By the end of 2006, he could not hold on to his first team place and it seemed that Beckham's fabled soccer career was declining. As he fell from footballing grace, Beckham's commercial celebrity appeal also eroded as he lost several lucrative endorsement contracts, most notably as the face man for Police sunglasses and the brand ambassador for Gillette.

However, just as everyone was writing him off, Beckham, not for the first time in his fabled career, reinvented himself. The football and entertainment world was stunned in January 2007, when he signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States, and the next phase of Brand Beckham was re-invented. It began in sensational style. In a sports world unfazed by gargantuan sports contracts, Beckham signed a contract that amazed even the most hardened of sports commentators. Worth an estimated $250 million over five years, Beckham's Los Angeles Galaxy contract was signed only after the passing of a new MLS rule, the "designated player rule" (subsequently dubbed the ‘Beckham rule’), which permitted MLS teams to pay above the salary cap for two players.

The contract was stunning, but fully reflected Beckham's global football notoriety and his Hollywood good looks. Carefully crafted by Simon Fuller, the architect of American Idol and former manager of the Spice Girls, Beckham's MLS deal dwarfed that of marquee athletes in the traditionally mainstream American sports of American football, baseball, and basketball. Beckham's contract was thought to be justified by his popular and global appeal. It enabled him to benefit financially from all his image rights, related sponsorships and endorsements, as well as sharing in team replica shirt and club ticket sales. In effect Beckham's contract made him a partner with the Los Angeles Galaxy's owners, the Anschultz Entertainment group.

The Beckham signing was deemed a watershed moment for U.S. soccer but also for Brand Beckham. It opened doors in Hollywood for Beckham and his wife, Victoria. The combination of Beckham's persona, English, tall, lean, good looking, with glittering athletic skills, and a celebrity wife, Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham, was tailor-made for Hollywood, Los Angeles, and the MLS. It provided Beckham with new opportunities to generate excitement in U.S. soccer, reignite his soccer career and also to ply his looks and commercial skills in the world's most lucrative marketplace - Hollywood.

There is no question that it has been Victoria Beckham who has been the power behind the Beckham throne. Victoria Beckham never claimed to be the best singer in the Spice Girls, or the best dancer either. Nor was David Beckham necessarily the greatest footballer ever to wear a Manchester United shirt. The team’s former manager Alex Ferguson once said he had only ever worked with four world-class players, and didn’t include Beckham on his list. Yet, by dint of hard work, strategic decision-making and a remarkable ability to stay likeable even while becoming preposterously rich, the Beckhams have achieved the goal Victoria identified back in 2001, when she wrote of wanting to be “as famous as Persil Automatic”.

They have evolved beyond mere celebrities into a fully fledged brand, a household name as familiar and comforting as your daily breakfast cereal or family car. What they seem to have understood is that fame comes and goes, but brands have the power to get inside your head.

They had met in 1997 at a charity football match, although each already had their eye on the other. (As David Beckham noted in his autobiography: “My wife picked me out of a soccer sticker book. And I chose her off the telly.”) Within two years they had got engaged, had their first son, Brooklyn, and married; it was shortly after the wedding that the red tops coined the phrase “Brand Beckham”, describing the way each boosted the other’s already significant pulling power.

When he and Victoria first got together, they were the first celebrity couple you could have on both back page and front page. There wasn’t a part of the paper they couldn’t feature in, a conversation that you couldn’t find a way of fitting them into. The timing was perfect - just as football was evolving from a sport into a 24/7 entertainment business. From the start, both partners embodied not just glamour but the highly appealing values of groundedness and hard graft. He was the son of a gas fitter, who worked his way up in football through the academy programme; she turned out to be just as driven, doggedly establishing an unexpectedly credible new career in fashion when the Spice Girls folded rather than remain a football ‘Wag’ (Wives and Girlfriend of a celebrity sportsman).

Victoria Beckham has been the queen of reinvention. She’s constantly doing new things: establishing herself as a designer, bringing out a children’s wear collection, adopting new tech.

But it’s the licensing and sponsorship deals using David’s name and image that have quietly proved the money spinner. In the last decade, the Beckhams officially became dollar billionaires, thanks in part to the lucrative corporate tie-ins covering everything from watches and whisky to pants and skincare that David has amassed since retiring from football in 2013. (Her fashion label, Victoria Beckham Ltd, launched in 2008 and has yet to turn a profit, although that’s not unusual in fashion.) They may not be in the Kardashians’ financial league, but the Beckhams are a really good, British branded business whose core value is intellectual property.

The approach the Beckhams took to brand building was uncommon for celebrities in that it was strategic, well-advised and purposefully planned. The alignment of their personal interests and passions with business and philanthropic pursuits, enabled the brand to be sustained over time. They’re not ‘going through the motions’. For example, Beckham’s role in football may have evolved from player to owner of Inter Miami football franchise, but it’s still sustained by his passion for football. The Beckhams were extremely forward thinking with their approach to building a ‘brand’ all those years ago.

Before the Kardashians came traipsing through the showbiz world, the Beckhams lead supreme. They worked hard, always had good people around them and their main objective was to protect the brand at all costs. It’s no surprise Brand Beckham is where it is right now as a global entity that shows no sign of slowing down.

Through his world-class soccer exploits and his multiple off-field personas, Beckham has not just become a brand, but a portfolio of brands. A brand is an intangible "mental box" or a creation or an association that exists in the mind of the consumer that adds value to products and services. In Beckham's case his global popularity and iconic image has resulted in him adding significant brand value and goodwill to the various companies he is a spokesman for and the multitude of different products and services that he endorses. Together with his wife, Victoria, they actually have their own dVb (David and Victoria Beckham), brand label.

He is, in effect, not one brand, but an entire portfolio of brands, each representing a part of the chameleon-brand that is David Beckham. His marketing image broadens to embrace other brand identities and personalities. He appeals to aspiring youth as a ‘working-class-boy-made-good.’ To families he is portrayed as a loving father and adoring husband. To popular music fans he is the proud husband of Posh Spice. Behaviourally, his non-conformist tendencies appeal to youth's individualism. In the world of high fashion, his clothes, and metro-sexual appeal attract the attention of "fashionistas" worldwide. Celebrity Beckham's appeal is in the eye of the beholder - a commercial chameleon or floating signifier, whose appeal depends on the role and audience he seeks to address.

Beckham's potent image as a wholesome, clean-living, devoted family man juxtaposed with his penchant for bending conventional rules maximises his appeal to multiple demographic segments. His masculine identity is firmly rooted in his athleticism. But a large part of Beckham's appeal can be traced to his non-conformity and contradictions or his androgynous blends of opposites.

Beckham's fashion sense resulted in extraordinary appeal among the Black community. He sported chunky jewellery. He used fashion to exude confidence and sex appeal. His hairstyles, clothes, and body ornamentation developed into an important part of the Brand Beckham iconic image.

Unlike most men, he changed hairstyles, and when he did it made news. When he met Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first Black president, he wore Caribbean braids. During the 2002 World Cup, he had a Mohican cut. His body is adorned with tattoos including a winged crossed tattoo on the back of his neck. Under normal (i.e., non-Beckham) circumstances, such adornments would contradict his working class roots, soccer prowess, and strong family image. But in the media he is anchored with a strong hetero-masculine image. This occurs in spite of his constant infringements of traditional working class football (soccer) culture that emphasises the strong masculine image and which normally vilifies any hint of effeminacy.

Such characteristics unveil Beckham as being the style icon, who embraces the values of metro-sexual man. This image presents Beckham as well groomed and manicured, someone who moisturises regularly, and who with his wife endorses a line of fragrance brands. The Beckham body, hard and toned, is aligned with his metro-sexual tendencies and that also makes him a popular figure in the gay community. Far from discouraging this androgynous image, Beckham chooses to reinforce this "bi-sexual persona" through his choice of fashions as well as appearances in gay magazines.

Beckham's family-man image is similarly so robust that not only did his reported affair in 2004, with personal assistant Rebecca Loos, fail to substantially undermine his wholesome family image; his commercial appeal not only did not falter, it was actually enhanced in some regards. It transpired that his alleged affair seemed to reinforce his heterosexual credibility and his appeal as the working class hegemonic man. It also provided a counter-narrative to the notion that Beckham represented a kind of new age man emasculated by his allegedly dominant ex-Spice Girl (‘girl-powered’) wife who reportedly chooses his clothes and fashion accessories.

Before the Kardashians came along and branded themselves in a very Americanised in your face kind of branding generated out of a sex tape and Hollywood notoriety, it was arguably the Beckhams’ who really updated and modernised the idea that a person could be a brand on the global stage. That idea has filtered down into mainstream culture and spread like a virus through social media. Instagram has turned millennials and Generation Zs into curators of their lives for public consumption, anxiously presenting an idealised version of themselves at all times, while professional ‘influencers’ now hire brand managers to protect the image on which their whole commercial edifice rests. At work, Generation Z are told to define their ‘personal brand’ if they want to get hired, promoted or simply noticed in a precarious and crowded freelance world.

For a human, famous or otherwise, to become a brand is more logical than it sounds. After all, the brand is just the part of a business that is associated with human qualities that trigger an emotional response in customers. Think of Marks & Spencer, and you probably think about reliability. Chanel means chic, Coke says feel good, Volvo spells sensible. As the explosion of choice on the high street has made customers more brand-aware, manufacturers have worked ever harder at imbuing brands with likeable characteristics to make them stand out. So it is a relatively short step from thinking that brands should have personalities to thinking that personalities could have brands, or a defined set of values to which employers and consumers will respond emotionally.

As my friend working as a senior corporate branding consultant in the luxury market put it to me over drinks: “People buy people. No matter how good you are at your job, if I haven’t bought into you as a person - if I don’t like you and trust you - it isn’t going to work.”

Yet even this level of self-promotion makes some people balk, just as some balk at paying over the odds for something just because it has a celebrity’s face on the packaging. For while many believed that the point of branding is to act as a guarantee of quality, something shoppers can trust, increasingly consumers are starting to question what they are getting in return for an expensive logo. Today it’s not uncommon to see in parts of social media, the phrase ‘personal brand’ become a kind of ironic millennial in-joke, a byword for pretentiousness.

But both millennials and increasingly Generation Z have a complex relationships with their curated lives. A lot about the way we now conduct ourselves, professionally and personally, would be considered achingly naff a decade ago; that everything is now ‘content’; or that you can choose ‘public figure’ as a title on Instagram. But, my savvy friend working in luxury branding would argue that branding does help make sense of the kind of portfolio careers pieced together from different gigs and side hustles. She would go on to argue that we are in a sense all freelancers and that we’re multi-hyphenates. That doesn’t mean dilly-dallying in lots of different pies for the sake of it. It means combining several different jobs to guarantee a fulfilled and financially successful working life.

There is an obvious downside to all this not withstanding that it has its practical uses as an umbrella for sheltering different work projects. To put it simply, branding can leave a person vulnerable. When the product is yourself, or an idealised version of it, it is very hard not to take criticism of that product personally. If you turn yourself into a brand then if you suffer, your brand does too - and vice versa. The expression ‘fake it until you make it’ comes to mind such is the pressure to keeping up appearances. The tendency of online social media when sniffing out inauthenticity is brutal and dehumanising. It’s definitely difficult to watch a character assassination of yourself take place online, by strangers who do not know you and take special glee in your humiliation.

And that is one downside of turning humans into products. We see ourselves as consumers first and it’s no wonder we just see others as products, disposable or impervious to hurt. When rumours swept the internet that the Beckhams were about to divorce, speculation immediately centred on what it meant not for them or their four children but for the brand, given that David’s marketability still rests on being seen as a devoted husband, father and general nice guy. Since the rumours turned out to be false, we will never know. Yet it was a timely reminder that, unlike Persil Automatic, people have feelings. Their lives can take unexpected turns, which most definitely aren’t on brand; they may get burnt out, or simply stop wanting to live in a goldfish bowl round the clock.

But the Beckhams show no sign of wanting to get out of the goldfish bowl glare. Indeed their own children have their own distinct brand within the Beckham brand. It’s an open question if the Beckham brand will run out of steam as the parents take a back seat and their children carry on the mantle as none of their children is terribly good or known for any one thing. In other words, famous for being famous. But as they have shown, that is not a handicap in these narcissistic days.

Much has been made of the fact that Beckham has damaged his brand by taking £150 million to be the face of the football World Cup in Qatar in the face of criticism of the lack of LGBT rights in that Muslim sovereign state. He’s faced online and public backlash amongst the Western LGTB community and it seems his days as a gay icon are over. But critics have missed the point.

Beckham the brand is bigger than his gay icon status. Beckham is already a dollar billionaire and so £150 million is (relatively) not a lot in the long scheme of things. Beckham’s branding team know the future of the brand lies in the East. Indeed unless you travel or lived in parts of the world other than a Europe in decline and an America at war with itself, you cannot fathom how big Beckham’s brand is. The ‘gay style’ brand is a smaller piece of the Beckham brand pie.

Beckham's global appeal is evidenced by the high percentage of people in Asia who recognise him. For many years, he appeared in 150 countries in Gillette shaver advertisements. The Japanese Meiji Seika chocolate and confectionary company made a three-meter high chocolate statue figure of Beckham as part of his endorsement of their confectionary before the 2002 World Cup finals. Beyond that, Monks at a Buddhist shrine in Thailand even moulded a gold-plated Beckham that people can worship.

Beckham is not an ordinary brand. Beckham is a moving advertisement. What is evident is that Brand Beckham has undergone a metamorphosis from the early days when his appeal was predicated on his football playing ability to a more complex multifaceted brand. David Beckham is not just a brand with a distinct personality; he is a portfolio of brands, each emanating from the different roles he plays in life - football player, father, husband to Posh, fashionista, sexual icon, and so on.

We all play multiple roles in life - a man may be a father, husband, employee, and soccer coach for example. Each is a role that often requires different personalities to implement successfully.

In Beckham's case, each of his roles, through media scrutiny and marketing magnification, has become a separate brand - each different, but all managed by Beckham’s backroom marketing gurus. Each brand is similar, but has its own personality. In Beckham's case, each persona is a distinct segment, and from a business perspective, each is a profit centre. This is why his branding people rightly calculated that taking the Qatari deal was more lucrative in the long run than just being a gay icon in the west.

To me David Beckham presents a unique case study of how a sportsman can transcend his sport by crossing over into the realms of entertainment and fashion. Although there are obvious lessons for other elite sports stars that desire to crossover into other arenas, it should be acknowledged that Beckham is thus far unique in the sports world in the way his brand personalities are leveraged in so many distinct ways than say Lionel Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, or even Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, or Lewis Hamilton. Manchester United fans used to chant from the terraces "there's only one David Beckham." Today, while still true, it has been the successful leveraging of Beckham’s multiple brand personalities that have made him into a true global sports brand. In essence, Beckham is perhaps the ultimate in how savvy marketing can make the brand.

We talk less of ‘Bend it like Beckham’ and more of ‘Brand it like Beckham’. In other words, style over substance - which could aptly describe our current age of personal narcissism and self-obsession.

Thanks for your question.

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mariacallous · 2 years ago

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It’s so nice that everything’s back to normal at the office now, isn’t it? If “normal” means mass layoffs, empty office buildings, confusing return-to-office policies, AI panic, and the whiplash-y feeling that just when employees were starting to redraw some boundaries between work and home, an economic downturn has forced society to fret even more about work. Managers are channeling this too by emphasizing “efficiency”—at least if they’re not among the many managers Mark Zuckerberg has laid off in his quest for, well, efficiency.

In this sense, Simone Stolzoff’s new book couldn’t be better-timed. The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work posits that we—and Americans, especially—have fetishized work to the point that we’ve lost our identities to it. “For white-collar professionals, jobs have become akin to a religious identity: In addition to a paycheck, they provide meaning, community, and a sense of purpose,” says Stolzoff, a designer who has worked at IDEO and written for The Atlantic, Quartz, and WIRED.

The book kicks off with a parable about an MBA type urging a fisherman to scale his business into a global operation. The fisherman replies that he already has what the MBA is promising he could achieve in the long term: enough success to feed himself and his family, as well as plenty of time for leisure. The MBA is, of course, befuddled. It’s a tiny but meaningful story that goes down as easy as an oyster; the book makes a tasty meal of snackable tales and anecdotes.

The Good Enough Job, which I’ve been reading this week, also includes reporting on the decline of organized religion, the rise of always-online work culture, and our willingness to use work as a means of self-actualization. It all adds up to a stark portrait of a society truly obsessed with work. That’s risky, Stolzoff says, especially in light of the recent layoffs in the tech sector. I talked with him about our relationship to work and whether it’s possible to achieve any kind of work-life equilibrium in the modern era. The book comes out in the US on May 23.

WIRED: Why is office work so weird right now? Assuming you agree that it is, in fact, weird.

Simone Stolzoff: Yeah. I’m reminded of when I worked as a summer camp counselor growing up and during our training the camp’s director always said, “Kids’ biggest fear is that no one is in control.” And I think that is happening for office workers right now, without a clear mandate or a clear vision of what the future of the workplace looks like. It feels like everything is in flux. Managers are dealing with their own uncertainty around the reevaluation of the role of work in their lives while they’re also trying to be leaders and speak with confidence about a future that no one can really predict.

Just yesterday someone told me, “I am a manager and my employees are coming to me and being forthright about the fact that they’re updating their LinkedIn profiles and their resumes.” She has been telling them that she’s doing the same. Increased uncertainty has led to much more open communication about the fact that even jobs that felt stable, are not necessarily such. But this also speaks to the fact that no one really knows what the future of work holds and people are making it up as they go along.

It sounds like a continuation of the pandemic, in the sense that this has all led to some people being their most vulnerable and transparent at the workplace.

It’s a combination of both the pandemic and the economic climate. An employee at YouTube was telling me about how Alphabet is making workers come into the office three days a week. And she said that on the one hand she thinks it’s bullshit and that the company is just trying to justify the capital expenditures that they’ve made on offices. But she also admitted it makes sense because morale is low and employee workplace culture is nonexistent and coming back to the office is really one of the better ways managers have found to facilitate a more collectivist identity.

You write about “workism,” a phrase coined by Derek Thompson from The Atlantic. How does it play into the current workplace dynamic?

The basic idea that Derek laid out is that workism is treating work akin to a religious identity. It’s looking to work not just for a paycheck but also for a community, a sense of identity and purpose and meaning in your life.

There are a few risks to that. One is that it’s just not a burden our jobs are designed to bear. When we look to work for transcendence, it creates these massive expectations, and jobs can’t always deliver on those expectations. A second risk is that over-investing in just one aspect of who we are is risky because those other aspects of our life might be underinvested in. We’re not just workers, we’re also friends, siblings, parents, neighbors, and citizens. As so many people found out during the pandemic, if your job is your sole source of identity and you lose it—what’s left?

You argue that workism is generationally distinctive and write about your own Italian family and how your grandparents worked to live—and the emphasis was really on live. They had structure to their days, but there was that long break in the middle of the day where they went home and ate orecchiette with the family. Work-as-a-religion seems relatively new, or at least industrial age new.

There are many possible explanations of how we got here—economic explanations, historical explanations, political and cultural explanations. The one I focus on in the book is this huge objective value that Americans give to the workplace. You know, we’re an incredibly individualistic country, where we treat CEOs as celebrities and we plaster “Always do what you love” on the walls of our coworking spaces. There’s this push toward wanting work to be our means of self-actualization.

You can pair that with some historical trends, for example the decline of organized religion over the course of the past 40 years, which has left a spiritual void in many American lives. You look at policy decisions in this country, the way that we tie health care to full-time employment for so many people. You look at the historical factors, how our country was founded and the way capitalism and the Protestant work ethic were the two strands entwined to form our country’s DNA.

And what we’ve found is that, unlike our peer nations, like France and Germany, where at-work time has steadily decreased since the beginning of the 20th century, certain subsets of Americans are working more than ever. And this is a historical anomaly. In the past, the richer a person or a country was, the less they worked, because they could afford not to.

Of course, the majority of people not just in the US but in the world do not work to self-actualize, they work to survive. Wages have been stagnant for the past 40 years, so they’ve had to work harder to buy the same loaf of bread. But the argument of my book is that regardless of what type of job you’re in, we now all live in this culture of productivity and thinking our self-worth is somehow tied to our output at work.

The danger of that, you write, is that we end up taking work events quite personally if they don’t go right.

Totally, yeah. There is research around the value of what researchers call self-complexity, or just kind of cultivating different aspects of who we are. This also makes sense intuitively, right? If you’re rising and falling with the professional successes in your life, then one piece of negative feedback, one comment from a coworker can throw your life into a funk. But if you’ve cultivated other aspects of who you are, then maybe you’re having a bad day at the office but you feel like you have a very supportive partner or you’re having a good day with that recreational softball team you play on, then there are other aspects of your life that make you feel whole and aren’t predicated on market forces or what your manager or boss says.

The tricky question is where to draw the line. We need money to survive in this world. But as you write, work can be incredibly paternalistic and often exploits people who are most dutiful and hard-working. Is there a formula for finding the right amount to invest in work?

If there was one main question driving the book, it’s how to balance the pursuit of meaningful work without letting work take over your life. I’m not anti-work. We work more hours than we spend doing just about anything else in our lives, so how we spend that time matters. But I also think that the more we can be clear-headed about work’s role in our lives and understand that fundamentally it’s an economic relationship, the better.

We’ve been told that jobs are meant to be callings and vocations, and thinking of it as an exchange of your time and your labor for money is not the most sexy thing in the world. But I actually think that a more transactional approach to work can liberate both employers and employees. It frees employers to focus on setting clear expectations about what good work looks like, and it frees employees to, for example, advocate for fair compensation. More broadly, it frees employees to treat work as a living and not the entirety of their lives.

This is something that so many tech workers in particular have discovered recently, especially at companies like Meta and Twitter and Microsoft and other places that have had layoffs. I’ve spoken to so many employees that say, basically, “I used to think this was my life’s work, my dream job, and the past year has shown me that this is just a job.”

I’m trying to introduce the framework of the “good enough” job. For one person that could mean working in a particular industry or having a certain job title, and for another it’s getting off work at a certain hour so you can pick your kids up from elementary school. Rather than thinking about work as this endless pursuit of perfection, it’s more about having an approach that allows you to understand that what you do for work is not the entirety of who you are as a person.

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coolcatteacher · 1 year ago

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Revolutionizing Classrooms: How Microsoft's AI is Changing Education

Artificial intelligence is the top conversation among educators everywhere. It was truly a thrill for me, as a classroom teacher, for Lydia Smyers, the Vice President of US Education for Microsoft, to sit down with me at ISTE. As educators, we're at the forefront of this exciting (and scary) change with unprecedented learning opportunities (and threats.) Whether you're new to AI or a seasoned AI-enthusiast, you'll gain invaluable insights into one of the companies on the forefront of AI in education. Brought to you by Microsoft, this podcast offers a glimpse into the future of education and an AI-infused landscape where possibilities are endless (and challenges abound.) Let's do this!

Read the full transcript, show notes, and video here: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e808

Sponsor: This show is sponsored by Microsoft. Check out their new AI Course. All opinions are my own. Once a year, I have a newsworthy topic that I accept that has advertorial content. This is the show for 2023 with Microsoft.

Lydia Smyers, Vice President of US Education for Microsoft

Lydia Smyers is the Vice President of US Education for Microsoft. She leads the sales teams supporting the adoption and sales of Microsoft’s solutions across K-12 organizations and higher education customers in the United States.

Before joining Microsoft, Smyers was group vice president of Worldwide Alliances, Channels Programs and Communications at Oracle Corp. In this role, she had global responsibility for Oracle Partner Network (OPN) programs, strategy, marketing and communications. Her organization supported Oracle’s channel ecosystem with an emphasis on driving partner profitability and satisfaction.

Smyers is a member of the EDUCAUSE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Board and has been named as one of CRN’s “Top 100 Women of the Channel” 2009–2013 and named to its advisory board. She is also committed to empowering the next generation of leaders and supporting her local community. She serves on the board of several community nonprofits including Friends of Marblehead Public Schools, MassCUE, and the Marblehead Family Fund.

Smyers holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Trinity College-Hartford. She is a sports enthusiast, an active triathlete in the summer and an alpine backcountry skier in the winter. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two sons.

New Podcast Episode

#education

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ramrodd · 2 hours ago

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Why is Elon Musk's pro-Trump stance causing progressives to flee social media platforms for liberal safe spaces?

COMMENTARY:

Well, speaking as an Ewsenhower Republican, right wing radio is boring to me. Not only that, but pro-life Evangelical radio makes me suicidal. It’s a consequence of the TULIP doctrine of Calvinism. It is a theology built on legalism instead of the equity of the republican cigtizen like Socrates. I grew up in the stoic family values of the US Army community, TULIP deliberately engages the lynch mob mentality of the religous enthurisasm of the Round Heads and Cromwell. Even Crowell admitted it was a bsd idea. Vietnam convinced Mao and Brexhnev that Marxism was untenable and open the door to a Global Space Force based on the kind of conversations you encounter in a liberal milieu.

In addition to that, Project 2025 performance technology is at least 80 years behind the curve, The Harvard MBA business model is stuck at about the same place it was when ManNamara was Secretary of Defencse.

It is useful to remember that Vietnam came down to a context between Marxism and Project 2025 and Marxism won, The Harvard MBA program in totally embedded in Project 2025, Snd they want to run America the way MacNamara ran Vietnam. And they just elected a guy who ran on exactly that platfor.

These people are basically the same neo-cons who fucked up the occupation of Iraq and created Isis as a by product. That’s how they propose to run America.

These people are very stupid, They don’t realize that their current lyestyle is totally embedden and originates in all the stuff they want to blow up. Rembeber how Heroic is was to imagine John Galt making the sign of the dollar over America as Ground Zero. That’s their common wet dream.

The liberals don’t think that way, They are based on altruism and in the concept of men and women of good faith running the government to make us all rich in a Kingdom of Heaven kind of way. Right wingers just talk about the Kingdom of Heaven. Liberals wre making it happen, in spirt of right wingers.

So, that’s why I would leave. That’s the question: do you go to a wet T-shirt contest or to the Phillips Callery for a Sunday Afternoon Concert? I’ve never become suicidal listening to NPR. Or Jack Diamond.

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vjcoverseas · 6 hours ago

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GMAT

Aspirants to the GMAT are frequently asked, “What is the significance of the GMAT?” and “How important is the GMAT for my career advancement?” etc., etc. The significance of the GMAT, on the other hand, is not limited to MBA admissions. Globally, the GMAT Exam Score is accepted by over 7000 business and management programs. Get trained by VJC Overseas who are one of the GMAT Coaching Centers in Hyderabad for admissions to top business schools which has become the measure of choice for the world’s business leaders. This is due to the fact that the GMAT Exam allows you to demonstrate the skills that are most important in the classroom and in your career.

Get to know the GMAT Exam Scope & Importance while learning through the GMAT Coaching Centers in Hyderabad. A positive GMAT training experience can also lead to the possibility of becoming a GMAT teacher. But, what do you mean by a “successful GMAT training experience”? It’s based on one of the most basic truths of knowledge: teaching is the best way to learn anything. If you did that while studying for the GMAT, you already have an understanding of what it’s like to be a teacher. The difference here is that you will be instructing a large group of students. A successful GMAT teacher will receive over $100,000 per year, so you might use your GMAT experience to pursue a different career path.

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henrystoever · 1 day ago

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Building Cultures of Success: Henry Stoever’s Leadership Philosophy

Henry Stoever holds an MBA in Marketing and Strategy from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and was recognized as one of the Top 50 CMOs on Twitter in 2017. Henry's journey is marked by a blend of strategic leadership and a passion for growth, both professionally and personally. His diverse interests outside of work, such as hiking and scuba diving, reflect his approach to maintaining balance and perspective. In this interview, Henry shares insights into his career path, leadership philosophy, and the strategies that have defined his success.

How did you get into the business of strategic consulting and leadership coaching?

I got into the business of strategic business consulting for 3 reasons:

I am passionate about strengthening the global competitive position of our nation and its economy and communities.

I am passionate about inspiring organizations, teams, and individuals to realize their fullest potential.

If, in the aggregate, all organizations, teams, and individuals realize their fullest potential, then leaders can help inspire a better world for all.

Where did your passion for leadership and strategic planning come from?

My passion for leadership and strategic planning is rooted in 3 areas:

My great uncle Randy Cary, who graduated from the US Military Academy in West Point, NY, asked me what I knew about leadership when I was in 10th grade. While I shared that at that time I did not know too much about leadership, Uncle Randy said, "No matter what you do in life, whether you work in business, government, education, or ministry, leadership is THE single most important attribute people can demonstrate.

I followed in Uncle Randy's footsteps, to a degree, and attended the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD – the premier leadership training institution in the world – and this experience provided the foundation of servant leadership that I have carried forward throughout my career.

Upon graduation from the US Naval Academy, I was commissioned as an officer in the US Marine Corps, and the diverse leadership challenges that I was confronted with as an Infantry Officer enabled me to develop the skills to inspire individuals and teams to accomplish more than they could have anticipated accomplishing on their own – humility, caring, empathy, etc.

After being honorably discharged from the Marine Corps, I have utilized these skills to inspire teams and individuals while working for four public companies and three non-profit companies, and my teams and I have consistently delivered results ahead of stakeholders' expectations.

What experiences can you share as a CEO and CMO in a professional service association?

As the CEO of a non-profit professional service association, I learned the importance of developing a strong partnership with the board chair. The CEO/board chair partnership is critical to shaping organizational strategy, influencing board members' minds, and establishing operational priorities. To me, the priority is to establish alignment around organizational outcomes, including financial and non-financial objectives and priorities.

Additionally, as the CMO of a non-profit professional service association, it is essential to follow the lead of the CEO. In this capacity, it is essential to help prioritize stakeholders, understand their deep motivations, and establish communication priorities that address their motivations through strategic segmentation, targeting, and positioning.

What are some key accomplishments in your career of which you are most proud?

The most significant accomplishment in my life was bringing home all members of my infantry platoon of Marines, alive, during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. My priorities during these military operations were to accomplish the mission and bring home all of my Marines, alive, so they could be reunited with their families and loved ones.

Second, and perhaps tied for first place, was raising our family. I am blessed to have a fabulous wife, Glenn, and 5 adult children who are college-educated, gainfully employed, self-sustainable, and happy!

Lastly, I was blessed with an amazing mother who recently passed at 86. She taught me the power of a positive, can-do, make-it-happen attitude. She always had a twinkle in her eye, and when you asked her how she was, she always replied, "I could not be better!"

My father died on the same day my brother was born, and my mother remained relentless in caring for all of her children and moving forward proudly. She was loved by all of her friends and extended family. Being able to mimic even a fraction of her spirit and drive is an accomplishment that contributes to my continued growth and success.

How have you helped non-profits increase revenue while driving impact?

I use our TCPS model to help clients grow revenue and drive impact.

T = Teams

I encourage all leaders to assess the mindsets of your team members, align their perspectives, and focus on strategic priorities by expanding stakeholder engagement. Culture is one of the most important outcomes of leadership, for as Peter Drucker said, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast."

I believe that culture empowers strategies, and that culture needs to start with "tone at the top" i.e. in the boardroom and with C-level executives, embraced by the "mood in the middle," and operationalized through the "banter at the bottom."

C = Customers

Clients must deepen their understanding of customers' motivations. It’s Important to mention that, in the non-profit world, we use the terms members, constituents, and stakeholder instead of customer because non-profits are mission-focused and service oriented.

P = Products

This is a simple word for a complex suite of value that an organization offers to its customers, members, stakeholders, and constituents. Products can be physical, digital, services, and can be offered as subscriptions or on a 1-time, on-demand basis.

S = Strategy

As the teams become aligned and deepen their understanding of their customers/members/stakeholders' motivations, establishing a data-informed strategy is essential to efficiently and effectively deliver value.

Putting it all together: I use the TCPS model to help grow revenue and drive impact by expanding stakeholder engagement by building strong, diverse, and inclusive Teams that are passionate about deepening their understanding of Customers' motivations, develop unique and distinct Products and services that address prioritized motivations, and collaboratively deliver unique value through hard-hitting strategies and plans.

Originally published at: https://www.brainzmagazine.com/ on August 4, 2024

#henrystoever

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sumitblog27 · 3 days ago

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How do Mumbai MBA/PGDM colleges compare with those in other cities like Delhi or Bangalore?

Introduction: Understanding the Indian MBA/PGDM Landscape

Brief overview of MBA/PGDM programs in India and their importance

Highlight the three major cities—Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore—as top destinations for MBA/PGDM aspirants

Purpose of comparison: Evaluate which city offers better opportunities Top MBA PGDM Colleges In Mumbai based on factors like education quality, infrastructure, and industry connections

1. Education Quality: Pedigree and Reputation of Colleges

Mumbai:

Prestigious institutions like IIM Mumbai (Navi Mumbai), SPJIMR, JBIMS, NMIMS, and their impact on education standards

Focus on high-quality management training and industry-driven curriculum

Delhi:

Renowned institutes like IIM Delhi, FMS Delhi, and MDI Gurgaon, their academic rigor and historical reputation

Specialization opportunities (e.g., public sector, government-linked programs)

Bangalore:

Institutions like IIM Bangalore, ISB&M Bangalore, and XIME, with a strong tech-business focus

Prominence of innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship within the curriculum

2. Industry Exposure and Networking Opportunities

Mumbai:

Financial capital of India with proximity to key industries: finance, banking, media, and manufacturing

Strong ties with multinational companies and large corporates (e.g., BSE, NSE, financial services)

Opportunities for internships, live projects, and guest lectures from industry leaders

Delhi:

Political capital, with Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai robust opportunities in government-linked sectors, consulting, media, and public policy

Access to the Delhi-NCR region’s booming start-up ecosystem and global companies

Proximity to international organizations and diplomatic relations, leading to exposure in sectors like international business

Bangalore:

Silicon Valley of India with a focus on IT, technology, and entrepreneurship

Strong emphasis on innovation and start-ups, supported by numerous tech parks and incubators

Collaborations with tech giants (e.g., Infosys, Wipro, Flipkart) and the start-up community offering excellent opportunities for budding entrepreneurs

3. Faculty and Curriculum: What Makes the Programs Unique

Mumbai:

Diverse faculties with real-world experience in top industries, ensuring a blend of Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Institute of Management Technology and Research, (PDIMTR) Nagpur theory and practical knowledge

MBA/PGDM programs often have a global approach, incorporating international business trends and global case studies

Delhi:

Leading professors from academia, government, and business sectors, bringing expertise in policy-making and management

Focus on public sector management, governance, and leadership in some institutions like FMS and MDI

Bangalore:

A highly technical and research-driven curriculum, often updated with the latest trends in digital transformation, AI, and business analytics

Close links with industry leaders in technology and innovation, offering unique case studies and insight into cutting-edge fields

4. Cost and Affordability: Fee Structure Comparison

Mumbai:

Higher tuition fees due to the city’s cost of living and demand for top institutions

ROI varies but is generally considered strong due to Mumbai’s proximity to business hubs, which leads to higher placement salaries

Delhi:

Comparatively diverse fee structures depending on the institution; FMS offers relatively low fees but is highly competitive

ROI can be strong, especially from top institutions, as the city offers lucrative career opportunities in consulting, finance, and government sectors

Bangalore:

Slightly more affordable compared to Mumbai but with a similar fee range for top schools like IIM Bangalore

ROI is excellent for tech-focused careers and entrepreneurship, with many start-ups willing to hire fresh talent at competitive salaries

5. Placement Opportunities and Career Growth

Mumbai:

Home to India’s major financial institutions, multinational corporations, and ATLAS SkillTech University, (ASU) Mumbai media houses, resulting in top-notch placement opportunities in finance, consulting, and management

Alumni networks are often very strong, with many Mumbai-based companies offering internships and high-paying job roles to graduates

Delhi:

Proximity to government agencies, NGOs, consulting firms, and major corporates

High demand for graduates in consulting, government-linked roles, and large corporates like Accenture, McKinsey, and Deloitte

Bangalore:

Unparalleled access to the tech industry and start-ups

Focus on placements in the tech, analytics, and entrepreneurial sectors, offering great opportunities for those interested in tech business ventures and innovation

6. Infrastructure, Campus Life, and Extra-Curricular Activities

Mumbai:

World-class infrastructure with modern classrooms, libraries, and corporate tie-ups; proximity to global business hubs

Active campus life with numerous events, seminars, and conferences tailored to different business fields

Delhi:

Well-established campuses with strong academic infrastructure, but some institutions may lack the modern facilities seen in Mumbai or Bangalore

Rich campus life and a wide variety of clubs and events focusing on business, culture, and social causes

Bangalore:

Cutting-edge infrastructure, especially in terms of tech-enabled learning tools and modern campuses designed to foster innovation

Entrepreneurial environment that encourages start-up competitions, hackathons, and collaborative projects with leading tech companies

7. International Exposure: Global Tie-ups and Exchange Programs

Mumbai:

High number of international exchange programs and collaborations with global universities, especially in finance and management

Partnerships with top schools in Europe, North America, and Asia, providing students with global exposure

Delhi:

Frequent international academic exchanges, especially with European and US institutions

Strong global presence of many top companies in Delhi, offering opportunities for international placements

Bangalore:

International exchange programs often focused on technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship

Several collaborations with foreign universities and exposure to global start-up ecosystems, especially for students interested in tech

8. Conclusion: Which City Offers the Best MBA/PGDM Experience?

Mumbai:

Best for students seeking a strong financial, media, and corporate environment with extensive industry links and higher costs

Delhi:

Ideal for students interested in consulting, government-linked sectors, or international business with lower costs and strong networking opportunities

Bangalore:

Best for tech-savvy students, entrepreneurs, and those pursuing careers in innovation and start-ups, offering a slightly more affordable yet vibrant ecosystem

#careermantra #mbapgdm #mumbai #college

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benoitmorinonline · 3 days ago

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Turning Challenges into Opportunities: The Inspiring Journey of Benoit Morin

In life, tough times affect everyone, but some people handle these challenges well and guide others through them. One such leader is Benoit Morin. He faced tough challenges and turned them into opportunities for growth. His journey began with a strong desire to understand health and wellness deeply. Even when the whole world was facing the global pandemic, he showed his concern with great strength and demonstrated the importance of working together. His story shows how education, teamwork, and kindness in leadership can make a significant impact. Each step of this journey inspires others to rise above their challenges and do their best.

Accept Challenges

One strong quality one can learn from Benoit is accepting the challenges. When he stepped into the CEO role at the Provincial Health Services Authority just before the COVID-19 pandemic, he had many different challenges to handle. Instead of escaping from challenges, he tackled challenges and learned from them. This shows that tough times will not affect those who dare to handle challenges. His story reflects that difficult times will not last long if you keep accepting challenges and learning from them.

Foster Teamwork

While pursuing his Executive MBA, Benoit Morin learned that teamwork is crucial for success. He understood that working together produces better results than working alone. This dedication to learning impacted his career and got him ready for leadership. This lesson is essential in every field. By encouraging teamwork, people can reach common goals and tackle challenges better, showing that working together is a solid way to progress.

Be Resilient

Benoit Morin displayed strong resilience throughout his career, especially during the pandemic. He adjusted to quick changes and stayed dedicated to providing quality healthcare. His journey shows that setbacks can open up new paths and opportunities. Being resilient helps people overcome challenges and creates a mindset that turns obstacles into opportunities for success.

Value Education

Benoit Morin's to achieve a Ph.D. in health ethics and law shows how important education is. He spent years learning about the complexities of health systems. This commitment to learning influenced his career and prepared him for leadership. His life journey teaches that education is not a destination but a journey. This is very useful for individuals to face the complexities of life with confidence.

If you want to start your career in healthcare, you should learn from the journey of successful professionals like Benoit Morin.

Original Source: https://bit.ly/4epRwvs

#Benoit Morin

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shivam95 · 4 days ago

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ISB MBA Interview Questions: How to Prepare and Succeed

If you’re gearing up for an ISB MBA interview, you're probably wondering what kind of questions you’ll be asked. Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered! The ISB MBA interview can be a big step toward achieving your career goals, so it’s important to be well-prepared. Let’s go over some common ISB MBA interview questions and how to answer them confidently.

What to Expect in the ISB MBA Interview

The ISB MBA interview is a chance for the panel to learn more about you beyond your application. They’ll want to understand your career background, leadership abilities, and why you’re a good fit for the program. The interviewers are usually ISB alumni or faculty members who will ask you a mix of general and specific questions. Here are some common ISB MBA interview questions to prepare for:

1. Tell us about yourself.

This is often the first question. It’s your chance to introduce yourself and share key parts of your journey. Focus on your professional achievements, any leadership experiences, and why you want to pursue an MBA at ISB.

2. Why ISB?

The panel will want to know why you’ve chosen ISB for your MBA. Be specific! Mention aspects like ISB’s strong network, global exposure, and the program’s unique features that match your goals.

3. Describe a challenge you faced at work.

Here, the interviewers want to know how you handle problems. Pick a situation where you took action to solve a problem and worked with a team to get results. Make sure to highlight your leadership and problem-solving skills.

4. What are your career goals?

You’ll be asked about your short-term and long-term career plans. Talk about where you see yourself after ISB and how the program will help you achieve your goals. Be clear and show how ISB fits into your career journey.

5. How will you contribute to the ISB community?

ISB values students who bring something unique to the table. Think about what you can offer—whether it’s your experiences, skills, or interests—and share how you’ll contribute to the ISB community.

6. Tell us about a time you showed leadership.

The interviewers want to see examples of how you’ve led in the past. It could be a work project, a team activity, or something from your personal life. Show how you took charge and made a positive impact.

7. Why an MBA now?

This question is to understand why you’re choosing to pursue an MBA at this point in your career. Be ready to explain why an MBA is the right next step for you and how it will help you grow.

Tips to Answer ISB MBA Interview Questions

Be Yourself: The interviewers want to know the real you. Don’t give scripted answers—just be honest and genuine.

Use Examples: When answering questions, use specific examples from your work or personal life to show your skills and experiences.

Know Your Resume: Be prepared to talk about everything on your resume, especially your work experience and achievements.

Do Your Research on ISB: Make sure you know why ISB is the best fit for your MBA. Mention things like the faculty, the culture, or specific aspects of the program that appeal to you.

By preparing for these common ISB MBA interview questions, you’ll feel more confident and ready for the big day. Just remember to stay calm, be yourself, and show why you’re a perfect fit for ISB’s MBA program.

Good luck with your ISB MBA interview—you’ve got this!

#study abroad #abroad education #education #mba

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nirmauniversityahmedabad · 4 days ago

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A Guide to Finding the Ideal MBA in Finance Programs in India

Are you thinking about pursuing an MBA in Finance? Great choice! This degree opens doors to exciting corporate finance, investment banking, and financial consulting roles. But here’s the tricky part – how do you pick the right college?

With so many MBA Finance colleges in India, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. This article will guide you through what to consider when choosing the right MBA in finance program.

Why Pursue an MBA in Finance?

Let’s start with the fundamental question: why should you pursue an MBA in finance? The answer is simple – finance is at the core of every business decision. From budgeting and forecasting to investments and financial strategies, finance professionals play a crucial role in shaping companies' future.

Career Opportunities: The job market for finance professionals is booming. According to the latest reports, positions like financial analysts, investment bankers, and financial managers are in high demand.

High Earning Potential: An MBA in finance opens doors to lucrative salary packages. On average, finance graduates earn between ₹10-20 lakh per annum, with potential earnings soaring even higher for those in senior positions.

Global Reach: Finance professionals have the flexibility to work in various sectors, both domestically and internationally. Whether it’s corporate finance, investment banking, or even entrepreneurship, the skills you gain will be applicable across the globe.

Factors to Consider When Choosing an MBA in Finance Program in India

Reputation and Ranking: The college’s reputation can play a big role in job placements. Make sure the program is well-ranked and recognized in the industry.

Finance-Focused Curriculum: Choose a college that has a curriculum tailored to finance, not just a generic MBA program. You want a deep dive into corporate finance, portfolio management, and financial markets.

Alumni Network: A strong alumni network can provide valuable connections in the finance industry, helping you land internships and job opportunities.

Top MBA Finance Colleges in India

India is home to some of the top colleges for MBAs in finance. The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), Indian School of Business (ISB), and Symbiosis are a few renowned names. However, one institute that has been making waves is the Institute of Management, Nirma University.

Nirma University offers a specialized finance track within its MBA program, emphasizing both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The curriculum is designed to make you industry-ready, focusing on real-world applications and industry exposure.

The Future of Finance: Why Now is the Best Time to Study Finance

The finance sector in India is evolving fast. With the rise of fintech, digital banking, and global investments, the demand for skilled finance professionals is higher than ever. India is expected to become the third-largest economy in the world by 2030, creating more opportunities for finance experts.

This means that students pursuing an MBA in finance programs in India will have a front-row seat to exciting developments in the industry.

Get Ahead with the Right College

If you’re serious about a career in finance, choosing the right college from the many MBA Finance colleges in India is essential. Look for an institution that combines a strong academic program with hands-on experience and industry connections. Explore your options, weigh your choices, and take the first step towards a rewarding career in finance.

#MBA in Finance #MBA Program

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mba-in-agribusiness-managent · 4 days ago

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Exploring the Best MBA Colleges in Pune for International Business

Pursuing an MBA in International Business is more relevant today than ever, especially with the rapid globalisation of the economy. Businesses are opening doors to the global world, and thus, require people who can understand international markets.

This article focuses on a rising demand for this course, what curriculum has on offer, what skills do you develop in it, and some of the finest MBA colleges in Pune that carry the best international business education programmes.

Increasing Demand for MBA in International Business

The field of international business is fast changing. With rapid advancements in technology, trade liberalisation, and a shift in the preference of consumers, it continues to change. Organisations now seek professionals who can make sense of the complexities within international markets, manage teams across cultures, and help develop strategies that work perfectly across geographies.

Such operational expansion in other geographic regions requires today, more than ever before, individuals who can respond and adapt to the environment, economic condition, or even cultural nuances of one's own land. A marked surge in student enrollment of those MBA in international business colleges has been noticed in such places as Pune, among the cities, which comprises many top-rated business colleges.

What to expect from an MBA in International Business

An MBA in International Business prepares the students with a critical insight into international business and the dynamics working there. The curriculum design allows equipping students not only with the theoretical knowledge needed for success but also practising in the same way with real-life issues that prevail.

Here are some courses to expect, though that can vary greatly depending upon institutions and areas of specialties they have or wish for a student of this background:

Export-Import Management: This programme would focus on to understand and handle documentations, custom regulations as well as understanding the essence of trade agreements.

Trade Finance and FOREX Management: How to manage financial risks associated with international transactions and fluctuations in currency.

Corporate Governance and Ethics: The role of ethics in global business management.

Business Statistics: Tools for data analysis in the decision-making process.

International Marketing: Strategies for product and service marketing in other cultures.

HRD Audit and Scorecard: International human resource practices scorecard.

International Human Resource Management: Management of international human resources across borders regarding recruitment, training, and development.

Derivative Markets: The financial instrument used for hedging international trade risks and their understanding.

International Commercial Law: It provides awareness about the legal frameworks that support international business transactions.

Supply Chain Management: Learning of logistics and operations management at a multi-country and suppliers' level.

This robust curriculum allows students to cope with the challenge of domestic and international business environments, which proves them to be a very productive asset for employers.

Major Skills Acquired in MBA in International Business

An MBA in International Business not only enhances the academic knowledge but also equips students with critical skills necessary for excelling in the global market. Here are some major skills that students acquire in the course:

Cultural Awareness: The ability to understand and appreciate culture differences is an important competency in managing international teams and to negotiate deals.

Strategic Thinking: The ability to shape strategies that fit within the requirements of global market trends or organisational goals is developed as a competency.

Analytical Skills: How to comprehend complex data or market research to make smart business choices is learned.

Communication Skills: Both oral and written communication skills need to improve to effectively get ideas across and strategies communicated to and through different kinds of audience.

Leadership and Team Management: Building leadership experiences on cross functional teams and managing multicultural projects.

Without such skills, no one can make a name in the world of international business.

Alumni Success Stories that are Making an Impact in Global Business

Alumni success is one of the important measures. These prestigious MBA colleges in Pune have passed out some of the most remarkable students, who have scaled the most notable positions in reputed organisations.

For instance, SIIB is one of the best MBA in International Business colleges in India and their alumni success stories are worth seeing. Mr. Abhijeet Ranade, who is the Head of Sales-Business and Digital Consulting at KPMG, India has well epitomised how an MBA in International Business can open up the doors for leadership roles in top consulting firms. Ms. Arti Narayanan, San Francisco, California, at Salesforce, Vice President for Market Strategy, shows you the global career options graduates can look forward to.

Mr. Debojyoti Ray Chaudhuri, Director of Customer Operations Central & East in Unilever, completes the picture of how work in multinational corporations could so diversely go.

Such success stories inspire current and prospective students at this point to reaffirm the value of an MBA in International Business from reputed institutions.

MBA in International Business is the flagship programme of SIIB that emerges among the top choices for all those who are planning to do an MBA. This institution was one of the first B-Schools in the country to provide a two-year residential postgraduate degree programme meticulously preparing the students for a flourishing career in global business management. This overall curriculum will meet the demands of the needs of local and international markets, where graduates will be adept at doing a number of tasks. Thus, with continuous expansion of global commerce, the requirement for skilled experts in international business is only destined to grow further. Pursuing an MBA in International Business from one of the most prestigious MBA colleges in Pune will prepare the students who are going to make career moves into this exciting yet challenging field of international business.

#best mba colleges in pune #MBA in International Business colleges in India #MBA in International Business #siib pune

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