214 Mike Lord - Understanding Corporate Public Affairs

We interact with it on a regular basis; some of us daily, some weekly. Whatever the frequency, it’s a major part of life and spending. Retail. Whether it’s discount stores, department stores, online or brick-and-mortar, retail is a massive sector. And for the most part, since the beginning of the pandemic, things have been good for retailers. For much of his career, Greg Melich has studied and analyzed retail. He’s partner and Senior Managing Director at Evercore, a global independent investment banking advisory firm. On a recent visit to William & Mary, he sat down with us to discuss the state of retail, the hot topics, and where things are headed.  Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

The adoption of artificial intelligence and generative AI is moving so quickly. Leaders, companies, and organizations are working to determine how AI can best help them, their employees, their customers, and others. And while the work continues, some organizations have found the sweet spot: developing ways AI and employees work together to provide outstanding customer service by using the best of technology and people. One of those organizations is the financial services firm Edward Jones. Zar Toolan is Principle, Wealth Platforms, Data, and AI for Edward Jones. He recently visited the William & Mary School of Business to talk with students. Then he talked with us about artificial intelligence and leveraging AI to build better connections. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Succeeding. And doing so in the right manner. That’s principled achievement. The William & Mary School of Business defines the principled achievement leader as one who values people, diversity of thought, empathy, humility, and success. This leader listens and inspires, practices ethical compassionate behavior, and embraces the tenants of the William & Mary honor code. This year’s Principled Achievement Award Ceremony was held on March 21st in New York City at Rockefeller Center’s Rainbow Room. The award was presented to Sean McDermott, a William & Mary graduate and head coach of the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills. Before the ceremony, McDermott sat down with us to discuss his thoughts on football, leadership, and principled achievement.  Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

If you’ve lived for any length of time, you have experienced grief. It’s a universal emotion caused by losing someone or some thing you’ve loved or cared about. Whether it’s the loss of a job, the death of a family member, or loss of a pet, grief and grieving can be intense - strong enough to adversely affect your work and life. Martha Rouleau is an adjunct lecturer and mindfulness/wellness professional at William & Mary. She works at the university’s McLeod Tyler Wellness Center. She recently delivered a presentation on grief and the brain to William & Mary faculty and staff. Afterwards, she joined us to talk about grief and grieving; what they are, and how to approach them as a person, colleague, and leader. If you’ve lived for any length of time, you have experienced grief. It’s a universal emotion caused by losing someone or some thing you’ve loved or cared about. Whether it’s the loss of a job, the death of a family member, or loss of a pet, grief and grieving can be intense - strong enough to adversely affect your work and life. Martha Rouleau is an adjunct lecturer and mindfulness/wellness professional at William & Mary. She works at the university’s McLeod Tyler Wellness Center. She recently delivered a presentation on grief and the brain to William & Mary faculty and staff. Afterwards, she joined us to talk about grief and grieving; what they are, and how to approach them as a person, colleague, and leader.

Success today requires resilience. Whether it’s a company dealing with a major shift in the market, or an individual faced with a significant personal or professional obstacle, resilience is a requirement. Casey White knows all about resilience. A young, fit, working professional at the start of her career, she became unexpectedly and critically ill, and began a lengthy fight for her life that would ultimately take away her ability to walk. Now, five years later, her life and career are back on track. She credits much of her amazing recovery to resilience. She joins us to talk about the lessons she learned about resilience.  Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

It’s been a little over a year now since most of us were introduced to ChatGPT. Since that time, many professionals, businesses and organizations have worked hard to understand not only ChatGPT, but    machine learning and Artificial Intelligence, and what it all can do to assist employees, serve customers, and positively affect the bottom line. There’s no shortage of information in media coverage regarding Artificial Intelligence, but in the race to embrace AI, it can be challenging to determine what’s fact and what’s fiction. Our guest today is here to help. Rachel Chung is an award-winning professor at William & Mary’s School of Business. Among other things, she teaches business analytics, machine learning, and AI. She joins us today to discuss the myths and truths about Artificial Intelligence. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

If you’re an athlete, or someone close to you is an athlete, you’ve most likely spent time in a Dick’s Sporting Goods store. Depending on where you live, the next time you visit your neighborhood Dick’s Sporting Goods, you might be surprised. Dick’s has launched its House of Sport: A new type of sporting goods store. Dick’s House of Sport isn’t just about sporting goods; it’s experiential, and there’s a tie to the community. Navdeep Gupta is Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Dick’s. He says the new stores have been embraced by customers, employees, and suppliers. He joins us today to talk about Dick’s House of Sport, how the concept was created, and where it’s headed. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

It’s difficult to succeed in business today without having a solid grasp of public affairs, public policy, and politics. Regardless of the size of your business or sector, decisions that are made in your state capitol, Washington, D.C., and beyond can greatly affect your bottom line. Learning to strategically manage corporate public affairs was the focus of a recent three day workshop for William & Mary’s Executive MBA students. The workshop took place at the Washington Campus; a non-profit, non-partisan education consortium in Washington, D.C. that partners with top business schools and universities around the world. Mike Lord is the President of the Washington Campus. He joins us today to talk about public policy, public affairs, and why business leaders must be well-versed in this arena.  Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

When you think of a typical hospital chief administrator, who comes to mind? The majority of hospital CEOs are men and many possess a graduate business degree. But Amber Price is different; she’s one of a small number of women who lead hospitals. She holds a doctorate in nursing practice with a focus in change leadership, and she spent years working as a certified nurse midwife. She says those differences and experiences help her succeed. Price is president of Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center - a 145-bed acute care hospital in Williamsburg, Virginia, recognized as one of the nations top-100 hospitals. She joins us to discuss the unique challenges and rewards of leading a hospital. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

When it comes to the job market, things certainly have evolved in the past few years. During the pandemic, the unemployment rate reached almost 15%. Today, the labor market is strong and the unemployment rate is under 4%. When comparing today’s employment landscape with that of the pandemic, one word comes to mind: Change. We’re seeing changes in hiring practices, employee expectations, and the ages of available workers among other things. Stephanie Rentschler works at the Graduate Career Management Center at the William & Mary School of Business. She’s the Director of Career Advising and Education. She coaches MBA students and those pursuing Masters Degrees in Accounting and Business Analytics. She joins us to talk about the current job market, what companies are doing to attract talent, and what job seekers can do to find the right opportunity. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.