Category Archives: Companies

Meet Isaac Dabah, CEO of Delta Galil

Companies,

Isaac Dabah, CEO of Delta Galil, was first introduced into the world of business when he joined in his father’s importing company when Dabah was in his twenties.

In 1993 he invested $5 million in the Gloria Vanderbilt jeans brand. After seven years he was able to rebuild the brand, selling it in 2002 for $150 million. Three years later Isaac Dabah bought a 23 percent stake in Delta Galil, also an apparel company, specializing in undergarments. In 2005 he became a director, and after acquiring more of the company, became its CEO in 2008.

The Delta Galil Company has become a global presence in the intimate apparel sector under the guidance and leadership of Dabah. Innovation is the driving force at Delta Galil. The company has trademarked their “Body Before Fabric” philosophy, which considers as of prime importance the way fabric interacts with the body surface to create ultimate comfort and fit.

Today the company has an international presence in over 40 countries, with the US and European markets representing 59 and 28 percent of their business, respectively. Delta’s products populate such well-known brands as Victoria’s Secret, Calvin Klein and Lacoste.
In addition, Delta has also collaborated with Nike, operating a cutting-edge technical center in Beaverton, Oregon, on their behalf

McDonald’s Introduces the McFloat for First Time in USA

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Grand Chicken Classic burger, fries & McFloat (McDonald’s) Photo by
Debbie Tingzon.

A drink that has proved popular in McDonald’s fast-food restaurants around the world, is finally making a debut appearance in a few select stores stateside. The McFloat is a combination of Dr. Pepper and soft-serve ice cream, and it will be selling for $1.99, at least for now, in the McDonald’s in Park Slope, Brooklyn and in San Francisco. The introduction of the McFloat is part of McDonald’s larger exploration into a more direct satisfaction of local tastes, such as offering garlic fries in San Francisco and Chobani Greek yogurt in 800 California branches.

“As part of our journey to build a better McDonald’s, our franchisees have more flexibility than before to offer new menu items like breakfast bowls, Gilroy garlic fries and yes, the Diet Dr. Pepper Float,” McDonald’s spokesperson Terri Hickey.

Across the globe the McFloat has taken on a variety of personas. Most international locations offer a Coke McFloat, but in the Philippines a thirsty customer can get a Green Apple Sprite McFloat. In Indonesia the locals love Iced Coffee McFloats.

McDonald’s is also considering the introduction of fresh beef, and is currently testing this item in 14 of its restaurants. If fresh beef is a hit, McDonald’s, floats or no floats, will never be the same.

Employment Opportunities: Moving from Government to Private Sector

Companies, Economy, ,

When looking for employment opportunities, one question often posed is whether to seek a position in the government or private sector.  The decision ultimately depends on many variants as well as demographics and priorities.

It is a long, thought-out decision for many.  So much so that an entire discussion took place on Quora – vis-à-vis the Indian community – on this subject.  This indicated that some people find it very difficult to make the switch.

Despite these difficulties, many make this switch quite successfully.  For example, consider Sheryl Corrigan, who in 2006 worked for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as Commissioner, advising the governor and assisting the strategic direction for the state on environmental matters.  Today, Sheryl is Senior Vice President of Environmental, Health and Safety at Koch Industries.

How do Ms. Corrigan and others accomplish this difficult feat?  In 2012, Elizabeth Bacchus wrote an article in The Guardian entitled ‘How to successfully move from the public to the private sector.’  Given that at that time in the UK, it was predicted that a staggering 500,000 jobs in the public sector would be cut within 3 years of the article’s writing, people were looking for tips on how to make the switch.

The article outlined seven main areas on which people should focus for making the switch.  These were:

  1. Taking a focused and targeted approach
  2. Removing public sector terminology
  3. When speaking to recruiters, seeing if they are adept at helping with this particular transition
  4. Using social media
  5. Tailoring a resume to focus on private sector positions
  6. Understanding that customers are different from service users
  7. Looking for a job that isn’t formally advertised

In an article written last year on Renovo.uk.com, it was determined that “the gulf between public and private sector mindsets appears to be narrowing.”  Still though, what remains is “a significant difference between the short term mind-set of the majority of profit seeking companies and the longer-term approach taken in the public sector.”

Further, as Dan Ovsey noted in an article in The Financial Post a couple of years ago, “While no hard data exists in Canada to show the success or failure rate of government workers transitioning to private-sector roles, international research shows there can be some harsh perceptions of public sector workers among private sector hiring managers.”

Thankfully for those in this position, things might be changing for the better overall, and people’s experiences differ when moving from government/public to the private sector for work.  But it will take time to completely remove the stigma of how private sector employers view those who have been working in the public sector for most of their careers.

Panasonic Quietly Recognizes Same-Sex Marriage

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Attitudes towards expansion of certain types of worker’s rights, such as same-sex marriage, do not get the same kind of wide-spread support in Japan as they do in the United States. In a move that is out of step with the prevailing cultural and business attitudes held in Japan, Panasonic has, albeit quietly, recognized the legitimacy of same-sex partnerships.

Panasonic decision is highly unusual, and although it is bold, it is unlikely to be the beginning of a new trend in Asia. “Coming out” is highly problematic in countries like China, South Korea and the Philippines, as well as much of the rest of Asia. Not only do the individuals coming out face extreme ridicule, their families also have to endure abuse and even ostracism.

Lenny Sanicola, an expert on employee benefits policy at a Washington DC-based non-profit called WorldatWork, thought Panasonic’s low-key approach to their announcement was a mistake. He said that “Panasonic would be a pioneer in Japan,” if they would announce their new policy loud and clear to the entire world. The message they would project would show that the company placed a high value on diversity, thus attracting younger talent to Japan, a country that is aging quickly.

Sanicola added that it is just a matter of time until the Asian countries adopt the same position as that held in Europe and North America.

GM Launching Car-Sharing Service in US and Germany

Companies, Transportation Industry, , , ,

General Motors introduced Maven, a car-sharing service designed to attract people who would prefer not to own a car, but prefer not to use a ride-sharing service either.

Maven, which means ‘expert’ in Yiddish will begin with small fleets of autos in Ann Arbor, Chicago, New York, Frankfurt and Berlin. It will at first stay close to large cities and college campuses. GM will be testing the market for this service, with plans to expand to additional cities this year, although GM did not announce which cities or to what extent they would like to expand.

President of GM Dan Amman emphasized that this is a completely different service than Lyft Inc, a ride-sharing service that GM invested $500 million in. Ride-sharing allows people to call taxis; they do not need to drive themselves. Car-sharing customers use a smart-phone or other device to get access to cars and drive them themselves.

The use of a small car can be bought for as little as $6 per hour, while larger cars will go for about $12 per hour. Amman stated that today around the world there are about 5-6 million people who are utilizing some kind of car-sharing service. He expects the service to expand 4-5 times in the next five years.