Corporate philanthropy and how it is evolving 2011

1

Jeremy Blain, Director, International Partners Network, Cegos Group

CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY

How strategies are changing and how Cegos is helping to make an impact

Organisations like

Cegos have an

essential role to

play in providing

the knowledge

base that is

key to helping

aid workers

throughout the

world develop

personally and

run projects in the

most effi cient way

possible.

Eric Berg, Executive

Director of the

LINGOs organisation.

“

”

CONTENTS

Page

3 1. INTRODUCTION

4 2. CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY AND THE BENEFITS IT

BRINGS

5 3. THE IMPACT OF THE CREDIT CRUNCH

10 4. HOW CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY STRATEGIES

ARE CHANGING

12 5. HOW CEGOS IS HELPING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

14 6. CONCLUSIONS

15 7. REFERENCES

16 8. ABOUT CEGOS GROUP

17 9. ABOUT JEREMY BLAIN

© Cegos Group, 2011/2012

3

1. INTRODUCTION

In today’s society companies have an important role to play in giving. This paper examines the impact the credit crunch has had on corporate philanthropy and looks at how strategies are changing as a result of the global economic downturn.

It also looks at the different ways that organisations are giving something back to communities and to society at large and highlights some of the humanitarian work that Cegos is committed to supporting including through its partnership with LINGOS (Learning for International NGOs).

In a world where resources are not evenly distributed, companies of all sizes have a key role to play in supporting worthwhile causes that depend on charitable funding today to create a sustainable future.


Organisations like

Cegos have an essential

role to play in providing

the knowledge base

that is key to helping

aid workers throughout

the world develop

personally and run

projects in the most

effi cient way possible.

In practical terms this

means more people will

have a better quality

of life. As a result

Cegos’ contribution to

developing aid workers

will have a long term

impact globally.

“

”Eric Berg, Executive Director of the LINGOs organisation

4

2. CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY AND THE BENEFITS IT

BRINGS

Corporate philanthropy, or corporate giving, involves companies donating profi ts or resources to non profi t organisations. It is handled by the company directly or through a company foundation.

There are many ways that companies can give. While companies typically tend to make cash donations, many also donate their products and services and other resources such as property and employee time. In today’s economic climate there is a growing trend towards the giving of resources rather than cash. This is partly due to the need for companies to keep a much tighter control over their fi nances and as a result, cuts to fi nancial outlays have had to be made to keep balance sheets healthy.

Headlines are often grabbed by the large multinational corporations making cash donations in the hundreds of millions of dollars, or non-cash gifts valued in the billions of dollars through dedicated foundations and programmes, for example Wal-Mart giving $288M cash and Pfi zer giving $2.3Bn worth of pharmaceutical products in 2009 (1).

However, it is important to recognise that it is not just the large multinationals who are donating money and resources to worthy causes. Companies of all sizes can and do have a signifi cant impact with small and medium sized companies around the world, often silently, collectively making just as big a difference as larger corporations. Given that the vast majority of the world’s businesses are SMEs, the more small and medium sized companies that get involved, the greater the sum of the impact.

The benefi ts that corporate giving delivers to communities are clear and far reaching. From healthcare, through education and the arts to the environment and those in need of humanitarian support, the list of projects that are making a real impact across the world is vast.

Philanthropic companies of all sizes are also benefi ting from these initiatives too. From a grass-roots level, the behaviour of individual consumers and their purchasing preferences are increasingly being directed towards companies with philanthropic programmes. A global survey by McKinsey (2) shows that corporate philanthropy can be an effective tool for companies that are trying to meet consumers’ rising expectations of the role businesses should play in society.

In addition, the McKinsey report highlights the role corporate philanthropy has in improving employee recruitment and retention. Quite simply, giving makes people at work feel good about what they do.

Other key benefi ts of corporate giving include enhancing corporate reputation and brand value, fi nding new business opportunities, building knowledge about potential new markets and helping companies to foster innovation.

Corporate philanthropy also has a role to play in developing employees. This is particularly the case where employees are able to get hands-on experience with projects that their organisations are sponsoring or supporting enabling them to learn new skills that they may not have had the benefi t of learning through their day to day roles.


Companies of all sizes can and do have an impact with philanthropy programmes.

There is a growing trend towards giving resources rather than cash.

Today’s consumers and employees care about the contribution organisations are making to worthwhile causes.

! KEY POINTS

5

3. THE IMPACT OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS

In this time of economic volatility and uncertainty, organisations face the challenge of maintaining giving programmes at a time when corporate profi ts are not as strong yet there is a heightened need for corporate support across the world.

American organisations, which have the most established culture of corporate giving, have shifted their focus from cash donations to worthy causes to non-cash donations such as the giving of products and their services.

According to a survey published by The Chronicle of Philanthropy (3), 162 of America’s largest corporations continued giving generously in 2009, despite tough economic times. However, in a year when profi ts were beginning to bounce back, many organisations decreased their cash donations saying that it would be some time before they could give as much cash to charities as they did before the recession.

Cash giving in 2009 decreased for the fi rst time since 2003 but the total value of donations when including non-cash gifts increased by nearly 5% in the same year. This was as a result of companies seeking to compensate for the decline in cash by offering other types of assistance.

Pharmaceutical companies dominate the list of corporations that gave the most in 2009 with companies like Pfi zer, Merck and Johnson & Johnson topping the survey’s league table alongside IT giants such as Oracle, Microsoft, Comcast and IBM.

It is worth noting that The Chronicle of Philanthropy survey did not receive information from dozens of America’s most profi table brands such as Apple and Google.

The table below shows the most generous US companies and the industries they operate in and the types of donations made in 2009.

Table 1: Top 10 donations from US corporations in 2009 (compiled from The Chronicle of Philanthropy survey data)


Company Total giving - cash Donation

plus non-cash($M)

Pfizer $ 2,361 Pharmaceuticals

Oracle $2,108 Computer Software

Merck $923 Pharmaceuticals

Johnson & $637 Consumer products, medical devices,

Johnson pharmaceuticals

Abbott Labs $584 Pharmaceuticals, medical equipment

Microsoft $517 Computer Software

Comcast $407 Cable airtime, tv and internet services

Eli Lilly $406 Pharmaceuticals

Bristol-Myers $284 Pharmaceuticals

Squibb

IBM $188 Computers, computer software

... 162 of America’s

largest corporations

continued giving

generously in 2009,

despite tough economic

times.

“

”

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According to the latest available fi gures from Giving USA Foundation and its research partner, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, estimated total charitable contributions from American individuals, corporations and foundations fell 3.6% to $304 billion in 2009, down from $315 billion in 2008 (4).

While individual giving fell slightly, along with foundation grants, corporate giving rose to an estimated $14.1 billion in 2009, up 5.5 percent on the previous year. This brought corporate donations back in line with levels seen prior to the recent recession. It is widely thought some of this growth is down to an increase in non-cash donations which are less affected by recessions.

While there are no directly comparable fi gures for Europe and other major global markets, there is plenty of evidence that shows that despite the diffi cult economic climate, companies all over the world are continuing to give what they can in terms of cash and resources to help tackle the growing need for corporate philanthropy.

In Europe, data from Philanthropy in Europe (5) shows that charitable foundations have in the main shown a huge rise in giving during the economic crisis. Comparing 2006 fi gures listing Europe’s top givers with those for 2009, there has been a 43% increase in the total value of donations from €4.4 billion to virtually €6.3 billion. The top ten spending foundations alone accounted for nearly €3.9 billion of this total, compared to around €2.5 billion in 2006. The listing is dominated by Germany and the UK, who together contribute just over 50 per cent of the 75 foundations listed.

Table 2: Top 10 European charitable foundations in 2009 (source: Philanthropy in Europe)

In addition to these foundations, European companies have been making signifi cant efforts during the economic downturn. Examples can be found across most sectors including banking, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and the automotive industries.

... corporate giving

rose to an estimated

$14.1 billion in 2009,

up 5.5 percent on the

previous year.

“

”


Foundation €M Country

Wellcome Trust €949 UK

Atlantic Philanthropies €588 Ireland

La Caixa Foundation €550 Spain

Aga Khan Development Network €450 Switzerland

Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena €387.6 Italy

Fundacion Caja Madrid & €278 Spain

Obra Social Caja Madrid

Fundacion Jimenez Diaz €246.2 Spain

Compagnia di San Paolo €170.9 Italy

Volkswagen Stiftung €116.4 Germany

Fundacao Calouste Gulbenkian €115.2 Portugal

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Case study: Audi

UNICEF has been cooperating with the China Association of Science and Technology (CAST) to address the rights of the out-of-school children since the 1980’s. This project aims to actively engage out-of-school adolescents in sport-related activities to develop essential life skills such as team building, cooperation, leadership, decision making and skills on protection from risks and reduction of vulnerability.

Since 2005, Audi China has sponsored the fundraising project: ‘Audi Driving Dreams’, in order to support UNICEF efforts to provide out-of-school children in China with access to sports, recreational activities and a variety of activity-based lessons, through which they can realise their fullest potential within society. Approximately 100,000 children have benefi ted from this project. The innovative use of sports as a strategy for promoting life-skills development among of out-of-school children and adolescents brought about a marked change in the target group.

By the end of 2009, Audi had contributed over US$1 million to this non-formal education project. Audi successfully mobilised its employees, 130 car dealers, consumers and business partners across the country to contribute to the fundraising for their joint project with UNICEF.

Case study: Barclays Bank

Barclays bank is one of the largest philanthropic companies in the UK. Investing in the communities in which it operates is an integral part of Barclays Citizenship strategy. The company uses its skills, time, money and expertise to support community issues. In 2010 it invested £55.3m and supported 62,118 employees in its community programmes, reaching more than 1.5 million people around the world and supporting over 8,000 different charities. Its employees around the world are encouraged and supported to give their time and skills to their chosen community causes.

Barclays community projects include “Banking on Change”, a programme in partnership with CARE and Plan, aiming to improve the quality of life for around 400,000 disadvantaged people worldwide by developing access to basic banking services such as savings and sources of credit, to help reduce their vulnerability to life emergencies such as illness, disease and natural disasters. The partnership is creating and developing savings and loans groups managed by local communities themselves, enabling individuals to save regularly and access small loans from groups’ combined savings. The programme has been adopted in 11 countries across Africa, Asia and South America.

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Who is benefi ting from the donations?

During the economic downturn, there has been a shift in focus for corporate giving towards areas with vital needs.

Commenting on Giving USA’s fi gures, Chair of the organisation Edith Falk said: “Even in a time of enormous economic upheaval, such as we saw in 2009, Americans continued to be generous to charitable causes. While overall giving declined, many donors – including individuals and foundations – made special efforts in 2009 to respond to greater humanitarian needs.”

Giving USA Foundation estimates that human services, health, international aid, environmental causes and animal welfare saw increased contributions, highlighting a similar pattern on focusing on vital needs as was the case during the Great Depression.

So, is the profi le of corporate giving starting to change? If we examine data highlighting the areas of focus for corporate philanthropy during the economic downturn, it is clear to see that international aid donations are growing. Table 3 (source Giving USA Foundation) shows the extent of this growth among US companies with international aid being the key area of growth in 2009, up by 6.2%.

It is not just US companies increasing their focus in this area giving cash and essential resources for humanitarian aid to the poor. Companies across the world, of all sizes and from all sectors, have been prioritising their efforts in terms of providing humanitarian aid as well as providing cash and resources for natural disaster relief such as the devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Christchurch and the tsunamis in Thailand and Japan.

Since the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Christian humanitarian organisation World Vision says there has been a notable increase in corporate donations and interest in disaster relief from donor companies citing recent natural disasters such as the Haiti quake as “game changers” for corporate philanthropy. The organisation says that Haiti was a catalyst for companies to look at broader and deeper ways they could partner with aid groups that are on the front lines.

Table 3: Giving estimates by sector/market share in 2009 (source: Giving USA Foundation)


Since the devastating

earthquake in Haiti,

Christian humanitarian

organisation World

Vision says there has

been a notable increase

in corporate donations

and interest in disaster

relief from donor

companies ...

“

”

2009 Percent Change in 2009

Religion $100.95 33% -0.70%

Education $40.01 13% -3.60%

Foundations $31.00 10% -8%

Human services $27.08 9% 2.30%

Public society benefit $22.77 7% -4.60%

Health $22.46 7% 3.80%

Arts, culture & humanities $12.34 4% -2%

International aid $8.89 3% 6.20%

Environment/animal $6.15 2% 2.30%

Individuals $3.50 1% 0.00%

Other $28.60 9% -21%

9

It should be noted that cash and resource donations both have their place in a philanthropic environment. In some instances the donation of resources is better suited to programmes that make a longer term impact. The giving of resources also has the added benefi t of ensuring greater accountability and control for the donor organisation. In many instances, however, where there is an immediate and pressing need for basic aid, then cash donations to a centrally managed fund which is allocated and spent locally are equally important and indeed vital.

While Cegos’ philanthropic strategies tend to focus around the donation of resources, as a company, there is a strong recognition that the donation of cash can be essential, in particular, for disaster relief. Cegos donated 50K€ to a locally managed Haiti fund which made sure that the donations it received from major French corporations were directed to where they were needed most.

As well as making cash donations, examples of philanthropy include fi nancial institutions such as VISA using their expertise to help make the distribution of money in disaster relief efforts faster, more effective and more secure.


The economic downturn has led to a decrease in corporate cash donations but an overall increase in giving when including the value of resources donated.

Pharmaceutical companies and IT giants donate the most.

In tough times there is a greater focus on humanitarian needs.

! KEY POINTS

10

4. HOW CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY STRATEGIES ARE

CHANGING

The economic landscape has clearly impacted corporate philanthropy. Profi ts have been squeezed and charitable donations have been cut as a consequence with many companies now seeking greater returns in these tough times.

This has led companies to become more creative and innovative in the ways that they support causes with organisations taking a more hands-on approach to implementing their giving.

Also, there is a greater focus on strategic alignment. Organisations are increasingly seeking to align themselves with causes and initiatives that are relevant to their business and the products and services they offer, or that perhaps have a personal resonance.

For example, Boston Scientifi c, a leading medical device provider with a focus on the cardiovascular market has a stated mission to “improve patients’ lives through innovation”. The company’s foundation is focused on healthcare and the two major benefi ciaries of their corporate giving are the American Heart Association and the International Diabetes Foundation.

Similarly, Cisco Systems the global networking company has a social investment strategy which has a major focus on online education in information communications technology creating online learning academies that have graduated over three million students.

Another notable trend is that companies are seeking to maximise the impact that their philanthropic investments are making. They are also more concerned about accountability and measurability in terms of meeting social goals, business goals and stakeholder expectations.

Indeed, McKinsey’s 2008 Global Survey found that the organisations whose programmes were very or extremely effective at meeting social goals and stakeholder expectations were more likely to address social and political trends relevant to the business and to be infl uenced by community and business needs. Executives at these companies had greater expectation for their programmes to become more global and their initiatives are more likely to involve collaboration with other companies. Equally so, these companies are more likely to achieve any business goals they have set for their philanthropy programmes in addition to social goals.

Examples of companies citing by Harvard Business Review (6) that are achieving better corporate philanthropy in today’s market conditions include Intel and Nike, which are applying the same discipline to their charitable work that they do to their core business, insisting on strategic focus, investing at scale and measuring results.

Take Intel for example. The company has established a programme called Intel Teach, which has trained more than eight million teachers in 60 countries. It has invested in a sophisticated measurement system to evaluate the success of the programme by measuring not just the number of participants, but also, changes in the way that teachers use information and communications technology in the classroom.


Billions are wasted on

ineffective philanthropy.

Philanthropy is decades

behind business in

applying rigorous

thinking to the use of

money.

“

”Michael Porter, Bishop William Lawrence University Professor at Harvard Business School

11

The need to be creative is echoed by Harold McGraw III, Chairman, President, and CEO of The McGraw-Hill Companies and Chairman of the CECP (Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy) a network of global CEOs committed to corporate philanthropy. He says, “While as CEOs, we face the challenge of maintaining giving programmes during a period when corporate profi ts are not as strong, we must continue to support non profi t partners that so badly need our assistance right now. Companies should be creative about their giving strategy and embrace a more innovative approach to community partnerships.”

He adds, “Recent trends in corporate philanthropy have ushered in a new approach to giving, one that seeks greater collaboration among all stakeholders, taps into the tremendous desire of employees to participate through their volunteerism, and more fully leverages tools available to businesses to maximise the impact of community investment.”

The CECP’s 2009 Giving in Numbers report on corporate philanthropy (7) revealed that companies have become more targeted in their giving, rather than spreading corporate funding across multiple social issues. It also showed that companies are continuing to enhance the opportunities for employee volunteerism and pro bono service and the percentage of companies offering paid-release time during the normal workday for employees to volunteer and the number of companies offering pro bono service programmes are continuing to grow.

Another trend that is emerging is that employees are getting more involved in shaping philanthropic strategy and driving programmes. This might take the shape of employees recommending charities; designing giving programmes often in the form of competitions or scholarships or sitting on grants committees. This approach can result in a greater buy-in from employees which can lead to more total giving in time and money and more loyalty to their employer.

Also, the shape of volunteering programmes is evolving. Typically these used to be hands-on team building exercises often reliant on unskilled manual labour such as painting a hospice or helping to clear community land. What we are seeing more and more today is employees deploying their core expertise to help communities. For example, Cegos employees are spearheading initiatives around the world using their core competencies to coach and train aid workers as part of Cegos’ commitment to its partnership with LINGOs (see section 5). This skills transfer will impart vital knowledge and expertise to aid organisations and will create a lasting impact.

The past few diffi cult years has also given rise to venture philanthropy. Venture philanthropy is usually characterised by many of the following elements: a willingness to experiment and try new approaches to giving; the setting of clear measurable goals to achieve with regular assessments of progress; and donor organisations being very involved, often taking a seat on the board of the non-profi ts they are funding.

A wave of new forms of philanthropic business models are emerging with companies trying to be innovative in their approaches. Examples of strategies include “buy one give one” business models and “set your own pricing” schemes. Whether these will be a success only time will tell but what is important is that people are pushing new boundaries in order to benefi t their communities and make a difference.


Organisations are placing a greater focus on strategic alignment with their core competencies.

Companies are seeking to maximise the impact of their philanthropic investments.

Greater involvement of sponsor companies in the implementation of programmes.

! KEY POINTS

12


5. HOW CEGOS IS HELPING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

As previously mentioned, from making donations to locally managed disaster relief funds such as for the Haiti earthquake, to supporting initiatives like Planète Urgence through dedicated actions such as fi nancing the distribution of 30,000 education kits for young children in Africa, and through its partnership with the Women’s Forum championing the strong contribution of women in business and in society, Cegos is committed to giving something back to the global community and sees this as an intrinsic part of creating a sustainable future.

In 2010, Cegos took the strategic decision to partner with LINGOs (Learning for International NGOs), a consortium of over 55 international humanitarian relief, development and conservation organisations (including Oxfam, Save the Children, Care, WWF, World Vision, Catholic Relief Services and Habitat for Humanity) that have come together to share learning resources. Cegos’ partnership with LINGOs is at the very heart of its efforts to support humanitarian aid.

LINGOs members manage relief and development programmes in over 80 countries. The organisation’s vision is that anyone working in the developing world to reduce poverty and alleviate suffering will have access to world-class learning opportunities at little or no cost. The better those people do their jobs, the more people will have food, health, education, shelter and safety.

As a leading global learning and development provider, a partnership with LINGOs represented a perfect fi t for Cegos and its mission to make a major contribution to humanitarian action throughout the world by leveraging its core competencies in L&D.

Cegos is providing LINGOs with a range of practical and relevant modules from its world-class eLearning solution.

“Over the next fi ve years, our member NGOs need to identify and develop thousands of key personnel and volunteers worldwide. With Cegos’ generous donation of its suite of highly practical and powerful eLearning modules, we can deliver high-quality, cost-effective personal and professional development and online training to in-country and expatriate staff and volunteers of our member agencies,” said Eric Berg, Executive Director of the LINGOs organisation.

One of the LINGOs member companies that is already seeing tangible benefi ts from Cegos’ donation is PSI (Population Services International). PSI’s employees across the world are using Cegos’ suite of multi-lingual eLearning modules for their personal and professional development. Course topics include project management, management development, change management, interpersonal and team skills.

With Cegos’ generous

donation of its suite

of highly practical and

powerful eLearning

modules, we can

deliver high-quality,

cost-effective personal

and professional

development and online

training to in-country

and expatriate staff

and volunteers of our

member agencies.

“

”Eric Berg, Executive Director of the LINGOs organisation

13

Feedback from Marie-Laure Curie the Learning and Performance Manager responsible for the worldwide deployment of PSI’s L&D strategy is very positive about Cegos’ contribution: “Cegos has helped us provide our staff with high-quality training materials that they otherwise would not have been able to access. The modules don’t just allow us to ‘fi ll a gap’ – they are practical, they work and they are receiving a great reception from all our teams – we are extremely happy with the learning they deliver, and the feedback of how the learning is actually applied and implemented”.

In August 2010, PSI successfully launched PSI University globally. Cegos helped to make this possible through its multilingual content. PSI’s biggest challenge was fi nding a way to provide content in French and Spanish. PSI did not have the fi nancial resources to translate courses or to buy courses, and, with the exception of some Harvard courses that were available in Spanish, none of the many courses made available to PSI from other suppliers through LINGOs were multilingual. Cegos’ partnership with LINGOs was the key to addressing the needs of the organisation’s many non-English-speaking workers and PSI University is already considered a real success offering a catalogue of 49 online courses linked to PSI’s HR competency model.

One of the key areas of PSI deployment for the Cegos eLearning modules has been Haiti, following the aftermath of the earthquake in 2010. The large humanitarian efforts continue, with PSI at the heart of activities there focusing on mother/child health issues and support. Cegos courses have been instrumental in helping PSI staff to develop their skills as they go, quickly and effectively, therefore helping the organisation to maximise the impact it can make.

Cegos’ employees have also got behind the LINGOs initiative with many consultants spending their summer breaks as volunteer workers helping to train the organisation’s trainers. Cegos is sending its subject matter expert consultants to areas of the world where they are most needed to coach the organisation’s project managers and impart vital management skills that will have a lasting effect on LINGOs ability to provide expert training to aid organisations.


Cegos courses have

been instrumental in

helping PSI staff to

develop their skills as

they go ...

“

”

14

6. CONCLUSION

The economic downturn has changed the way that companies think about giving and how they implement it.

Gone are the days of large cash donations without clear goals and deliverables. Companies want to get value for money from the initiatives they sponsor and want to see that their contribution is making a tangible impact. Accountability and the measuring of goals are more important than ever before.

More and more small / medium enterprises like Cegos are aligning their expertise with the causes they champion and as well as offering products and services that are their core competencies, are taking a more hands-on approach to corporate philanthropy, working in partnership with a network of other donor organisations and the receiving organisation to maximise the effectiveness of their support.


Gone are the days of

large cash donations

without clear goals and

deliverables.

“

”

15

7. REFERENCES

1) USA Today – http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/2010-08-08-corporate-philanthropy-interactive-graphic_N.htm2) The state of corporate philanthropy: A McKinsey Global Survey http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/The_state_of_corporate_philanthropy_A_McKinsey_Global_Survey_2106 3) Chronicle of Philanthropy survey http://www.corporatephilanthropy.org/pdfs/press/cecppr/GIN_2010Edition_PR.pdf 4) Giving USA Foundation™ and its research partner, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/news/2010/06/pr-GUSA2010.aspx 5) Philanthropy in Europe http://www.philanthropyineurope.com/articles/crisis_what_crisis.html6) Harvard Business Review http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/12/three_cases_of_better_corporat.html 7) CECP Giving in Numbers survey http://www.corporatephilanthropy.org/research/benchmarking-reports/giving-in-numbers.html


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8. ABOUT CEGOS GROUP

Cegos Group, established in 1926, is today the European leader in professional education and one of the major global players. Its consultants have expertise across all subject areas including human resources, management and leadership, performance and organisational skills, individual and team performance, marketing and commercial, project management, and deployment of large training systems internationally. In 2010, Cegos Group achieved sales of 176 M€ and trained more than 200,000 staff in Europe and internationally. Cegos’ Global Learning programmes are mastered by 350 certifi ed trainers in 20 countries. Cegos employs 1,200 consultants and has a presence in 30 countries through subsidiaries or partners. During the past three years, 500 projects have been delivered internationally in over 50 countries across a full range of personal and professional development topics.

www.cegos.com www.elearning-cegos.com www.global-learning-cegos.com

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17

9. ABOUT JEREMY BLAIN

Jeremy Blain is a Director of Cegos SA, and is responsible for Cegos’ strategy for international expansion through a value adding Global Distribution Partners Network.

An L&D entrepreneur responsible for growing Cegos’ business worldwide through a network of distribution partners, Jeremy has 10 years experience in the industry as a managing director, partner, trainer, coach and programme author. In previous roles at Procter and Gamble, Pepsico and as CEO of his own business, Jeremy’s background includes marketing, sales, operations and account management.

Jeremy is a frequent international conference speaker and media commentator on topics related to the global L&D market. Themes include: the integration of emerging and informal learning technologies; the importance of performance measurement and proving ROI; developing ‘core’ leadership, management and commercial skills to achieve competitive business advantage; and change management and how to implement successful international training strategies.

For more details, debate or discussion, you can fi nd Jeremy on LinkedIn http://uk.linkedin.com/in/jeremyblain and also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/learntheplanet

Jeremy has also published a series of white papers on issues relevant to L&D. These are still current and available, and include:

• ‘Exploring and Interpreting the Most Important Learning Trends across the Globe’, May 2010

• ‘Informal Networks – How They Are Changing the World of Work’, December 2010

• ‘What has L&D Learned from the Economic Slowdown’, March 2011• ‘The Rise of Virtual Learning’, April 2011• ‘Training Today, Training Tomorrow’ – An Analysis of Learning Trends

Across Europe and Global Comparisons, May 2011