Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Snowden not on flight to Cuba, whereabouts unclear

Light shines through a cabin window on seat 17A, the empty seat that an Aeroflot official said was booked in the name of former CIA technician Edward Snowden, shortly before Aeroflot flight SU150 takes off from Moscow to Havana, Cuba, Monday, June 24, 2013. Snowden, who has admitted to leaking National Security Agency secrets, was expected to fly from Russia to Cuba and Venezuela en route to possible asylum in Ecuador, but AP reporters on the flight never saw him get on board. (AP Photo/Max Seddon)

Light shines through a cabin window on seat 17A, the empty seat that an Aeroflot official said was booked in the name of former CIA technician Edward Snowden, shortly before Aeroflot flight SU150 takes off from Moscow to Havana, Cuba, Monday, June 24, 2013. Snowden, who has admitted to leaking National Security Agency secrets, was expected to fly from Russia to Cuba and Venezuela en route to possible asylum in Ecuador, but AP reporters on the flight never saw him get on board. (AP Photo/Max Seddon)

FILE - In this June 21, 2013 file photo, a banner supporting Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, is displayed at Central, Hong Kong's business district. The Hong Kong government says Snowden wanted by the U.S. for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has left for a "third country." The South China Morning Post reported Sunday, June 23, 2013 that Snowden was on a plane for Moscow, but that Russia was not his final destination. Snowden has talked of seeking asylum in Iceland. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

A TV screen shows a news report of Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at a shopping mall in Hong Kong Sunday, June 23, 2013. The former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

Graphic shows key locations in the life and career of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden; 3c x 5 inches; 146 mm x 127 mm;

Journalists show passengers arriving from Hong Kong a tablet with a photo of Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at Sheremetyevo airport, just outside Moscow, Russia, Sunday, June 23, 2013. The former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

(AP) ? A plane took off from Moscow on Monday headed for Cuba, but the seat booked by National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden was empty, and there was no sign of him elsewhere on board. His whereabouts were unknown.

An Aeroflot representative who wouldn't give her name told The Associated Press that Snowden wasn't on flight SU150 to Havana. AP reporters on the flight couldn't see him.

Security around the aircraft was heavy prior to boarding and guards tried to prevent photographers and cameramen from taking pictures of the plane, heightening the speculation that he might have been secretly escorted on board.

The Interfax news agency, which has extensive contacts with Russian security agencies, cited a source as saying that Snowden could have flown out in a different plane unseen by journalists. Others speculated that Russian security agencies might want to keep Snowden in Russia for a more thorough debriefing.

Aeroflot said earlier that Snowden had registered for the flight using his American passport, which the United States recently annulled.

Snowden has not been seen since he arrived in Moscow on Sunday from Hong Kong, where he had been hiding for several weeks to evade U.S. justice. Ecuador is considering Snowden's asylum application.

After spending a night in Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, the former National Security Agency contractor ? and admitted leaker of state secrets ? had been expected to fly to Cuba and Venezuela en route to possible asylum in Ecuador.

Snowden, also a former CIA technician, fled Hong Kong to dodge U.S. efforts to extradite him on espionage charges. Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said his government had received an asylum request, adding Monday that the decision "has to do with freedom of expression and with the security of citizens around the world." The anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks also said it would help Snowden.

Ecuador has rejected the United States' previous efforts at cooperation, and has been helping WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange avoid prosecution by allowing him to stay at its embassy in London.

Snowden gave documents to The Guardian and The Washington Post newspapers disclosing U.S. surveillance programs that collect vast amounts of phone records and online data in the name of foreign intelligence, often sweeping up information on American citizens. Officials have the ability to collect phone and Internet information broadly but need a warrant to examine specific cases where they believe terrorism is involved.

Snowden had been in hiding for several weeks in Hong Kong, a former British colony with a high degree of autonomy from mainland China. The United States formally sought Snowden's extradition from Hong Kong to face espionage charges but was rebuffed; Hong Kong officials said the U.S. request did not fully comply with their laws.

The Justice Department rejected that claim, saying its request met all of the requirements of the extradition treaty between the U.S. and Hong Kong. During conversations last week, including a phone call Wednesday between Attorney General Eric Holder and Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen, Hong Kong officials never raised any issues regarding sufficiency of the U.S. request, a Justice representative said.

The United States was in touch through diplomatic and law enforcement channels with countries that Snowden could travel through or to, reminding them that Snowden is wanted on criminal charges and reiterating Washington's position that Snowden should only be permitted to travel back to the U.S., a State Department official said.

U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the case.

Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said, "Given our intensified cooperation after the Boston marathon bombings and our history of working with Russia on law enforcement matters ? including returning numerous high-level criminals back to Russia at the request of the Russian government ? we expect the Russian government to look at all options available to expel Mr. Snowden back to the U.S. to face justice for the crimes with which he is charged."

Still, the United States is likely to have problems interrupting Snowden's passage. The United States does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, but does with Cuba, Venezuela and Ecuador. Even with an extradition agreement though, any country could give Snowden a political exemption.

The likelihood that any of these countries would stop Snowden from traveling on to Ecuador seemed remote. While diplomatic tensions have thawed in recent years, Cuba and the United States are hardly allies after a half-century of distrust.

Another country that could see Snowden pass through, Venezuela, could prove difficult, as well. Former President Hugo Chavez was a sworn enemy of the United States and his successor, Nicolas Maduro, earlier this year called President Barack Obama "grand chief of devils." The two countries do not exchange ambassadors.

It also wasn't clear Snowden was finished disclosing highly classified information.

Snowden has perhaps more than 200 sensitive documents, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

___

Associated Press White House Correspondent Julie Pace and Associated Press writers Philip Elliott, Matthew Lee and Frederic J. Frommer in Washington, Lynn Berry in Moscow, Kevin Chan in Hong Kong and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.

___

Follow Philip Elliott on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/philip_elliott

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-06-24-NSA-Surveillance-Snowden/id-b02406de905e48baa65a71323ca18758

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Kelly Rutherford is broke after custody battle

Celebs

16 hours ago

Kelly Rutherford in New York City in 2012.

Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images file

Actress Kelly Rutherford celebrates Michael Kalish's Belle Epoque Sculpture in New York City in 2012.

?Gossip Girl? star Kelly Rutherford, who earned $468,000 a month while working on the CW show, has filed for bankruptcy after spending $1.66 million on her custody battle with her ex-husband, according to documents obtained Monday by NBC News.

The 44-year-old year actress and mother of two filed Chapter 7 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in California on May 20 declaring to be over $2 million debt -- and with a current monthly income of $1,279.33.

Rutherford divorced Daniel Giersch in 2010. In August, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled that Rutherford?s daughter and son must live with their father in France after his visa was revoked. Rutherford and Giersch are supposed to split their time with the children equally, even though they live in different countries. They are 6 and 4 years old now.

"I do think the kids are at risk because I was the primary, and now I'm the visitor," Rutherford said in an emotional interview on TODAY last year. "What I was in court trying to get to the bottom of is that he could disappear tomorrow and I don't know where to look."

Rutherford has been traveling to France regularly to see her children and Skypes with them daily.

According to the bankruptcy petition, Rutherford has $23,937 in assets -- $11,487 in her checking account, $5,000 in furniture, $5,000 in clothes, and $1,500 in jewelry. The documents also show Rutherford owes over $350,000 in last year?s federal and New York state income taxes and over $300,000 to friends and family for personal loans.

She also owes American Express $25,000 and Citibank nearly $36,000.

?Gossip Girl? wrapped last year. Rutherford also starred on ?Melrose Place? in the ?90s.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/custody-battle-leaves-gossip-girl-star-kelly-rutherford-broke-6C10433506

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The Children of Pahiatua

An American Army Public Health nurse with a group of children in a camp for Polish displaced persons at Bensheim,Germany on June 19, 1945. An American Army Public Health nurse with a group of children in a camp for Polish displaced persons at Bensheim,Germany on June 19, 1945. Other Polish children ended up in New Zealand as refugees.

Photo by Universal Images Group/Getty Images

WELLINGTON, New Zealand?A fish restaurant in New Zealand seemed an odd place to discuss a war that took place several thousand miles away and several decades ago, but there we were: Sea bream was served, sauvignon blanc was poured, the rain drummed down outside, and I listened while three septuagenarians smiled, laughed, and told me of the unimaginable tragedy they had lived through as children.

All three were born in eastern Poland, and all three were arrested and deported, along with hundreds of thousands of other Poles, after the Soviet invasion in 1939. Soviet soldiers and police packed their families into boxcars and exiled them to Siberia or central Asia, where many died of illness or starvation. Only in 1942, after Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union, were survivors released and allowed to form a Polish army in exile. After crossing the border into Iran, the adults formed themselves into fighting units and began to travel back to Europe via Palestine.

But their children could not fight. Some were already orphans, having lost their parents to hunger or disease. More would lose their parents, or lose track of their parents, in the course of the war. An international appeal went out: Thousands of Polish children could not remain in Isfahan forever. Among others, New Zealand?a country that had never before accepted refugees?responded.

On Oct. 31, 1944, their ship pulled into Wellington harbor. More than 750 orphans, from toddlers to young teenagers, and 100 adult caretakers, teachers, and doctors disembarked. Hundreds of New Zealanders met them at the port, cheering and waving flags. More people lined the roads and waved as the Polish orphans drove through the countryside to a refugee camp created for them in Pahiatua, a village in the southeastern corner of New Zealand's North Island. There they stayed together, studied together, organized Polish scouting troops, and waited for the war to end so they could go home.

In one sense, this story does not have a happy ending. The war ended, but Poland did not regain its independence. Eastern Poland, where the children of Pahiatua had been born, became part of the Soviet Union. The western part of the country became a Soviet satellite state. Most inhabitants of the Pahiatua camp had nothing, and no one, to return to.

But in another sense there was a happy ending?one that we might usefully contemplate. In recent years, the gap in educational attainments of rich and poor Americans has grown wider, largely because of the enormous resources many of us pour into our children. Success, we have come to believe, depends on excellent schools, carefully organized leisure and, above all, on high-concentration, high-focus parenting.

The orphans of Pahiatua did not have any of these things. On the contrary, they had witnessed the deaths of parents and siblings, experienced terrible deprivation, and lost years of education before finding themselves in an alien country on the far side of the world. And yet they learned the language, they assimilated, they became doctors, lawyers, farmers, factory workers, teachers, and businessmen. Krystyna Tomaszyk?a Pahiatua child who became a pioneering social worker?told me over lunch that she was proud of their success. "We all had difficult childhoods. But none of us became criminals or vagabonds. We fit in."

There were reasons for that success. New Zealand boomed after the war: Logging and mining expanded, and work was easy to find. The Polish children had an unusually warm reception here at an unusual moment: Knowing where they had come from, people went out of their way to be kind.

But more than 70 years later, the now-elderly children of Pahiatua have an additional explanation. Zdzislaw Lepionka now believes that "the fact that we weree kept together, that we sang Polish songs and did scouting drills together? that was a kind of therapy." Lepionka was 3, he thinks?there are no records?at the time of his family's deportation. His mother died in exile; he lost track of his father, whom he never saw again. But he and those of his siblings who boarded the boat to Wellington long ago founded families and careers of their own. Decades later, he is still in touch with many of the "Pahiatua children," who still offer one another moral support.

Is an idyllic childhood a prerequisite for a happy life, or are there other roads to contentment? Are parents the key to future success, or are there other ways to get there? Is a turbulent childhood always a recipe for adult failure, or can some people overcome tragedy? I saw many amazing things in New Zealand?a volcano, a geyser, and some extraordinary lush, green landscapes?but none made me think more than that Wellington lunch.

This month, Slate is sharing stories of people who started over?like budget wonk Ina Garten, better known as the Barefoot Contessa?in our "Second Acts" Hive. We want to hear your tales, too. Please go here?to submit your story about starting over.

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/briefing/second_acts/2013/06/the_children_of_pahiatua.html

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Sunday, June 23, 2013

Rep. Joaqu?n Castro: Immigration Legislation Will Not Pass If Speaker Boehner Uses 'Hastert Rule' (ABC News)

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Acer Aspire P3 review: a nice enough tablet, but wait for the refresh

Acer Aspire P3 review: a nice enough tablet, but wait for the refresh

Back when Windows 8 first launched, the Acer Iconia W700 quickly became one of our favorite laptop / tablet hybrids. There were two reasons for that, really: the price was right, and the battery lasted longer than pretty much any other Win 8 device we'd tested. The thing is, it was more of a business device than something we'd recommend to the average consumer. After all, it came with a heavy, desk-bound docking station, with the carrying case and included keyboard as standalone pieces. That's quite a lot to carry if you ever feel like taking it on the road.

That's where the Acer Aspire P3 comes in. Don't worry, the W700 is still alive and kicking, but for people who've been looking for something more portable, this could be the one you want. Like the W700, the P3 starts at a reasonable price ($800) and has the guts of an Ivy Bridge laptop, including a Core i5 processor, Intel HD 4000 graphics, 4GB of RAM and a 120GB SSD. The difference is that rather than a clunky cradle, it comes with a carrying case that doubles as a keyboard; just prop the tablet up into a ready-made slot when you feel like watching movies or answering email. Yep, kind of like the Surface Pro, except there's no built-in kickstand and the keyboard is actually included. So is it a good deal at that price? Let's find out.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/22/acer-aspire-p3-review/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Gizmodo What's Wrong With the iOS 7 Icons?

Gizmodo What's Wrong With the iOS 7 Icons? | Kotaku The Xbox One Believers | Deadspin Shushing Your Kid Is Idiotic | Gawker Internet-Famous Preteen Metalheads Are Being Bullied for Being Awesome | Valleywag Silicon Valley Housing Explosion Means This Cottage Costs $1.1 Million

Read more...

    

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/sw3m3pyT10U/gizmodo-whats-wrong-with-the-ios-7-icons-kotaku-the-513899708

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96% Stories We Tell

All Critics (73) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (70) | Rotten (3)

Stories We Tell is not just very moving; it is an exploration of truth and fiction that will stay with you long after repeated viewings.

Part of the movie's pleasure is how comfortable the "storytellers" are with their director; you get a sense of a complicated but tight-knit family, going along with Sarah's project because they love her.

Never sentimental, never cold and never completely sure of anything, Polley comes across as a woman caught in wonder.

After you see it, you'll be practically exploding with questions - and with awe.

Stories We Tell is just the latest reminder of nonfiction film's current, endlessly innovative state. That's a story worth savoring.

An absorbing exercise not only in documentary excavation but in narrative construction.

Sarah Polley's exploration of her tangled family history is a complex and thoroughly fascinating inquiry into the nature of truth and memory -- and, inevitably, into Polley herself.

This is simply a gorgeously realised and warmly compiled family album, which lingers with us not because its subjects are so unusual and alien, but because they feel so close to home. What a success.

Sarah Polley's personal "documentary" suffers from one additional emotional beat too many. Otherwise, it's mesmerizing.

Polley interviews her family and acquaintances with remarkable candor and intimacy, perhaps as a method of catharsis, but it never feels like a vanity project or a simple airing of dirty laundry.

The great conceit of Polley's theories of perspective and truth is that she, as director, ultimately controlled everyone's memories because she arranged them on film.

As with her other films, when Sarah Polley takes it upon herself to tell us a story, you can bet it's a tale well-told and one that you'll want to hear.

What Stories We Tell does so brilliantly is both tell the story and tell about how we tell our stories. The truth may not be out there.

This is a warm, brave and thought-provoking piece of autobiography.

Stories We Tell shows us that the truth and the way its told are two very different things. Polley's wonderful documentary honors both by preferring neither.

I could not love it more.

While I can understand any reluctance to view the personal business of others, Polley moves beyond the routine of therapy to shape an expressive and beautifully considerate documentary.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/stories_we_tell/

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Not Quite Legal Souvenirs | Gadling.com

Food seized at Washington Dulles
USDA /Ken Hammond

Somewhere in a small town in an unnamed country is the complete skull of a crocodile and a small box of teeth that belong to that skull. The crocodile, who wasn't using her teeth anymore, was not supposed to make this trip but did so anyway, without a passport, packed in the insulation of T-shirts stained with the red dust of the Australian Outback. The person who checked this partial crocodile knew there'd be some risk of having the bones and teeth seized at the border. Plus, hey, it was free, scooped up at a swampy turn out somewhere. No money changed hands in the acquisition of the croc skull.

What was to lose? Seizure at the border, a protestation of ignorance and slap on the wrist. "Sir, you can not import animal bones without proper documentation." "I had NO idea, I am sorry, yes, of course, take it."

It's a risk. And make no mistake. You may very well be breaking the law. Travelers take it on because what's the worst that can happen? Well, a lot. Best case? You'll have your goods seized or maybe get tagged with an expensive fine. Consider yourself lucky if that's the case.

Here are a handful of questionable souvenirs that seasoned anonymous travelers decided they'd try to get through customs.

Three kilos of flour: "...for culinary purity. When my friend asked me to bring corn flour, I didn't think much about it, and then suddenly I found myself with two big bags of white powder in my checked luggage. Not only was I bringing in an unlabeled agricultural product, but it resembled something else entirely."

The USDA allows you to bring in baking mixes and the like, but requirements are that it's commercially packaged and properly labeled. Certainly, flour won't set off the drug sniffer dogs, but explaining those bags of white powder isn't something you want to find yourself doing in any airport.

Ten pounds of cheese: Cheese is tricky. Hard cheese is okay, soft cheese isn't, and the USDA guidelines on what a hard cheese is or isn't aren't exactly clear ? they say "like Parmesan or cheddar." Brie is probably out, as is Camembert, but what about a blue cheese? Unlcear. Good luck.

Italian olives:

It's fresh fruit and veg where the trouble lies, packaged, processed products are less likely to raise eyebrows. But if you don't declare your fruit or veg, it could potentially set you back a $300 fine, plus, oops, there go your olives.

Various kinds of meat: "I packed the salami wrapped in socks and tucked inside my shoes, and sailed past saying not one word." Meat products are strictly regulated, with a mind towards preventing the spread of disease. Multiple travelers fessed up to squirreling all kinds of fancy product past the border, not just salami, but pate, rillette, prosciutto and more.

Bones, bones, more bones: "A llama vertebrae." (Taste in souvenirs does vary.) The crocodile skull. A handful of seashells. Ivory and tortoise shells are especially tricky and require special documentation to prove their antiquity. This stuff is all governed by Fish and Wildlife in the US and, in some cases, can only come in through certain airports. To complicate things, there are additional guidelines for "Individuals Wishing to Import Non-Human Primate Trophies, Skins or Skulls" meaning should do your homework before tossing that monkey brain bucket into your bag.

Antiquities of any kind: "I snitched a tiny black and white marble mosaic tile from a heap that looked destined for Ostia Antica's dump. I feel guilty, but 30 years on still love cradling in my palm something an ancient Roman once touched. It's like holding hands across time." Stolen cultural artifacts ? that's a big one.

There's a useful page of information on the US Customs and Border Patrol site, including a Know Before You Go sheet that will send you into a rabbit warren of other places. What about that machete ? is it legal? Probably, but you won't get it past security in your carry-on. Plus, security, that's a whole different can of worms.

Worms, by the way, will never make it past customs. Don't even try.

Filed under: What's in Your Pack?

Source: http://www.gadling.com/2013/06/16/not-quite-legal-souvenirs/

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Monday, June 17, 2013

New way to improve antibiotic production

June 17, 2013 ? An antibiotic has been found to stimulate its own production. The findings, to be published in PNAS, could make it easier to scale up antibiotic production for commercialisation.

Scientists Dr Emma Sherwood and Professor Mervyn Bibb from the John Innes Centre were able to use their discovery of how the antibiotic is naturally produced to markedly increase the level of production.

"We have shown for the first time that an antibiotic with clinical potential can act as signalling molecule to trigger its own synthesis," said Professor Bibb.

The antibiotic called planosporicin is produced by a soil bacterium called Planomonospora alba. When nutrients become limited, a small amount of the antibiotic is produced. The antibiotic is then able to trigger a mechanism which coordinates its own production throughout the bacterial population resulting in high levels.

"A frequent stumbling block in developing a natural product for commercialisation is being able to provide enough material for clinical trials," said Professor Bibb.

"Our work shows with the right understanding it is possible to increase productivity very dramatically in a targeted and knowledge-based manner."

With knowledge of this signalling mechanism in hand, the scientists were able to increase production by overexpressing two positively acting regulatory genes and deleting one that acts negatively. Planosporicin is similar to the antibiotic NAI-107 that is about to enter clinical trials for Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infections. The knowledge gained from this study is being used to increase NAI-107 production.

Commercial manufacturers of antibiotics may be able to use the results to reduce production times and therefore reduce costs. Bacteria often have to be grown for days and sometimes weeks before they start to make effective amounts of an antibiotic. Sherwood and Bibb were able to trigger production essentially from the beginning of growth.

The work was funded through JIC's core strategic grant from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/_AqpXED2Qnw/130617160900.htm

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Senior Consultant - Global Engagement Management at ESG ...

The Senior Consultant is a client-facing, Practice-based expert in global customer engagement management and complex strategic services offerings that can include pre-sales support, business problem solving, Competency/Practice/Cross-Practice solutions implementation & guidance, applying developed and specialized Competency/Practice expertise to deliver a high value client service solution, inspiring confidence, generating customer satisfaction and setting path for possible demand of additional services.
In the Consultative Selling Process, he/she works on one hand with strategic customers(sometimes with simultaneous large projects) to develop a deep understanding of client business problems / needs, translating them into high value solution definitions for the enhancement/ customization of current engagement methodologies and possibly setting also direction for the implementation and delivery; and on the other hand works closely with Competency Leaders, Regional, Delivery Managers and Solutions Architect.
The Senior Consultant typically reports to a Competency/Practice Leader, to whom they can act for and provide management coverage, can manage a group of Consultants and has relevant individual and team targets to support Practice growth and profits. Consultants are personally billable and have specific targets for the Utilization of their billable and non-billable time.
Principle Activities (Responsibilities):

Leads simultaneously multiple large geographic/global/strategic customer engagement teams which includes actions such as: proactively understand customer business needs and industry, anticipate problems, provide relevant timely customer discovery and consultative assessment information to appropriate team, deliver solutions and communicate value and effectiveness of proposed offering, foster additional business, and maintain customer relationships.
Prioritizes and aligns work with engagement/project plans, schedules, changing work demands, and all relevant Company policies, practices, plus local legal requirements as well as supporting practice leaders and BDMs in closing or seeking service opportunities.
Understands industry and market trends, determining implications for service offerings/solutions as well as identifying and maintaining relationships with key internal/external influencers, thought leaders, associations, industry panels, speaking engagements, and client and Offering user groups.
Shares all learnings with business Practice, services sales, solutions development, and Marketing teams to validate customer requirements and review deliverables prior to customer sign-off/release.
Contributes to the effectiveness and maintenance of Practice and consultative selling methods, certifying practice offerings, developing new services delivery techniques, methods, and processes.
Lead initiatives to improve quality, efficiency, customer satisfaction and cost reduction to drive additional services opportunity and represent the practice internally and externally ( conferences, trade-shows, media), Achieving all appropriate financial objectives through billable utilization objectives to meet or exceed business objectives and Practice P&L targets.
Coaches, mentors, and leads others less Senior Consultants, validating their skills/capabilities when assigned.

Education/Experience/ Technical competencies :

BS / BA in Engineering or equivalent in relevant technical or business major, MBA / MS is preferred.
At least 10 years of professional experience being 8 years of consulting and solutions development expertise, providing fee based services in a customer facing role and at least 2 years direct operations supervisory responsibility preferably in industries such as light and heavy manufacturing, oil and gas, utilities, construction or transportation
Knowledge and experience in managing Capital Effectiveness projects, EPC ideally in Oil & gas.
Mastery of standard office applications including Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Project; familiarity with Mini Tab, Visio and Lotus Notes; Six Sigma methodology or similar tool is a plus.
Willingness to travel up to 80% in support of client engagements.
Fluency in both written and spoken English and Bahasa Indonesia or Malaysia language. Any other will be a plus.
High Level understanding of the essential cultural elements of world-class safety and Sustainability/Operations, fundamentals of safety managing systems and sustaining tools/processes as well as demonstrated experience in the applying safety/ health regulatory requirements in a commercial setting.
Demonstrated complex customer engagement experience, with multiple large, strategic projects, preferably some global, establishing and maintaining relationships with high-level customers being able to prove delivery of high , revenue growth, profit and customer satisfaction consulting and services solutions.

Additional skills:
Business Acumen: Entrepreneurial spirit with passion for the task and business, seeking continuous personal development and knowledge improvement.
Communicating with impact: Ability to influence others, persuasive, with excellent oral/written communication and negotiation skills. Strong interpersonal skills, with high credibility and integrity
Driving for Results: Ability to set and manage expectations using the consultative sales approach with good planning and execution skills, delivering on commitments and accepting accountability for results, multitask oriented
Building Sustainable Customer Relationships: Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines with good management skills giving priority to client?s commitments remaining customer oriented.
Analysis and Judgment: Good analytical skills, enabling to present graphically delivering the message in a compelling way and being able to adapt them quickly to needs using standard features
Teamwork/Collaboration: Ability to work independently maintaining accountability to management coupled with team player skills.
Building Winning teams: Ability to structure and lead professional services engagement, to assess skills/ performance of project members, to relate findings to potential solution construction and to address organizational boundary challenges understanding customer policies, priorities and needs.
Championing Change: Highly self -motivated, flexible, with rapid adaptability to different cultures and environments. Ability to drive change management processes throughout the client engagement, interacting with senior leaders and to internally coach and mentor junior Consultant ensuring this type of culture

Source: http://www.ecopoint.asia/cms/jobs/job/634/senior-consultant-global-engagement-management-at-esg-search/

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