1. Jack Ma’s Retirement ‘Succession Plan’
Jack Ma, Alibaba founder, turns 54 today and is expected to unveil his succession plan for retirement life. “I sat down with our senior executives 10 years ago, and asked what Alibaba would do without me,” Ma said. “I’m very proud that Alibaba now has the structure, corporate culture, governance and system for grooming talent that allows me to step away without causing disruption.” Ma has planned his departure for 10+ years now, transitioning from CEO to executive chairman. He plans to teach again soon (originally a former English prof), as he thinks he can do much better teaching than being the CEO of Alibaba. He also strives for a younger generation to takeover Alibaba, who have “fresher ideas” to move the business forward.
(Source: South China Morning Post, TechCrunch)
2. World Suicide Prevention Day
Today is World Suicide Prevention Day and it’s all about raising awareness to help prevent suicide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 800K people commit suicide every year, meaning every 40 seconds, someone takes their own life. Those who are cyberbullied are twice as likely to commit suicide compared to those who haven’t had a cyberbullying experience.
How can we take a step forward to help? Take a look at a few tips below:
- Do not be a bystander, be an “upstander.” Be a leader and help someone in need. If the situation were reversed, wouldn’t you want someone to stand up for you?
- Reach out to those you’re worried about and ask if they need your help.
- Use social media for social good. Post-it-forward to others and become a changemaker.
- Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
- Read What Happens In Vegas Stays On YouTube for more tips.
(Source: World Health Organization, Twitter)
3. The End of Bookstores as We Know It
Which store has the most stories? In the past, we might have answered Barnes & Noble, but with traditional brick-and-mortar stores fading (R.I.P. Toys “R” Us), bookstores are one industry that has been negatively impacted by the new digital landscape. What’s interesting, despite predictions, e-books (such as the Kindle and Nook) have not been as popular as predicted; most teens still prefer print. Hence, Barnes & Noble had the opportunity to capitalize on our love for paper, but management crises and so-called identity issues, including having six different CEOs in the past five years—caused them to have 99 problems, but a book ain’t one.
(Source: Forbes)
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The rise of social media has prompted multiple revolutions in human communication around the globe. One of the most notable changes in our communication has come from the creation of emojis. Take a look at this survey on how users are expressing their opinions through emojis here.
