Ever wondered what the age is of the average American? Or how much they cough up each year on parking tickets?
You can probably find the information somewhere online in a few short minutes. But former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer wants to do it for you.
On Tuesday, Ballmer launched USAFacts, a free and user-friendly interface that’s packed with information about where the government sources its funding and how it is spent.
Politicians aren’t the only leaders to be plagued by misleading information dressed as news. And Ballmer’s initiative follows in the footsteps of other CEOs who have sought to improve the quality of public discourse.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ acquisition of the Washington Post and Michael Bloomberg’s unwavering support for Bloomberg News also are endeavors that some may argue are tinged with an element of philanthropy, given the difficulties facing the media sector. Mexican billionaire and Telmex CEO Carlos Slim, meanwhile, remains among the New York Times‘ biggest shareholders.
Ballmer spent $10 million of his own money bringing USAFacts to life and expects it to cost up to $5 million a year to maintain.
The site claims to be non-partisan and relies exclusively on publicly-available government data. “We don’t make judgments or prescribe specific policies,” it says. “Whether government money is spent wisely or not, whether our quality of life is improving or getting worse—that’s for you to decide.”
The site’s launch comes as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faces increasing pressure to address the quality of the social media platform’s news feed.
“We have a lot of work to do, and we will keep doing all we can to prevent tragedies like this from happening,” he told an annual developer’s conference after a Cleveland man posted a video of himself murdering someone on Facebook Live.
Chief Executive Group exists to improve the performance of U.S. CEOs, senior executives and public-company directors, helping you grow your companies, build your communities and strengthen society. Learn more at chiefexecutivegroup.com.
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
