Jennifer Brown, CEO of Narinex, an electronic components manufacturer based in Michigan, re-read the news alert on her screen. The company had lost another major contract to Glistrom, a UK-based competitor it had regularly beaten. She called out to her secretary. "Sally, I need Herb Tyler and Laura Dyson right away."

Losses like these were not just the normal ebb and flow of deal making, and Brown wanted input from her COO, Tyler, and her CFO, Dyson. She was determined to keep Narinex on top.

With $3.2 billion dollars in revenue and operations in North America, Europe, and Asia, Narinex had performed consistently well with Brown at the helm. A favorite of Wall Street analysts, it had kept costs low even as it expanded into new lines and markets, and Brown was now regarded as both innovative and hard-nosed. At her direction, Narinex had outsourced some of its R&D to bring new offerings to market more quickly, and she had negotiated performance-based contracts that kept the supply chain lean and mean. She had also sold the corporate jet and refused a company car, to show her commitment to limiting overhead.

Within 20 minutes Dyson and Tyler were waiting for Brown in her office. These senior managers were accustomed to her urgent summons and the subsequent grilling. Tyler had also seen the Glistrom announcement and knew Brown would be anxious. It was a multiyear deal potentially worth $50 million or more.

"I've already asked Ian to get competitive intelligence from his team," Tyler said, referring to Ian Jones, the VP of sales. "He did mention that Glistrom is generating buzz in the field."

"'Buzz' doesn't tell me much. How quickly can you two turn whatever he has into something we can act on?" Brown demanded.

Tyler and Dyson exchanged a glance. "Can we have 24 hours?" Dyson asked.

With a nod, Brown sent them off to solve the Glistrom puzzle.

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A critical problem facing companies who wish to implement sustainability programs is a severe lack of knowledgeable practitioners in developing regions. Many major multinational corporations and firms with operations in the developing world are encountering a critical lack of human resources when it comes to improving environmental health and safety. There are simply not enough trained professionals on the ground with the technical expertise and know-how to meet increasingly stringent environmental, health and safety (EHS) initiatives.

The need to rapidly train staff in developing regions is especially urgent as many multinational corporations follow Wal-Mart's lead in scrutinizing the environmental and social impacts of their global supply chains. The primary issue has to do with the scarcity of specialists -particularly occupational hygienists, who play a key role in implementing corporate sustainability programs.

The Phylmar Group and Beyond Compliance announce the Environment & Sustainability Digest (ES Digest). The ES Digest will provide recipients weekly updates according to the following schedule:

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