Jean-Pierre Conte On The Labor Market And Attracting Great Talent To Your Organization

Jean-Pierre Conte

Key Takeaways

  • Jean-Pierre Conte emphasizes that people – not capital – create the enduring competitive advantage in private equity.
  • With over half of employees seeking new roles in 2025, organizations face aggressive retention and hiring challenges.
  • Conte’s approach integrates mentorship, skills-based hiring, and structured development programs for underserved talent.
  • Skills-based hiring surged industry-wide, with participating companies reporting fewer hiring mistakes and stronger performance.
  • Organizations that invest in employee engagement, upskilling, and mentorship see significant gains in retention and productivity.
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Trevor Lunsford: Mergers and Acquisitions Trends in 2025

Mergers and acquisitions

Key Takeaways

  • M&A activity rose 10% in 2025, driven largely by technology, TMT, and financial services sectors.
  • North America dominated deal flow, with $1.938 trillion in transactions within the first nine months of 2025.
  • Telecom sector consolidation accelerated, highlighted by major deals like Swisscom–Vodafone Italia and Nokia–Infinera.
  • Shareholder activism and private equity take-private transactions reshaped corporate strategies amid market pressure.
  • Cross-border M&A increased, with European firms acquiring U.S. companies and U.S. buyers targeting Europe for valuation arbitrage.
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Sync or Sink – Why PMS Channel Manager Errors Are a Growing Risk for Small Hotels

Using PMS Channel Manager tool

Key Takeaways

  • PMS-channel manager sync errors create overbookings, rate mismatches, staff stress, and lost revenue for small hotels.
  • Most sync issues stem from operational habits – like manual OTA edits and outdated mapping – not system failures.
  • Using the PMS as the single source of truth and maintaining clean mapping prevents avoidable booking problems.
  • Simple daily checks – rate parity, availability accuracy, and error logs – reduce surprises and operational chaos.
  • Choosing the right channel manager means evaluating real workflows, not just software features or vendor claims.

Across independent and small-group hotels, one of the least visible but most damaging problems is the gap between what systems think is available and what’s actually left to sell.…

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JailCore: Strengthening Data Accuracy In Correctional Management Systems

correctional-management-systems-pexels-olia-danilevich-8145340-500x333

photo credit: Olia Danilevich / Pexels

Key Takeaways

  • Accurate data is essential for safety, compliance, and informed decision-making in correctional facilities.
  • Legacy systems, inconsistent definitions, and limited automation are major contributors to inaccurate or fragmented data.
  • Standardizing data fields and definitions helps reduce ambiguity and ensures consistent interpretation across staff.
  • Automation, mobile tools, and intuitive interfaces significantly improve real-time reporting and reduce human error.
  • Ongoing training, accountability, audits, and system interoperability are crucial for maintaining long-term data accuracy.
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Robert Harden: How Psychiatrists Decide When to Use TMS

TMS therapy

photo credit: Baburov / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Key Takeaways

  • Psychiatrists introduce TMS only after first-line treatments like therapy and medication have not produced sufficient improvement.
  • Treatment-resistant depression must typically be documented before TMS becomes a clinical and insurance-approved option.
  • Psychiatrists evaluate full treatment histories, symptom patterns, and prior therapy tolerance to determine TMS eligibility.
  • Insurance requirements, including prior authorization and proof of failed treatments, often shape the timing of TMS access.
  • TMS is usually added to – not substituted for – existing treatments, forming a layered approach monitored throughout the process.
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Chad Wable: Understanding Health Plan Gaps In Practical Use

Health plan gap

Key Takeaways

  • Most employees struggle to understand key health plan concepts, creating a gap between coverage and real-world use.
  • Complex plan designs – such as tiered drug lists, deductibles, and narrow networks – often remain difficult to apply in everyday care decisions.
  • Limited year-round communication leaves employees without ongoing guidance, reducing plan utilization and increasing costly care choices.
  • Mismatches between how employees seek care and how plans classify services create confusion, unpredictable bills, and unnecessary spending.
  • Simplified plan design, clearer communication, and usability-focused metrics help employers close the gap and improve benefit experiences.
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Building a Better Baltimore for All: One Philanthropist’s Story

Philanthropy

Key Takeaways

  • Charles Nabit has decades of leadership experience in health care and real estate.
  • His philanthropy supports hospitals, education, arts, and cultural institutions in Baltimore.
  • UMCH benefits from his long-standing involvement and advocacy for family-centered pediatric care.
  • He advances educational access through the BIC Educational Foundation and culinary programs.
  • His support extends beyond Maryland to national academic and cultural organizations.
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Andrew Laurendi: How Cinematographers Use Light to Shape Emotion

Cinematographer

Key Takeaways

  • Lighting shapes emotional tone before dialogue or action begins.
  • Contrast and shadow influence mystery, tension, and psychological depth.
  • Hard and soft light change how audiences perceive characters’ vulnerability.
  • Color palettes subtly signal mood, genre, and emotional intention.
  • Directional lighting guides audience interpretation of character motives.
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Emiliana Sparaco: How Nature Hikes Enhance Observation And Listening

Nature hikes

Key Takeaways

  • Nature hikes help reduce sensory overload and strengthen awareness of subtle environmental details.
  • Mindful walking encourages individuals to slow down, observe closely, and sharpen their perception.
  • Listening in nature enhances curiosity, patience, and the ability to interpret meaningful sound cues.
  • Outdoor environments reduce stress and restore focus, improving attention and emotional regulation.
  • Regular time on trails builds adaptability, empathy, and a deeper appreciation for everyday experiences.
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Gerard Dougherty: Retirement Planning and Sequence Risks

Retirement planning

Key Takeaways

  • Sequence risk occurs when market downturns and portfolio withdrawals overlap, reducing long-term retirement income.
  • Market declines early in retirement are especially harmful because retirees must sell investments at low valuations.
  • Shifting toward cash and short-term bonds can reduce volatility and provide liquidity during periods of market stress.
  • Adjusting spending and withdrawal rates during downturns helps preserve principal and improves long-term outcomes.
  • Longer retirements heighten sequence risk, making structured withdrawal planning essential for lifetime income stability.
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