Corporate Governance

Bob Russo, general manager, PCI Security Standards Council, offers the following advice about complying with PCI Data Security Standards, including the upcoming October 2015 deadline for U.S. retailers to accept cards with Europay, MasterCard, Visa (EMV)-compliant chips.

No Single Security Solution: “As evidenced by recent high-profile breach incidents, keeping payment data secure in today’s world is an increasingly complex challenge,” explained Russo.

Chengdu, China – Online apparel wholesaler Milanoo has launched a new version of its shopping app for both iPhone and Android. Based in Hong Kong, the company offers clothing and apparel to more than 180 countries worldwide, and serves customers in eight languages.

The new Milanoo app 2.0 includes push notifications of new arrivals and flash sales, order tracking, Facebook sign-in, and secure payment options including PayPal, credit card and Western Union money transfer.  

On July 1, 2014, recent updates to the 2013 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards — Title 24 — went into effect.

The new, tougher standards are estimated to increase energy efficiency by 30% in non-residential buildings compared with the 2008 version.

Dublin, Calif. – DD’s Discounts, a division of Ross Stores Inc., will open a new store in Houston, on Sept. 27. The store is located in the Mission Bend Shopping Center in the Mission Bend neighborhood.

Including this new location, DD’s Discounts will operate more than 150 locations in 15 states and is on schedule to complete its expansion plan to open approximately 20 locations in 2014.

Mixed-use projects have become a consumer home base

The concept of a shopping center as a place where people simply show up to make a few purchases and leave is becoming passé. Increasingly, developers are building mixed-use centers that include residential, office and entertainment components, which turn them more into a consumer home base and less of a functional destination.

Washington, D.C. -- President Barack Obama announced his intention to appoint Matthew Rubel to an additional term as a member of the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, a key Administration advisory post.   

Rubel is currently a senior advisor at TPG Capital.  Previously, he was chairman, president and CEO of Collective Brands, from 2005 to 2011. Rubel was CEO of Cole Haan from 1999 to 2005.

Defining the scope of a CFO’s oversight is challenging because it’s still evolving. Besides the overarching responsibility of overseeing and reporting finances, the role now often includes strategic planning, technology and investor relations.

New areas of reporting, including corporate social responsibility and environmental performance, are also being added.