Warm Welcome to New Members

Knock, knock on the door

As additions to our growing family, please warm the house for our latest members.
In this edition we welcome members from: The Netherlands, China, USA, Canada, Norway, Belgium, Denmark and South Africa.

Onno Vinkhuyzen - Delf, the Netherlands
Onno works as an independent consultant on Oracle databases and datawarehouses, with clients in both corporate and government agencies. A top concern is applying ethics at work; "I am always in search of how to spread the good news as well as values, ethics and quality in the places I work," with a special interest in Ethical Finance.

Foad Ghalili - Dalian, Lioning, China
Foad has been president of Epoch International (www.epoch-int.com) since 1993, after having worked at Dalicap Corp., Bechtel Corp., Baha'i World Center etc. An area of interest to him is Values-based Leadership, "empowering managers and employees through moral education." He wants to contribute to "promote ethical values, first within our company and if possible to other companies."

Casper Voogt - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Casper is Director of Plethora Design (www.plethoradesign.com), a web design and development firm based in Amsterdam. He holds a Master of Architecture from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Science from Georgia Institute of Technology. He has lectured at Landegg Interational University and is deeply involved in Baha'i Internet efforts.

Plethora Design, LLC is dedicated to providing clients with outstanding web design, development, and consulting services, and to helping non-profits as well as companies get the most out of the web.

He joins the Young Professionals of the Forum and, as an interest, "I hope to share my experiences and thoughts on Responsible Entrepreneurship."

Saeed Ziaie - Seattle, USASaeed is a chartered civil engineer, a manager at Mouchel Parkman, working on engineering projects including development and regeneration projects within a major multidiscilipnary consultancy. He is also responsible for training and development of staff. He is interested in Social-Economic Development as well as "promotion of ethical values in business." Saeed is looking forward to Forum events, where "whilst learning, I also hope to be able to contribute by sharing my experience and thoughts and in time I hope to be able to prepare and present useful materials on the EBBF issues."

Sam Lyle - Waterfall, Kuazulu Natal, South Africa
Sam has just started a Masters in Social and Economic Development Studies at the University of KwaZulu Natal. He is "keen to learn about ways in which we can reduce the burden of poverty in Africa, and ameliorate the huge inequalities in wealth which are being intensified by globalization in its current form". He has also been runing a small Christmas business (www.pinesandneedles.com) with his brother in London after completing an MA in Business Studies at Edinburgh University in June 2004.

He thinks much about "teacher empowerment within South Africa, where education varies hugely and only a few are lucky enough to have a good education. My hypothesis is that actual and prospective teachers are leaving the profession because of lack of motivation - due to both financial and social factors." Sam adds that "in business, employee/stakeholder empowerment is key to success, and I hope EBBF will offer solutions to the lack of teacher empowerment within South African education."

Inger Cecilie Helbo - Copenhagen, Denmark
Inger works for GS1 Denmark as an information and marketing consultant.

One area that she is particularly interested to explore with EBBF is "How to create a balanced life juggling work, bahá'í activities, friends and family?"

Valerie Davis - Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Valerie is founder/co-founder of two incorporated companies focusing on Executive Coaching and Coach Education. she holds a Masters of Science in Organization Development as well as Certification in Personal and Professional Coaching. She is Associate of several Leadership Development firms providing executive coaching. She has worked twenty years with Nortel Networks in Human Resources and one year with Andersen Consulting in Human Capital organization.

She is interested in Education for Sustainable Development to feed his PhD studies - interdisciplinary study of business/spirituality/sustainable development. "Hopefully my studies and research will add to the wealth of knowledge already accumulating through this noble organization."

Heiko Shulz - Oestfold, Norway
With his work experience in diverse fields such as Oil and Gas, Telecom, logistics and food industry he underlines his burning issue "Converging principles of good business with ethical principles of the Bahai Faith".

For leisure he enjoys sailing, music and time with family, whilst his main area of interest in Social Economic Development and he intends to contribute to EBBF by participating in philosophical debates, contributing with practical knowledge, spreading principles and viewpoints from a Bahai point of view.

Adib Birkland - Minnesota, USA
Following his interest in the area of Values Based Leadership. he is currently completing his PhD in Human Resources Management and Industrial Relations at Carlson School of Management. "My primary research interests lie in the areas of personality, ethics, counterproductive workplace behaviors, justice, and emotion in the workplace."
He recently posted a request on our EBBF communications centre seeking for leaders in EBBF whom he could interview seeking experiences of the different national cultural of ethics that currently exist in different nations.

"I am currently writing my dissertation, which is a comparison of the perceptions of what is considered ethical or unethical between different cultures. The intention is to contribute to a line of research whose aim is to select and develop more ethical leaders"

Samantha Fowlds - Toronto, Canada
Her graduate degree in Knowldge Management and Consultancy, lead her to now work for the Greater Toronto Airport Authorities as a Corporate Librarian. "I am passionate not only about sharing information, but about sharing tacit knowledge both inside and outside organisations."
Her burning issue is "How we can see eachother as beautiful, spiritual beings while being surrounded by endless deadlines and different perspectives on what work means to different people."

She recently came across EBBF following the past month's event, re-establishing the EBBF Toronto interest group.

Koen Vanbesien - Gent, Belgium
Koen is a Performance Consultant, trainer, coach, mentor, public speaker.
His interests include personal and spiritual development, moral-ethical and ecological values and contribution, sustainable development, reading and studying, arts, sports, nature, alternative healing, healthy lifestyle, meditation, religions.

His burning issue is a common one "The fact that on my own, I do not have enough impact to make things change for the better within the (business) world. An organisation as yours has more power and - voice -. It is better for me to join, participate and contribute than doing things individually.

He intends to contribute by sharing ideas, public speaking, running workshops and seminars, lobbying, public relations, etc., His main area of interest is Values Based Leadership.

Molouk Milani-Schoot - Zwolle, Netherlands
Responsible entrepreneurship is a dear concept to Molouk as she runs her own business, "I am an orthodontist, a specialization in dentistry". She is also active as a board member of the Tahirih Institute (social-educational Bahá'í Institute in the NL), has two children, whilst her husband works as a psychologist.
Her personal interests are various; bahá'í vision on the world and future, society, environment, 'development' of women and children, peace, and why not ... fashion, she comments with a smile.

A warm welcome to Onno, Foad, Casper, Saeed, Sam, Inger, Valerie, Heiko, Adib, Samantha, Koen, Molouk. We look forward to your company at cluster and branch meetings, conferences, discussions, online participation, retreats, and any opportunity to meet and share with you.

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