“By being here, you are investing in yourself,” – Bob Eckert, CEO of Mattel at the latest LA World Affairs Program Young Professionals event held at Manatt Phelps and Phillips on January 21.
It’s true, being a part of an organization such as the World Affairs Council or their newly launched Young Professionals Program is, in fact, an ‘investment in yourself’. More young professionals should be getting involved in their communities and organizations such as these. Business moguls and brilliant minds alike have all been part of such organizations!
The World Affairs Council are a well known non-profit organization who, for the past 90 years, have hosted events with numerous diplomats and some of the biggest decision makers in the world including everyone from George W. Bush to Buzz Aldrin to Bono! Every United States president since Woodrow Wilson has also made an appearance at the World Affairs Council. According to their mission statement, they are the “largest non-partisan network of local councils dedicated to educating.”
At this particular event, Eckert talked about corporate responsibility; something he knows a thing or two about as the CEO of the biggest toy company in the world and as a board member of both McDonald’s and Levi Strauss. As he interacted one on one with each member of the audience, he talked about corporations giving back and gave some examples of some advertising campaigns, including Nike’s “The Girl Effect” and Tide’s “Loads of Hope”ads. As a new board member of Levi’s, Eckert also mentioned how the company prints a message on their jeans tags to remind you not to wash your jeans too often in order to save water. Eckert believes that the younger generation will be the ones who truly understand this principle of giving back, not just to those close to them, but to the world as well.
Altruistic messages such as these are what young professionals and American youth alike need to internalize in order to make our world the best it can be. Television networks like MTV, who send less productive messages to America’s youth with shows like “16 and Pregnant” and “My Super Sweet Sixteen,” might want to take a note from what the World Affairs Council is trying to accomplish.
We got a chance to interview Bob at the event courtesy of the World Affairs Council Young Professionals Program. We even made him play with Barbie dolls!
Check it out:
