Regional member meeting hosted by Chipotle

The day-long meeting at Chipotle headquarters in Newport Beach, CA, ended with a tour of the company's test kitchen, where more than just menu items are created and tested.

Business case covers Chipotle's recovery and contributions from comms

Members meeting in person and via Zoom covered a wide range of issues during the first regional meeting of the year on Mar. 23, from AI/ChatGPT, to CEO transitions, to employee engagement, to a food safety crisis and a nuclear plant leak.

Some of them also sampled new desserts being developed in the test kitchen operated by Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Member Laurie Schalow hosted the session from Chipotle’s headquarters in Newport Beach, CA, with about 10 in person and 20 on Zoom. Afterwards, a handful toured the company’s Cultivate Center, which develops and tests everything from new appetizers and desserts to kitchen equipment and store furnishings.

During the meeting, Laurie shared a business case study she recently presented to Harvard MBA students about the company’s food safety crisis that began in 2015. She detailed how the fast-casual chain changed and improved food safety and communicated its commitment to customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders and other stakeholders. She joined the company as CCO in late 2017 and has led corporate affairs and food safety since 2020. In 2018, Brian Niccol succeeded founder Steve Ells as CEO, and the company's stock price has doubled since 2019.

More sticks than carrots in return-to-office tug of war

Compared to last year, companies with office-based employees are enforcing return-to-office policies or threatening to crack down on employees who do not meet the minimum days per week.

That’s the consensus among members who discussed employee engagement in a post-Covid world during the Southern California regional member meeting at Chipotle. Many companies are still in the encourage vs enforce camp, but members said executives are frustrated when they see a bunch of empty offices. Friday attendance, in particular, resembles a major holiday.

Relevant links:

https://www.resumebuilder.com/9-in-10-companies-will-require-employees-to-work-from-office-in-2023/

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/07/business/dealbook/remote-work-downturn.html

Comms war stories from the trenches

From a nuclear plant leak to employee protests to inquiries from investigative reporters, members joined an off-the-record, behind-the-scenes recounting of the strategies and actions companies took to avoid and minimize reputational damage.

The companies were counseled by Ian Campbell and Matt Reid from H/Advisors Abernathy, formerly known as Abernathy MacGregor. Ian is vice chair and founded the firm’s West Coast offices and Matt is managing director and head of the Los Angeles office.

Ian and Matt shared timelines and outcomes of several potential crises, from the radioactive leak discovered in nuclear plant monitoring wells to a cyber company that was hacked. They engaged with members on the pressures and risks companies face when taking positions on social or political issues, and they shared some best practices when dealing with investigative reporters, including:

• Don’t restrict interactions to email; talk to them on background, off the record, or on the record
• If you want to be quoted, be quotable
• 9 times out of 10, keep the CEO out of the story
• Don’t feed the story; let data tell you whether it will die on its own

Forum-Group’s first Five Timers Club member

Ian Campbell, vice chair of H/Advisors Abernathy, is the first guest speaker to have presented at five Forum-Group meetings. Rather than a smoking jacket à la the Saturday Night Live tradition (https://youtu.be/6bWGoWFMwKE), Forum-Group Pres. Ted Matthews presented Ian with something a bit more tasteful—a nice, local California Cabernet Sauvignon.

Forum-Group was formed in 2009 by combining the former VP Forum, Global Forum and Evanston Group chapters of chief communications officers. Ian was an Evanston Group member when he led comms at Great Western Financial from 1985 - 1997.

Ted was a member of the VP Forum for six years.

Lightning Round topics cover hot-button issues

Members compared notes on several issues:

• Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT
• CEO transition
• Disbanding the brand police, and
• How 2024 political discourse will impact comms

On ChatGPT, members shared examples of how they’re using it or experimenting with the technology. A more detailed member conversation on ChatGPT is scheduled for April 5 and includes guest speaker Paul Roetzer, who previously spoke about AI to members in 2019. (See ChatGPT’s ode to Coors Light below.)

Member Sarah Huoh discussed the upcoming CEO transition at Edwards Lifesciences, which has been led for 23 years by Michael Mussallem. He will be succeeded in May by Bernard Zovighian, who has been an executive at Edwards since 2015. She agreed with members that the company is a rare example of stable corporate leadership.

Another member shared her frustrations with being the “brand police” and having to say no when new logos created for teams and departments violate brand principles. Other members understood; they don’t like policing either. One member said the CEO was so irritated with defiled logo examples that he fired off a memo to all employees.

If you prefer, substitute your favorite light beverage

Shared by member Roberto Munoz:

As promised, here's ChatGPT’s answer to “Write a Shakespearean sonnet to Coors Light:”

My dearest Coors Light,

Thou art the fairest brew that doth exist,

A liquid gold that doth my heart enlist.

Thy frothy head, so pure and white as snow,

Doth lift my spirits high and make me glow.

Oh Coors Light, thou art a beauty rare,

A drink divine, beyond compare.

With every sip, my heart doth beat anew,

And every sip I take, I do love you.

Thou art the drink that doth my soul inspire,

A brew that sets my heart and soul afire.

For all eternity, my love will last,

And in thy gentle embrace, my heart is steadfast.

Oh Coors Light, my heart doth sing thy praise,

And in thy presence, I do feel amaze.

Thou art the drink that I hold dear,

And in thy taste, I find my heaven here.

Forever thine, my beloved Coors Light,

Thy love doth warm my heart and make it bright.

In thy gentle brew, I find my bliss,

And in thy embrace, I do find my eternal kiss.

Yours truly,

A devoted admirer

Forum-Group organized 29 meetings last year. This year will be similar. Join the conversation

If you're in a leadership role for a large company or nonprofit and want to join the discussion, reach out to Ted Matthews at ted@forum-groupllc.com for membership details.

Recent and upcoming member-only meetings

• Jan. 26, noon, recruiter Jim Delulio
• Jan. 27, noon, Free Agents call w/member Allyson Park at Yum! Brands
• Feb. 8, noon, New Edelman Trust Barometer findings, w/Chuck Kaiser from Edelman
• Feb. 24, noon, Free Agents
• March 8, noon, Global perspectives of reputation chiefs, w/Jason McGrath from Ipsos
• March 23, in-person meeting, Newport Beach, CA, hosted by Laurie Schalow at Chipotle
• March 31, noon, A Free Agent finds her passion and purpose, for Free Agents and all members
• April 5, noon, AI and ChatGPT, member experience and guest speaker Paul Roetzer
• April 20, Atlanta regional meeting hosted by Madeline Chadwick at Papa Johns, time TBA
• April 27, noon, Employee mental health, CDC-trained epidemiologist and public health physician Dr. Tista Ghosh
• April 28, noon, Free Agents