MSCI’s Promise To You For 2023
“It’s a wonderful feeling to be a bridge to the past and to unite generations.” – Vin Scully
Like millions of Americans, I’ve been watching the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies face off in the World Series.
You don’t have to be an avid fan to enjoy the series. Baseball, with its colorful characters and legends, is still part of our common fabric. Vin Scully, the Dodgers announcer who died in August, was one of those legends. He united baseball fans. The Dodgers aren’t playing this November, but the U.S. election showed, we need more Vin Scullys — more people who help us understand one another even if we cheer for opposing teams.
In my last column, I offered three ways business leaders could unite our polarized society. As we head into a new year, I want to discuss how MSCI brings people together — and I wanted to invite you to see that work in action. MSCI will host its annual meeting in Washington, D.C. on June 22-23, 2023 in conjunction with the Steel Manufacturers Association. Stay tuned to your inboxes for more information, but we promise this gathering will make our community, and your company, stronger.
Now, how else does MSCI build up the industry metals community?
MSCI Fosters Collaborative Leadership
MSCI helps executives develop and hone the skills needed to be inclusive, collaborative leaders.
Battle Tested Leadership Principles offers access to senior retired military officers who have learned leadership lessons on the battlefield and applied those lessons in a business setting. And for 16 years, Strategic Metals Management (SMM) has prepared the next generation of industrial metals leaders. According to Chicago Tube & Iron Chair and CEO Donald McNeeley, SMM helps leaders “build a skillset to assimilate change in our industry at a more accelerated pace.” The 15th cohort of SMM begins in-person in January 2023.
MSCI also helps member companies foster talent. In May, we brought together more than 200 up-and-coming leaders for Forge Ahead, a free weekend of networking for millennials and Gen Zers. This summer, we launched our Forge Ahead Committee led by Niomi Thomas, carbon flat roll buyer at Central Steel & Wire, which will plan more events. If you have not heard about Forge Ahead, watch this video and read this post from Kloeckner Metals. Surveys indicate millions of employees are ready to jump ship. They would stay if their employer took a greater interest in developing their skills. Sending younger employees to Forge Ahead events in 2023 will show you’re invested in them.
MSCI Helps Companies Serve Their Communities
Our in-person conferences foster a sense of community. We just finished our annual Aluminum Products Division Conference and from January 23-25, 2023 we’ll bring together our Carbon, Specialty, and Tubular Divisions for our Steel Conference.
Two member companies opened their sites this fall to share best practices and new innovations with their industry colleagues. Eaton Steel Bar Company and Outokumpu welcomed MSCI member company executives and employees for mill trainings and tours. Their spirit of generosity is an example of how companies can work together to create jobs and foster economic development in our respective communities.
Our volunteer regional chapter leaders plan social outings, thought leadership seminars, and other events relevant to the communities they serve. These leaders are the driving force behind MSCI’s scholarship program. Over the last 18 years, MSCI chapters have awarded more than 4,700 scholarships totaling more than $10 million. This year, MSCI chapters awarded more than 350 scholarships worth more than $800,000 to the children of member company employees.
We also have an online scholarship fundraising tool. Come to our chapter scholarship fundraisers, but as we get ready to start the 2023-24 application process, spread the message about this online portal or make a donation.
MSCI Builds Emotional Intelligence
Our knowledge and learning program is unparalleled.
Through free one-hour weekly webinars, we share best practices about how to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion; sustain a safety first culture; and prepare for (and take advantage of!) the energy transition that’s happening all over the world. If you’ve missed any of these webinars, they’re available on demand here.
We also continue to offer in-person and virtual professional development opportunities. These sessions foster the development of emotional intelligence, resulting in better retention and employees who make more impactful contributions. And Dr. Jia Wang, professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development at Texas A&M University, provides monthly columns at Edge that share her knowledge on human resource development, crisis management, and emotional learning.
Our community is strong, but it can be stronger. Helen Keller said, “Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.” MSCI will be here to provide the leadership development opportunities, community building events, and education curriculum they need to build a stronger, more unified industrial metals industry.