Latest news with #MichaelYoung
ABC News
6 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
Land and Environment Court dismisses Martins Creek Quarry expansion appeal
The Land and Environment Court has dismissed an appeal to expand a controversial hard rock quarry in the New South Wales Hunter Valley which residents hope will be the end of a decade-long fight. In 2022 resources company Daracon lodged plans to expand the Martins Creek Quarry, north-west of Newcastle, to allow it to extract more than a million tonnes of rock materials, like gravel, each year. It was expected the expansion would generate up to 160 truck movements a day through several Hunter Valley towns, including the historic Paterson village and Bolwarra. In February 2023, the NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC) refused the expansion finding it would have "unreasonable" and "unacceptable" impacts for communities on the haulage route. Daracon appealed the decision, arguing it would benefit the workforce and provide materials for local infrastructure projects in the construction and roads industries, but that appeal was knocked back again by the Land and Environment Court on Wednesday. In the court's judgement, Commissioner Peter Walsh and Acting Commissioner Michael Young said negative consequences of the project outweighed the positives. "The beneficial impacts of the [application] relate principally to the supply of the quarry's product for the construction sector and particularly for infrastructure projects of public significance," the commissioners said. "The negative consequences are particularly in relation to adverse traffic and pedestrian safety implications, and social and amenity-related impacts in the local area. The Martins Creek Quarry Action Group have lobbied against the expansion of the quarry for more than a decade. Its president, Luke Barker, told ABC Newcastle Drive the majority of the community would be "in high spirits" hearing the news. He said the main reason many in the community had been against expanding the quarry was due to safety concerns and the impact on small roads in the area. "It's fantastic that the commissioner has seen what that impact has been and what that impact would be for not only this current generation of people but the generations to come," Mr Barker said. "There's people moving through the township all the time, crossing roads between the post office, the chemist, the local eateries, the pubs, supermarket. "Then we have a very high tourism aspect. It's a great stopover spot for people coming through. "It's just the impacts on the community were just too much to bear." He said the group was not against the quarry remaining operational into the future at its current size and scope. In a statement a Daracon spokesperson told the ABC the company was disappointed by the IPC's decision. "For more than a decade Daracon has led a rigorous process of environmental studies and stakeholder engagement which has seen the application amended a multitude of times to create compromises, resulting in a recommendation for approval by the then-NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure in 2022," the spokesperson said. "It is disappointing that today's decision does not uphold that. The spokesperson said the company was disappointed it would not be able to supply construction materials from the site to local infrastructure projects. "We will now take time to assess the future of the quarry," the spokesperson said.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida Declares Quarterly Dividend on Common Stock
STUART, Fla., July 17, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida ("Seacoast" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: SBCF), announced that on July 17, 2025, the Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend to the holders of the Company's common stock of $0.18 per share, payable on September 30, 2025 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 15, 2025. Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida, through its wholly owned subsidiary Seacoast National Bank, is one of the largest community banks headquartered in Florida with approximately $15.7 billion in assets and $12.6 billion in deposits as of March 31, 2025. The Company provides integrated financial services including commercial and consumer banking, wealth management, and mortgage services to customers at 84 full-service branches across Florida, and through advanced mobile and online banking solutions. More information about the Company is available at View source version on Contacts Michael YoungTreasurer & Director of Corporate Development & Investor RelationsSeacoast Banking Corporation of Florida(727) 403-0451 Sign in to access your portfolio
ABC News
12-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
SA's Young family 'complete' after adopting two girls during Vietnam War
Ute Young was only expecting one baby from Vietnam when she arrived in Melbourne in the early hours of Christmas Eve in 1973 — instead, she was handed three. After two failed attempts and months of waiting to adopt a little girl into their family of four, the Youngs received a phone call at 11pm on December 23 at their home in Renmark, in South Australia. A baby rescued during the Vietnam War would be arriving for them at 5am the following day at Melbourne Airport, more than 700 kilometres away. "I was panicking. I was beside myself," Mrs Young recalled. But with help from a travel agent friend, Mrs Young and her eight-year-old son, Michael, made the frantic three-hour drive to Adelaide Airport before jumping on a plane to Melbourne to meet their newest family member. It was there she finally met her new daughter, eight-week-old Nguyen Thi Nheim, fondly known as Thi. However, once Mrs Young arrived at the holding location, she was asked to take not only her new daughter but also two other babies to Adelaide. "There was another baby for a Monash couple [in South Australia's Riverland], and another that wasn't very well that had to go through to Perth," she recalled. Adding to the chaos, when Mrs Young tried to book her return flight to South Australia, she was told it would be near impossible on Christmas Eve, with all the flights to Adelaide fully booked. "There were these two lovely-looking ladies sitting in the row waiting to board the plane … I plucked up the courage and said to them, 'Please, would you take these two babies to Adelaide?'," she said. The strangers agreed and boarded the flight, taking the two tiny war orphans with them. Later, as Mrs Young contemplated how she would get through the night camped with a new baby and her son as they waited for a flight, a Christmas miracle occurred. Mrs Young was taken aside by the checking agent and allowed to board a plane back to Adelaide with Michael and his new sister, Thi. They arrived home in Renmark in time to celebrate Christmas Day with Mrs Young's husband, Des, and their other son, Peter. The Youngs were one of many Australian families who adopted children from Vietnam during the war, which came to a brutal end in 1975 when North Vietnam captured Saigon in the south, following the withdrawal of the US and allied military forces. As the war ended, about 3,000 orphaned or displaced children were airlifted from Vietnam to multiple Western countries in an initiative known as Operation Babylift. So two years after Thi's arrival, this military rescue operation brought another daughter, six-year-old Tran, into the Youngs' home. Their family was now complete, with two little girls and their adored big brothers. Thi does not know a life before Australia. "Obviously I knew I was adopted, but growing up in a country town … I didn't feel any different to anybody," she said. Thi, who now lives in Adelaide and has two daughters of her own, Bella and Aeisha, says she has never struggled with her adoption history. "I know some people feel either upset or resentment that their parents didn't want them," she said. "I kind of look at it as my parents must have loved me very much to give up a child. "As a parent now, I don't know if I could do that." Now 52 and 56 respectively, Thi and Tran are still as close as they were growing up in regional Australia. "We have a great relationship. I know she's always there for me, I'm always there for her," Thi said. The Youngs celebrate important family occasions together whenever they can, but Christmas 2023 was particularly special — it marked 50 years to the day since Thi met her new family in Australia. Thi says her mother's bravery and generosity in making space in her family for two girls needing a home 50 years ago still inspires her. "It's an incredible thing to do," she said. Military history section curator at the Australian War Memorial Emily Hyles said the Vietnam War had been "long and bloody" with millions of people killed and displaced. She said families were desperately fleeing the fighting, food was scarce, and children were handed over to orphanages in the hope they would be cared for. "[Then US] president [Gerald] Ford decided that we really had to do something about all these poor children who were essentially unwanted and orphans," Ms Hyles said. "I think it was a really last-ditch effort to do something decent for these poor kids. "There were at least 100 children on each flight, and famously they were loaded in cardboard boxes." Ads were placed in newspapers asking Australian families who were interested in adoption to express their desire to give a home to a child from Vietnam. "War's haphazard. It's not organised, it's chaotic, and that would have been reflected in the way these poor kids were brought out." As for Thi, she says she is curious about what blood relatives she might have in Vietnam, but feels content with her life in Australia. "It would be great to know and it's also good for history reasons," she said.
Business Wire
08-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
DHL Global Forwarding Appoints Michael Young as CEO for the United States
DORAL, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist of DHL Group, is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Young as CEO for the United States, effective August 1, 2025. This appointment comes as Robert Reiter prepares to move on from his role as CEO. Michael Young currently serves as CEO of DHL Global Forwarding UK & Ireland and President of Global Motorsports. He has more than 30 years of experience within DHL Global Forwarding, having held senior commercial and leadership roles across the organization at the country, regional, and global levels. 'Michael's deep industry experience, people-first leadership style, and strategic mindset make him ideally suited to lead our U.S. operations into the next chapter of growth and innovation,' said Tim Robertson, CEO DHL Global Forwarding, Americas. 'His expertise in optimizing processes and enhancing customer relationships will be vital in achieving our Strategy 2030 goals including driving profitable growth, particularly in high-volume segments like eCommerce and SMEs.' In 2008, Michael was appointed Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing, where he played a pivotal role in transforming the sales organization and driving a customer-centric approach across the business. Since taking over as CEO for the UK and Ireland in 2016, he has guided the organization through significant macroeconomic challenges, including the Brexit transition, leaving behind a strong, future-ready business with a resilient growth outlook. In his concurrent role as President of Global Motorsports, he has been instrumental in strengthening DHL's long-standing partnership with Formula 1. Additionally, he serves as a trustee for the DHL Foundation in the UK, supporting underserved youth by helping them access meaningful employment opportunities. 'It's a great honor to take on this new role at such an exciting time for our business in the Americas,' said Michael Young. 'I look forward to working with our talented teams across the U.S. to continue delivering excellence for our customers, driving growth, and contributing to the broader strategic goals of DHL Global Forwarding.' Michael will be based in Atlanta, Ga, and report directly to Tim Robertson, CEO DHL Global Forwarding Americas.
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Meritocracy Myth: How MBA Admissions Reward Privilege, Not Potential
The term 'Meritocracy' was coined in 1958 by British sociologist Michael Young—not to praise the concept, but to satirize it. In his dystopian vision, society rewarded ability and effort, replacing aristocratic privilege with a system just as exclusionary, cloaked in the illusion of fairness. Before his death, Young warned that education had not become the equalizer many hoped for, but rather a divider—sorting people by wealth and access rather than raw talent. More than sixty years later, elite business school admissions reflect the very dangers Young warned about. MBA programs claim to reward drive, discipline, and merit. But in practice, they often reward access—disguising privilege as potential. Consider the cost of even applying. Application fees for top programs can reach $275 per school. The GMAT alone costs up to $300, not including standardized test prep materials or admissions coaching, which can run anywhere from $100 to over $20,000. Add in transcript requests, travel for visits and interviews, and time off work, and many qualified low-income applicants are priced out before they even hit 'Start Application.' These financial barriers are compounded by structural ones. Standardized tests—originally developed by eugenicists—have long favored wealthier, white test-takers. Recommendation letters remain deeply subjective and often reflect access to elite mentors more than actual ability. Many programs require several years of full-time professional experience—experience often gained through unpaid internships or early-career jobs only accessible to those with financial safety nets. Meanwhile, we continue to reward exclusivity. Students from the wealthiest families attend the most resourced high schools, which feed into selective undergraduate institutions. Those institutions invest more in and offer stronger career services, alumni networks, and internship pipelines—particularly into finance and consulting, industries heavily favored by MBA programs. Graduates of these schools build the kinds of resumes and recommendation letters admissions committees are looking for. But most low-income, first-generation students never enter that pipeline. The cost of attending Wharton's MBA program, for instance, is now more than $92,000 per year. The recent Senate bill proposal would cap federal graduate loans at $50,000 annually, leaving students to somehow find over $40,000 from other sources—not including living expenses. Even students who manage to 'beat the odds' in admissions face a funding cliff that locks them out of opportunity. The result? A system that claims to reward merit but functions as a finely tuned filter for wealth and access. This isn't meritocracy. It's aristocracy—with a rebrand. If corporate leaders are serious about building a workforce that reflects the full range of talent in our society, they can't afford to ignore these barriers. It's time to stop relying on admissions systems that systemically exclude those without privilege—and start building alternatives that recognize real ability. What Employers Can—and Must—Do Talent and drive exist in every school and zip code—but without removing barriers, we're not rewarding merit, we're rewarding the already wealthy. The American Dream hinges on the idea that hard work and ability lead to success, but today's system blocks millions from even getting on the track. Equity isn't politics—it's simply good business. Equity is removing barriers so that potential, not privilege, determines who rises. If business leaders truly believe in meritocracy, they must recognize that merit can't flourish without equity. Only by aligning opportunity with ability can we build the kind of workforce—and future—that meritocracy can ultimately promise. Help us widen the pipeline. Support Leadership Brainery in creating equitable pathways to graduate education. Donate today! Interested in engaging with us or have an idea for a future topic? Submit this brief form.
