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Executive search firms are now being asked to recruit a new breed of information officers to assist corporations address Sarbanes-Oxley compliance requirements and to compete more effectively overall in the age of Sarbanes-Oxley. Passed in response to major corporate scandals, The Sarbanes-Oxley act also known as Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002 has redefined the role of the company CIO. Many of the most progressive corporations have successfully embraced the evolution of the Chief Information Officer function from being narrowly focused on the day-to-day maintenance and support of a company’s information systems organization to a much broader leadership and management role on the company’s senior management team. Executive search firm Venerable Partners says that these forward thinking corporations have empowered their CIOs to become vital business partners in designing and executing the business strategy for their respective organizations. Chief Executives who have supported this evolution have undoubtedly experienced greater operational efficiencies, improved resource utilization, and better returns on their technology investments.

According to Donald Law, Managing Director of executive search firm Venerable Partners, “as a byproduct of this evolution, Chief Information Officers have now become intimately involved in all of the critical business processes that drive their companies. From supply chain management to production systems, from customer fulfillment to billing systems, from human resource management systems to compliance tracking, a corporation’s information systems organization has become inextricably linked to all significant business processes within their company.”

It is critical for Chief Executives to appreciate the significance of this linkage between an entity’s information systems organization and the critical business processes and safeguards required for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. According to executive search firm Venerable Partners, “because it is not practical for Chief Executives to understand the granular technical details of the technology solutions that support an organization’s business processes, the relationship between the CEO and his/her CIO has to be stronger than ever. As an executive search firm who partners with senior management, we have seen that CEOs are now coming to expect that their CIOs become the guarantors of the business processes implemented within their organizations.” However, in order to allow one’s CIO to become the guarantor of one’s organizational business processes, CEOs must recognize that they must now provide for a level of transparency that their CIOs may not have been privileged to in the past. Such open communication is critical to an organization’s ability to consistently satisfy the Sarbanes-Oxley requirements and mitigate unforeseen exposure to essential business processes.

As Chief Executives go about assessing the leadership strengths of their information officers and go about identifying senior information systems executives who present the capacities to truly become the guarantors of one’s business processes, executive search firm Venerable Partners recommends that CEOs (and their respective selection committees) work to identify information systems executives who present the following essential qualifications:

1. Exceptionally strong general business acumen along with an astute level of understanding of all critical business functions and their underlying processes.

2. Business process management skills, including an understanding of best practice process documentation procedures.

3. Demonstrated success serving as a key business partner across all major functional disciplines in delivering a comprehensive suite of information technology solutions designed to advance the needs of the business.

4. Prior exposure to Sarbanes-Oxley reporting and compliance requirements.

5. The interpersonal and leadership skills required to establish a trusted advisor relationship with the CEO.

6. Demonstrated experience as a senior leader of an information systems organization, including a thorough understanding of the enabling infrastructure, operations and applications solutions that underlie a world-class information systems organization.

7. Familiarity with the emerging information technologies that are impacting one’s particular industrial sector and driving the major architectural, econometric and customer-focused solutions.

Executive search firm Venerable Partners states that these are only general guidelines intended to provide a basis from which to begin an assessment of one’s leadership strengths within the office of the information officer. A company’s specific business challenges and external market forces will also dictate the ideal profile best suited to address an organization’s specific needs.

Donald Law of executive search firm Venerable Partners comments that “each client situation is unique” and that corporations should first engage one of the leading executive search firms to provide a comprehensive assessment of the leadership strengths and weakness within the office of the information officer prior to making any decisions regarding one’s personnel. By partnering with an executive search firm like Venerable Partners to provide this type of assessment, Law maintains that corporations will better mitigate compliance related risks and also help ensure that adequate succession planning initiatives are also in place within a corporation’s IT organization.

Donald Law of Venerable Partners maintains that executive search firms can provide a truly objective assessment and provide valuable recommendations.

Lives are shattered in an instant. Your loved one may be killed or maimed for life and the perpetrator is unrepentant. Yet, you are called to forgive! The first thoughts that may come to mind are: ‘why should I forgive this person for such a horrible, willful act of violence!’

Have you ever hurt someone, even unwittingly, by words spoken in haste? Those words may have been perceived as hurtful because they triggered some deeply buried pain from the past that you were not aware of. Weeks later you realize that every time you meet this friend, there is a cold gulf between you until eventually all communication stops … unless one of you opens up and gets down to the source. You’re the perpetrator; your friend has chosen to harbor unforgiveness. You feel the alienation; the other hurt, compounded by recurring thoughts of ‘how could a friend do this to me?’

The more thoughts of ‘poor me’ are entertained, the greater the hurt is magnified, and the more the seed of unforgiveness gets rooted. Now, let’s get a glimpse of how God views unforgiveness. To Him it is a sin, and all sin is in essence a rebellion against God! As a Christian, you are free from the bondage of sin. You only need to come to Him with a contrite heart, and all transgressions you have committed will be forgiven.

There are two spiritual laws at work: the law of the Holy Spirit and the law of sin and death, namely Satan. Paul had a hard time with it as well, recognizing that the more he wanted to obey God in all things, the more he would find himself doing what was evil! He discovered that the carnal mind is constantly in rebellion with God. (Rom. 7: 14-25) In other words, when your thoughts are more occupied with your physical and emotional needs than on God’s plan for your life, then you will feel the resulting tension.

When you think of sin, any act that grieves God, you think of what you have done to someone, something, or even your own body. Sin tends to come from a hurtful, bitter or selfish heart and manifests outward. Unforgiveness, on the other hand, is a conscious reaction to someone else’s sin. Your thoughts are in effect telling you that because of your suffering you have the right and power to curse the perpetrator. However, be aware that those are not God’s thoughts!

God’s Word says: “Bless them that persecute you: bless, and curse not.” It’s His job to do the punishing: “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom. 12: 14-21)

God loves all mankind; even the worst sinner, and it is His Love that draws the sinner to repentance. There are consequences to every sin. By forgiving evildoers, you are not acknowledging that they should not be punished. You are merely acknowledging that this Power belongs to God! Unforgiveness leads to bitterness, hatred, and eventually physical and emotional illnesses, like depression. Does that sound like a curse you would put on yourself?

The mob cursed Jesus at his trial, yelling at Pontius Pilate to crucify Him. Jesus forgave them from the cross! (Luke 23: 21; 34)
After the power of the Holy Spirit came on the disciples and Peter addressed the crowd and accused them of having denied Jesus and sent Him to the cross, he also acknowledged that they had done it in ignorance! (Acts. 3: 13-17) Did ignorance mean innocence, because they did not realize what they had done?

Ignorance of God’s Word leads to acting on the thoughts planted by the evil one. Just as Peter told the crowd, there is a way out of even the worst sin. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Peter acknowledged God’s Love and Forgiveness to those who had cursed Jesus, telling them: “Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3: 19; 26)

Thus, walk in freedom and receive of all the blessings God has for you!. “Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head; they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. I even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shoudst be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass” “But I am the Lord thy God” “And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand.” (Isa. 51: 11,12, 15-16)

The scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have predicted that average global temperatures are likely to increase by 2 to 11.5 °F by the year 2100.

Likely effects of higher temperatures:

Some of the likely effects of global warming are as follows.

- Smoggy days and extreme weather conditions

- Melting glaciers

- Increased sea levels with possible flooding

- Intense hurricanes like Katrina

- Extinction of some species

- Imbalance in ecosystem

- Droughts or shortage of water resources

- Increased illnesses and related deaths

- Increased migrations and conflicts between regions or nations

Greenhouse gases:

Greenhouse gases are the gases that trap the heat in the atmosphere thereby causing a warmer earth or global warming. While some greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere, certain human activities cause to increase them to higher levels. The principal greenhouse gases that cause global warming or climate change are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. Carbon dioxide is the major component of the greenhouse gases and deserves the most attention.

Carbon Dioxide: We use fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas to produce electricity, run our factories, manufacture products, heat our homes, and run our cars. When fossil fuels containing carbon are burnt, carbon dioxide is formed thereby increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

We all know that trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. Thus, trees are very beneficial to mankind in maintaining a balanced atmosphere. Unfortunately, deforestation is another major cause for increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

Americans produce about 25 percent of the carbon dioxide pollution from fossil fuel burning even though we make up just 4 percent of the world population. Ours being the most advanced country, we need to take lead even in controlling and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions.

What can I do?

How can an individual reduce greenhouse gases? Well, it is not difficult. You can list out your daily normal activities and analyze to see if you can do something different to reduce consumption of oil, natural gas, electricity and/or water. The energy saving ideas can be relating to cars, appliances, lighting, home heating & cooling, water heating, etc. Planting trees is also a great way to reduce greenhouse gases.

In addition to the above, recycling is one area that would help in a significant way in reducing the greenhouse gases. Items that can be recycled include cans, bottles, plastic bags, paper, cell phones, printer cartridges, etc. By recycling, you send less trash to the landfills and help to save natural resources like oil, gas, trees, aluminum, plastics, etc. Printer cartridges are one area where we can put the cartridges to recycling to reduce the greenhouse gases while saving money.

Printer cartridges:

A decade ago there were some predictions that there would be less usage of paper ultimately leading to a paperless society. Contrary to those predictions, computers, printers, fax machines and other information technologies have created an increased demand for paper for printing photos, recipes, school work, web content, etc.

Most of ink cartridges and toner cartridges that we use for printing can be recycled and put to use again. The recycled (or remanufactured) cartridges cost less and perform just as well as OEM cartridges. The savings to the consumers can be up to 50% or more.

Effects on environment:

More than a million empty cartridges are thrown away every day into trash. The environmental impact of throwing away about 400 million cartridges in a year is substantial. The approximate breakup is 280 million inkjet cartridges and 120 million toner cartridges. These cartridges contribute to about 400 million pounds of solid waste to our landfills.

The printer cartridges contain plastic, metal, rubber, etc. The plastics are non biodegradable and may take up to 1000 years to decompose while other materials may take hundreds of years. Additionally, each inkjet cartridge requires two and half ounces of oil and each toner cartridge requires 3 quarts of oil to manufacture them.

While the above figures are estimates, we can get a reasonably good idea about the need to save our precious natural resources and to reduce greenhouse gases.

We can make the difference:

If we can recycle just 10% more printer cartridges, 40 million less cartridges will go to landfills. The greenhouse gas emissions will be less by about 100 million pounds which is equivalent to taking 20,000 cars off the road for one year. Act now and help to reduce greenhouse gases. Let us make our planet a wonderful place to live, not only for us but for all future generations.

Dinan Cars, an automotive company in the United States known for designing and manufacturing aftermarket performance parts for BMW vehicles, recently announced the availability of new BMW 328 Coupe and Sedan components. The company not only produces aftermarket parts for BMW vehicles but also for the MINI brand. The said company is based in Morgan Hill, California and is also known for designing and building BMW racing engines for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype class. Its products are sold through a marketing network composed of different BMW dealerships and other independent auto shops across the United States.

The BMW 328 is under the 3 Series that was redesigned by the German car manufacturer last year. For this car model, Dinan Cars announced the availability of the Ram-Air Intake Assembly although this would only be for the sedan version. The company stated that they used the ram air effect to give the air intake assembly better access to air. The said component scoops up air from the area close to the brake duct. This is in addition to the already existing air duct. The air flow from both of these components gives the engine more air. The use of this component can improve the torque and horsepower output of an engine.

The responsiveness of the engine to the demand of the driver is also increased giving extra power when it is needed. The aftermarket part is composed of an aluminum “air scoop”, a silicone hose, and an air-box duct. Tests have shown that this aftermarket performance part can increase power output by as much as 7 horsepower and 6 lb-ft of torque at 6600 revs per minute.

Another for sedan only aftermarket part that was announced to be available by Dinan Cars is the Free Flow Exhaust. The said component is designed to reduce back pressure. For performance enthusiasts, back pressure is considered a bad thing since it reduces the power output of an engine. It is generated by an exhaust system with many twists and bends. Although laws have been passed to increase back pressure to eliminate loud noise, the Free Flow Exhaust uses design technology which reduces backpressure but at the same time keeps the engine noise to a minimum level.

The exhaust part is made out of 100 percent stainless steel. This means that the component can resist corrosion for a considerably long time. The aftermarket part is also designed to fit the factory hangers and its connection with the exhaust manifold. Dinan Cars announced that this same exhaust will be available for BMW 328 coupes shortly.

Another product available from Dinan Cars is the Strut Tower Brace for both the coupe and the sedan version of the BMW 328. The strut bar is a suspension system component used to complement MacPherson struts. The said component provides better strength to the strut towers. According to Dinan Cars, the new strut tower brace they have designed will “help to maintain the structural integrity of the towers over the life of the vehicle as well as providing sharper handling by reducing flex under harder cornering conditions.” This gives better ride comfort to the already smooth driving BMW 328. The aftermarket part is precision engineered to fit the strut tower reinforcements. This ensures that the aftermarket part will perfectly complement the stock components used on the coupe and sedan.

The strut tower brace is recommended by Dinan to be used with another product they have designed and produced and is now available in the market. The Stage 1 Suspension system for both coupe and sedan is composed of a Dinan Performance Springs, Koni Strut and rear shocks, and bumpstops. The suspension assembly increase road grip of the tires and also reduces body roll. The assembly also lowers the car giving it a truly performance car look.

Dinan Cars is one of the leading manufacturers of BMW aftermarket parts such as BMW belts, body kit, and other accessories. With a long standing agreement with BMW dealers which allows Dinan-modified vehicles to retain the factory warranty. Usually, the warranty that comes along with a vehicle is immediately lost after a modification has been made to the vehicle. This shows how Dinan Cars has created a name for itself in the United States auto industry.

Historically, it has not been uncommon to find societies that have
advocated having a lifestyle with multiple sexual partners. Furthermore
both royalty and nobility in many cultures had consorts and concubines.
Ancient Rome has been notable (if not infamous) for its enthusiastic
acceptance of orgies and alternative sexual practices. However, though
contemporary swingers celebrate those ideals, the actual practice of
swinging in the 20th century began differently.

According to Terry Gould’s The Lifestyle: A Look at the Erotic Rites of
Swingers, swinging began among U.S. Air Force pilots and their wives
during World War II. In this small community, the mortality rate among
pilots was significantly high. Gould reports that a close bond between
pilots arose, with the implication that the husbands would protect and
care for all the wives as their own, both emotionally and sexually, if
the husbands were away or lost.
This historical narrative is debatable, however, since it would have
been highly unusual for servicemen’s wives to accompany them on any
foreign tours of duty. Other sources point to American Air Force pilots
stationed in the California desert as the original participants in modern
swinging. Though the exact beginnings are not agreed upon, it is widely
assumed that swinging began amongst American military communities in
the 1950s.

By the time the Korean War ended, these groups had spread from the
bases to the nearby suburbs. The media picked up on them in 1957 and
promptly dubbed the phenomenon “wife-swapping.”

It wasn’t until the 1960s in Berkeley, California that the first
organization, “Sexual Freedom League”, for swingers was opened. Ultimately,
an umbrella organization called the North American Swing Club
Association (NASCA) (now NASCA International) was formed to encourage accurate
information about swinging lifestyles all across America.

Some subjective scientific research into swinging has been conducted in
the USA since the late 1960s. The most recent study, based on an
Internet questionnaire addressed to visitors of lifestyle-related sites,
found swingers are happier in their relationships than the norm.

60% Of swingers said that swinging improved their relationship and only
1.7% said it made their relationship less happy. Half of those who
rated their relationship very happy before becoming swingers maintained it
had become even happier.

90% Of those with less happy relationships said swinging improved them.
Almost 70% of swingers claimed no problem with controlling jealousy,
around a quarter admitted “I have difficulty controlling jealousy when
swinging” to be somewhat true but only 6% said this was “Yes, Very Much”
true.

Swingers rate themselves happier (59% against 32% very happy) and their
lives much more exciting (76% against 54% exciting) than does the rest
of the population, by surprisingly large margins.

There was no difference between the responses of men and women,
although more males (70%) than females completed the survey.

This study, while enlightening, is of limited accuracy of the swinging
population as a whole, due to its self-selected sampling technique.
Internet-based sampling procedures create a substantial potential for
bias. It is likely that those swinging couples who had stronger
relationships were more motivated to complete the questionnaire. Alternatively,
the stress that swinging may place on a marriage means that only those
with higher than average levels of commitment to their partners are able
to remain married whilst swinging. Couples that have jealousy or strife
issues caused by swinging will not usually stay in the swinging
lifestyle and thus would have been unlikely to respond.

ABC News reporter John Stossel produced an investigative report into
the lifestyle. Stossel reported that over 4 million people are swingers,
according to estimates by the Kinsey Institute and other researchers.
He also cited Terry Gould’s research, in which Gould concluded that
“couples swing in order to not cheat on their partners.” When Stossel asked
swinging couples whether they worry that their spouse will “find they
like someone else better”, one male interviewee replied, “People in the
swinging community swing for a reason. They don’t swing to go out and
find a new wife;” while a woman interviewee asserted, “It makes women
more confident — that they are the ones in charge.” Stossel interviewed
12 marriage counselors about the lifestyle. According to Stossel, “not
one of them said don’t do it”, though some also said “getting sexual
thrills outside of marriage can threaten a marriage”. Nevertheless, the
swingers whom Stossel interviewed claimed that “their marriages are
stronger because they don’t have affairs and they don’t lie to each other.

There are hundreds of different weight loss programs that are being promoted on the internet, on TV, and in magazines. Most of them involve omitting certain foods or eliminating food groups from your diet. These so called ‘FAD’ Diets can be seen in many different forms; Low-Fat, Low Carb, or high protein diets. These fad diets lack major nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that our bodies need every day. They can be missing those important antioxidants that our bodies need in order to fight against disease. You can develop many serious health problems in your lifetime by not receiving the proper amounts of nutrients in your diet.

It is also important to recognize that there are some fad diets out there that focus on a particular food or group (the grapefruit diet, the protein diet). For these types of diets, the proportions are completely skewed. They are either way above or far below the recommended daily amounts by major health organizations. Some other fad diets like to play the blame game on body hormones. They like to suggest that food can alter one’s body chemistry.

Whatever diet you are looking at, they all have one thing in common; what they are offering is only a temporary solution for weight loss. Once you stop the diet, you will regain the weight back quickly. These diets do not teach you how to eat properly.

HOW TO SPOT A FAD DIET

Many Fad diets have the same characteristics. These include: promises a quick fix for weight loss, dire warnings of danger from a product or regimen, lists of good verse bad foods, and elimination of one or more of the five food groups. You need to be careful of diets that do not have any evidence based studies, especially if there are no reviews by other researchers or they ignore differences between groups.

The best way to lose weight is through a lifestyle change that includes eating a proper diet with correct portions as well as regular exercise. Most people who dedicate themselves to a lifestyle change will tend to lose weight and keep it off. People who want to follow the Fad diets will continue to have ups and downs and problems with weight their entire life. Also, not to forget to mention health problems from depriving their bodies from the good nutrients that it needs on a daily basis.

The DaimlerChrysler AG said Monday that it will sell 80.1 percent of its American luxury arm Chrysler Group to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP for $7.4 billion. The deal is aimed at unwinding a troubled 1998 merger that was primarily intended to create a global auto leader.

The lucky suitor
Cerberus, one of the world’s leading private-equity firms, has been a prime suitor of Chrysler since the company was up for sale in mid-February. The bid by Cerberus was buoyed by the hiring of Bernhard, who helped lead Chrysler’s last comeback during his tenure as chief operating officer from 2001 to 2004.

Bernhard has been joined on the Cerberus team by other auto-industry experts like the former Ford Motor Co. marketing executive Robert Rewey. In addition, Cerberus is said to be working closely with research firm J.D. Power and Associates and its senior vice president Gary Dilts, who previously headed Chrysler’s sales staff.

Analysts had previously seen Magna as most potent suitor because of its industrial experience and Stronach’s ambitions to be a major player in the global auto industry. “The charm of Magna’s bid was that he was someone with a strong vision,” said Christoph Stürmer, a Frankfurt-based analyst for the consulting firm Global Insight. “Now he’s kind of backing off.” Magna is said to have harmed its chances to purchase Chrysler with its surprising announcement this week of an equity tie-up with tycoon Oleg Deripaska.

The divorce
The fast-paced reversal of the $36 billion takeover of Chrysler by DCX that tried to set the mold for global automotive manufacturers is as swift as Chilton. It also represents a huge bet for Cerberus, which has agreed to take on billions of dollars in pension and retiree health care costs at Chrysler.

“We’re confident that we’ve found the solution that will create the greatest overall value, both for Daimler and Chrysler,” said Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche, who oversaw Chrysler before becoming the DCX CEO last year. “With this transaction, we have created the right conditions for a new start for Chrysler and Daimler,” he continued.

DCX shareholders have reacted confidently - sending DaimlerChrysler’s shares up over seven percent after the deal was announced. Zetsche added that the two companies would still work together, particularly on existing conventional and alternative drive systems, purchasing, sales and financial services outside North America.

“We very much look forward to our continued cooperation as business partners, as we want to continue to reap the mutual benefits of working together,” Zetsche said. “That’s one of the reasons why we’re retaining a 19.9 percent equity position in Chrysler,” he furthermore added. DCX said that the deal is likely to be complete by the third quarter and that it would reduce its overall profit by as much as $5.4 billion for 2007.

The German automaker noted that shareholders must approve changing the company’s name to Daimler AG. A vote will likely be scheduled this fall. DCX also said that an affiliate of Cerberus will hold the majority of a new Chrysler Holding LLC, while the company will retain a 19.9 percent stake. Chrysler will keep its heavy obligations for pensions and health care costs, the main issue complicating DCX’s effort to sell the division.

The thought of a sale to a private equity firm had bothered unions in the United States because of the firms’ propensity to cut costs and jobs. But the United Auto Workers (UAW) President Ron Gettelfinger called it the best choice. Private equity firms usually use money provided by pension funds and evade funds and wealthy private investors to acquire public companies or its parts and take them private. In addition, they reorganize and later sell the company at a profit.

Foreseen aftermath
“The transaction with Cerberus is in the best interests of our UAW members, the Chrysler Group and Daimler. We are pleased that this decision has been made,” he said. That was a shift from earlier this year, when Gettelfinger warned that a private equity purchaser would “strip and flip” the company by selling it off in parts. On Monday, Gettelfinger said he was told by Zetsche and Chrysler President Tom LaSorda that keeping it part of the wider company was no longer an option.

“Furthermore the process of selecting the preferred investor for the Chrysler Group was fully explained,” Gettelfinger said. “We are satisfied now that the decision has been made so that our membership and management can focus on designing, engineering and manufacturing the finest quality products for the future success of the Chrysler Group.”

Canadian Auto Workers president Buzz Hargrove said he was assured that the collective bargaining agreement with Chrysler would be honored and that no jobs would be eliminated. Analysts in the industry said last week that Magna International founder and Chairman Frank Stronach was the likely leading bidder for Chrysler. Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian, who tried to take control of Chrysler in the 1990s, also has said he would make a bid, but it was apparently spurned.

As Chrysler’s stock price continued to dishearten, Zetsche announced last Feb. 14 that all options were open for Chrysler, which lost $1.5 billion in 2006 and is recuperating will eventually shed 13,000 jobs.

A sign of growing confidence
The Cerberus Chairman John W. Snow said the deal was a sign of faith in Chrysler, an iconic American brand and third-largest U.S. carmaker behind General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. Snow, the former U.S. treasury secretary, was named chairman of the firm last October. Former Vice President Dan Quayle is also an adviser.

David W. Thursfield, who used to run Ford in Europe, is a senior member of the operations team in Cerberus’ automotive and industrial practice. And Wolfgang Bernhard, the former Chrysler CEO, is a newcomer to Cerberus. “We welcome Chrysler into the Cerberus family of companies and believe Cerberus will be a good home for Chrysler,” he said in a statement. “Most importantly, we believe in Chrysler.”

In 2006, GM sold a majority stake in its General Motors Acceptance Corp. financing arm to a consortium of investors led by Cerberus for about $14 billion. Analysts said that purchasing a large stake in Chrysler would let Cerberus combine GMAC operations with Chrysler Financial.

In December, Cerberus was part of a consortium of investors that said it would invest $3.4 billion in the ailing auto parts giant Delphi Corp. in exchange for new shares of Delphi stock as it surfaced from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

There are a number of ways to find the best in recreational vehicle values for your dollar. You want to save money and time when you purchase or rent a recreational vehicle, so checking out a variety of sources before you go shopping is a great way to get prepared. Discover what you are looking for and learn a little bit about the different companies that offer recreational vehicle sales or rentals. Check catalogues and magazines, as well as web sites, for information on the type of recreational vehicle you would like to buy or rent and price them out comparatively.

For the best recreational vehicle values, you may want to consider shopping for a used RV. You can usually find great deals at auctions that will enable you to experience the style and comfort of a recreational vehicle but still get great recreational vehicle values and great price cuts. Ensuring that the used vehicle is still in great working order can be difficult, but most sellers offer complete disclosure on their product if it means that it gets them closer to a sale. This type of seller’s relationship is good to foster if you will be looking to resell the vehicle in the future.

If used recreational vehicle values are not your cup of tea, you will want a new recreational vehicle. For this, it is recommended that you check out some of the more professional dealerships in your area. There are a variety of successful dealers that offer great prices on new RVs. The best way to become acquainted with these places is to shop around and tour the lots, investigate the RVs, and talk to the salespeople without being pushed into a sale you do not want. This requires you to be patient and curious without being intimidated by possibly pushing salespeople.

Finding the Needle in the Haystack

For the most part, finding a great recreational vehicle sale is going to be complicated. This is because the business is very lucrative and involves a lot of variables to what forms the prices. The costs can vary in terms of operating your own RV, so finding a dealer that consistently offers great recreational vehicle values can be a complicated and confusing matter. It is important to trust your instincts in these matters, however, and to make sure that you end up with a product that you want and that feels right for you and your family.