Protiviti’s New York office is in the process of chartering a Toastmasters group!
In the early 1900s, the word “Toastmaster” referred to a person who proposed toasts and introduced speakers at banquets. Ralph C. Smedley created the first group in 1924, so naming it to evoke both the power of that type of speaker and the pleasant, social atmosphere of the gatherings. Nearing its 90th anniversary, the organization now has 13,500 clubs and more than 280,000 members in 116 countries.
Notable members of Toastmasters include many notable Politicians (Governors, Senators, House Speakers, Naval and Press Secretaries), many CEOs, International Premiers, NBA coaches and athletes, Olympic athletes, late 60s Rock legends, famous authors, actors, directors, a Miss America, and Debbie Fields Rose – the founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies. Government agencies sponsor more than 280 Toastmasters clubs and almost 400 clubs are sponsored by major companies including Bank of America, IBM, GE, Lockheed Martin, Hewlett Packard, PricewaterhouseCoopers and HSBC.
Protiviti’s group has been started with the same goals as the Founder had in 1924. We hope that our meetings, in addition to helping consultants gain invaluable public speaking expertise, will be enjoyable social gatherings and excellent networking opportunities. Shawn Seasongood and Alex Cacanando, of Protiviti’s New York Office have both been members of Toastmasters clubs in the past and believe it helps foster leadership and communication skills immensely important in consulting. The group will be great opportunity for Protiviti employees with all levels of public speaking experience to get to know others in the office while increasing their marketability. We need more interested members before we can start the charter, so join now and spread the word!
