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Mike Allen
Senior Counsel, Walmart Global Sourcing and Responsible Sourcing
Professional Background
Mike Allen is an accomplished attorney specializing in global sourcing, responsible sourcing, and regulatory compliance, boasting over 25 years of diverse legal experience spanning private practice, government, and corporate sectors. His extensive background allows him to bring a unique perspective to legal challenges and corporate compliance issues. At present, Mike serves as the Senior Counsel for Global Sourcing, Responsible Sourcing, and Global Responsibility at Walmart, where he plays a crucial role in guiding the company's compliance and sourcing strategies in an ethically responsible manner.
Mike has held numerous prestigious positions that have honed his expertise in regulatory matters. Prior to his current role, he served as the Senior Corporate Counsel at Nordstrom, where he focused on legal issues impacting retail and customer transactions. His career includes significant contributions to political operations as well, evidenced by his tenure as the Director of Voter Protection Operations at Obama for America, where he was instrumental in advocating for voter rights and ensuring compliance within electoral regulations.
His legal acumen is further solidified through his experiences in some of the nation’s most respected organizations, including Microsoft and Sprint. As a Senior Regulatory Attorney at both corporations, Mike was at the forefront of addressing complex compliance issues in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. From navigating telecommunications regulations at Sprint to tackling software compliance challenges at Microsoft, Mike's legal insights have been invaluable.
Additionally, Mike's experience extends into litigation and environmental law, where he began his legal career. He laid the groundwork at the U.S. Department of Justice as a Trial Attorney and later served as an Attorney Advisor for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). His foundational skills were further developed during his time as a litigation associate at K&L Gates, where he gained extensive courtroom experience and honed his litigation strategies.
Education and Achievements
Mike's educational background is as impressive as his professional journey. He earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the prestigious Georgetown University Law Center, a hub for legal excellence in the heart of Washington, D.C. This educational experience not only equipped him with a robust understanding of legal principles but also allowed him to network with other influencers who share a commitment to legal integrity and advocacy.
Prior to his law degree, Mike obtained a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Political Science and Government from Georgia State University, laying a strong foundation in understanding the legal and political systems. Furthermore, Mike's academic exploration into Civil Engineering at Georgia Tech highlights his technical background and analytical capabilities, which complement his legal expertise. This blend of political insight and engineering precision enriches his approach to compliance, regulation, and responsible sourcing.
Achievements
Throughout his career, Mike Allen has achieved numerous notable accomplishments that reflect his dedication to responsible sourcing practices and regulatory compliance. At Walmart, he leads initiatives that align with corporate sustainability goals, striving to create not only compliant but ethically responsible sourcing strategies. His legal guidance ensures that Walmart navigates the intricacies of global sourcing with a focus on environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
Notably, Mike's advocacy for voter rights during his tenure at Obama for America has left a lasting impact on electoral processes, showcasing his commitment to social justice and community engagement. His work has been recognized by peers and has contributed to enhancing voter protection efforts across the United States.
In the corporate sector, Mike's role in shaping compliance frameworks at Microsoft and Sprint has further solidified his reputation as a leader in regulatory matters. His knowledge of the intersection of technology and law has positioned him as a sought-after expert in navigating complex regulatory environments, particularly as they evolve against a backdrop of rapid technological advancement.
A continual contributor to the legal community, Mike Allen is not just a seasoned attorney but also a mentor and thought leader who is committed to sharing insights on best practices in compliance and responsible sourcing. His diverse legal experience and commitment to ethical standards have established him as a trusted advisor in the fields of global sourcing and regulatory law. Mike's journey reflects a harmonious blend of legal expertise, corporate responsibility, and community advocacy, making him an influential figure in the legal domain.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.