Chief Executive (U.S.) articles from September 2008

Chief Executive (U.S.) archives from September 2008

Fairness to whom?(EDITOR'S NOTE)(The World Is Curved)(Editorial)
September 1, 2008... In a new and clever appraisal of the evolving sociopolitical world, David M. Smick's book The World Is Curved: Hidden Dangers to the Global Economy offers an insight that is commonplace yet startling. "At the heart of today's globalized new...

Miller's true contribution.(FEED BACK)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... True to his servant leader management style, Steve Miller [CEO Watch, "Who You Gonna Call?" July/August] continues to be the humble, genuinely nice guy who understates the significance of his Delphi role that has been a template for saving the...

Global warming.(FEED BACK)
September 1, 2008... Editor's Note: In an Online column, "Time for Rational Solutions to Climate Change Is Overdue," Chief Executive posed a question prompted by Bjorn Lomborg, author of "The Skeptical Environmentalist:" Is it possible that both the seriousness and...

Palin's pipeline politicking.(CEO CHRONICLES)
September 1, 2008... Shortly before being named the GOP's vice presidential candidate, Alaska Governor Sarah Plain spoke with Chief Executive magazine in an interview. She said the country "is long overdue for a woman in the White House and for having more of a...

Quantifying risk.(IN box)
September 1, 2008... The Baghdad death risk is of the same order of magnitude as the risk faced by an average American while driving. But there are critical differences of exposure, understanding and dread. [GRAPHIC OMITTED]

Energizing Bosch.(CEO CHRONICLES)(Company overview)
September 1, 2008... Chances are good that there's a Robert Bosch GmbH product under the hood of whatever car you drive. Founded in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1886, today the $63 billion company supplies automakers worldwide with a host of components including gasoline...

An upside-down career path to the top.(CEO WATCH)(Marilyn Carlson Nelson)(Interview)
September 1, 2008... As chairman of Carlson, the $39.8 billion parent company of Radisson, Country Inns & Suites, Regent, Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) and T.G.I. Fridays, Marilyn Carlson Nelson caps a long but tumultuous career as head of one of the largest...

Smooth operator.(CEO CHRONICLES)
September 1, 2008... Ever wonder how long it should take to change the sheets on a bed? Ask Laurence Geller. The CEO of Strategic Hotels & Resorts fluffs a mean pillow--literally. To boost profits at the 20 properties his Chicago REIT owns or manages, Geller and...

INfact.(CEO CHRONICLES)
September 1, 2008... Information begins with facts, which can be assembled to identify trends. Put it all together to derive knowledge. Presenting Chief Executive's INfact. 1. Aggregate return of GE stock for the first seven years of Jack Welch's tenure as...

Thorns & roses.(NICLES CEO CHRO)
September 1, 2008... ROSE... It's rare when a consultant deserves a bouquet, but former Boeing directer of lean manufacturing JOHN R. BLACK deserves every petal for this gem from his recently published book, "Lean Production": "Hiring consultants to come to...

Rebound after a historic Fall.(CEO CONFIDENCE INDEX)(Survey)
September 1, 2008... THE CEO CONFIDENCE INDEX rose by over 10 percent in August, according to 292 top executives surveyed. The jump is linked to hope for improvement in future economic conditions. The current CEO Confidence Index stands at 92.6, the highest since...

Tech talent trends: where will tomorrow's engineers and scientists come from?(CHIEF CONCERN)
September 1, 2008... As CEO of a high-tech Silicon Valley company, this question is always top of mind and key to the continued success of our business. As a parent and active promoter of mathematics and science among children, it is equally important to the...

Understanding China: pride & policy; Pride in country, heritage, history, economic power and personal and social freedoms is a fundamental characteristic of China.(UNCOMMON WISDOM)(Column)
September 1, 2008... "You stupid American," my Chinese friend scolded me. "You insult China, and you offend me!" I was shocked, speechless. I had thought that what I had just said, in complete privacy on a remote hilltop outside of Beijing, would please this...

Gauging new media's impact: in terms of advertising dollars, new media and old media are still joined at the hip, but the tipping point between the two fast approaches.
September 1, 2008... When Tomas Owadenko planned a weekend getaway to the Provence region of France with his wife a few years back, he went to a logical source of information--the Internet. Looking for a place to stay, Owadenko browsed the usual travel...

How effective is your senior team? Creating and sustaining an effective leadership team is more critical than ever.(ROUND TABLE)
September 1, 2008... Today, CEOs rely on their senior teams--or sometimes several teams--more than ever. Thanks to an ever-more-complex operating environment, the challenges of competing in a global marketplace and a mind-boggling pace of change, the leadership...

Looking for growth in all the right places: a granular approach helps CEOs make sound choices about where to complete.(MANAGING COMPETITION)(Company overview)
September 1, 2008... What are the sources of corporate growth? If you take a middle-of-the-road view of markets, as many executives do, the answers may surprise you: averaging out the different growth rates in an industry's segments and sub-segments can produce a...

Failed strategies: what CEOs can learn from the billion dollar mistakes of others.(STRATEGY)
September 1, 2008... When Tom Watson Jr. was chief executive of IBM in the early 1960s, he summoned an executive to his office after the man lost $10 million in a venture. Watson asked the man, "Do you know why I called you here?" Knowing of Watson's legendary...

Over 70 percent fear an Obama presidency; It is clear job-creating business leaders chose McCain over Obama largely because his policies are seen as pro-growth, whereas Obama's policies are viewed as redistributive and anti-growth.(DEBATE OVER)(Barack Obama and John McCain)(Survey)
September 1, 2008... Job Creators Prefer McCain Four to One Over Obama Who do you support for president? McCain 80% Obama 20% Which candidate do you fear? McCain 14% Obama 69% Neither 12% Both 5% Source: Chief...

MBA makeover: has the business school curriculum sat so long on the shelf that it has passed its sell-by date?.(EDUCATION)
September 1, 2008... When the Carnegie and Ford Foundations unveiled their scathing critiques in 1959 of what was then the modern MBA degree, they made a serious impression on their intended audience. The top business schools scrambled to make the suggested changes...

Business and social contribution; How do you balance social responsibility and shareholder interests?(ROUNDTABLE)
September 1, 2008... In 1970, Milton Friedman argued strenuously that the social responsibility of business is, above all, to increase profits. In an article for The New York Times Magazine, he pointed out that without profit there are no wages paid and no...

The private M&A.: does the "private firm" discount exist?(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)
September 1, 2008... My parents are about to sell their company too cheap," an MBA student whose family owns a medical equipment distribution company on the Mascarene Islands once told me. "How can I help them better negotiate or find a better seller?" "I...

The Future of M&A: will regulatory pressure quell acquisitions?(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)
September 1, 2008... Mergers and acquisitions are, to say the least, big business, even in today's hard times. Deal flow in a slow second quarter still came close to $1 trillion on just under 9,000 deals worldwide. Those totals look paltry only in comparison to...

2008 Chief executive of the year.(CEO OF THE YEAR DINNER)
September 1, 2008... As Anne Mulcahy, CEO of Xerox, walked to the mezzanine balcony overlooking the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange to ring the closing bell one day in late July, a well wisher asked her what she thought of the occasion of her...

The past is prologue: stock option scoundrels find a haven on foreign shores.(FLIP SIDE)
September 1, 2008... Two years ago, Jacob Alexander, one-time chief executive of Comverse Technology, fled to Namibia rather than face charges that he conspired to backdate stock options. If convicted of all 35 counts, Alexander could get sent to the slammer for 25...

Silver lining in states' fiscal crisis.(EDITORIAL)
September 1, 2008... WE ARE CHEERED BY NEWS that some states plan to start privatizing more of their infrastructure. In an ironic recent broadcast, New York Governor David Paterson, facing ballooning deficits estimated to be as much as a staggering $26.5 billion...

President Pelosi.(Nancy Pelosi)(Editorial)
September 1, 2008... Forget Obama. Forget McCain. In a few weeks time Democrats are on track to gain a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, something that has not happened in 28 years. Ten Republican seats are in play this year, compared with just one...