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☆ The 5 best leadership books I read this year — and what they taught me about running a company
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( David Siegel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

For a roadmap for effective, kind leadership and smart decision-making, he shares 5 book recommendations. Publishing a leadership book gave me a newfound perspective on the genre. Here are the top five leadership books I read in 2022 and why I found each one particularly enriching. After reading The Promise of a Pencil, I learned how seemingly small acts can make a world of difference in communities. For anyone considering executive coaching or looking to find a coach, this book is a must-read.

☆ Premarket stocks: Jay Powell's dream of the 90s is dead
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The robust jobs market is good news for American workers, but concerning for the Federal Reserve and equity bulls alike. “To be clear, strong wage growth is a good thing,” Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said at the Brookings Institution on Wednesday. “But for wage growth to be sustainable, it needs to be consistent with 2% inflation.” The year-over-year wage growth rate increased to 5.1% in November, more than double that goal. Getting back to a sustainable level of wage growth and tamping inflation will require reducing demand for labor. The dream is over: For the past year, Powell has advanced the optimistic idea that wage growth could be lowered without slowing the economy into recession.

CNN —Both the defense and prosecution in the Los Angeles sexual assault trial against former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein concluded closing arguments Thursday, bringing the weekslong trial one step closer to jury deliberations. A rebuttal from prosecutors to the defense attorney’s closing remarks is expected to begin Friday morning. Jurors heard from about 50 witnesses, including four accusers who were identified in court as Jane Does due to the nature of their allegations. Those alleged incidents are not being charged as part of this case because they happened outside of Los Angeles County. Midway through the trial, four of the original 11 charges against Weinstein tied to a fifth Jane Doe were dropped without explanation.

☆ Premarket stocks: Wall Street bonus outlook is grim
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN Business —Ferragamo belt-buckles are being tightened across Wall Street as bankers prepare for a gloomy bonus season. “This is a canary in the coalmine for the economy, if the canary dies that’s not good for anybody,” said Johnson. In recent years, Amazon has gradually been growing its footprint in the health care sector. Earlier this year, Amazon agreed to acquire One Medical, a membership-based primary care service, for $3.9 billion. The big picture: Amazon isn’t the only Big Tech company attempting to cash-in on a chunk of the health care industry.

☆ Wall Street bonuses predicted to fall as much as 45% amid a drought in dealmaking. Here's who will get hit the hardest.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Emmalyse Brownstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The dramatic decline follows bumper bonuses in 2021, which resulted in record pay. Last year was especially bountiful, thanks to record M&A and IPO dealmaking, which led to bonuses not seen since before the Great Recession. But this year, compensation consulting firm Johnson Associates predicts, bonuses will drop by as much as 45% amid a drought in Wall Street's main business of IPOs and M&A. Meanwhile, those in advisory positions of investment banks won't be as scathed as their underwriter colleagues — the analysis predicts bonuses down 15% to 20%. The analysis predicts their awards could be 15% to 20% more than last year.

Nestle and P&G both raised prices by less than 9.5% in the same period, having roughly matched one another since mid-2021. Unilever said price rises vary by category and market and not all consumers were experiencing the 12.5% hikes. Unilever has high exposure to regions and countries with high inflation including Latin America, Turkey and Russia, while P&G is more U.S.-focused, Bernstein analyst Bruno Monteyne said. "These countries have high inflation, linked to weak foreign exchange. "We are still absorbing significant cost, which has led to a notable decline in our gross profit margin," a Nestle spokesperson said.

☆ Alan Jackson honored with CMA’s lifetime achievement award
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Alan Jackson was presented with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 56th Annual Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday. “And I love the lyrics and the songs and the artists and the melodies and the harmonies. The good and the bad, the happy and the sad. We’ve survived a lot.”The Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes artists who have contributed to country music in a significant way and have positively impacted the music genre. Jackson has also been named CMA entertainer of the year three times.

☆ CMA Awards 2022: See the full list of winners
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Country music threw a party on Wednesday night as the CMA Awards were presented. First-time nominee Lainey Wilson topped the list of nominees going into the show and ended the night with major wins, including new artist of the year and female vocalist of the year. The emotional Wilson declared in one acceptance speech: “I know I’m new to a lot of folks, but I won’t let y’all all down. I promise you.”Luke Combs also had a big night, taking the stage both as a performer and winner. Other performers included Kelly Clarkson, who performed with Kelsea Ballerini and Carly Pearce, and Luke Bryan, who pulled double duty as host alongside Peyton Manning.

☆ Qantas' CEO succession planning in good shape, chairman says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Jamie Freed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Qantas Airways Ltd's (QAN.AX) CEO succession planning is in good shape even though long-serving boss Alan Joyce is expected to stay until at least the end of 2023, the airline's chairman said on Friday. "The board looks at succession each year at almost every meeting, but specifically twice a year," Chairman Richard Goyder told shareholders at the company's annual meeting in Sydney. "The board feels we are in good shape for CEO succession as and when that will occur." Goyder said the airline had strong internal candidates to succeed Joyce, though it would also canvass the external market when needed. The leading internal candidates include chief financial officer Vanessa Hudson, loyalty division head Olivia Wirth and new Jetstar head Stephanie Tully, according to analysts.

☆ Unilever raises guidance but is downbeat on Europe, China consumer sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Unilever on Thursday gave a dire assessment of consumer sentiment in Europe and China, two of its key markets, but raised its full year sales forecast as it lifted prices to counter soaring costs. Shoppers around the world paid 12.5% more for Unilever products in the quarter - a record price hike for the company - with sales volumes declining 1.6%. "Consumer sentiment in Europe is at an all time low," Chief Financial Officer Graeme Pitkethly told reporters, warning of fears of a "confluence of events" in Europe with energy prices and inflation rising and consumers' savings waning. "Both the premium segments of the market and the value segments of the market are actually growing quite quickly, at an equivalent rate," Pitkethly told journalists. In China, Unilever's third biggest market that has been doubling down on Covid-19 lockdowns, sales grew by 1%.

☆ We're seeing weakening consumer sentiment in Europe and China: Unilever CEO
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWe're seeing weakening consumer sentiment in Europe and China: Unilever CEOAlan Jope discusses the company's latest earnings and says global economic conditions aren't improving.

☆ New York City's pay-transparency law is coming. Wall Street's big paydays will stay secret, but other changes could shake up finance.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Danielle Walker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

With so much Wall Street pay linked to bonuses, the law has less bite for financial-services firms. A new salary-transparency law is about to take effect in New York City, the nation's financial capital. Will law firms take advantage of the ambiguities of the law?" "I think banks have unique problems because they have so many administrative employees. 'No way to post bonuses up front'In April, the group and chambers of commerce for the city's five boroughs sent a joint letter to the New York City Council.

Along with other consumer goods companies, Unilever has faced a surge in labor, freight and ingredients costs. Billionaire Peltz in recent weeks met two possible contenders to replace Jope, one of the sources said. FLORIDA TALKSEven before Jope announced his departure, Peltz met with a former consumer goods CEO in Florida, one of the sources said. In the last month, Peltz and his team also approached another former consumer packaged goods CEO about the Unilever job, the source said. Peltz supports Unilever's sustainability strategy, including a plan to decarbonize the company's business units, Unilever has said.

☆ Qantas shares surge as it forecasts stronger-than-expected first-half profit
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Jamie Freed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Qantas expects to report first-half underlying earnings before tax of between A$1.2 billion ($753.12 million) and A$1.3 billion, up from a similar-sized loss the prior year. "We now expect it to be a very strong profit," Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce told reporters of the first half. He declined to provide an outlook for the second half beyond noting that international ticket prices were expected to moderate as Qantas and rivals added capacity. Qantas has traditionally reported stronger profits in the first half than the second half because of seasonal effects and it also faces rising economic headwinds and a higher fuel price. Joyce said inflation and interest rate increases had not yet dented travel demand and higher fares were allowing it to recover the increased cost of fuel.

☆ Qantas shareholders take cautiously to the skies
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Oct 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Shareholders have become accustomed to bad news from airlines. So it’s only fitting that Qantas Airways’ (QAN.AX)prediction on Thursday of bumper earnings prompted a somewhat muted response. The $6 billion Australian carrier reckons its underlying pretax profit for the six months to the end of December will be between A$1.2 billion and A$1.3 billion ($753 million and $815 million). But it implies investors are factoring in just A$130 million of additional earnings on an annual basis, after applying the stock’s almost 10 times forward earnings multiple and assuming a constant tax rate. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Australia's Qantas forecasts return to first-half profit as conditions improve
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Jamie Freed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The airline said on Thursday it expected to swing to a first-half underlying profit of between A$1.2 billion ($753.12 million) and A$1.3 billion, up from a similar-sized loss the prior year. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"We now expect it to be a very strong profit," Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce told reporters of the first half. He declined to provide an outlook for the second half beyond noting that international ticket prices were expected to moderate as Qantas and rivals added capacity. Joyce said inflation and interest rate increases had not yet dented travel demand and higher fares were allowing it to recover the increased cost of fuel. Qantas, like domestic rival Virgin Australia and many other airlines globally, suffered from a rise in delays, cancellations, lost baggage and staffing issues this year as travel demand rebounded.

☆ Inflation has yet to peak, CFOs say, and recession is already here or soon to hit
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The CNBC CFO Council survey is a sample of the current outlook among top financial officers. More than a quarter of the CFOs say inflation is the biggest external risk factor facing their businesses. With persistent inflation, CFOs have shifted their view regarding the timing of a recession as a result of the Fed's rate hikes. Nineteen percent of CFOs now say they expect a recession in the fourth quarter of this year, up from 13% in Q2. The CNBC survey finds companies still in hiring mode, with 57% of CFOs saying they expect to add to headcount in the next year.

☆ Unilever is losing its CEO Alan Jope as the company finds itself at an inflection point. Insiders have questioned the massive reorganization and the entrenched 'too nice' culture he presided over.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Alex Bitter | Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Editor's note: On Sunday, Unilever said that CEO Alan Jope will retire at the end of 2023. It looks at some of the challenges that Jope and Unilever faced in streamlining its structure through the reorganization, including a culture that is 'too nice' at times. Two of the five divisions remain focused on food products, an area that CEO Jope said Unilever considered spinning off. One former Unilever executive pointed to Fernando Fernandez, who will assume the top job at the company's new beauty and wellbeing division. Fernandez has been Unilever's executive vice president for Latin America since 2019 and held other jobs with the company in the region before that.

☆ Unilever CEO to Retire Next Year After Rocky Tenure
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Peter Stiff | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON— Unilever PLC said Chief Executive Officer Alan Jope plans to retire at the end of next year, signaling an end to what has been a challenging tenure at the helm of the maker of Dove soap and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. The London-based consumer-goods giant said Monday that it would conduct a formal search for a successor and consider both internal and external candidates.

Unilever logo is displayed on Dove soap boxes in this illustration taken on January 17, 2022. Unilever's search begins at a time of soaring food and energy prices which are hitting household budgets and hurting consumer confidence. The move was met with disapproval from shareholders, some of whom also criticised Unilever for prioritising sustainability over core growth. "This may signal more welcome future change at Unilever," Tineke Frikee, fund manager at Unilever investor Waverton Asset Management, said. A Unilever spokesperson said the company is "fully committed to the organisational changes" and that Jope is "completely committed to delivering against that strategy."

☆ Unilever CEO Alan Jope to retire at end of 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterUnilever logo is displayed on Dove soap boxes in this illustration taken on January 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationSept 26 (Reuters) - Unilever (ULVR.L) CEO Alan Jope plans to retire at the end of 2023, the maker of Dove soap and Knorr stock cubes said on Monday, roughly two months after activist investor Nelson Peltz joined the board. The British consumer goods maker said its board would start a formal search for his successor, considering both internal and external candidates. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe move was met with disapproval from shareholders, some of whom also criticised Unilever for prioritising sustainability over core growth. ($1 = 0.9410 pounds)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru and Richa Naidu in London; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ FTSE 100 gains as weak pound lifts export-heavy consumer staples
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, Britain, December 29, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville/SummarySummary Companies FTSE 100 up 0.5%, FTSE 250 off 0.7%Sept 26 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 index rose on Monday, led by shares of dollar-earning consumer staple companies after sterling tumbled to record low on worries the new government's economic plan will stretch Britain's finances to the limit. The export-oriented FTSE 100 (.FTSE) gained 0.5%, while the more domestically oriented FTSE 250 (.FTMC) declined 0.7%. Consumer staples like Unilever (ULVR.L) and British American Tobacco (BATS.L) added 3.5% and 1.1%, respectively. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Jars of Nescafe Gold coffee by Nestle are pictured in the supermarket of Nestle headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, February 13, 2020. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has propelled energy and grain prices to all-time highs, driving up the cost of packaged goods. That has been felt particularly acutely in parts of Asia and North Africa, where people spend a higher proportion of income on food and fuel than in the United States and Europe, prompting some shoppers to stockpile non-perishable items. "Nestle is seeing hoarding with bouillon, to an extent soups, coffee for sure," Al Bitar told Reuters. Several countries in North Africa and Central Asia are suffering recurring shortages of basic necessities.

☆ Qantas passengers may not be given a vegetarian meal option on some domestic flights
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Qantas said menu changes mean vegetarian meals may not be available for passengers on some flights. One passenger said he had been able to get vegetarian meals on Qantas flights since the 1990s. The Qantas representative added that customers could still book special meals, including vegetarian and vegan food, on longer flights. One frequent Qantas flier told The Guardian he had been able to get vegetarian options on flights in Australia since the 1990s. The passenger, John Dee, accused Qantas chief executive, Alan Joyce, of alienating a "significant percentage of Qantas passengers" as around 10% of Australians had adopted a plant-based diet.

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