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☆ What it's like to work with a billionaire, according to ex-colleagues of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Sara Blakely
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Jack Sommers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Past colleagues discussed working with Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Sara Blakely. Here, people who've worked alongside Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Sara Blakely talk about what it was like. After buying their company, Gates interrogated Williams and his colleagues about why their product was better than its Microsoft rival's. Reuters 'Girl next door' Sara Blakely was a 'creative genius'Lisa Magazine and Kenya Graham were personal and executive assistants, respectively, to Blakely, the Spanx founder. Read more: Elon Musk was a 'fun' boss but fired people on the spot if they disagreed with him, former Tesla manager says

Persons: Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Sara Blakely, they'd, —, who've, Gates, Alex Wong, Chris Williams, Williams, aul Ellis, Colin Bryar, Bryar, Bezos, I've, Blakely, Lisa, Kenya Graham, Graham, Read, Sara Blakely's, Musk, Dimitrios Kambouris, Elon, Carl Medlock, he'll, Medlock, didn't Organizations: Service, Elon, Microsoft, Amazon, Amazon VP, Reuters, Lisa Magazine, Kenya, Nordic Business, Getty Locations: Blakely, Atlanta, Medlock

☆ China's service sector remains a bright spot as factory data disappoints, Caixin reading shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

China's services activity remained well within growth territory in April as a private survey showed a softer reading from March. Atlantide Phototravel | Corbis Documentary | Getty ImagesChina's services activity remained well within growth territory in April, even as a private survey showed a softer reading compared with March. The latest Caixin reading suggests that services activity is still "undergoing a fast recovery," according to Wang Zhe, senior economist at Caixin Insight Group. The continued expansion in China's services activity stood in contrast to the disappointing factory activity reported earlier in the week. "It is worth noting that manufacturing and services activity diverged, with employment and input costs in the manufacturing sector contracting significantly," Wang wrote.

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Free Apple AirTags, EV resistance, and ChatGPT Plus for all
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I attended my first rodeo, woke up early for a farmers' market, visited different pickleball venues, and tried other new things. Researchers examined 1,600 conversations (850 hours and 7 million words total) and measured how people reacted to the interactions. Firstly, IRL conversations involve a degree of back-and-forth that is hard to replicate digitally because of lag and missed cues. Elon Musk pays $10,000 to settle a defamation lawsuit. Elon Musk has cut around 90% of the company within half a year of taking over.

☆ Why Prices, Inflation Are Still Soaring: Corporate Price Gouging
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

While many of the problems that helped trigger the upward spiral have abated, prices are still high and getting higher. The idea that companies are taking advantage of disruptions to push price increases on consumers has many names — greedflation, excuseflation, price gouging, corporate profiteering — but the gist is the same. Supply-chain issues and other disruptions made sense as drivers of higher prices, Chris Becker, a senior economist and the associate director of policy and research at the Groundwork Collaborative, told me. "Working people are suffering thanks to corporate greed, so we need to enact tougher rules to ensure corporations pay a price when they price gouge." Working people are suffering thanks to corporate greed, so we need to enact tougher rules to ensure corporations pay a price when they price gouge.

So there was extra attention around this year’s “Mr Irrelevant” – Desjuan Johnson, a defensive lineman out of the University of Toledo drafted by the Los Angeles Rams as the 259th and final pick. “Just be getting picked, final pick, first pick, middle pick, everything [is] unique,” Johnson said, according to ESPN. “My dad was on my mind today,” said Johnson, who was just four years old when his father died, according to his university website. “Just to learn from him, from watching film and now get to sit next to him and just take notes, I’m going to just be like a newborn,” he said. “I feel like I’m going to be like a newborn, trying to take as much in [and trying] to learn under him.”

☆ I worked closely with Bill Gates for 8 years as an executive at Microsoft. Here are the 3 lessons he taught me that I'll never forget.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Chris Williams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

From my very first meeting with Bill Gates it was clear he was someone you could learn from. That grilling in a tiny Microsoft conference room in the summer of 1992 was one I'll never forget. From then through to my time as Vice President of HR when I was afforded many one-on-one meetings with him, I learned many things from Bill Gates. It seems that Bill learned early on that pressing for details until failure resulted in two kinds of responses. I learned a lot from spending time with Bill Gates.

The PMI was driven by the services sector as consumer spending on travel, leisure and entertainment showed strength while manufacturing remained weak. S&P Global's input price index - a good guide to future inflation pressures - showed the slowest growth in costs for firms since March 2021, although overall cost pressures remained high by historical standards. There were also signs of recovery in Friday's consumer confidence survey by polling firm GfK which rose to its highest since February last year, albeit to weak levels. There was a reminder of the problems facing many consumers in official retail sales data also published on Friday. "A strong performance from retailers in January and February means the three-month picture shows positive growth for the first time since August 2021," he said.

The survey's flash services sector PMI rose to 53.7, the highest reading in a year, from 52.6 in March. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the services PMI falling to 51.5. Flash PMIIn the euro zone, the bloc's dominant services industry saw already-buoyant demand rise too, more than offsetting a deepening downturn in manufacturing. However, the manufacturing PMI fell to 45.5 from 47.3, its lowest since the coronavirus pandemic was cementing its grip on the world three years ago. "The PMI sheds a positive light on the economic performance in the euro zone, as a pickup in service sector activity is boosting growth," said Bert Colijn, senior euro zone economist at ING, noting manufacturing weakness remained a concern.

☆ How Larry Page's flying-car company of the future turned into a stunning failure
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Although I'm currently pretty homesick and jet lagged, I'm blessed with "the life-changing magic of working from home." One worker told my colleague Rebecca Knight how remote work transformed her life and how returning to the office has killed company morale. The stunning failure of Google founder Larry Page's flying-car company. In April 2022, company morale plummeted when it axed one of its most promising projects, those former insiders say. The company put together a thorough document to help managers navigate pay-related conversations with employees, and Insider got a look.

☆ I'm a former Microsoft VP of HR. Here are the real reasons why layoffs are happening and how much longer they'll last.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Chris Williams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Some of the layoffs we've seen have included long-time employees years from their most meaningful contributions. The opticsSome of the layoffs we've seen in tech are ones that the companies have probably wished they could do for years. The future is brightWe are in a season of layoffs, and it's not clear we've seen the last or worst of it. That said, there is no reason to see the layoffs as a harbinger of doom and gloom for the tech world. Chris Williams is the former VP of HR at Microsoft and a leadership advisor, podcaster, TikTok creator, and author.

☆ Leaked Amazon memo shows plans to reduce employee stock awards in 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Asia Martin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Leaked Amazon memo shows plans to reduce employee stock awards in 2025. The company is considering increasing the cash portion of compensation to help cushion employees against its stock price going down in the future. In other news:The late Cash App founder Bob Lee. Cash App creator Bob Lee died after a reported stabbing in San Francisco Tuesday. Silicon Valley is grieving the loss of the founder of Cash App and the former chief technology officer at Square.

☆ Euro zone factory downturn deepened in March, PMI shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 3 (Reuters) - Activity at struggling factories across the euro zone fell further last month as consumers feeling the pinch from rising living costs cut back, according to a survey which did show the cost of manufacturing fell for the first time since mid-2020. S&P Global's final manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to 47.3 in March from February's 48.5, just ahead of a preliminary reading of 47.1 but below the 50 mark separating growth from contraction for a ninth month. Lower energy costs and healing supply chains did however mean input prices fell for the first time since July 2020 - just when the coronavirus pandemic was cementing its grip on the world. Despite having embarked on the most aggressive tightening of monetary policy in the central bank's history, prices rose 6.9% last month, official data showed on Friday. Reporting by Jonathan Cable; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Euro zone services sector resurging as economic fears ease: economist
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | 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 EmailEuro zone services sector resurging as economic concerns ease and travel picks up: economistChris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, says the latest flash euro zone PMI figures show resurgent growth in the services sector, but "manufacturing is a stagnant picture."

☆ Euro zone recovery gathers pace, allays fears of recession-PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - The recovery in euro zone business activity gathered pace last month as growth accelerated in the bloc's dominant services industry, a survey showed, providing the latest piece of evidence suggesting the currency union will avoid a recession. "A resounding expansion of business activity in February helps allay worries of a euro zone recession, for now," said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global. Demand picked up and firms were able to build up a backlog of work for the first time since October. The new business index bounced to 52.2 from 50.1. With demand strong business across the region raised prices again, albeit at the slowest pace in over a year.

☆ Euro zone factory output returned to growth in February -PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

S&P Global's final manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) dipped to 48.5 in February from January's 48.8, in line with a preliminary reading but still below the 50 mark separating growth from contraction. That healing of supply chain strains led to another sharp diminishing of the cost burden faced by factories. The input prices index slumped to 50.9 from 56.3 in January, its lowest reading since September 2020. However, the output prices index remained high. "Although factory selling prices continued to rise sharply, albeit with the rate of increase easing to a two-year low, this in part reflects the usual lagged effect of changes in costs feeding through to output prices," Williamson said.

"This is an encouraging set of data, but still is only one month, and challenges remain." Global oil prices went higher, underlining how a strong Chinese recovery could fuel global inflation through increased energy demand. STUBBORN INFLATIONIn Europe, German data showed the fight against inflation still has some way to go. Factory activity continued to shrink in Taiwan and Malaysia in February, and expanded at a slower pace in the Philippines, surveys showed. Separate data showed South Korea's exports fell 7.5% in February from a year earlier, marking the fifth straight month of declines, partly due to a plunge in semiconductor exports.

☆ Tesla is losing its most loyal customers — and that’s bad news for Elon Musk.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Plus, it's even more gross, since this generation obsession appears to be a capitalism-fueled strategy to get our money. They stuck with Elon Musk along a bumpy ride: "production hell," multiple federal investigations, and other catastrophes. Meanwhile, the company keeps losing its edge elsewhere. Nora breaks down how Musk keeps Elon-ing, while Tesla keeps getting beat down. It's part of the multi-day Mobile World Congress — the largest mobile telecommunications event in the world — in Barcelona, Spain.

☆ I'm the former VP of HR at Microsoft. Here are 4 red flags to watch out for when applying for a job.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Chris Williams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Williams also says you should notice if the recruiting process is complex or cumbersome. A parallel red flag is the complexity of the recruiting process. Being cautious about discussing pay is not necessarily a red flag, that's just part of hiring. A related red flag is the responses you get from the people you interview with. And that should be a huge red flag about the company overall.

☆ UK business activity unexpectedly rebounds in February -flash PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Andy Bruce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Much better than anticipated PMI data for February indicate encouraging resilience of the economy," said S&P Global Chief Business Economist Chris Williamson. "While many companies continue to report tough operating conditions, especially in the manufacturing sector, the broader business mood has been buoyed by signs of inflation peaking, supply chains improving and recession risks easing." Williamson added that the survey data boosted the likelihood of a BoE rate hike next month, something which most economists polled by Reuters already expect. The PMI for the services sector rose to 53.3 in February from January's 48.7, the highest reading since June last year. Factory activity continued to contract but at a much reduced pace, with the manufacturing PMI increasing to 49.2 from 47.0, close to 50, the no-change mark.

☆ U.S. business activity rebounds to eight-month high in February- S&P Global survey
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - U.S. business activity unexpectedly rebounded in February, reaching its highest level in eight months, according to a survey on Tuesday, which also showed inflation subsiding. S&P Global said its flash U.S. Composite PMI Output Index, which tracks the manufacturing and services sectors, increased to 50.2 this month from a final reading of 46.8 in January. The services sector accounted for the rise in business activity, while manufacturing remained weak. The survey's flash manufacturing PMI rose to 47.8 from 46.9 in January. The survey's flash services sector PMI increased to 50.5 from 46.8 in January.

☆ Euro zone business growth at 9-month high
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Buoyant services growth meant the recovery in euro zone business activity gathered steam this month, expanding much faster than thought, according to a survey providing the latest evidence the currency union could escape a recession. S&P Global's flash Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), seen as a good gauge of overall economic health, climbed to 52.3 in February from January's 50.3, data showed on Tuesday. "Business activity across the euro zone grew much faster than expected in February, with growth hitting a nine-month high thanks to resurgent service sector activity," said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global. The new business index rose to 50.6 from 48.9. The business expectations index rose to a nine-month high of 61.5, from 61.2 in January.

☆ Euro zone factories are likely over the worst - PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The downturn in euro zone manufacturing activity eased again last month suggesting the worst may be over, according to a survey which showed price pressures slackened and the fall in demand moderated, driving a surge in optimism. An index measuring new orders moved up closer to the breakeven mark and factories increased headcount at a faster pace. This was reflected in the future output index which jumped to 58.2 in January from 53.8, an 11-month high. That outperformance was despite sky-high energy costs and rising interest rates taking a heavy toll on the economy. Although the PMI's input prices index fell last month the index reflecting output prices rose slightly - but still remained firmly below levels seen over much of the past two years.

☆ I'm the former VP of HR at Microsoft. It's super common to not like your manager — here's what to do about it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Chris Williams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chris Williams is a former VP of HR at Microsoft and a podcaster, consultant, and TikTok creator. He says it's very common to not like your manager and that he's been on both sides of the situation. I'm a former VP of HR for Microsoft and I can assure you that if you're feeling this way, you're not alone. Because you don't have to like your manager to work well with them — you just have to share common ground. Chris Williams is the former VP of HR at Microsoft and a leadership advisor, podcaster, TikTok creator, and author.

☆ Euro zone January business activity returns to growth - PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

S&P Global's flash Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), seen as a good gauge of overall economic health, climbed to 50.2 this month from 49.3 in December. The PMI covering the bloc's dominant services index also surprised to the upside, coming in at a six-month high of 50.7. The manufacturing PMI rose to 48.8 this month from 47.8, ahead of the 48.5 Reuters poll forecast. An index measuring output which feeds into the composite PMI bounced to a seven-month high of 49.0 from 47.8. Like in the services PMI, the input prices index fell but firms raised their charges at a faster rate.

☆ Drop in business activity flags UK recession risk - flash PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The fall contrasted with a slight rise in business activity in the euro zone. "Weaker-than-expected PMI numbers in January underscore the risk of the UK slipping into recession," S&P Global's Chief Business Economist, Chris Williamson, said. However, a widely expected fall in output this year will weigh on the BoE's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) as it considers how much further to raise interest rates on Feb. 2. Tuesday's PMI data showed that prices charged by businesses rose at the slowest rate since August 2021, although the increase was still steep by historic standards. Businesses cut a small number of jobs, in contrast to the rapid hiring through much of 2021 and 2022.

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