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☆ Zelenskyy's TIME Person of the Year Award is proof that resilience is the most important trait any leader can have
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Marguerite Ward | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

He embodies valor and resilience, traits business leaders should exhibit in tough times. The Ukrainian leader's speaking style is characterized by short sentences, vivid imagery, and empathy, all of which make him effective. A 2021 research paper published in the Academy of Management Journal found business leaders who led by example boosted productivity in their businesses. Some of the most convincing business leaders of our time have leaned into emotion when making key arguments. "President Zelenskyy remains focused on his core assignment.

☆ Sorry, but it looks like your holiday party is probably going to happen at the office this year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

So, as we barrel toward end-of-year celebrations, where does that leave the good old fashioned corporate holiday party? Bosses are still making last-minute decisions, he adds: The week of Thanksgiving, he fielded a request to organize a 900-person holiday party with three week's notice. The office becomes party centralMassive party cancellations are proving to be the exception rather than the rule. "No one has canceled," says Maggie Kennedy Braff, founder and CEO of Kennedy Events, which operates in the Bay Area. Inflation hits the holiday party circuitEvents are scaling back on ostentatious food options, too.

[1/2] South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his State of the Nation Address at parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, June 20, 2019. REUTERS/Rodger Bosch/Pool via REUTERSJOHANNESBURG, Dec 1 (Reuters) - President Cyril Ramaphosa, the anti-apartheid champion who become one of South Africa's wealthiest businessmen and then its most powerful politician, was battling for his political survival on Thursday. Ramaphosa was the leading negotiator for the African National Congress (ANC) during talks that led to a peaceful end to apartheid in 1994, which enabled Nelson Mandela to become South Africa's first Black president. Shanduka Holdings, which is unlisted, has become one of the biggest black-owned groups in the country, holding 10% stakes in South Africa's biggest bank, Standard Bank, and insurer Liberty. Ramaphosa's negotiating skills at constitutional talks in the early 1990s won him grudging respect from South Africa's last white president, F.W.

☆ Out with the new and in with the old: Why companies from Starbucks to Disney are bringing back their old CEOs to run the companies again
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Shana Lebowitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

There are perhaps hundreds of qualified candidates for the job of Disney's CEO. After all, returning CEOs have mixed track records. Iger was Disney's CEO for 15 years — presumably, he won't need much onboarding. In the best-case scenario, the returning CEO has learned more in the time since leaving the post. Indeed, there's always the risk that a returning CEO leans too heavily on their former experience.

At Fortune 100 companies, only 12 chief executives were women as of July 15, the same number as a year earlier, according to Heidrick. The Heidrick & Struggles also report showed 86 CEOs in the group were white, down slightly from 88 in the prior period. "If you want to accelerate the rate of the change in the C-suite, then it (diversity) has to be embedded in the succession plan," Taylor said. In a separate survey, Heidrick found record levels of board seats filled by first-time directors at 43%. Nearly half of the appointees last year were women, while 41% were racially or ethnically diverse, similar to rates in 2020.

☆ Wall Street has made serious strides to embrace crypto this year. But after FTX's implosion, a regulatory crackdown is imminent.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Morgan Chittum | Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In a stunning downfall, crypto platform FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Nov. 11. Crypto sentiment from Wall Street giants has come a long way over the past few years. After FTX's disaster, a crackdown on digital assets is imminent. Prominent government officials quickly spoke out against the crypto platform last week. Gensler says that the agency's aggressive stance on digital assets is an effort to protect investors and may encourage further crypto adoption.

☆ Guest view: Climate finance club hands over baton
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Huw Van Steenis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

A year after financial institutions joined forces to lower carbon emissions as part of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, the initiative faces criticism from all sides. But the initiative is starting to hit the limits of what financial institutions can achieve through voluntary cooperation. Chief executives of financial institutions worry that participating in GFANZ opens them up to accusations of anti-competitive behaviour and litigation risk. It’s for politicians to set the legislative framework and financial institutions to abide by it. This could double or treble by increasing development banks’ capital, by changing their capital frameworks and mandates, or through smarter public-private partnerships.

☆ China's alarming decline could tank the stock market, take down the global economy, and spark a dangerous showdown with the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

In the Western capitals and boardrooms, it appears the horror of Beijing's transformation has finally settled in, and the lure of China's economic future is fading. Economic dangerIf you want a clue to just how far China's economy has fallen, look no further than Beijing's attempts to hide information about the country's growth. Beyond the short-term signs of trouble, there are more enduring signs pointing to China's economic distress. That's a big if, and even if Beijing is successful, the slow-moving blob of debt will choke off economic growth for years to come. Xi has tightened his grip on China's economy and government from education to public health.

☆ Giorgia Meloni, Italy's prime minister, says: 'Don't call me Mr.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday she did not want to be called "mister", backtracking on a government circular that said this would be her official title. A statement issued by Meloni's office said that although the "mister president" title had been advised as the most suitable by the government's protocol experts, she did not want to use it so it should be ignored. Before Meloni's second thoughts, the government circular went a step further, declaring her official title should also include "Signor", or Mister. "The title to be used is ... Mr President of the Council of Ministers," said the circular issued by her office and distributed to all government ministries. While Meloni's rise to power shattered a glass ceiling for Italy's women politicians, she is not known as a feminist.

☆ Analysis: Airbus widens A350 cabin in mile-high real estate war
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The latest salvo concerns some of the world's prime real estate - the cabin of a big jet where comfort meets cost. Airbus said in a blog it was introducing a New Production Standard (NPS) to make A350s lighter and more flexible. Changes include scraping four inches off interior walls and making the cabin longer by moving a bulkhead and squeezing the cockpit. Currently most A350 economy cabins have nine 18-inch wide seats per row. Airlines opting to add an extra seat per row to fly 10 abreast will have 17-inch wide seats.

☆ Male or female title? Italy's new PM Meloni stirs gender debate
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Giorgia Meloni is Italy's first woman prime minister, but she is choosing to refer to herself using the masculine form of her new title - sparking a debate on the issues of female empowerment and political correctness. Under RAI's corporate gender policy, the feminine form should be used whenever it exists, and "no colleague can therefore be obliged to use the masculine" to refer to Meloni, Usigrai said in a statement. "The first female prime minister goes by the masculine name ... Is using the feminine form too much for the leader of FdI, a party that already omits Sisters from its name?" The Accademia della Crusca, a guardian of the Italian language, has said using the feminine for positions held by women is the grammatically correct choice. However, anyone who prefers to use the traditional masculine form, for ideological or generational reasons, has every right to do so, its president Claudio Marazzini told Italian news agency Adnkronos.

German and Chinese national flags fly in Tiananmen Square ahead of the visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing, China, May 23, 2018. German investment and trade in China hit record levels in the first half of 2022 and big business says there's no question of pulling back from the world's second-biggest economy. A spokesperson for the economy ministry said it was closely following the investment behaviour of German companies as part of its strategic considerations on how to deal with China. The economy ministry declined to comment when asked about a meeting next year, or the remarks about Habeck. Reuters reported last month that the economy ministry was considering curbing export and investment guarantees as part of its new China strategy.

☆ China tech shares sink as U.S. export curbs raise chip sector hurdles
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The most immediate impact is likely to be felt by Chinese chipmakers, they said. The new regulations will now pose major hurdles for the two Chinese memory chipmakers, analysts said. A steep decline in tech shares led China's market down on its first post-Golden Week holiday trading on Monday. An index measuring China's semiconductor firms (.CSIH30184) tumbled nearly 7%, and Shanghai's tech-focused board STAR Market (.STAR50) declined 4.5%. SMIC dropped 4%, chip equipment maker NAURA Technology Group Co (002371.SZ) sank 10% by the daily limit, and Hua Hong Semiconductor plunged 9.5%.

☆ Are ESG ETFs a gimmick? The debate surrounding the transparency and social agendas of sustainable investing
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-08 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"What ESG investing is, is very simply put, an incorporation of publicly available data into investment processes," Noack said. Small but controversialSome investors like Noack have pointed out that debates surrounding ESG investing may be getting more attention than they deserve. However, grouping all ESG funds into one classification is too wide-ranging, Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi, said in the same segment. The SPDR S&P 500 ESG ETF (EFIV) tracks an index designed to select S&P 500 companies meeting ESG criteria, while the Xtrackers MSCI USA ESG Leaders Equity ETF (USSG) corresponds to the performance of its underlying index. The Xtrackers S&P 500 ESG ETF (SNPE) , for instance, doesn't target the 25% worst S&P 500 companies from an ESG perspective of each industry group.

☆ Profits over politics: the case for anti-ESG ETFs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-05 | by ( Kevin Schmidt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Proponents of environmental, social and governance (ESG) products say investors are pushing corporations to pay more attention to broader social issues. Others, such as Strive Asset Management, say companies should stick solely to earning profits. Strive has launched two ETFs to push back against "woke capitalism" in the industry. The U.S. Energy ETF (DRLL ) tracks the XLE energy ETF, with Exxon Mobil (XOM ), Chevron (CVX ) and Conoco Phillips (COP ) comprising the top holdings. "We've already engaged with 10 publicly traded energy companies," Ramaswamy said.

☆ The American right’s future involves waging a 'religious battle' against the left, leaders say at a conservative conference
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | Allan Smith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +13 min

MIAMI — In a luxury Miami resort earlier this month, leading conservative politicians, influencers and academics gathered to formulate a grand path forward for the American right. Meanwhile, the broader American left was repeatedly denounced as the “enemy” and a “regime” with “evil” ideas. The conference was backed by substantial donations from conservative advocacy groups and think tanks that included the Common Sense Society, The Heritage Foundation and the Conservative Partnership Institute. One panel featured a presentation titled “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Christian Nationalism,” though some attendees saw a more clear distinction between the two nationalist ideologies. “Sometimes people get swept up in the ideas of Christian nationalism,” Jordan Esrig, a senior at Vanderbilt University who attended the conference, said.

☆ UK's mini budget slashes taxes and borrows heavily as recession hits
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN Business —A huge gamble by the UK government aimed at rescuing the economy from recession and boosting long-term growth sent the pound plunging on Friday. Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, an independent think tank, called the government’s plans “extraordinary.”“It’s half a century since we’ve seen tax cuts announced on this scale,” he said in a tweet. The pound sank almost 2% to $1.10 on Friday after Kwarteng’s announcement to its lowest level since 1985. The measures come a day after the Bank of England warned that the country was already likely in a recession. ‘Unfunded giveaways’News of the heavy additional government borrowing rattled investors already concerned that the country is spending beyond its means.

☆ Goldman Sachs insiders say they are concerned about CEO David Solomon's push to build his personal brand, pointing to staff help for his DJing and use of the firm's planes
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Dakin Campbell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

As David Solomon, Goldman Sachs' CEO, was wrapping up a work trip in late July, he boarded the company's Gulfstream G650 for Chicago. His personal account cites his role as Goldman Sachs' CEO, while his official Goldman Sachs account links to his personal account. As CEO, Solomon has overseen the firm's first investor day, launched a strategic update, and reaped record revenue of $59.3 billion in 2021. The Goldman representative disputed that characterization, saying the number of executive TV appearances has more than doubled over the past year. A Goldman representative said that Payback is run by music-industry consultants and that no Goldman Sachs resources are used for the platform.

☆ ESG tech firm Datamaran gets Fortive backing in latest funding round
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Juliette Portala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PepsiCo (PEP.O), Walgreens (WBA.O) and Dell also took part in the round, the group said in a statement. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterDatamaran's technology identifies over 400 external risk factors that could impact a company's value, including those related to technological innovation and geopolitical issues, by scanning regulatory, media and corporate disclosures. "Coming from strategic partners and clients, this funding is a ringing endorsement of Datamaran's benefits," she added. Against this backdrop, regulators are starting to introduce mandatory sustainability disclosures for both companies and funds. ($1 = 0.8797 pounds)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Juliette Portala Editing by Simon Jessop and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ German finance boards are the least gender-diverse in Europe, EY data show
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The boardrooms of banks, fintech firms, insurers and asset managers in Germany are the least gender-diverse in Europe, according to data shared with Reuters by consultants EY. Only 29% of financial services board members in Germany are women, compared with a European average of 37%, the EY analysis of 87 companies showed. In major European economies Britain and France, the figure came in at 38%, according to the EY European Financial Services Boardroom Monitor. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterCompanies have been working to make their boards more diverse following pressure from investors and regulators. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Carolyn Cohn; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ S&P board diversity disproportionately represents U.S. population
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | 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 EmailS&P board diversity disproportionately represents U.S. populationCNBC's Bertha Coombs joins 'The Exchange' to discuss ongoing corporate efforts to increase diversity in boardrooms, reporting growth in the representation of Latino and South American employees.

☆ Mark Cuban fires business partners and NBA players for the same reason: 'A team can have 1 knucklehead, you can't have 2'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In boardrooms and on basketball courts, billionaire Mark Cuban says he's noticed one factor that consistently leads to success: team culture. He said he's fired business partners and traded basketball players because of their personalities — especially when the team has multiple self-centered or combative members. When he's hiring, Cuban specifically looks for people who can help make the workplace a better experience for others. "[They] may not have had the experience on the business side that we otherwise would have gone for," Cuban said. In basketball, Cuban said he doesn't necessarily screen new players for narcissism, but he has traded players to spark motivation within the team.

According to the complaint, he was the first Black executive employee at AAMCO, a 60-year-old franchise business with nearly 600 automotive centers across North America. Hastings GroupBut in 2021, Staley said, he learned from another executive that his salary of $100,000 plus bonuses was almost $40,000 less than the other vice presidents. He raised concerns of “disparate treatment in compensation” to those above him, including to CEO James Gregory. Gregory told Mr. Staley that he was ‘disappointed’ in Mr. Staley for complaining of race discrimination and responded to Mr. Staley’s complaint by saying: ‘you make enough,’” according to the suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Staley has since given up his attempt to become a co-franchisee and is now employed with Public Storage’s corporate offices.

☆ Volodymyr Zelenskyy embodies resilience. It's one of multiple traits business leaders can mimic in tough times.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Marguerite Ward | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The Ukrainian leader's speaking style is characterized by short sentences, vivid imagery, and empathy, all of which make him effective. A 2021 research paper published in the Academy of Management Journal found business leaders who led by example boosted productivity in their businesses. Some of the most convincing business leaders of our time have leaned into emotion when making key arguments. Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty ImagesThough the pandemic has bent the rules of formality, starched suits are still the go-to for world leaders. "President Zelenskyy remains focused on his core assignment.

☆ Inside the little-known team of engineering execs Google Cloud uses as its secret weapon to solve customers' toughest tech challenges
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-09 | by ( Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Google Cloud's Office of the CTO is a group of former tech execs with engineering experience. Nestled inside Google's burgeoning cloud business is a small group of engineering pros who work on some of the tech giant's most ambitious projects. Finance is another sector target for Google Cloud, which is benefitting from the cloud revolution taking over Wall Street. While the group sits within the cloud business, OCTO can leverage all of Google's resources from research and development to engineering, Rowe said. Through OCTO, Google Cloud is able to keep a pulse on what its customers are thinking about and what they care about.

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