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The importance of competitiveness appears to have reappeared in the dictionary of global corporate culture. I don't know if that is due to all the recent visibility into tariffs and international competition, or because the impact of “long-term corporate covid” has finally faded. For some reason, I see more and more people talking about the challenge of reestablishing a competitive work ethic to fully participate in new economic opportunities around the world. Unfortunately, these conversations revolve around working hours too often. European venture capitalists have recently speculated that perhaps continental startups should adopt the 9-9-6 model promoted by Chinese companies,…

I'm Gen X'er, who started my marketing career in Silicon Valley. I lead my team through the rise of SaaS, the pivots to Video, the heyday of performance marketing, and now through the Ai-Everywhere Era. They also stare at more dashboards than humans should. So when the CEO says he's ready to let go of the CMO, I ask if they're firing the real issue or if they're the only person in C-Suite without the tools to protect themselves. Let's start with the uncomfortable facts. CMO Tenure stubbornly drags C-Suite averages and remains the shortest of the common company roles.…

Many public companies say they are straying to the Trump administration's tariff push, but they haven't lie. Negotiating cost concessions from vendors, enacting parts resources, supply chain efficiency measurements, tightening cost controls, increasing production of domestically made products, and increasing prices for some finished products are all part of the company's game plan. Increases tariff induction costs It also encourages CFOs to adjust their capital allocation, often causing repeated projects, Michael Perica (pictured above) tells the CFO of Rimini Street, an enterprise IT support and services company specializing in large ERP systems. Certainly, the fluid trade policy environment presents a…

Building a thriving company in today’s complex financial landscape requires a delicate balance between data-driven decisions and people-centered relationships. This episode dives into that challenge as we hear from Matt James, CFO and chief acquisition officer of Oakbridge Insurance, a rapidly growing agency that has risen to be among the top 50 US brokerages. Matt discusses Oakbridge’s impressive trajectory since its launch in 2021, emphasizing Oakbridge’s unique approach of blending “small-town values” with corporate efficiency, and how he navigates the dual role of financial leader and M&A strategist. We explore his career path, from history major to finance executive, and…

Editor’s Note: Each year, CBM’s Board Leadership Awards recognize outstanding directors selected by a panel of their peers for exemplary service in distinct categories—advancing the principles of good governance, courage in the boardroom and making an impact. This year’s honorees stood out not only for their individual achievements, but also for their track records traversing an increasingly complex governance landscape at a time of accelerating transformational change. We’ll celebrate their accomplishments at the upcoming Boardroom Summit in Washington, DC, Sept. 18-19. Join us >Few retail brands have staged a transformation as striking as Abercrombie & Fitch’s in recent years. Voted America’s…

Few retail brands have staged a transformation as striking as Abercrombie & Fitch’s in recent years. Voted America’s most hated retailer in 2016, the 130-year-old company spent the past decade clawing its way back into shoppers’ good graces, reestablishing itself as a revitalized, digitally savvy lifestyle brand. The effort paid off, bringing its shareholders total returns of 54.4 percent over the past five years, far outpacing the 12.4 percent average delivered by peer companies. Behind that performance is a turnaround strategy and cultural evolution steered by a focused management team with support from an inquisitive and engaged board. As an…

Tracking work efficiency can be the smartest move you make in this inflationary environment, revealing whether your growth is actually generating cash or quietly eroding.In 2023, I received a call from a $100 million travel agency based in Florida. Out of the pandemic, their revenues rose 40%, up from $100 million to $140 million. Despite the increase, they found themselves “growing.”Like many scale-ups, they began to throw more expensive people into the matter, even while they were guarding some kind of labor. As inflation became rampant it put even more pressure on wages and charged the company's vacation products faster…

Last week I spoke to a client who runs 300 construction companies. They have been around for over 70 years, operating in 12 cities and manage multi-million dollar contracts each year. Do you know what they don't have? In-house legal team. They fired them two years ago. However, they maintain full SOC2 compliance and an improved audit trail compared to before. Please listen to me before closing this article. This is not a reckless startup. It is the construction of Yates. It's a company that saved $15,000 a month after eliminating the legal department. They handle contracts faster, have fewer…

Joanne is the CFO of a private equity support appliance manufacturer. For Joanne to do her job effectively, she needs to have a (relatively accurate) measure of how much the company sells by the end of the year. In that prediction, Joan usually relies on historical trends. There's no more. This year, AMID tariff whiplash, lower customer sentiment, higher interest rates, and the fear of a recession – historical trends have proven somewhat meaningless. And that's a big problem for Joan and almost every other CFO. Without a precise way to predict revenues in a volatile economy, too many CFOs…

Over 800,000 franchise business facilities operate in the US for some entrepreneurs. The business model is attractive. It leverages existing brands and provides almost turnkey business operations. For franchisors, the business model generates capital in the form of franchise fees, raises brand awareness and reduces certain risks. But business history is full of failed franchises. Many of them are filled with many of the well-known businesses that have started brilliantly but ultimately faced financial difficulties. Clearly, franchise work between the parties is not simple. To gain insights on Requirements for success in today's franchise world, Katie Kuener Hebert spoke with…