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“Strategic pivots” are all the rage—and a necessity for more CEOs. But how you get to the point of launching a major change in strategy, and how you execute it, can be just as important as the pivot you make. Think about transformation decisions CEOs are making all over the place these days. They’re reacting to technology disruptions, drastic market shifts, restive customers, the accelerating swirls of domestic politics and global events—and more. These things can produce highly consequential new challenges or breathtaking new opportunities, and leaders must lean into both. “Thirty percent of any given sector is in transformation…

Just months after persuading shareholders and Tesla's board of directors to reinstate an unprecedented $44.9 billion compensation package that had been rejected by a Delaware court, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is defying conventional wisdom again by persuading the company's shareholders to ask Tesla's board to invest $5 billion in his AI startup, xAI. If he succeeds in persuading Tesla's board to invest in his startup, will it encourage other CEOs and directors to “invest” in their own private ventures? Such transactions have generally been viewed as conflicts of interest. Musk reportedly asked users on his social media platform X whether…

Gina Mastantuono didn’t foresee herself becoming the CFO of a major technology company. Early on in her career, she was laser-focused on job security. “As time went on, I pushed myself and I took risks in my career because I never saw CFOs who looked like me,” she says. “It’s the hard road and those twists and turns are where the magic happens and where growth happens.” Now the CFO of ServiceNow, an enterprise software company that brought in over $10 billion in revenue last year, Mastantuono is paving the way for other women who are aspiring finance leaders. In…

Negotiation is a way of life. essence In all aspects of life, from the personal to the professional, whether you're trying to get promoted at work or become a CEO, knowing your voice or how to assert yourself is crucial. Ana Dutra knows the art of negotiation. She has served as a global CEO, agent and P&L leader at companies such as IBM, CSC, Marsh & McLennan, Accenture and Korn Ferry International. Over the past 20 years, Dutra has served on the boards of directors of seven global public companies, eleven private companies and several non-profit organizations. She currently serves…

Waste Management (WM), North America's largest waste disposal service provider, does much more than just pick up trash: the company has undergone a transformation in recent years by fully embracing sustainability, breaking new ground in areas like renewable energy and converting landfill gas into fuel for natural gas-powered trucks. Devina Rankin, a company veteran who has served as Waste Management's CFO since 2020, has played a pivotal role. “We are a financially strong organization, and we are also working on exciting things that give us great growth potential,” Rankin said. Rankin will share his journey at WM and highlight the…

Many CFOs are taking on responsibilities beyond traditional financial management: Half of the nearly 600 CFOs who responded to executive search firm Egon Zender's “Super CFO Survey” have taken on ESG and M&A responsibilities in the past two years. CFOs surveyed are also taking on cybersecurity, supply chain and human resources duties, but in smaller numbers. What skills do CFOs need to fulfill their broad range of responsibilities? Arun Dhingra, global head of Egon Zehnder's CFO and audit chair practice, says the ability to think strategically is paramount. A strong grasp of risk management and the ability to confidently and…

So management launched a high-potential development program to cultivate strong, scalable leadership for today and the future, but the results were… lackluster. Why? Here are five reasons to consider. 1. Lack of focus on core features The purpose of an executive development program is to create a meaningful competitive advantage for an organization. To maximize the ROI of creating competitive advantage, organizations need to develop leaders who can excel in the roles that are most critical to the business. The competencies required of corporate leaders remain fairly consistent across industries, geographies, markets, and time periods. Yet, it is not the…

Recent EY and Oxford University research suggests that 85 percent of senior leaders have been involved in two or more significant transformations in the last five years alone. ​Approximately two-thirds said they had experienced at least one turbulent transformation during this time. That’s a remarkable number. And it takes on an entirely new meaning in today’s incredibly fast-paced market. The EY 2021 Global Board Risk Survey shows that 82 percent of board members and CEO’s say market disruptions have become more frequent and impactful, and companies have begun to transform more frequently to keep pace. Organizations are failing to deliver…

When Wendy Rummler joined Credit Acceptance more than 20 years ago, it was a smaller auto finance company whose customer service employees were required to come into an office in metro Detroit. Rummler never dreamed she'd one day be teaching a master class in how to get remote-only employees to be just as effective as those who were required to be in the office. But now, as the chief people officer of a $2 billion company, Ms. Rummler is doing just that after her decision to allow 2,200 employees to work from home during the pandemic. Other chief people officers…

When Wendy Rummler joined Credit Acceptance more than 20 years ago, it was a smaller auto finance company whose customer service employees were required to come into an office in metro Detroit. Rummler never dreamed she'd one day be teaching a master class in how to get remote-only employees to be just as effective as those who were required to be in the office. But now, as the chief people officer of a $2 billion company, Ms. Rummler is doing just that after her decision to allow 2,200 employees to work from home during the pandemic. Other chief people officers…