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Uncertainty, upheaval, change. None of them are particularly noteworthy in business, but leaders (and the press) seem to mention them quite regularly. Admittedly, successfully navigating turbulence is not easy. It's no wonder, then, that people are always looking for new ways to deal with uncertainty. Nevertheless, for many people, uncertainty (and the constant chatter about it) can be another source of distraction for themselves and their teams. A recent episode was about fighting distractions Radio is a catalyst for growthhosts Pam Harper and Scott Harper spoke with Penny Zenker, a self-proclaimed focus scholar. Before you roll your eyes at the…

Brian Olson was promoted to head of finance early in his career and at the age of 30 was promoted to an international, publicly traded company. He was still green and had to learn some basics about public company finance as he grew up. Later, when he took the CEO position, he “grew as an executive out of necessity,” mostly because he loved his job and wanted to be better at it, he says. . At the time, Mr. Olson was able to succeed with the help of several board leaders and business partners, he said. Executive coaching was less…

When it comes to preventing attacks, “every second counts in the cloud.” That high-speed, high-stakes work is part of what drew Karen Walker to start her career in Silicon Valley, and eventually take on her current role as CFO of cloud security company Sysdig. Walker joins Jack McCullough to share her journey from global childhood experiences to leadership roles at iconic companies such as Uber and Pandora. Together, they explore the evolving role of CFOs, the power of networking and how technology is reshaping financial leadership.Listen by clicking below. The Q&A, lightly trimmed and edited for clarity, follows.—Listen to the…

After 37 years with Northwestern Mutual, including 14 years as Chairman, President, and CEO, I am retiring. I love this organization, everything it stands for, and everything it has accomplished over the past decade and a half for the five million customers we proudly serve. I love you. At Northwestern Mutual, our mission is to help Americans build financial security, and we have lived up to that mission. We've grown our client base by 28% and our team of financial advisors by 26%, enabling organizations to generate “real growth” and truly thrive. The company's revenues have increased from approximately $21…

Many large U.S. companies decide to walk away from commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in 2024, while others recently ignore environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns Despite pressure to do so, the majority of S&P companies, 500, still incorporate ESG and DEI metrics into their executive compensation plans. Company board members approve all executive compensation plans, so the board is willing to use financial incentives to maintain the ethos of ESG and DEI initiatives over the long term without imposing quotas. It will be interesting to see if.McDonald's recently joined the list of major companies that have…

After a proxy season with the lowest say-on-pay failure rate since 2017, compensation committees could be forgiven for being relatively optimistic about the 2025 voting season. However, scrutiny of investor compensation practices remains weak. A closer look at the 2024 proxy season highlights how investors and proxy advisors continue to have high expectations of companies of all industries and sizes when it comes to paid program design and decision-making. .Research into the outcomes of companies that have struggled to receive Say on Pay support this year shows the need for stronger disclosures around remuneration, particularly in scenarios where investors could…

Warrendale, Pennsylvania-based Linback Holdings, a company that maintains and revitalizes HVAC, electrical and plumbing infrastructure in buildings, has seen its stock price double in the past year. A series of small acquisitions funded by operating cash flow helped, but so did a very clear approach to financial management.Leading this approach is Limbach CFO Jayme Brooks, a certified public accountant who joined the more than 120-year-old firm in 2019 after 14 years at Capstone Turbine. At Linback, Brooks strengthened the company's balance sheet, positioned it as a competitive advantage, and played a key role in converting newly acquired companies to Linback's…

All businesses will need legal advice and services at some point. However, many small and medium-sized growing organizations do not need (or cannot justify the cost of) a full-time general counsel, let alone an in-house legal department. However, these companies often need practical, “get it right” advice from skilled and experienced lawyers. have deep knowledge of their business When navigating the risks and opportunities associated with profitable, sustainable growth. Hiring a different lawyer or law firm for each new case or issue can be extremely cumbersome and inefficient, especially if you have to educate them about your business each time…

Leadership matters. It fundamentally informs our ability to progress individually, organizationally and societally. It provides the energy and direction to facilitate creation, transformation and evolution. Indeed, leadership is at the heart of our capacity to survive as a species, as we navigate increasing connection and interdependence, war, climate change, pandemics, proliferation of misinformation, genetic engineering, AI-driven technologies, and other challenges and opportunities. Good leadership has been proven to matter across domains. For example, great leaders can drive the economic success of their companies and influence technology innovation that can transform society and improve living conditions. At the same time, challenged…

T-Mobile's Peter Osvaldik, recipient of the 2024 CFO of the Year award from StrategicCFO360 and the CFO Leadership Council, reflected on his promotion from accounting and management and had the following message for the finance executives in attendance: said. The next generation of CFOs: “Be proud of all the effort you put in. You are entitled to it because you are here, but we have a responsibility to pay it back to those below you. Start. Give them the opportunity that someone gave you.” Speaking to finance executives gathered at New York's Rockefeller Center just before the holidays, Oswaldyk acknowledged…