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Imagine you are a new entry level employee in your first few months at work. You come to the office for 4 days a week per company policy and complete the assignments and your manager doesn't give you much feedback, so you feel a bit lost. When you stop thinking about it, you've actually met her one-on-one only twice since you started three months ago.Now imagine you as the manager of that entry level employee. With 20 in-person reports, I find it difficult to barely hold tabs about who is doing what and schedule regular one-on-one check-in. They have weekly…
It was a pivotal moment of activist investment when Phillips 66 shareholders made a split decision in May 2025 when they selected two Elliott Management candidates while retaining the two company's directors. The energy giant survived what the observers called the “barroom brawl” in the boardroom, and Elliott achieved something unprecedented. For Elliott, it was the first proxy vote for a US public company after more than 100 activist campaigns, proving that even the most skilled activists can face costly, uncertain battles. The Battle of Phillips 66 illustrates today's proxy landscape. There, activist campaigns continue at record levels, but businesses…
The live entertainment industry is not for the timid people. CFOs of these businesses face the need to develop whimsical consumer preferences, intrinsic operational risks, and innovative supplemental revenue streams To learn how the sector's finance chiefs manage unpredictability, we interviewed Aleksandra Szuszkiewicz, the funding manager for Salt Lake City-based Live Nite Events, an entertainment company that produces medium to large concerts and music festivals. Helped by her private equity background, Szuszkiewicz frames a sophisticated financial framework for high-risk, capital-intensive entertainment ventures with complex cash flow dynamics. She spoke to Kuener Hebert about fundraising structure, risk management frameworks and value…
The Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE) Board recently announced the creation of a Strategic Committee, which states it intends to “evaluate HPE's business strategies and identify opportunities for additional value creation.” Is the Board Strategic Committee looking to become more common due to the increasing uncertainty surrounding global economic markets and the changes in domestic and foreign economic policies? Will the “Strategic Committee Compromise” be used to become a shareholder of new weapons activists and push the board to improve performance at a faster rate?In a press release, HPE said the Strategic Committee is part of the company's ongoing transformation, including…
The following column is by Dinakar Hituvalli, Chief Technology Officer of Deltek. The opinions belong to the author. The role of CFOs has changed dramatically to becoming increasingly co-pilots of strategic technology since focusing primarily on financial management. From capital allocation and AI governance to automation priorities and digital risk, finance leaders play a key role in decision-making that determines both operational resilience and long-term growth. Increased levels of involvement of CFOs indicate a significant change in expectations. Currently, the board of directors and CEOs Suppose the organization's prioritized technology, how success is measured, and new features will affect the…
There are many ways to add value and have an amazing career as a CFO. In this episode, Denise W. Marks, CFO of the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, shares her insights on CareQuest’s mission-driven focus and digital strategy. She also discusses the importance of embracing diverse opportunities, not being afraid to ask for help and finding your own unique way to add value as a CFO. To book a demo with Planful, click here. — Listen to the podcast here I’m looking forward to the guest because this is the first time I’ve had a guest that I’ve known for…
Diane Creel knows firsthand what it's like to serve on a board where public discussions are not encouraged. A few years ago, she was asked by investors to join the board of directors of a company facing a financial crisis. She agreed, hoping to help bring the company back to black.The rest of the story is an unfortunate lesson that can happen when the board is seen by CEOs, particularly the CEOs who are chairing them. Creel quickly learned that no opposition was encouraged and real conversations about risk and strategy were rare. When she raises concerns, they will be…
As of the end of 2024, S&P 500 members held 31% of their current assets in cash. According to data from JP Morgan Asset Management, technology and real estate companies earn about 46% of their current assets in cash. A portion of the excess cash from large companies is held in FDIC insurance bank accounts, but a significant portion is not the case. FDIC is guaranteed up to $250,000 per depositor per financial institution. Therefore, companies with tens of millions of cash on their balance sheets must either invest liquidity in securities, money market funds or engage in complex financial…
Important takeouts: Restructuring often leaves uncertainty and liberation, and it is important for CEOs to deal with emotional fallouts and strategies. The silence after Reorg is a warning sign and is not reassuring. Leaders need to create space for honest dialogue and emotional connection. Equipping your manager to lead empathy and support can greatly improve your team's resilience and performance. Culture is rebuilt through everyday interactions rather than formal messaging. Trust, recognition, and transparency are keys to reinvigorating employees. In spreadsheets, restructuring decisions often make sense. Roles are integrated, teams merge, and leadership charts are redrawn with strategic accuracy. But…
As artificial intelligence implements operations, strategies and infrastructure more deeply, directors are being asked to provide monitoring on systems that do not exist when most board structures are built.meanwhile CBMGames Global Director Sheila Bangalore, Director of Paloma Health and Stoneage Waterblast Tools and Director of Credit Suisse Funds, Samantha Kappagoda, Chief Data Scientist at Nugherati Partners, shared his strategy for adapting to this moment of AI supervision. Some practices worth considering:Be careful when monitoring. AI monitoring does not always fit well with existing committees. Some boards have moved AI to audit or risk, while others have created standalone monitoring channels.…