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A recent letter from activist investor Elliott Management to Southwest Airlines' board of directors is a reminder that the board does not have unlimited time to demonstrate its support for the implementation of the turnaround plan. Southwest Airlines shareholders expect the board to refresh its membership with seasoned, experienced directors who can make significant adjustments that will improve the company's performance even in the toughest economic environments. Shareholders believe that is not happening, which is why they are seeking to replace two-thirds of the board. Frustrated by a roughly 46 percent drop in the low-cost airline's stock price over the…

Ram Charan has worked with executives and CEOs of public companies, private equity firms and family businesses for over 40 years, and has done so in nearly every country on earth where free market capitalism is practiced – and at least some where it is not. This work, combined with decades of teaching experience at prestigious business schools including Harvard and GE's Crotonville, has earned him a strong following among top leaders and he has also published a number of must-read business books, including the classic “Boards That Lead,” widely considered the most important text for new directors of public…

The construction industry has been in a tough spot as investors hold back capital and postpone projects until interest rates fall. The economic slowdown could be tough on the industry's suppliers, who are generally confident of a recovery, though the timing is unclear. For a growing company like Built Technologies, whose software platform streamlines the construction loan administration process, it would be a mistake to just sit back and wait. “We need to focus on what we can control,” says Built Technologies CFO Sam Kemp. Kemp joined the 275-employee Bild in September 2023 after five years at publicly traded GoDaddy,…

In Part 1 of this series, we discussed how discussions of executive compensation can “defer the issue,” expose gaps in assumptions, and drive important, deeper discussions that clarify strategy. In this article, we explore how compensation can expose talent gaps and cultural risks. For example, a discussion about changes to the compensation plan may surface. Skills gaps needed to execute strategy A gap in differentiated recognition of top talent Cultural issues By examining three case studies, we explore how compensation conversations can uncover potential talent gaps, spark necessary workforce planning activities, and lead to a shift in talent strategy for…

With Q4 fast approaching, CEOs continue to navigate through a thick fog of challenges: global economic instability, recession fears, election year uncertainty, to name just a few, amid the constant pressure to innovate while maintaining stakeholder trust. The role is more demanding than ever, requiring a blend of visionary leadership and pragmatic decision-making, often in situations where the playbook is being rewritten on the fly. In this constantly shifting landscape, how can leaders stay agile, make informed decisions, and lead with confidence? Rupal Patel, a former CIA analyst turned CEO, has a few ideas. In the following interview, she applies…

Bolanle Williams-Olley came to the U.S. at age 17 from Nigeria, with the plan of getting her degree in computer science. Instead, trusting her gut and following her passion for math, she pivoted to eventually take on an accounting role in architecture. Now, she serves as the CFO of the prestigious New York firm, Mancini Duffy, which has been shaking up the architecture world with a patented VR design process. Jack McCullough sits down with Williams-Olley to discuss her career journey and insights—from her upbringing in Lagos, to her framework for bold leadership, to how she gives back to her…

Longtime board member Mike White, whose public company board service includes multi-year stints at Kimberly-Clark, Whirlpool and Bank of America, at present, is concerned about the cyclonic impact of workplace transformation on organizational effectiveness. “The world is changing in multiple and very unpredictable ways, from technology to culture, geopolitics, disruptive competition and media,” says the former CEO of PepsiCo and DirectTV, who shepherded that company’s $67.1 billion acquisition by AT&T in 2015. These alterations in established patterns are colliding with how people want to work and how organizations structure that work. The ramifications are evident in the ongoing war for…

CFOs acknowledged the numerous challenges they continue to face, from pricing pressures and rising capital costs to regulatory instability, political uncertainty and declining consumer spending, which led them to lower their ratings of current market conditions to 6/10 in Q3 from 6.2/10 in Q2. However, many CFOs said they are confident upcoming Fed rate cuts will remove some of these obstacles and create better conditions for businesses and consumers by next year. “Despite economic uncertainty, consumer resilience will improve with interest rate cuts,” said one CFO surveyed who expects improvement in 2025. “Lower interest rates will stimulate demand,” another person…

At a minimum, finance transformation initiatives will 1) fundamentally change how the finance function operates and 2) significantly improve performance. Yet some organizations struggle to achieve even these modest goals. CFOs who don't seek to streamline, simplify, and optimize finance to have a meaningful impact on the business will quickly find themselves out of work. To better understand what it takes to make a finance transformation successful, Katie Kuehner-Hebert spoke with Peter “Reyn” Holden, CFO of Qu, a commerce platform for quick-service and fast-casual restaurants. In the interview, the veteran finance executive discusses the benefits and pitfalls of transformation and…

From the outside, the 2017 upheaval that led to Mario and John Molina being ousted from the company their father founded seemed to happen in a matter of days, but it was actually years in the making. The company was at a critical crossroads. Founded 40 years ago, Long Beach, California-based Molina Healthcare was plagued by underperformance and stagnant growth. Questionable acquisitions and an antiquated “friends and family” approach to talent decisions were preventing progress on a key issue: adapting to the newly enacted Affordable Care Act. Dale Wolf, whose experience in the healthcare industry included four years as CEO…