Management & Leadership

GE’s succession path lit by dueling deals

29 Dec 2016

The $275 bln industrial giant has a long list of executives capable of taking over when Jeff Immelt retires. In addition to engines and turbines, GE manufactures CEOs. The progress of two major M&A transactions will give the board a clearer view in 2017 on who should get the job.

Yahoo boss has squandered her second chance

19 Dec 2016

Marissa Mayer took on a challenge in 2012. Failure shouldn't have spelled career disaster. But an ineffective turnaround, wasted deals, indecision over Alibaba and now two massive hacks change that. Like Chuck Prince or Carly Fiorina, Mayer will probably not get another CEO gig.

Viewsroom: Can Big Oil’s man be diplomat-in-chief?

15 Dec 2016

Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson, Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state, is well versed in international dealmaking. But he's too close to Russia even for some Senate Republicans. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs shuffles the top ranks and Wells Fargo's regulatory hubris comes back to bite.

New Hertz CEO faces tough drive out of ditch

14 Dec 2016

Kathryn Marinello has a great résumé. The problem is that she's the $2 bln rental-car outfit's third boss in two years, and activist investor Carl Icahn looms in the back seat. Earnings just took a hit, leverage is high, and the sharing economy is undermining Hertz's model.

Goldman adds a splash of color to executive ranks

14 Dec 2016

Two bald white male vets will replace Gary Cohn, the bald white president who won't replace Lloyd Blankfein, the bald white chairman and CEO of the bank. So the appointment of Martin Chavez as CFO stands out in many ways – jokes aside, mainly for his entrepreneurial background.

New Linde CEO’s mark of success will be redundancy

7 Dec 2016

The German industrial gases group has named corporate veteran Aldo Belloni as its new chief executive. His main challenge is to secure a $65 bln merger with Praxair. New concessions by the U.S. rival and less sceptical Linde unions improve his chances of doing away with his job.

CEOs don’t deserve bonuses just for going shopping

1 Dec 2016

Activision's Bobby Kotick will receive an extra payout for doing a "transformative" deal. Investors have to benefit, but only for a limited time. Sensible M&A is part of what CEOs are already paid for. There's no need to reward them twice – or to encourage risky acquisitions.

Sherwood exit highlights wider Goldman transition

21 Nov 2016

The investment bank’s European co-head Michael Sherwood is retiring. A brush with bust retailer BHS, while maybe not the reason, could have hindered a possible step up to CEO. In any case, Europe and fixed income, his other area of expertise, face uncertain futures.