A Strong Case for M&A

The appetite for acquisitions among corporates and private equity-backed businesses continues to grow. This is driven by a combination of mounting pressure from shareholders and investors, who want to see tangible signs of growth, and the availability of cheap money. It’s created a seller's market and, therefore, buyers need to thoroughly analyse a company’s compatibility, while also being careful not to overpay. (read more)

Big Egos in the Boardroom

The Fifa scandal shows what happens when individuals hold on to power for too long. Similarly, in the corporate universe, there are plenty of instances where bloated egos have stayed in charge, ignoring questions about succession, evading accountability and presiding over organisations that rot from the inside. Rules and governance guidelines are side-stepped as no-one has the courage to challenge the CEO’s decisions. (read more)

Trust and Leadership in China

Big Western brands in China pay the price for failing to adapt to local market conditions. It’s a form of cultural blindness they would find unthinkable when operating in their home territories. As a result, they lose out to companies with senior management teams that understand what customers want and how to extract the best from employees. (read more)

5 Ways New CEOs Make an Impact

The dilemma for many new CEOs is knowing when to start making big decisions. With the benefit of hindsight, they often realise that first impressions counted for a lot and changes could have been made sooner. Still, when looking back, it’s easy to forget how much information needed to be absorbed during those opening few months and what was required to acclimatise to the role. (read more)