Aon CEO Greg Case Warns AI Wins Need World‑class Talent Strategy
At a Semafor conference, Aon CEO Greg Case warned that companies pouring billions into AI will fall short unless they match that spend with a world‑class talent strategy. He highlighted Aon’s $1.3 bn AI investment, its 60,000‑person workforce, and urged firms to hire and upskill early‑career talent rather than cut it.
Alfa Romeo CEO: The 'World Is Not Ready Everywhere' For EVs
Alfa Romeo CEO Santo Ficili said the world isn’t ready everywhere for full electric vehicles, prompting the brand to adopt a mixed‑powertrain strategy. The next‑generation Giulia and Stelvio will be offered with both hybrid and battery‑electric options built on the...
Associated Bank CEO Wants to Pave ‘Highway to Private Wealth’
Associated Bank, led by CEO Andy Harmening, has boosted commercial lending by 43% to $12.3 billion in Q1 and expanded assets from $33 billion to $50 billion after acquiring American National Bank. The bank added relationship managers in Dallas, Kansas City and Minneapolis,...
3 Takeaways From Walmart’s 2026 Annual Report
Walmart’s FY2026 report shows U.S. e‑commerce now adds 4.3% to comparable sales, up from 2.9% a year earlier, while global online revenue surged 24% to $150.4 billion. Total revenue grew 5.1% to $715.9 billion, driven by higher‑margin e‑commerce deliveries and a 212%...
Fresh Value CEO Terry Stanley to Step Down
Terry Stanley announced he will step down as chief executive of Fresh Value, the Alabama‑based grocery chain, effective May 2, 2026. He will be succeeded by Shane Holliday, the company’s vice president of operations, who assumes the role on May 3. Stanley, who...
It's Not Just an AI Strategy - You Need a Talent Strategy Too: Aon CEO
Aon CEO Greg Case warns that AI investments must be paired with a world‑class talent strategy. He cites Aon's $1.3 billion AI spend and early Nvidia chip adoption, but stresses continuous reskilling of its 60,000 employees. Case argues against hiring freezes,...
Judy Gets Her Freakonomics On
Freakonomics recently interviewed Epic Systems CEO Judy Faulkner, during which she highlighted Epic’s claim of offering more APIs than any other EHR vendor. Faulkner explained that data access requires permission from the individual health organization, positioning Epic as a neutral...
Great CEOs Prioritize Brand and Long-Term Growth
From $6M to $20M at Coach. The lesson wasn’t “grow at all costs.” It was: build the right channels, protect the brand, and resist short-term pressure. Great CEOs don’t just accelerate growth. They defend the long game when owners want the short one. #Kaihan #Outthinker...
New Chief Executive Officer for The Shannon Airport Group
Ray O’Driscoll has been appointed permanent chief executive officer of The Shannon Airport Group, after serving as interim CEO since Mary Considine’s departure in September. He previously held the deputy CEO and chief operating officer roles, giving him more than...
Sam Altman Outlines Five Principles that Double as Justification for OpenAI's Business Decisions
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman published five guiding principles that double as a public rationale for the company’s recent strategic choices. The principles stress democratized AI access, user empowerment, universal prosperity, societal resilience, and adaptability. Altman uses them to justify heavy...
Regal Rexnord Corp. Announces Aamir Paul as Next CEO
Regal Rexnord Corp. announced that Aamir Paul will become chief executive officer by July 1, 2026, succeeding Louis Pinkham who will remain in place until the transition. Paul, currently Schneider Electric’s North America president, brings a record of double‑digit growth and experience...
Xbox Wants to ‘Restore the Core’ and Grow Daily Active Players – so Is Mobile Part of the Plan or...
Xbox’s new head Asha Sharma announced a shift to daily active players (DAP) as the division’s North Star, signaling a push to “restore the core” of console and PC gamers. The move follows a Game Pass price cut and rumors...
Remember New Coke?
In 1985 Coca‑Cola introduced New Coke to counter Pepsi’s surge, but the formula change was driven by internal business pressure rather than consumer demand, sparking a public backlash. The author draws a parallel to today’s rapid AI adoption, where many...
People on the Move: Aspen Power, Vontier Corporation, and More
Aspen Power announced CEO Jorge Vargas will depart and named Michael Sheehan, former Dimension Energy COO, as his replacement. Crane Company elevated long‑time executive Alex Alcala to president and CEO, while founder Max Mitchell moves to executive chairman. Vontier Corporation...
Truecaller’s Growth Slows as CNAP and Platform Spam Blockers Bite
Truecaller, the caller‑ID app with over 500 million users, reported a 16% year‑over‑year decline in Indian downloads and a 5% global dip in 2025, while its stock has fallen 78% since its 2021 IPO. The slowdown coincides with telecom‑led CNAP rollout...
UnitedHealth Q1 2026 Beats Forecast, EPS $7.23, Stock Jumps 9.3%
UnitedHealth Group reported first‑quarter earnings of $7.23 per share, topping the $6.59 consensus, and revenue of $111.7 billion, exceeding expectations. The results lifted the stock 9.29% to $353.52 and prompted an upgrade to full‑year EPS guidance above $18.25.
Apple Positions John Ternus to Succeed Tim Cook as CEO Ahead of iPhone 18 Launch
Apple is preparing for its first CEO transition in years, naming longtime hardware leader John Ternus as the next chief executive to take over at the September iPhone 18 launch. The move reflects a strategic shift toward faster hardware innovation while...
BJ's Opens First Texas Club, Aims for 30 New Stores by 2026, Challenging Costco
BJ's Wholesale Club launched its inaugural Texas warehouse in Forney, marking its 264th club and entry into the state’s 22nd market. The retailer pledged to add 25‑30 new locations across Texas by the end of 2026, a move that pits...
386: Pace, Noise, and What's Really Blocking AI Transformation at Work, with Tom Scott, CEO of Wrike
In this episode, host Dan Turchin talks with Tom Scott, CEO of Wrike, about the challenges of AI-driven transformation in enterprise work management. Scott highlights the overwhelming pace and noise surrounding AI, emphasizing that true change requires deep context, not...
India’s Noida Airport Gets a New CEO; Taj Partners With Etihad on Loyalty
India’s Noida International Airport named CFO Nitu Samra as interim CEO to satisfy a Bureau of Civil Aviation Security rule that airport CEOs be Indian nationals. Swiss‑born Christoph Schnellmann, who has led the greenfield project since 2020, will shift to...
WTA CEO Portia Archer Steps Down Amid Leadership Transition
Portia Archer will leave the Women’s Tennis Association as CEO effective April 20, 2026, ending a tenure of just under two years. She succeeded Steve Simon in July 2024 and was charged with overseeing daily operations and expanding commercial revenue. The announcement,...
United CEO’s Statement About American Airlines Merger Idea He Has Floated
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby announced he had approached American Airlines with a proposal to merge, positioning the deal as a growth‑driven partnership that would enhance customer experience and global competitiveness. American publicly rejected the overture, closing the door on...
Salesforce to Hire 1,000 Grads and Interns, Defying AI Job-Killing Fears
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff announced a plan to hire 1,000 recent graduates and interns to work on the company’s flagship AI initiatives, Agentforce and Headless 360. The hiring wave follows a February layoff of roughly 1,000 employees, including staff from the...
CEO Transitions in Disruptive Times
CEO turnover reached a new global high in 2025, climbing 16% year‑over‑year and 21% above the eight‑year average, while average tenure shrank to seven years from just over eight in 2021. The acceleration reflects heightened technological, geopolitical and market turbulence...
Node4 Names New CEO and Chair in Double Leadership Swoop
Node4 announced a dual leadership overhaul, naming Neil Muller as chief executive officer and Patrick De Smedt as non‑executive chair. Muller will steer the company’s AI‑driven managed‑services platform and broaden its ERP, CRM, and data‑analytics portfolio. De Smedt will provide strategic oversight as the...
United CEO Defends Vision for American Merger in Unusual Public Memo
United Airlines chief Scott Kirby issued an unprecedented public memo defending his vision for a merger with American Airlines, even after American rebuffed the overture. Kirby argued the combination would create a customer‑centric carrier focused on growth rather than traditional...
Apple Could Double Device Count to 4.5 Bn in 15 Years
❝If Mr Ternus does “nothing but keep the ship on course”, Apple could almost double its number of devices from 2.5bn globally to 4.5bn over the next 15 years, reckons Horace Dediu... —The Economist https://asymco.com/2026/04/27/the-economist-interview-hints-at-the-future-direction-of-the-company/
The Economist Interview: Hints at the Future Direction of the Company
Apple’s newly appointed CEO, Tim Ternus, faces the challenge of reviving the company’s AI momentum. Analyst Horace Dediu predicts Apple could expand its installed base from 2.5 bn to 4.5 bn devices over the next 15 years, creating a massive platform for AI...
United CEO Confirms Reaching Out to AA About Potential Merger
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said he reached out to American Airlines to explore a merger that would create a larger, customer‑focused carrier. He argued the combination would drive growth, unlock new opportunities, and likely gain regulatory approval, contrasting it...
America Now Has 70% More Bookstores Than in 2020, Says Bookshop.org Founder
Andy Hunter, founder and CEO of Bookshop.org, says the United States now has roughly 70% more independent bookstores than in 2020, a rebound driven by the platform’s e‑commerce support. Bookshop.org, launched in January 2020 as a B‑Corporation, channels about 80%...
One Year Ago, Unilever CEO Swore to Hire ‘20x More Influencers.’ Did It Deliver on That Promise?
A year after CEO Fernando Fernandez pledged to hire 20 times more influencers, Unilever has expanded its creator network from roughly 10,000 to 300,000, exceeding the target by a factor of 30. The company now works with 17,000 influencers in India...
AI and Grocery - the UK's Leading Supermarkets Put AI Top of the Shopping List. The CEOs of Sainsbury's and...
UK grocery giants Sainsbury's and Tesco are accelerating AI adoption to sharpen competitive advantage. Sainsbury's, now in year three of its Next Level transformation, has launched an AI Centre of Excellence and reports over 200 live AI use cases, from...
Tesla Admits HW3 Can't Deliver Unsupervised FSD, Sparking Bull‑bear Clash
On April 23, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told investors that the Hardware 3 computer installed in millions of vehicles lacks the memory bandwidth needed for unsupervised Full Self‑Driving. The admission triggered a split among analysts and investors as the company...
BP Overtakes Exxon as Top Oil Stock Amid Iran Conflict
BP has surged past Exxon Mobil to become the best‑performing super‑major since the Iran war started on Feb. 28, with its stock up about 20% versus Exxon’s 2% drop. The rally is tied to Meg O’Neill’s aggressive debt‑reduction plan and...
Warner Bros. Discovery’s Coyote‑Acme Fallout Revives Power Struggle for CEO David Zaslav
Warner Bros. Discovery’s long‑shelved animated feature Coyote v. Acme re‑emerged this week, just as shareholders approved Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion acquisition offer. The drama has reignited criticism of CEO David Zaslav’s cost‑cutting strategy, which already saw the $90 million Batgirl cancellation.
USA Rare Earth Commits $2.8 B to Brazil’s Serra Verde, Boosting U.S. Rare‑Earth Supply Chain
USA Rare Earth (USAR) signed a definitive agreement to acquire Brazil’s Serra Verde Group for $2.8 billion, combining $300 million in cash and 126.85 million newly issued shares. The deal secures the Pela Ema mine, the only non‑Asian source capable of producing all...
Musk Teams with Intel for Terafab Plans
Elon Musk announced a partnership with Intel to build a series of advanced semiconductor fabs, dubbed “Terafab,” aimed at delivering a terawatt of AI processing capacity per year within the next decade. The initial phase involves a $25 billion investment in...
Larry Fink Says Crypto Is 1996 Internet
Larry Fink’s 2024 annual letter equates today’s tokenization wave with the early internet of 1996, signaling that mainstream finance is finally embracing crypto infrastructure. He highlights BlackRock’s rapid build‑out: roughly $150 billion in assets linked to digital tokens, including a $65 billion...
Sun Pharma to Acquire Organon for $11.75 B, Boosting Women’s Health and Biosimilars
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries announced an all‑cash deal to acquire Organon & Co. for $14 per share, valuing the U.S. firm at $11.75 billion. The merger will lift Sun Pharma into the top‑25 global drugmakers, give it a top‑3 position in women’s...
New Dark Matter CEO Eyes Deals, AI-First Future
Dark Matter Technologies named former CTO Vikas Rao as its new CEO, pledging an AI‑first roadmap for its Empower loan‑origination platform. At the Horizon conference the firm unveiled Ask Aiva, an AI chatbot that will evolve into a task‑performing copilot across...
Former LVMH Exec Launches Ireland’s First Luxury Group
Former LVMH executive Ashley McDonnell is launching VYKO Group, Ireland’s first luxury holding company. The venture aims to raise €50 million (about $55 million) in 2026 to acquire minority to full stakes in Irish fashion, beauty, spirits, jewellery and fine‑food brands. VYKO...
Dentsu Bolsters Americas Leadership as It Seeks Turnaround in Key Region
Dentsu announced a sweeping leadership overhaul in the Americas, elevating Beth Ann Kaminkow to CEO of the region and chief global client officer. The agency also created a new chief client experience officer role for Christena Pyle and hired Steve...
The Fragile Equilibrium: George Walker CEO at Neuberger Berman, Perspective on the Economy
George Walker, CEO of Neuberger Berman, argues that the U.S. economy is in an "Economic Antifragility" phase, buoyed by an AI‑driven productivity dividend that is decoupling growth from traditional labor‑price pressures. He warns that geopolitical chokepoints such as the Strait...
Less Bread and WFH Fridays – What Pret Boss Knows About Our Habits
Pret A Manger’s CEO Pano Christou says the chain is adapting to post‑Covid habits by tweaking its subscription service, expanding higher‑priced "Super Plates" salads and re‑thinking store locations. The subscription now costs $6 a month for half‑price drinks, and sign‑ups...
Executive Column: Bluebird Stays Course Amid Rising Fuel Costs, Stiffer Competit...
Bluebird, Indonesia’s largest taxi operator, is grappling with higher fuel costs triggered by the U.S.-Israeli conflict’s impact on oil markets and a weaker rupiah. CEO Adrianto Djokosoetono says the company can absorb some price hikes for subsidized gasoline and diesel...
AI Undermines Software Moats, Ecosystem Remains Competitive Edge
Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snap, argues that AI is forcing everyone to confront what they learned years ago at Snapchat; software isn’t a moat. While AI coding makes it easy for competitors to copy your features, they can’t copy an ecosystem...
Musk's Model Relies on Investor Faith, Not Facts
"it turned out" " Elon Musk's whole business model is about getting investors to believe in his vision of the future." how behind of real life are you at this point, Reuters?
Giordano’s CEO on the Company’s Reset and Why He Thinks Its Best Chapter Is Still Ahead
Giordano International reported a 3.9% revenue increase for the quarter ended March 31, with same‑store sales climbing 8.2% – its strongest growth in years. Mainland China e‑commerce surged 46.7%, while Southeast Asian markets delivered double‑digit gains. CEO Colin Currie, appointed in...
Tim Cook's 15-Year Apple: Massive Growth, Mixed Innovations
I wrote about Tim Cook's 15-year run as Apple CEO, from $350B to $4T (and ~300m to 2.5B installed devices). The good (Watch, AirPods, Apple Silicon, Pay, TV+, Maps), the bad (iCar, Siri, app fees, Vision Pro) and the Apple...
United CEO Admits Failed American Airlines Bid, Still Lobbying Washington
United Airlines CEO Makes Weird Public Confession About Trying To Buy American — And He’s Still Pitching Washington - View from the Wing https://t.co/pewCbc3PtJ