Today's Leadership Pulse
Google CEO Sundar Pichai says CEO role is simple, AI will handle decisions
Sundar Pichai told The Verge that being a CEO is "not that complicated" and that AI agents will soon make many routine decisions, freeing leaders to focus on strategy. He noted that Google engineers are shifting from manual coding to directing AI‑driven product teams, reflecting a broader change in how leadership operates.
Domino's Hopes Its Largest Franchisee Can Turn Things Around
Domino’s Pizza Enterprises (DPE), the pizza chain’s largest franchisee with 3,500 stores across Asia‑Pacific and Europe, reported its first annual loss in a 20‑year public history and announced the closure of more than 300 locations, most in Japan. The franchisee’s stock has slid 23% over the past year, and its leadership turnover has accelerated, with a new CEO, former McDonald’s executive Andrew Gregory, slated to start in August. Despite DPE’s troubles, Domino’s international system sales grew 5.9% in 2025, and same‑store sales would have risen 3% without DPE’s drag. Domino’s executives say turning DPE around is a top priority for restoring international growth momentum.
IEX Head of Cross Asset Product Joins Kraken to Lead Global Derivatives
John Palmer, former IEX head of cross‑asset product, has been hired by Kraken as global head of derivatives, bringing extensive experience from IEX, Cboe and Goldman Sachs. His appointment follows Kraken’s recent acquisition of an FCA MTF license to launch...
London City Appoints New CEO
London City Airport announced Andy Cliffe as its new chief executive, effective immediately. Cliffe, formerly Group CEO of AGS Airports and senior leader at Manchester Airports Group, joins after helping Macquarie Asset Management acquire a stake in the airport. He replaces long‑time...
Why Leaders Need to Stop Confusing Transparency with Clarity
Leaders often equate transparency with effective communication, but the two serve different purposes. Transparency builds trust by sharing information, while clarity provides the focus needed for action. A case study shows that a manager who combined honest updates with a...
CISA on Life Support
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has seen its workforce shrink from roughly 3,400 to under 2,400, with fewer than 1,000 staff actively working amid the current DHS shutdown. Political turmoil—most notably the firing of director Chris Krebs and...
Aspen Standard Names Former Beacon Pointe Exec As President
New York‑based Aspen Standard Wealth, a rapidly expanding registered investment adviser (RIA) aggregator, announced the appointment of industry veteran Kevin DiSano as its president. DiSano joins the firm after more than two decades leading wealth‑management and distribution operations at firms...
Why Negotiations Fail
Negotiations often fail for reasons beyond a dramatic impasse, including agreements that later cause regret, deals that crumble during execution, and partnerships that underperform despite being signed. The article outlines three failure modes: walking away from a better deal due...
Winning Founders Treat Failure as Research, Solve Problems
Most startups fail within five years. The founders who win fail more than once. They stop asking “What can I sell?” and start asking “What problem do I solve?” They treat failure as research, fix systems, test demand, and try again. Separate who you...
#272 How to Move From Finance Leader to CFO, Richard Turner, GrowCFO Mentor
In this episode, Richard Turner, a seasoned finance professional and new GrowCFO mentor, shares his 40‑year, multi‑industry journey from accountant to CFO, highlighting how humility, core finance fundamentals, and curiosity enable successful sector transitions. He outlines the universal finance leader...
RLE and GCF Partner to Shape CEO-Ready CIOs
Resilient Leaders Elements (RLE) and the Global CIO Forum (GCF) have forged a strategic partnership to deliver leadership development programmes to GCF’s community of more than 48,000 CIOs. The collaboration aligns with GCF’s conference theme “The next CEO is in...
Censys Appoints New META Vice President to Expand Growth
Censys has appointed Meriam ElOuazzani as its first Vice President for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META), tasked with driving regional revenue, partnerships, and ecosystem development. ElOuazzani brings two decades of cybersecurity experience from senior roles at SentinelOne, VMware,...
Negotiation Skills: Which Negotiating Style Is Best?
The article contends that no single negotiating style dominates; research shows cooperative negotiators consistently produce more creative, value‑creating outcomes and report higher satisfaction. However, pure cooperation can leave value on the table, while aggressive hard‑bargaining risks relationships. The most effective...
Scaling Back Clients to Deepen Impact and Avoid Burnout
Shifting the number of coaching clients I will take this year to ensure I can serve on an even deeper level, while continuing to speak on different stages. Burnout will not see me in 2026!
How AI and Automation Are Transforming the Future of Finance Leadership
Finance leaders are confronting a rapid shift as AI and automation move from pilot projects to core operating models. Darren Cran of AccountsIQ stresses that technology alone won’t deliver value unless people receive training, clear ownership, and ongoing support. He...
CrowdStrike Hires Joe McPhillips
CrowdStrike appoints veteran Joe McPhillips as JAPAC SMB senior director after a year‑long sabbatical. McPhillips brings more than 30 years of cybersecurity experience, previously serving at SentinelOne, Cylance, Symantec, Intel Security, Riverbed and Commvault. He will build and scale the...
Leadership Wins by Choosing Fewer, Higher‑Impact Priorities
Many leaders chase more. I choose better. I thought growth meant more more meetings, more projects, more noise. It looked productive. It wasn’t. When everything matters, nothing does. Results improve when you remove what doesn’t move them. My rule: • Fewer priorities • Fewer meetings • Fewer distractions • Higher standards Simplicity...
Leaders Feel Invisible Amid Employee Turnover and Tough Decisions
Leaders have to take care of their teams, appease their bosses, and still have something left for themselves at the end of the day. In this particular economic, social, and political climate, a lot of corporate leaders are struggling to...
Bastion Hires Joanne Norton to Lead Insights Arm
Bastion announced the appointment of Joanne Norton as managing director of its Insights division, succeeding Steven Howlett. Norton brings over 25 years of experience, most recently as Global Director of Consumer Insights at Bondi Sands and former L’Oréal ANZ insights...
DLF Rental Business Gets Deepti Kapoor as Head-HR
Deepti Kapoor has been appointed head of HR at DLF Rental Business, bringing over two decades of strategic HR experience. She joins from Cushman & Wakefield, where she led people and culture across India, Southeast Asia and APAC. Kapoor’s career...
Confront Challenges Directly: The Only Path to Resolution
“The best way out is always through.” In strategy and leadership, avoidance masquerades as sophistication. We reframe, defer, reorganise—anything to bypass the hard conversation, the failing unit, the flawed assumption. But complexity rarely dissolves when ignored. It compounds. The issues we...
Rob David Promoted to Senior Vice President of Animation at Mattel Studios
Mattel Studios announced Rob David’s promotion to Senior Vice President of Animation, effective immediately. In his new role, David will oversee development, creative and production for both adult and children’s animated series across broadcast, streaming, and digital platforms, including YouTube....
Build Systems Now to Scale Your Brand Later
If you want to sell or license, or scale your brand someday, you can’t be the one holding it together today. 🫢 You need to build a business that delivers consistent quality, with or without you in the room. That requires repeatable...
Prioritize Internal Stakeholders; Communicate Hope, Purpose, Authenticity
Recently, my Communication in Organizations class at RWU heard from Theresa Matos Agonia, Chief of Staff at Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Two insights stood out: Internal stakeholders are the most important public. They must be intentionally prioritized. She also says leadership...
Planet Fitness Inc (PLNT) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Medifast reported Q4 2025 revenue of $75.1 million, down 36.9% year‑over‑year, as the active earning coach base shrank 40.6% to roughly 16,100. Despite the top‑line decline, average revenue per coach increased 6.2% to $4,664, marking the first year‑over‑year productivity gain since...
We Are Different Appoints Ex-Fleishman Hillard MD Jenna Orme to Ops Leadership
We Are Different, an earned‑first creative agency, appointed former Fleishman Hillard Australia managing director Jenna Orme to a newly created Head of Difference role. Orme left Fleishman in January 2025 after three years and spent the last twelve months running...
Industry Leader Mark Coad Joins 24 Hour Business Plan as Partner and Senior Advisor
24 Hour Business Plan (24HRBP) announced that veteran marketer Mark Coad has joined the firm as a Partner and Senior Advisor. Coad, who has led major agencies such as IPG Mediabrands Australia and OMD, will advise on strategy, leadership, governance...
McCann Group NZ Appoints Zac Stephenson as Managing Director, Media; Terri Collier Promoted to Newly-Created Chief Client Officer Role
McCann Group New Zealand announced Zac Stephenson as Managing Director, Media, effective 9 March, and promoted Terri Collier to the newly created Chief Client Officer role. The duo, who previously collaborated at DDB, will steer the agency’s shift toward a fully integrated,...
Maureen McCollum Moves From WPR to WUWM Leadership Role
Maureen McCollum has been hired as Vice President of Content for Milwaukee NPR affiliate WUWM 89.7. The former Wisconsin Public Radio journalist and host will steer the station’s editorial strategy and drive its shift toward a multi‑platform public media model. McCollum...
Gridiron Adds to Leadership Team Amid Fund VI Roll-Out
Gridiron Capital has elevated Scott Harrison to Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer, expanding its senior leadership team. Harrison, who blends investment acumen with operational expertise, now sits alongside founders Tom Burger and Kevin Jackson. The promotion comes as the...
Merck’s Oncology Spin-Out: Organizational Design as Patent Cliff Strategy
Merck has created a standalone oncology business unit to confront the concentration risk posed by Keytruda, which now generates over half of its pharmaceutical sales and faces patent expiry around 2028. The restructuring treats organizational design as a strategic lever...
Future Leader: Carrie Hyde, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Palliative Care, Gentiva
Carrie Hyde, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Palliative Care at Gentiva, has been named a 2025 Future Leader by Hospice News. In a candid interview she explains her draw to hospice and palliative care, the leadership lesson of listening first,...
Sony Film CEO on Losing ‘Sinners’ and the Endless Big Tech Battle
In this episode, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chairman Tom Rothman discusses Sony’s recent slate—including new Spider‑Man, Jumanji, Resident Evil, and the original animated film Goat—and how the studio thrives without its own streaming platform by partnering with giants like...
Self-Awareness of Privilege and Power Transforms Leaders
Award‑winning executive Kit McMahon argues that leaders who recognize their own privilege and power can drive gender and intersectional equity. She cites concrete examples where deep reflective work and genuine engagement have produced measurable workplace progress. McMahon, named the 2026 national...
Transcend Cruises Strengthens Team with New Appointments
Transcend Cruises announced two senior hires to accelerate its growth in the European river cruise market. Bentlie Logan joins as Director of MICE and Agency Sales, bringing recent Carnival Cruise Line experience and a focus on expanding North American group...
AKTG Expands Leadership Roles to Support Brand Growth
Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group (AKTG) has reorganized its trade sales leadership across the Americas, appointing Debra Fox as Chief Sales Officer – Trade. Fox now oversees global trade sales for all AKTG brands, reporting directly to CEO Cristina Levis....
McLarens Names Former Crisis24 Exec to Lead Crisis Management
McLarens has appointed former Crisis24 executive Kevin Moran as executive general adjuster and U.S. team lead for malicious assailant, war, terrorism and political violence within its crisis management practice. The newly created role will oversee incident investigation and insurance reporting...
It’s Personal Stories Launches New Website
It’s Personal Stories, a hospitality leadership podcast founded in 2022, has launched a redesigned website that consolidates nearly 300 interviews with global hospitality leaders. The new platform offers a searchable archive by guest name, title, company, and thematic categories, with...
CIOB Innovation Vice-Chair Mordue Appointed to APS Board
Stefan Mordue, CIOB innovation panel vice‑chair and senior manager at Bentley Systems, has been appointed to the board of the Association for Project Safety (APS). He joins fellow appointee Stewart McArthur, a veteran construction assessor from Bureau Veritas, bringing digital construction...
Ubisoft Appoints New Assassin’s Creed Brand Leadership Team
Ubisoft’s Vantage Studios has installed a new three‑person leadership team to steer the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Martin Schelling will oversee overall brand strategy, Jean Guesdo will direct creative content, and Francois de Billy will champion production excellence. All three bring...
Prompts Boost Productivity Only Within Established Systems
“20 ChatGPT prompts to boost your productivity.” Useful? Yes. Transformational? Only if used correctly. Here’s the nuance most prompt collections miss 👇 1️⃣ Prompts don’t create productivity — systems do GTD, Pomodoro, Eisenhower, Ivy Lee… These frameworks worked before AI....
Clarity Beats Uniform AI: Define Your Customer Identity
If everyone has the same AI, AI isn’t the advantage. Clarity is. Who are you to your customers? : #AI #Strategy #Leadership #Business #Innovation https://t.co/JZtALylZ7J
Leading in the Age of Generative AI and Exponential Technology: A Conversation with Andrea Bonime-Blanc
In this episode, Michael Keegan talks with Andrea Bonime‑Blanc, author of *Governing Pandora*, about the unprecedented convergence of generative AI and other exponential technologies and what it means for leadership and governance. Bonime‑Blanc explains her "exponential governance mindset," a five‑part...
Xbox's Messy Leadership Shakeup Signals Decline or Rebirth
Microsoft's rollout of its big Xbox leadership shakeup is as messy as everything else this console generation. Is Xbox going back to its roots or is the company intent on managing the decline of the only Microsoft brand left anyone...
Prioritize Must-Have Features Over Custom Software Tweaks
Customizing software vs. adapting your business: know the difference. Identify must-haves that are showstoppers from nice-to-haves. IT simplicity can create business complexity, and vice versa.#BusinessStrategy #Software #Leadership https://t.co/1sXJBmt94S
On the Move: French/West/Vaughan Signs Sykes
French/West/Vaughan announced the hiring of Drew Sykes as Vice President of Social Media and Influencer Marketing, bringing experience from Ignite Social Media and North Carolina State University. Cyber‑security firm Axonius named Meghan Marks as Chief Marketing Officer, leveraging her track...
Strategic Choices, Not Platitudes, Uniquely Align Your Company
ICYMI: Fresh new article dropped: Strategy is an integrated set of choices that uniquely positions your company. But what kinds of choices? Not the crappy platitudes like “We put customers first.” The kind that actually aligns everyone in the company to win,...
C‑Suite and Front‑Line Miss AI Efficiency Gap
The AI efficiency gap: Why the C-Suite and the front line are living in different worlds by @Timothy_Hughes https://t.co/oDC8OKpx4r @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology #TechNews #Sales #Marketing #Culture #Strategy https://t.co/ACegbrqNxG
"Bad News for Xbox": Analysts React to the Leadership Shakeup at Microsoft's Games Division
Microsoft Gaming announced its most significant leadership overhaul in a decade, with longtime Xbox chief Phil Spencer retiring and Xbox president Sarah Bond exiting. Core AI product president Asha Sharma will now lead the division, while Matt Booty steps up...
Invest in People: Showcase Your Team’s Proven Expertise
Showcase your team’s expertise and ability to execute. People invest in people. ✨ Highlight the strengths and achievements of your core team, demonstrating that you have the right people to bring your vision to life.
New CSAF Outlines Air Force Challenges and Solutions
Exclusive: I recently spoke with @OfficialCSAF for his first interview in the job. Including his perspective on coming back to lead the service, the challenges facing the Air Force and his perspective of how to address them. A read to...