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.
AT&T Launches $90 Bundle to Curb Churn; ESET Adds eCrime Reports
AT&T rolled out a $90 OneConnect bundled plan that combines wireless and fiber internet to slow postpaid churn, and cybersecurity firm ESET launched eCrime Reports to give security teams curated threat intelligence. Both moves reflect a tactical shift toward integrated services to improve customer and operational retention.
AIG Completes CEO Succession Plan; Anderson to Take Reins
American International Group announced that Eric Anderson will assume the roles of president and chief executive officer on June 1, succeeding Peter Zaffino, who will move to the position of executive chair of the board. Anderson, a former Aon executive with nearly...
Five9 Creates New Chief Marketing and Growth Officer Role, Hires Jay Lee
Five9 announced the creation of a Chief Marketing and Growth Officer position and appointed former Icertis and Avalara CMO Jay Lee to fill it. The new role will align the company's global marketing, revenue strategy and operations around its AI‑driven...
Mayra Contreras Returns as TEADS Mexico GM to Accelerate Omnichannel Growth
TEADS has reappointed Mayra Contreras as General Manager of its Mexico operation, tasking her with launching a new CTV offering and deepening the company's omnichannel footprint. Contreras, who previously grew the team by 110%, brings decades of tech‑media experience to...
Brené Brown Slams Silicon Valley for Ditching Vulnerability in Leadership
Brené Brown, the author of the bestselling TED talk on shame and vulnerability, told a BetterUp conference in San Francisco that Silicon Valley’s current wave of layoffs and AI‑first mandates has erased the empathy that once underpinned modern leadership. She...
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...
Great Culture Builds Durable Moats and Company Value
“Another important ingredient is culture. A great culture is about people: it is infused by great managers. Such men and women create more than products and services—they perpetuate core values such as quality, integrity, empathy, and stewardship. The "moat" and...
Loss of a Plane Sparked Southwest’s 47‑year Profit Streak
This is one of my favorite examples that didn’t make it into the final version of Inside the Box. In 1972, Southwest was almost out of money and had to sell one of its four planes. Instead of cutting routes, they...
NASA Schedules Artemis II Launch, Elon Musk Shifts to Moon Support
NASA will launch Artemis II from Cape Canaveral on Wednesday, the first U.S. crewed deep‑space flight since Apollo 17 in 1972. At the same time, SpaceX founder Elon Musk has publicly reversed his criticism of the program, calling the Moon a faster...
10 Questions to Tell If You’re Leading or Still IC
RT @JoeContrera When you become a leader, your job is to step back from the IC role and influence others to get work done…and this is where the fun begins. How do you know if you’re on the leader side or...
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,...
Disney Shakes up Streaming Executive Team Following Key Departure
Disney is reshuffling its streaming executive team after Senior Vice President Ajay Arora announced his departure on April 30. Arora, who joined from Netflix, oversaw commerce, growth and account management for Disney+ and ESPN+. The company will fold its Commerce,...
Atlas Air Worldwide Appoints New Chief People Officer
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings announced the appointment of Emma Woodthorpe as its new chief people officer, effective April 27, 2026. Reporting to CEO Michael Steen and joining the executive leadership team, Woodthorpe will oversee talent acquisition, leadership development, total rewards,...
Apple Cofounder Ronald Wayne—Whose Stake Would Be Worth up to $400 Billion Had He Not Sold It in 1976—Says that...
Apple’s little‑known third co‑founder, Ronald G. Wayne, walked away from a 10 % stake in 1976 for $2,300, a decision that would be worth more than $400 billion today. At the time Wayne, an Atari engineer, feared personal liability and chose financial certainty...
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...
“Seven Out of 10 Deals We Close Are Partner-Led” - Cato’s Channel Chief, Karl Soderlund
Cato Networks reports that roughly seven out of ten closed deals are led by partners, a stark contrast to the 30‑35% benchmark at peers like Palo Alto and Zscaler. The company’s AI‑enhanced security stack, bolstered by the Aim Security acquisition,...
HR on the Board | CEO-CPO Relations - Why HR Leaders Have to Work Harder to Be Heard in the...
New Russell Reynolds data shows a surge in chief people officer turnover in 2025, with 155 global CHRO appointments—a 25% rise year‑over‑year. First‑time CHROs dominate hiring, making up 60% of all appointments and 63% of S&P 500 moves, largely sourced from internal...
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,...
Design the System, Then Staff It with the Right People
You have your goals. I call the way you will operate to achieve your goals your machine. It consists of a design (the things that have to get done) and the people (who will do the things that need getting...
Infinimmune Appoints Anthony Slavin, Ph.D., as Senior Vice President of Portfolio Strategy
Infinimmune announced the appointment of Anthony Slavin, Ph.D., as Senior Vice President of Portfolio Strategy. Slavin will steer the company’s portfolio development, guiding the selection of new antibody programs and advancing its existing pipeline. He arrives with a proven track record...
My Employee Is Abrasive — Can I Ask Others to Be Patient While I Coach Her?
A university theater manager is grappling with Jane, a high‑performing staff member whose abrasive, dismissive tone is alienating students and colleagues. Despite several coaching sessions, her behavior persists, raising concerns about student retention and team morale. The manager wonders whether...
Disaster & After Podcast Explores Leadership and Loss in the Wake of Columbine High School Shooting
The third episode of the *Disaster & After* podcast features retired Rear Admiral Dr. Brian Flynn discussing his role in the federal delegation that visited Colorado after the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. The team, which included Vice President Al...
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...
Fix Your Structure, Culture Will Naturally Improve
Most 'culture problems' are structure problems wearing a costume. Your team isn't dysfunctional. Your decision rights are unclear, your intake is broken, and three people think they own the same workflow. Fix the structure. Watch the culture follow.
Dairy Checkoff Elects New Officers
The Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) board re‑elected farmer Marilyn Hershey as chair and added new vice‑chair, secretary, and treasurer from Colorado and California. The National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB) chose Lolly Lesher as chair, with a full slate...
New AAD Leaders Aim to Fix ‘Broken’ Access to Care, Serve Next Generation of Dermatologists
Murad Alam assumed the presidency of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) on April 27, 2026, with a focus on fixing the broken access‑to‑care model that hampers dermatology practices. He outlined a strategy to rally AAD members, lobby Congress, and secure resources...
Sometimes Your Job Is to Get in the Way
Slack’s engineering leadership halted all production releases after a high‑profile outage, forcing the company to confront systemic reliability gaps. A rapid, cross‑functional war room was convened, leading to a three‑month overhaul of the development pipeline and new testing practices. The...
AI Eliminates Need for Massive Hiring in Billion-Dollar Startups
I hired 1,300 people to build my last billion-dollar company. If I had to start over tomorrow, I'd hire zero. AI changed the math.
Weekly Briefing: BlackRock’s Agentic AI Push, an Elite Law Firm’s AI Hallucinations, the $636 Billion AI Bet, and Why Empathetic...
The briefing highlights four AI‑driven shifts reshaping the C‑suite. BlackRock is rolling out Rock AI, a no‑code platform that lets thousands of employees create autonomous agents to execute investment work. A top law firm, Sullivan & Cromwell, filed AI‑generated hallucinations in court, exposing...
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...
Job Requirements - Beware The Ratchet!
In this episode Sarah and Mark explain the "job requirements ratchet," a hiring dynamic where companies tighten standards in a candidate‑rich down market but fail to loosen them when the market flips and talent becomes scarce. They argue this one‑way...
Autodesk Nominates Omar Abbosh to Board of Directors
Autodesk announced the nomination of Omar Abbosh, CEO of Pearson and former Microsoft and Accenture executive, as an independent director to be elected at its upcoming annual meeting. At the same time, Stephen Milligan disclosed he will not seek re‑election,...
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...
Being Easy to Work With Unlocks Career Opportunities
99% of professionals overlook this skill: being pleasant to work with. Most people think career success comes from being the smartest person in the room. But.... people don’t just hire skills. They choose teammates they trust, respect, and enjoy collaborating with. “Easy to...
OM in the News: The AI Splurge and Big Tech’s Workforce
Tech giants are slashing staff to fund AI ambitions, announcing 45,800 layoffs in March 2026—the steepest month in two years. Microsoft trimmed its workforce by 7%, Block by 40%, and Meta eliminated 8,000 positions. The cuts fund accelerated investment in...
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...
Harvard Review Unveils Upskilling Gains, Goal‑Setting Risks, AI Fatigue and Superteam Playbooks
Harvard Business Review released a quartet of studies revealing that upskilling can lift employee performance, traditional goal‑setting may undermine outcomes, certain AI usage patterns trigger cognitive fatigue, and high‑performing teams excel by experimenting 50% more than peers. The findings reshape...
Martin Marietta Appoints Chris Samborski as COO Amid Strategic Expansion
Martin Marietta Materials announced Chris Samborski as its executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective May 1. The veteran executive, who led the company's West and Specialties divisions, steps into the role as the $37.1 billion market‑cap firm continues a series...
Angry Chickz VP Tonya McCoy Fuels 63% Sales Surge with Data‑first Marketing
Tonya McCoy, Vice President of Marketing for the Angry Chickz franchise, has leveraged data‑driven tactics to lift territory unit sales by 63% and oversee multi‑million‑dollar marketing budgets. Her 28‑year food‑service marketing career underscores Angry Chickz’s people‑first, performance‑focused culture.
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...
Speed Trumps Efficiency: Blitzscaling Wins Big Tech
Founders are taught to be efficient. In the biggest tech wins, that instinct quietly kills companies. Reid Hoffman and Chris Yeh found that speed, not efficiency, decides who wins. They call this Blitzscaling. Here is the how it works:
Steve Jobs Prioritized Beauty and Creation over Wealth
Larry Ellison on Steve Jobs: Apple became the most valuable company on earth and it wasn’t even one of Steve’s goals. He wasn’t trying to be rich. He wasn’t trying to be famous. He was obsessed with the creative process and...
Delay in Product Focus Cost Growth; Focus Yields 8‑figure ARR
Ev Kontsevoy had two products splitting revenue 50/50. No venture funding. Close to break-even. Then COVID killed one pipeline and accelerated the other. He says he waited too long to pick. The one he kept became 8-figure ARR. https://t.co/EVsP3fex28
Strong Culture, Rigid Structure Fail Without Reality Check
You can have strong culture + solid structure but still make the wrong decisions. Why? Because you’ve lost contact with reality. Check out the latest article in my newsletter: Issue #16: Leaves and Listening - How Organizations Lose Contact With Reality...
Luxury Perks Won’t Fix Sinking Crew Morale
since it's #BelowDeck Monday, here's a throw back HR blog post -->> From Sparkling Wine to Sinking Morale: People Management on Below Deck https://t.co/VTj7ID5BGh
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...
Surround Yourself with Truth‑Tellers, Says Jeff Bezos
Successful people surround themselves by supportive truth tellers — a masterclass by Jeff Bezos on the importance of seeking the truth https://t.co/fvYXNVvBbz
AI Chief of Staff Boosted My Productivity
The most valuable thing I did this year was install an AI chief of staff. Not a chatbot. An operator, one that manages my priorities, surfaces blind spots, and runs context I used to carry in my head. The full blueprint is...