Today's Leadership Pulse
Ramp’s $40B fintech empire spawns a wave of AI‑focused founders
Ramp, the $40 billion fintech unicorn, has emerged as an unexpected founder factory, with at least 30 alumni launching their own ventures, many targeting AI and automation. The company’s AI‑driven corporate card and expense‑management platform have seeded a pipeline of spin‑outs, underscoring how high‑growth firms can catalyze new leadership pipelines.
Snap Lays Off 16% of Its Full-Time Staff
Snap announced a 16% reduction in its full‑time staff, laying off roughly 1,000 employees and closing over 300 open positions. The cuts are projected to shave more than $500 million from the annualized cost base by the second half of 2026, aiming to clear a path toward net‑income profitability. Despite an 11% year‑over‑year revenue increase to $5.93 billion in 2025, user growth has stalled in key markets, limiting earnings upside. Snap is also betting on its newly spun‑out AR glasses business, a high‑risk venture as competition intensifies.
Allspring Acquires GIA Partners' Fixed‑Income Team to Boost Emerging‑Market Credit
Allspring Global Investments announced a definitive agreement to acquire the specialist fixed‑income investment team of GIA Partners, led by Eduardo Cortes. The deal, expected to close in early Q3, adds a multilingual credit team with four decades of emerging‑market experience...
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini Resigns Amid NFL Insider Investigation
Dianna Russini stepped down from The Athletic on April 14 after the outlet opened an internal probe into photos showing her with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. The resignation, accompanied by a defiant letter, underscores a brewing ethics debate in...
Styx Intelligence Hires Veteran Brad Ball as CRO to Double ARR and Expand Globally
Styx Intelligence announced Brad Ball as its first Chief Revenue Officer, tasking him with accelerating a revenue stream that has been doubling year‑over‑year. The veteran executive brings 25+ years of cybersecurity sales experience, including scaling BackBox Software from $2 million to...
Executive Success Is Possible Outside Traditional Norms
As a woman who made it to executive leadership at an Ivy while working hybrid, I can say this plainly, it’s possible. Visibility is nuanced, and varies across circumstances and environments. It’s ok to recognize that success is still possible...
Largo Installs Sole COO, Promotes Group General Counsel Amid Record Vanadium Output
Largo Inc. named Luis Rendón its sole Chief Operating Officer and promoted Luânder Peixoto to Group General Counsel as it posted 2,616 tonnes of vanadium pentoxide production and 2,141 tonnes sold in Q1 2026. The moves accompany a filing to...
Pandora Appoints Jennie Farmer as CMO to Drive Cultural Relevance and Brand Modernization
Pandora has promoted Jennie Farmer to chief marketing officer, tasking her with modernising the heritage brand and making it culturally relevant. Farmer will shift spend from traditional TV to creators, influencers and in‑store experiences to win younger consumers.
Honest Leaders Must Quit If Not Ready for AI
There's a lot of founders who are now running companies very different from the companies they wish they had. I talked to a CEO friend a few weeks ago that looked at himself and said I'm tired. Pandemic, economy, and now...
University of Melbourne Appoints Michelle Fitzgerald as CIO to Lead Digital Transformation
The University of Melbourne has hired former St Vincent’s group chief digital officer Michelle Fitzgerald as its new chief information officer, effective April 8. The appointment aims to unify enterprise IT, digital innovation and cyber‑security across teaching, research and operations as higher...
U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Exits Two Months Before 2026 World Cup, Sparking Leadership Shuffle
The U.S. Soccer Federation announced that its sporting director has resigned, with reports indicating he is moving to a role in Saudi Arabia. The departure comes just two months before the nation co‑hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup, raising questions...
Grasp Technologies Names Maria Chevalier CEO to Drive Next Growth Phase
Grasp Technologies has appointed Maria Chevalier as chief executive officer, succeeding Chris Wilson after a two‑year tenure. Chevalier brings more than $3 billion in managed spend experience and a track record of scaling travel‑tech businesses, positioning the Dublin‑based firm for accelerated...
SiriusXM Chief People Officer Shifts to Skills‑Based Workforce Design to Future‑Proof Talent
SiriusXM’s chief people and administrative officer, Faye Tylee, announced a company‑wide transition from traditional role‑based hiring to a skills‑based workforce design. The strategy leverages AI to break jobs into tasks, map capabilities, and create transparent career pathways, aiming to retain...
Disney Cuts About 1,000 Jobs in Marketing, Brand and TV Units
Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro confirmed the elimination of up to 1,000 positions, primarily in the newly unified marketing and brand organization and across TV, ESPN, product and technology units. The cuts are the first major restructuring under D'Amaro and are...
Ford’s EV and Software Chief Doug Field Is Leaving the Company
Ford announced that Doug Field, the former Apple and Tesla executive who has led its electric‑vehicle and software division for five years, will leave the company next month. Alan Clarke, a former Tesla engineer who runs Ford’s California skunkworks lab,...
Trilliad Appoints Rob Gold as President, EMEA to Drive European B2B Expansion
Trilliad announced the appointment of Rob Gold as President, EMEA, tasking him with scaling the company's B2B growth services across Europe. The move follows a series of senior hires aimed at unifying sales, marketing and customer success for enterprise clients.
Kentro, Lynker Elevate New CEOs From Within
Federal IT modernization firm Kentro restructured its leadership, elevating Tom Swerdzewski and Tom Fogarty to co‑CEO roles overseeing delivery operations and growth technology, respectively, while longtime CEO Pinakin Patel moved to board chair. The company, which generated roughly $250 million in...
Best Christian Workplaces Welcomes Faith Gaines as Vice President of Consulting
Best Christian Workplaces announced Faith Gaines as its new Vice President of Consulting, adding her to the senior leadership team. Gaines arrives from Gallup, where she led global employee‑engagement, leadership development, and organizational‑health programs across six continents. The appointment coincides...
Humans, Not AI, Drive Revenue Growth
PSA to CEOs: AI is not going to save your revenue performance. AI is not going to save your revenue performance. AI is not going to save your revenue performance. AI is not going to save your revenue performance. AI is not going to save...
Scale by Ignoring Noise, Focusing on What Matters
Most leadership teams I’ve seen spend the majority of their time reacting to noise. The companies that scale are the ones that get ruthless about what actually matters. #leadership #priorities #entrepreneur #foundertips
Nordic Semiconductor Strengthens Executive Team
Nordic Semiconductor has named Jo Uthus as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Developer Experience, effective April 1, 2026. The appointment merges marketing with developer experience to accelerate the company’s developer‑first strategy. Uthus brings more than 25 years of senior roles at Atmel...
Avoiding the 'Train Wreck': Why to Plan Succession 5 to 7 Years Out
Panelists at RIA Edge Nashville warned that succession planning for registered investment advisors carries uniquely high stakes and should begin five to seven years before a transition. Jeff Concepcion of Stratos Wealth Partners highlighted the disastrous outcomes of inadequate planning,...
SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell Joins TIME's 2026 Influentials
Gwynne Shotwell is one of the few executives for whom the sky is not, in fact, the limit. In 2002, she joined SpaceX as the company’s seventh employee. Now, as president and COO, she leads over 23,000 employees in the...
Agentic AI Is Removing the Work That Builds Managerial Judgment
Agentic AI systems that can plan and execute multi‑step workflows are now automating the analytical and coordination tasks traditionally performed by junior professionals in consulting, finance, law and tech. Companies such as McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, IBM, Google and...
What NYC’s Class Size Delay Really Tells Us
New York City Public Schools are renegotiating a state‑mandated class‑size law that required 80% compliance by 2026‑27 because a $5.4 billion deficit makes the $600 million annual cost untenable. The city is seeking to extend the timeline to eight years, signaling a...
Former Walmart Canada Exec John Bayliss to Join Metro
Metro Inc. announced that John Bayliss, a former Walmart Canada senior executive, will become executive vice‑president of national supply chain and procurement, effective May 29. Bayliss leaves his role as CEO of Mastermind Toys, where he has served since May 2025, after...
Adam America Real Estate Hires David Brickman as CEO
Adam America Real Estate, a New York‑based multifamily developer, appointed David Brickman as CEO. Brickman, formerly a partner at Onex Real Estate Partners and Skyview Companies, will steer the firm’s growth and its investment and development platforms. The company, founded...
Message From the President | Message De La Présidente: Looking Back, Moving Forward
President Kelly Sawatzky reflected on a year of unpredictability and gratitude, thanking board members, volunteers, and family for their support. He highlighted the retirement of Nick Franjic after 33 years, noting the loss of institutional knowledge. Sawatzky outlined a handful...
Influence Over Control: Leading the AI-Driven Workplace
Rapid change is underway in the workplace. How will it impact you? In September, I’ll be giving a keynote address at MHR’s World of Work 2026, a day dedicated to exploring how AI, HR, finance, psychology and leadership are reshaping business. Taking...
People News: HNTB, TRB
HNTB announced that former New Jersey DOT commissioner Francis O’Connor has joined as Senior Vice President and Business Development Director, focusing on agency and tolling growth. O’Connor brings leadership experience from NJDOT, NJ Transit, and the Turnpike Authority. The firm...
From Near Shutdown to $40M in Five Months
🚨 Last call 🚨 This week, I'm sitting down with @EricSimons, Co-founder & CEO of @boltdotnew, to talk about how they went from weeks away from shutdown to $40M in 5 months. If you're a founder, investor, or just trying to understand...
The 10-Second Feedback Mistake That Could Damage Employees for Years
Research by 5app shows 81% of employees recall damaging feedback for years, and only 20% stay fully engaged after poor feedback. The core mistake is conflating identity with behavior, turning constructive guidance into lasting judgment. Effective feedback must be specific,...
Coca-Cola Exec Says Work-Life Balance Is a ‘Weird’ Term — Here’s How He Thinks About Career Success
Coca‑Cola executive chairman James Quincey described work‑life balance as a "weird" phrase, arguing that work is simply part of life. He likened corporate careers to elimination tournaments, emphasizing survival over a rigid career roadmap. Quincey, who joined Coca‑Cola in 1996...
Lucid Names Silvio Napoli as the Electric Luxury Brand's New CEO
Lucid Motors announced Silvio Napoli as its new chief executive, succeeding interim CEO Marc Winteroff, who will revert to the COO role. Napoli arrives from the Schindler Group, where he led the Swiss elevator and escalator manufacturer. His appointment coincides...
The Recycling Partnership Announces Leadership Transition
The Recycling Partnership announced that founder and CEO Keefe Harrison will step down on July 31 after 12 years at the helm, with a national search slated to name a new CEO later this summer. Harrison will remain through August to support...
Leadership 2.0: 9 New Ways to Harness the Power of AI
Artificial intelligence is reshaping executive leadership through nine practical applications, from data‑driven decision‑making to predictive scenario planning. AI tools such as analytics dashboards, chatbots, and sentiment‑analysis engines give leaders real‑time insights and automate routine tasks. The shift enables managers to...
Mark Pitts Leaves RCA to Launch Cofvnders, a Multi‑Media Management Venture
Mark Pitts, longtime president of Sony Music’s RCA Records, announced his departure to found Cofvnders, a multi‑media management company headquartered in New York and Los Angeles. The new venture will continue to partner with RCA/Sony Music while spearheading projects like...
Hire for Resilience and Agency, Not Just IQ/EQ
Most hiring conversations focus on IQ and EQ. But Tako co-founder Sebastian Mejia spends most of his time on 2 other corners: AQ ("adversity quotient" or resilience) and Agency. His framing: to build a global company, you need to attract...
Trust Inputs, Not Outputs, when Replicating Team Success
Why can't you seem to land those proven practices from your old team, with your new team? Maybe you're mistaking the outputs of trust with the inputs. Really liked this perspective on why great teams can't be copied ... https://t.co/LARrCS5pbn https://t.co/h3Z9H6Ve6O
Ben Cohen Urges Magnum to Sell Ben & Jerry’s, Citing $1.5‑2 Bn Valuation
Ben Cohen, co‑founder of Ben & Jerry’s, called on owner The Magnum Ice Cream Co. to sell the brand, estimating its worth at $1.5‑2 billion. He argues that Magnum’s restrictions on social‑justice messaging are damaging the company’s equity and mission.
Nike CEO Eyes AI Data Centers After Allbirds Surge
POV: The CEO of Nike — which is down 28% YTD — calling an emergency meeting with his C-Suite after seeing Allbirds pump +600% and demanding that the fitness giant pivots into AI data centres, leveraging Oregon’s abundance of hydropower....
Name the Awkwardness Upfront to Ease Tough Talks
The hardest conversations don't get easier by avoiding the awkwardness. They get easier when you name it upfront. Simply saying "this might feel uncomfortable, but I think it matters" changes everything about how the conversation goes. https://t.co/7BprqxAvxp
Inside Irwin Simon’s Leadership Philosophy: ‘Don’t Yes Me’
Irwin Simon, the venture‑backed entrepreneur behind BrewDog’s rapid expansion, outlines a leadership mantra he calls “Don’t Yes Me.” He argues that leaders should actively discourage automatic agreement and instead invite dissent to surface blind spots. Simon credits this approach with...
Prep More Than You Speak: Master Speaking Anticipation
Fripp’s Tips: One of the best ways to handle the anticipation of speaking is to make sure you are mentally prepared beforehand. Understand that there is always a lot more preparation time than speaking time. #frippvt #dailyquote #keytosuccess
Human Factors, Not Tech, Drive S/4HANA Success
Many S/4HANA implementations falter not due to complex technical issues, but due to common human and organizational behaviors. Learn the simple, yet crucial, strategies to avoid common pitfalls and ensure project success. #SAP #ImplementationTips #ProjectManagement https://t.co/y6HKNaiocb
How Khadija Jiwani Is Leading the Next Phase of Aliya’s Fine Foods
Khadija Jiwani, a civil‑engineer‑turned‑MBA, has driven Aliya’s Fine Foods into its next growth phase by revitalising the Chef Bombay brand and expanding production capacity. Starting with a modest $5,000 packaging redesign in 2015, she secured placement in Loblaws and Sobeys,...
Lightwheel Hires Veteran Martin Elbs as VP of Global Sales to Drive Worldwide Rollout
Lightwheel announced the appointment of Martin Elbs as Vice President of Global Sales, tasking him with scaling the company’s Physical AI platform worldwide. The move underscores Lightwheel’s shift from simulation infrastructure to real‑world industrial deployment, especially in Europe and other...
Meta CEO Revisits Coding to Grasp AI
$META: Interesting read how CEO has returned to coding to better understand AI. https://t.co/qavUkYoGyt via @businessinsider
2X Names Drew Murphy CFOO to Drive Scaling After Rapid Growth and New Acquisitions
2X announced the appointment of Drew Murphy as Chief Financial and Operating Officer, tasking him with building a new finance‑operations function as the company rides a near‑70% compound annual growth rate and integrates its latest acquisition, The Kiln. The move...
Five9 Names Jay Lee CMO to Accelerate AI‑Driven Customer Experience Strategy
Five9 announced the appointment of Jay Lee as chief marketing and growth officer. Lee will lead a unified marketing, data and revenue strategy aimed at scaling the company's AI‑driven customer‑experience platform. The move underscores Five9's push to blend human expertise...
Nike’s Reality Check
The episode examines Nike’s ongoing turnaround under CEO Elliot Hill, focusing on flat Q3 sales, investor impatience, and the brand’s struggle to craft a compelling narrative despite strong product innovation and scale. BOF analyst Mike Sykes highlights modest wins in...