Research: Why You Shouldn’t Treat AI Agents Like Employees
A new randomized study of 1,261 managers shows that treating AI systems as employees rather than tools harms accountability, error detection and professional identity. When AI is framed as an employee, personal accountability drops 9 points, escalation requests rise 44%, and reviewers catch 18% fewer errors. Despite these drawbacks, the framing does not increase employees’ intent to adopt AI. The research suggests organizations should keep AI as software tools with clear human oversight rather than anthropomorphizing them.
Marriott CHROs Answer 7 Questions Every HR Leader Is Asking
At HR Tech Europe 2026, Marriott International’s CHROs Francisca Martinez and Kris Dunn fielded seven pressing HR questions, revealing a hybrid approach to technology that blends global suite platforms with best‑of‑breed solutions. They stressed that AI agents will only deliver...
I Gave Our Developers an AI Coding Assistant. The Security Team Nearly Mutinied
A technology leader approved an AI coding assistant to relieve developers from repetitive tasks, but the security team reacted strongly, fearing uncontrolled code generation. The tool can draft tests, explain legacy code, and suggest refactors, yet it raises questions about...
The CEO of Trek Bicycle Reads 52 Books a Year, Hates Smartphones, and Thinks Milton Friedman Was Wrong
John Burke, who has led Trek Bicycle for nearly three decades, emphasizes purpose over profit, citing the company’s pioneering support for women’s cycling as a legacy marker. Despite a post‑COVID market slump that left sales dashboards red and forced layoffs,...
Building the CEO/Corporate Comms Relationship Early
CEO turnover accelerated in early 2026, with major firms like Walmart, Disney, and Apple announcing new leaders. A 2025 academic study of 557 S&P 1500 CEO successions found that firms that communicated more frequently about their new CEOs saw higher analyst...
MAN’s Barbaros Oktay Takes over Chairmanship of ACEA Bus and Coach Division
Barbaros Oktay, head of MAN Truck & Bus’s bus division, has been appointed chairman of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) Bus and Coach Division for a one‑year term, succeeding Daimler Buses’ Till Oberwörder. MAN reported selling over 7,000 buses in...
Modernizing the Tech Stack Is a Critical Priority for PayPal, but CEO Enrique Lores Has More to Do to Deliver...
PayPal’s new CEO Enrique Lores is accelerating a tech‑stack overhaul and AI‑driven transformation to stay competitive in the agentic AI era. The company announced a re‑organization into three units—Checkout, Consumer Financial Services & Venmo, and Payment Services & Crypto—while targeting...
Calibrate AI Use to the Decision at Hand
The article argues that AI must be matched to the type of decision it supports, separating narrow, data‑driven choices from wide, ambiguous, politically charged ones. Misapplying generative tools to narrow problems or analytical engines to wide decisions leads to weak...
AI FOMO: When AI Is the Wrong Answer to the Right Problem
The article warns that many AI initiatives fail because firms treat deterministic problems as AI use cases, leading to costly rebuilds that underdeliver. It cites research showing 15‑25% of technology budgets are tied up in redundant systems and AI payback...
Exclusive: Berry Bros. Chief Executive Emma Fox to Step Down
Berry Bros. & Rudd chief executive Emma Fox will step down after six years, with chief financial officer Emily Rae and UK managing director Rob Symington appointed as co‑CEOs. Fox oversaw international expansion, notably a flagship store in Washington, D.C.,...
Porsche Retail Group Managing Director Steps Down
Adam Flint, who joined Porsche Retail Group in 2015 and became managing director in 2020, announced his departure this week, ending an 11‑year tenure with the company. Over his six‑year stint as MD, Flint drove record profitability at the Guildford...
How HR Can Lead the Human Side of AI Transformation
Enterprises are racing to operationalize generative and predictive AI, but many pilots stall because employees lack trust, understanding, and readiness. The article argues that the technology itself is rarely the barrier; the human factor is. Human Resources is uniquely positioned...
VideoWeek Justin Sampson Interview
VideoWeek’s podcast featured an exit interview with Justin Sampson, the outgoing chief executive of Barb, where he reflected on his three‑year tenure and the company’s strategic milestones. Sampson discussed the 35% revenue surge, the $150 million acquisition of Streamlytics, and the...
Accesso Appoints Lee Cowie as CEO
accesso Technology Group PLC appointed Lee Cowie as chief executive officer, succeeding founder Steve Brown after an 18‑month stint as COO. Cowie brings more than 15 years of senior technology leadership, including a CTO role at Merlin Entertainments. His agenda...
Lufthansa CEO Reveals 'Plan B' If Boeing 777X Is Delayed Again
German carrier Lufthansa, the launch customer for Boeing’s 777X, disclosed its long‑haul fleet strategy during its Q1 results briefing. The airline will receive 27 new long‑haul aircraft this year, while retaining its A340‑300s and temporarily grounding two to four 747‑400s...
A CFO at the Top of His Game
Aonic, a European technology and video‑gaming group, was named the continent’s eighth‑fastest‑growing company and the top performer in the IT & Software category of the 2026 FT1000. Over the past year the firm added Casa Media and Prime Insights, blending...
Former Treasury Wine Estates Executive Calls for Broader Overhaul
Former Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) global COO Robert Foye, now a shareholder, says the company’s recent shift to a four‑region operating model falls short of fixing deep‑seated execution and governance flaws. He is pushing for a broader turnaround that includes...
Invent.ai Taps Joe Groves as Global Chief Revenue Officer
Invent.ai, an AI‑native retail planning platform, announced the appointment of Joe Groves as its global chief revenue officer. Groves arrives after more than two decades at Centric Software, most recently heading global sales and driving international expansion. In his new role,...
Stainless Tankers Reshuffles Top Management
Oslo‑listed Stainless Tankers announced a sweeping leadership overhaul. Chairman Ted Kalborg will step down, with current CEO Andrew Hampson slated to assume the chairmanship pending shareholder approval. Simultaneously, Hampson will vacate the CEO role and be succeeded by Nicolas Tirogalas, Tufton...
Campari Group Restructures GTR Leadership
Campari Group has reorganized its global travel retail (GTR) leadership, appointing Satya Sharma as business unit managing director for both Asia Pacific and GTR. Formerly the APAC managing director, Sharma previously led William Grant & Sons and served as CEO of...
Geopolitics Is Now a Talent Problem: What Chief People Officers Are Prioritising in Their Workforce Strategies Today
The World Economic Forum’s May 2026 Chief People Officers Outlook, based on a survey of 140 global CPOs, finds talent matching—not sheer supply—is the chief workforce challenge. While 74% of leaders prioritize job redesign and 70% focus on upskilling, 83% say...
We Let AI Imagine Coinbase's Future without 'Pure Managers.' The Result Is Funny, Unsettling, and Much More Efficient.
Coinbase announced a 14% workforce reduction and a radical re‑org that eliminates "pure managers" in favor of AI‑augmented one‑person teams. CEO Brian Armstrong’s memo envisions managers overseeing 15+ AI agents that handle payments, compliance, product and other functions. An imagined...
Old Navy Appoints Michael Francis as Chief Customer Officer Amid Turnaround
Gap Inc. has appointed veteran brand executive Michael Francis as chief customer officer of Old Navy and head of marketing shared services for the company’s apparel portfolio. Reporting to Old Navy CEO Haio Barbeito, Francis will work with interim CMO...
Strategy | Why British Businesses Are Stuck in Survival Mode
MHR’s 2026 survey of over 1,000 UK executives shows short‑term pressures are crowding out long‑term investment. More than half say they avoid projects without ROI within two years, and 55% believe cost‑cutting harms talent attraction. While 82% plan AI adoption,...
Kent State University to Lay Off up to 45 Staffers
Kent State University announced plans to lay off up to 45 employees, roughly 1% of its 3,400‑person workforce, to address an estimated $18 million shortfall in its fiscal 2027 budget. The school ends the current fiscal year with a $1.5 million surplus...
Train Like You Fight: Why Cyber Operations Teams Need No-Notice Drills
Cybersecurity detection has improved, yet response readiness still lags behind. The article contends that scheduled tabletop exercises cannot mimic the physiological stress of real incidents and recommends no‑notice drills to build instinctive, resilient response capabilities. Citing medical, military and psychological...
Managers: Your Goal Is to Find Your Replacement
The article argues that a manager’s primary objective should be to locate, hire, and train their own replacement. By consistently scouting talent, coaching, and delegating authority, managers create a pipeline of capable employees who can operate independently. This approach not...
The Tony Soprano Problem: Why Even the Strongest Leaders Get Blindsided
Leaders today grapple with the “Tony Soprano Problem”—the tension between collaborative, empathetic management and the need to compel teams and customers to act. The piece uses the fictional mob boss’s shift from coercion to listening as a metaphor for modern...
PDQ Appoints Emily Glass and Shaun Clowes to Board of Directors to Support Next Phase of Growth
PDQ, a leader in autonomous endpoint management, announced two new board members: Emily Glass, former President and CEO of Syncro, and Shaun Clowes, Chief Product Officer at Confluent. Both bring extensive SaaS, product and operational expertise to guide PDQ’s next growth...
Jurin AI Appoints Yukihiro Osawa as Representative Director & Chairman
Yukihiro Osawa, President of Dolby Japan and former executive at Mitsui, Macromedia, DivX and Rovi, has been appointed Representative Director and Chairman of Jurin AI. The move underscores Jurin AI’s ambition to transition Japan’s AI adoption from pilot projects to...
AI-Native Enterprise Automation Company EvoluteIQ Doubles Down on Global Growth And New Hires
EvoluteIQ, the AI‑native enterprise automation firm, announced two senior hires: Paul Maguire as Chief Growth Officer in London and Abhinaya S R as Chief Human Resources Officer in Bengaluru. The moves underscore Bengaluru’s role as the company’s core R&D hub...
What Is the Pretending Pandemic? Angela Cox Explains More
Angela Cox, founder of Paseda360 Coach Training Academy, introduces the concept of "Pretender Masks"—four unconscious leadership patterns (Perfectionist, People Pleaser, Persecutor of Others, Persecutor of Self) that emerge to protect reputation, belonging, control or self‑worth. These masks, once adaptive, become...
Softtek Appoints David Jiménez as Global CEO; Blanca Treviño Becomes Executive President
Softtek announced that David Jiménez, a 15‑year veteran, will assume the role of Global CEO on October 1, 2026, while longtime leader Blanca Treviño moves to Executive President and remains Board President. The board’s unanimous vote follows a review by Russell Reynolds...
HKEX Builds Commodities Team with New Appointment
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd (HKEX) appointed Frank Zhang as Managing Director, Head of Commodities. Zhang will lead the strategic development of HKEX's commodities franchise across Greater China and the Asia‑Pacific, overseeing product development, participation growth, and the Qianhai...
CFOs Urged to Embed Sustainability in Finance
A new industry report urges fashion sector CFOs to embed environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into core financial processes. It recommends integrating ESG metrics into budgeting, tying executive compensation to sustainability performance, and adopting standardized reporting frameworks such as...
CEO North America, May-June-July 2026
North America’s C‑suite faces heightened volatility as the U.S. economy posts a modest 2% annual growth in Q1 and the S&P 500 records its strongest April since 2020. Executives are watching the upcoming USMCA review, while Mexico’s trade surplus has surged...
Kingfisher CEO Thierry Garnier to Step Down After Nearly Seven Years
Kingfisher announced that CEO Thierry Garnier will step down after nearly seven years at the helm. Garnier is leaving to take a senior leadership role at a company outside Kingfisher’s markets and will serve a 12‑month notice period to support...
Rapid Reshuffle at Createq
Createq, the Schwyz‑based software developer, announced an immediate executive reshuffle. Long‑time CEO Philipp Ringgenberg, who joined two years ago, stepped down and was succeeded by COO Michael Jaeggi. The board also promoted Amanda Schwegler to CFO, elevating her from Group Finance leadership. Jaeggi...
Cognizant Gets Anubhav Pradhan as VP-L&D
Cognizant has appointed Anubhav Pradhan as Vice President of Learning & Development. Pradhan joins from Cognite after a distinguished career at Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and HSBC, where he led large‑scale training programs for thousands of tech professionals. At Infosys...
Self-Belief, Expanding Your Role and Turning Potential Into Opportunity
Olivia Leonard, executive vice‑president of transfer solutions engineering at Mastercard, reflects on her three‑decade tech journey, emphasizing self‑belief and mentorship as catalysts for women in STEM. She highlights how AI and quantum computing will reshape the payments landscape, demanding inclusive...
Head Stockman’s Forum to Help Emerging Leaders Navigate Transition From Mate to Boss
The Kimberley Pastoral Cattlemen’s Association (KPCA) is launching its inaugural Head Stockman’s Leadership Forum in Broome on May 12‑13, gathering about 40 emerging head stockmen and women from the Kimberley and Pilbara. The two‑day event is designed to help new...
How I AI: Tech Recipes CEO Brian Chap Built a ‘True Decision Engine’
Brian Chap, CEO of strategic consultancy Tech Recipes, has built a "true decision engine" called RootIQ that unifies fragmented advertising data into a single source of truth. The platform links disparate systems, standardizes taxonomy, and automates workflow steps that previously...
Coinbase CEO Makes Critical Move Before Earnings
Coinbase announced a 14% workforce reduction, cutting roughly 700 jobs, just days before its Q1 2026 earnings release. The layoff is framed as an AI‑efficiency initiative, positioning the firm as leaner and more “AI‑native.” The stock jumped 4.1% to an intraday...
'A Bit of a Fuck You': Ex-Orsted Star on Why She Launched New Women's Group
Former Orsted and Vestas veteran Christina Aabo has launched a grassroots women’s group for the wind sector after growing frustration with superficial diversity pledges. She argues that many industry leaders treat inclusion as a branding exercise, offering “free‑rider” positions without...
KPMG Faces Staff Uproar as Job Cuts Expose Communication Breakdown
KPMG UK announced a redundancy round affecting more than 500 employees, roughly 6% of its 7,100‑person audit and advisory divisions. The cuts target 440 assistant‑manager auditors and 120 advisory staff, sparking frustration over a perceived lack of firm‑wide communication. While...
OCBC Expands Coaching Programme to Malaysia and Hong Kong, Targets 100 Accredited Senior Leader-Coaches by 2027
OCBC has rolled out its internal leadership‑coaching programme to Malaysia and Hong Kong, adding 25 senior leaders to the cohort and bringing the total pool to over 85 across three markets. The bank aims to certify 100 senior leaders with...
MKS PAMP Appoints Ann KUNG YEUNG Yun Chi as Chair of Asia-Pacific
MKS PAMP announced the appointment of Ann Kung Yeung Yun Chi as Chair of its Hong Kong subsidiary and the broader Asia‑Pacific region. Kung brings more than three decades of banking and regulatory experience, including senior roles at Bank of...
Thu Nguyen Named CEO of Dentsu Vietnam
Dentsu announced Thu Nguyen as CEO of its Vietnam operation, effective May 1, 2026. Nguyen, a two‑decade veteran of the Vietnamese marketing scene, previously founded Ambient Digital, which was later absorbed into dentsu. As Deputy CEO, he drove integration across capabilities and...
Quanex Names Chad Collins as President, Hardware Solutions
Quanex Building Products announced that Chad Collins will become President of its Hardware Solutions division effective April 6, 2026, succeeding Bob Daniels, who will retire after more than 35 years with the company. Collins brings over two decades of global...
Berkshire Taps Gen Re’s Shamieh to Succeed Jain as Insurance Chief, WSJ Reports
Berkshire Hathaway announced that Gen Re chairman Charlie Shamieh will replace longtime insurance leader Ajit Jain when the 74‑year‑old retires. Jain, who has steered Berkshire’s reinsurance division since 1986, is credited with building a global platform and generating tens of billions...