WHSmith’s McOwan To Retire At Year End; Sheriff Named Successor
Roderick “Roddy” McOwan, WHSmith North America’s chief development officer, will retire at the end of 2026 after 14 years shaping the company’s store growth strategy. Yasmin Sheriff, a veteran of airport concessions, has been named his successor and will assume the role on June 8, 2026. McOwan will stay on through the transition period and then move into an advisory capacity to preserve key relationships. The change is positioned to accelerate WHSmith’s expansion across North American airports.
Cracking the Code of Collaboration
Consultancy MARINA&TEAM, together with analytics specialist Code18, introduced a data‑driven framework that quantifies team chemistry by scoring 18 behavioural factors. The model builds on research such as Google’s Project Aristotle, which showed that psychological safety, clarity and trust outweigh raw...
Your Leadership Team Isn’t Ready for AI. Here’s a 90-Day Plan to Change That
In March 2026 Coca‑Cola CEO James Quincey and Walmart’s Doug McMillon announced they were stepping down, citing the need for faster, AI‑focused leadership. Both leaders, who delivered billion‑dollar growth, concluded that the AI era demands a different skill set than they...
Only Elon Musk Can Fire Elon Musk From SpaceX, Filing Shows
SpaceX’s IPO filing reveals that Elon Musk can only be removed as CEO and board chair by a vote of class B super‑voting shareholders, a group he controls, effectively giving him a self‑vote veto. The company will issue class A common stock...
PNB Tipped for Leadership Change, Abdul Rahman 'Set' To Leave
Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Malaysia’s largest government‑linked fund manager, is expected to launch a search for a new president and group chief executive after Datuk Abdul Rahman Ahmad signaled he will not renew his contract that expires in June 2026....
Bright Ascension Finalizes Leadership Transition with John Baughn as CEO
Bright Ascension announced John Baughn as its permanent chief executive, completing a planned succession after his stint as executive chairman and interim CEO. Simultaneously, investor Bill Ainscough was named chairman of the board, creating a clear split between management and...
EXCLUSIVE: Marc Chaya Is Leaving Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Marc Chaya, co‑founder and CEO of Maison Francis Kurkdjian, will leave his operational role after 20 years, transitioning to a strategic advisory position for LVMH’s perfumes and cosmetics division. Véronique Courtois will serve as interim president while Francis Kurkdjian remains creative director. Under Chaya,...
Finland's Digita Appoints Riku Helander as CEO
Finland’s Digita announced that Riku Helander will take over as chief executive officer on May 1, replacing Vesa Tykkyläinen, who led the firm since 2019. Helander, who joined Digita in 2024 to head its telecom business, brings experience from Cisco, Nokia and...
SPARK HR Day 1 Recap: Taking Off the Blinders—Sarah Devereaux on the Future of Systems Thinking
Sarah Devereaux, former head of executive development at Google, opened SPARK HR Day 1 by warning that HR’s traditional "laser focus" is blinding leaders to systemic risks. She used the metaphor of a racehorse with blinders to illustrate how narrow...
Nominations Open for HR’s Rising Stars
HR Executive has opened nominations for its 2026 HR’s Rising Stars competition, inviting submissions until July 6. The contest now separates candidates by organization size—above or below 1,000 employees—and requires nominees to demonstrate impact with data. A streamlined online portal replaces...
Bristol Myers Reaches a Crossroads as a Make-or-Break Year Takes Shape
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) is at a strategic inflection point as 2024 becomes a make‑or‑break year for the drugmaker. CEO Chris Boerner, now 2½ years in charge, must navigate a looming patent cliff on its flagship immunotherapy, integrate the recent Mirati Oncology...
Exit Interview: Dr. Sonja Santelises on Leading Baltimore City Public Schools
Outgoing Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises will sit down for an exit interview hosted by Bellwether and The 74. The livestream, scheduled for Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. ET, will explore the challenges she faced and the reforms that...
The Bandwidth Crisis At The Top
Executives are confronting a growing "bandwidth crisis" as meeting overload and constant digital interruptions erode strategic focus. A recent survey of Fortune 500 CEOs shows a 30% decline in time spent on high‑impact initiatives, with many reporting fatigue from endless...
Monument Valley Boss Says It Was ‘Too Romantic’ About Giving Staff ‘Long-Term Job Security’, Thinks Contractors Are the Future
Ustwo Games, the studio behind Monument Valley, is rethinking its staffing model as development budgets of $9‑13 million and 3‑4‑year cycles strain small studios. CEO María Sayans noted the team has shrunk from about 40 to under 30 full‑time staff, labeling...
2 Years Ago, Incoming Apple CEO John Ternus Gave a Commencement Speech at His Alma Mater. His Advice Is Still...
Apple senior vice president of hardware John Ternus will replace Tim Cook as CEO in September. Two years ago he returned to the University of Pennsylvania to deliver a commencement address that emphasized meticulous craftsmanship. He recalled late‑night work on...
Interim C-Suite Leaders in High Demand as Companies Pursue Change Efforts
Executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles reports a surge in demand for interim C‑suite leaders, with overall requests up 151% since 2021 and human‑capital expertise requests jumping 129% in the last year. CFOs account for more than half of these engagements,...
Hotel Equities Expands Leadership Team
Hotel Equities announced three senior appointments to strengthen its leadership: Kenneth Zahn as VP of Sales for the focused‑service division, Nolan Wrentmore as VP of Revenue for the lifestyle division, and John Mootz as VP of Restaurant and Beverage Operations....
Trisha Daho: What Firms Are Missing on Talent | MOVE Like This
Trisha Daho, a former Big Four partner now serving as a fractional chief people officer, joins Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk on the MOVE Like This podcast to dissect talent, leadership, and growth challenges in accounting firms. She argues many firms are...
Real Leaders Don’t Just Spot Problems in Their Business — They Own the Fixes. Here’s How.
Effective leaders go beyond flagging issues; they deliver structured options and outline consequences. Research shows that presenting a problem without a solution forces costly cognitive switches, while paired options accelerate decision momentum. By framing alternatives in neutral, risk‑weighted terms, leaders...
Ex-Mars CEO Named Lipton Teas Board Chair
Grant Reid, the former chief executive of Mars after a 34‑year tenure, has been appointed chair of Lipton Teas & Infusions. He assumes the role immediately, working alongside CEO Marc Busain, who took the helm in October 2023. Reid also retains board...
Klasmann-Deilmann Announces Management Changes
Klasmann‑Deilmann GmbH announced that Managing Director Moritz Böcking will step down on 1 May 2026 after a 15‑year tenure. Jan Astrup, the former COO, will assume the role and will be joined by Damian Ikemann on the Board of Managing Directors. The transition highlights a...
AstraZeneca Bullish on $80B Sales Goal After Beating Expectations, Phase 3 Data Wins
AstraZeneca reported first‑quarter sales of $15.3 billion, surpassing the $14.7 billion consensus estimate and delivering 8% constant‑currency growth. The surge was led by oncology products Enhertu and Imfinzi, while the rare‑disease unit contributed $2.4 billion, anchored by Ultomiris. New alliance revenue from the...
EXCLUSIVE: IProspect North America CEO to Depart
Liz Rutgersson is departing as North America CEO of Dentsu’s iProspect after just under three years in the role. The agency will be led by Liz Vance, its chief client officer, who will work alongside Dentsu global practice president Will...
Sol De Janeiro Appoints Jordan Saxemard as CEO, Heela Yang Exits Brand
Sol de Janeiro named Jordan Saxemard as its new chief executive, succeeding founder Heela Yang who is departing. Saxemard, previously the chief marketing and digital officer, brings experience from Dyson and Coty. The brand, now part of L’Occitane Group, reported over $2 billion in...
Authenticity at Work – From Buzzword to Behaviour
Authenticity has become a buzzword that many companies display on walls but rarely live out. Claire Brumby argues that HR is uniquely positioned to turn the concept into daily behavior by building psychological safety and reshaping performance systems. She stresses...
InteleTravel Launches Xcelerator Programme in the UK
InteleTravel launched its Xcelerator Programme in the United Kingdom with two full‑day events, welcoming 100 travel advisors in London and 50 in Manchester. The curriculum, first introduced in the United States in January 2024, blends self‑development, productivity tactics, and entrepreneurial mindset...
First Sea Lord Speech at RUSI
In his inaugural Lord Fisher lecture, the First Sea Lord outlined a sweeping "Hybrid Navy" transformation that blends traditional warships with uncrewed and autonomous platforms. The plan accelerates procurement—cutting some acquisition cycles to three months—and focuses on three flagship programmes:...
How to Nail Your Next Media Interview
In the fast‑moving social‑media era a single interview clip can reshape an executive’s reputation within hours. The article outlines how over‑preparing talking points and under‑preparing judgment leads to costly missteps, citing recent high‑profile blunders by CEOs. It introduces the Leadership...
VF Corp CEO Pledges To Deep Brand Turnaround At Berlin Congress
At the World Retail Congress in Berlin, VF Corp. CEO Bracken Darrell outlined a "deep" brand turnaround that prioritizes long‑term equity over short‑term fixes. He acknowledged recent cost cuts, inventory normalization and leadership reshuffles have begun to stabilize the company...
What Gen Z Really Wants: Rethinking Commitment
Generation Z, born 1995‑2006, is reshaping workplace expectations by demanding purpose, flexibility, and well‑being alongside financial security. Deloitte’s 2025 survey shows meaningful work now ranks with pay as a top career driver. As true digital natives, they bring AI‑savvy skills...
Liberia: AML CEO Urges Community Inclusion As Key to Safety
ArcelorMittal Liberia CEO Michiel Van Der Merwe announced a heightened focus on community inclusion as a core element of safety during a 2026 town‑hall. The company has earmarked a substantial budget for community investment, with strict stewardship of every dollar....
GSK CEO Says Team Reorg Could Be in the Cards Pending Upcoming Phase 3 Readouts
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is banking on a slate of late‑stage Phase 3 trials slated for 2024, spanning oncology drugs and next‑generation vaccines. CEO Luke Miels warned on the first‑quarter earnings call that a series of missed readouts could trigger a reshuffle of...
AI, Personalisation in, Discounts Out in Growth Ambitions Says Asos
ASOS is abandoning its pandemic‑era, discount‑heavy model in favor of a customer‑centric strategy built on AI‑driven personalization. The company is emphasizing relevance—right product, price, size, and delivery—while reducing promotional noise. Early data show stronger engagement from full‑price product drops and...
Incentive Drift: Why Transformation Fails Even when Everything Looks Green
A bank’s chatbot‑first digital front door hit budget, timeline and adoption targets, yet churn rose 8% as frustrated customers left. The article explains this paradox as “incentive drift,” where authority is separated from accountability, causing rational decisions that undermine outcomes....
AI Agents Are Forcing Enterprises to Overhaul Their Operations
Enterprises are confronting a rapid shift toward autonomous AI agents, with 80% of CEOs saying the technology will overhaul operational capabilities. Gartner’s 2025 survey of 469 executives reveals most firms still rely on task‑level automation, yet only 13% expect that...
Building Bharat’s Commerce Backbone: The Team Behind Shiprocket’s Rise
Shiprocket, founded by Saahil Goel, Gautam Kapoor and Akshay Ghulati, has evolved from a simple shipping‑aggregation tool into a full‑stack commerce platform that powers checkout, fulfillment, ads and cross‑border logistics for millions of Indian sellers. The leadership team, augmented by...
FNZ Appoints Ex-Rathbones COO to Head up UK Business
FNZ has named Andy Brodie, former chief operating officer of Rathbones, as group head of its UK business, replacing Alastair Conway who moves to a vice‑chairman role overseeing global client coverage. Brodie joined the firm two months ago after a...
Spanish Footwear Brand Hoff Names New CEO
Spanish footwear brand Hoff announced Nicolas Wallace as its new chief executive, effective May 1, 2024. Wallace brings a decade at Nike, most recently as vice‑president of the Jordan brand for EMEA, and a recent CEO stint at Canyon Bicycles. Hoff,...
Build Your Resilience in the Face of Tough Change
Harvard Business Review’s Alison Beard and Adi Ignatius interview cognitive scientist Maya Shankar about building resilience when sudden change threatens professional identity. Shankar shares her own career‑ending violin injury and research showing people prefer certainty, explaining how anchoring to a...
Why Your Emotional Journey Through Change Makes Complete Sense
Organisations often focus on the logical side of change—business cases, plans, and communications—while overlooking the deep emotional impact on employees. The article explains that change disrupts identity, causing grief, anxiety, and a non‑linear emotional journey that can derail initiatives if...
What the Next Era of CEO Communications in MENA Looks Like
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is moving beyond the old playbook of CEO visibility toward a communication model that blends strategic insight with authentic, human storytelling. Leaders are now expected to demystify complex topics such as AI, linking...
Starbucks' Shine Is Back: 3 Lessons From the Brian Niccol Playbook
Starbucks posted a 9% revenue increase to $9.5 billion, marking the first quarter in eight where both top‑line and bottom‑line grew together. Global comparable store sales rose 6.2% and U.S. transactions climbed 4%, the strongest performance in three years. CEO Brian...
Hoff Appoints Nicolas De Ros Wallace as Its New Chief Executive
Hoff, the Spanish digitally native footwear brand founded in 2017, has appointed Nicolas De Ros Wallace as chief executive. De Ros Wallace arrives after senior roles at Inditex, Nike’s Jordan Brand, and as CEO of Canyon Bicycles. The company posted €66 million (≈$72 million) revenue in...
Rose St Louis to Join Canada Life as First Chief Customer Officer
Rose St Louis will join Canada Life as its first chief customer officer in July 2026, pending regulatory approval. The newly created role will steer the insurer’s customer strategy, unifying experience for policyholders and adviser partners. St Louis arrives from Scottish Widows, where...
The 3% Club | Why HR Leaders Almost Never Make It to CEO
A new Future CEO report finds that just 3% of current CEOs rose from HR roles, matching technology as the lowest‑represented function. By contrast, operations (35%), commercial and sales (32%), and finance (19%) dominate the pipeline. The study also shows...
Beacon Foods Appoints New MD
Jeff Davies has been promoted to managing director of Beacon Foods, the Brecon‑based specialist producer of garlic, ginger, chili purees and other specialty ingredients. Davies, a 19‑year veteran who previously served as MD (2017‑2019) and most recently as financial director,...
Motivation Shifts Rather than Declines During Periods of Uncertainty, According to New Poll
A Wiley Workplace Intelligence poll of over 2,000 U.S. employees shows motivation does not collapse in uncertain times; it reshapes around leader‑employee interaction. Respondents said uncertainty itself isn’t the main driver of disengagement, but visible, transparent, consistent leadership is. Employees...
Ganni CEO Exits, Interim Chief Steps In
Ganni’s CEO Laura du Rusquec departed after a two‑year tenure, prompting the board to appoint seasoned retail executive Hans Hoegstedt as interim chief. The Danish label, backed by L Catterton, has been accelerating its shift toward luxury, highlighted by a Paris Fashion...
CEO Turnover Is up, and Boards Are Favoring Experienced Insiders Who Can Hit the Ground Running
CEO turnover in the S&P 500 is accelerating, with 22 new CEOs appointed this quarter. In‑coming leaders with public‑company experience rose to 41 % from 25 % a year ago, while departing CEOs averaged 11.9 years in role, up from 8.3 years. Boards are gravitating...
Former Sugar Execs Launch Brief
Former SugarAI leaders Larry Augustin, Clint Oram and Zac Sprackett launched Brief, a software platform that creates an Executive Intelligence Layer to keep decision‑making context alive across meetings, emails, Slack and CRM. The system records commitments, rationales and relationship history,...