The Founder Slump: What to Do when the Spark Has Gone
Founder fatigue is rising as entrepreneurs grapple with uncertainty, personal loss, and relentless pressure. The author shares a personal pivot from a secure role to founding Up2Eleven, a leadership‑development consultancy, to regain purpose. The piece identifies three depletion drivers—environment, internal narrative, and coping strategies—and offers concrete, low‑effort resets. Small, targeted changes can restore confidence, clarity, and sustainable performance for founders.
'LAFD Is a Kill-the-Messenger Cult': LAFD Culture Scrutinized After Deadly Palisades Fire
The Los Angeles Fire Department’s (LAFD) internal culture of unquestioned obedience and retaliation was spotlighted after the Palisades fire, which reignited from the earlier Lachman blaze and claimed 12 lives. Testimony from firefighters revealed that warnings about lingering heat were ignored...
Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav’s $550 Million Golden Parachute Sees ‘Symbolic’ Investor Rebuke
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is set to collect a $550 million golden parachute as the company finalizes its merger with Paramount. Shareholders cast a non‑binding advisory vote against the payout, but the board can still approve it. The deal,...
Global Expansion Is Moving Faster than Leadership Readiness—And That’s the Real Risk
Global expansion is outpacing the readiness of many organizations, creating a hidden risk that outweighs the allure of rapid market entry. While AI tools now streamline compliance, talent mapping, and market analysis, they give a false sense that execution can...
Research Roundup: A Surprising Benefit of Upskilling, Why Goals Can Backfire, and More
The latest research roundup highlights how employee upskilling can free managers from routine communications, delivering a 10% performance lift and strategic gains. Minor managerial slights, such as delayed birthday gifts, trigger measurable productivity losses—averaging two fewer work hours and a...
How HR Can Break the Tech Regret Cycle
A new Accenture and Wharton School report warns that HR leaders often experience software‑buying regret, which can erode budgets and employee trust. The study argues that HR executives possess the influence and experience needed to prevent purchases from feeling like...
Xbox Will Reevaluate Exclusivity and Target Daily Active Players Under New Leadership
Xbox has appointed Asha Sharma as president and Matt Booty as chief content officer, rebranding Microsoft Gaming as Xbox. The new leadership will review platform exclusivity, windowing and AI, while shifting the primary success metric to daily active players. They...
BNO Strengthens Leadership Team for Next Phase of Growth and Innovation
Baldwin & Obenauf (BNO) announced a leadership overhaul, appointing longtime executive Rachelle Powell as President. The change follows the departure of EVP Trista Walker and adds three new executive vice presidents overseeing HR & Finance, Operations, and Creative. Powell will...
Mark Hunter to Leave Artisanal Spirits Company
Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC) announced that chair Mark Hunter will step down for health reasons, ending his tenure at the May 19 AGM. Deputy chair Paul Skipworth will assume interim chair duties until a permanent successor is named, while long‑time...
Pfizer’s Strategy Chief Andrew Baum Steps Down; Helus Pharma Swaps Out CEO After Two Months
Andrew Baum, former Citi analyst and Pfizer's chief strategy and innovation officer, has left his executive role but will stay on as a senior strategic advisor to CEO Albert Bourla. His exit adds to a recent series of senior departures...
Tim Cook’s Legacy + The Future of U.B.I. With Andrew Yang + HatGPT
Apple announced that Tim Cook will step down as chief executive after a 12‑year tenure that saw the company’s market value swell to roughly $2.8 trillion. The board has named senior vice president John Ternus as his successor, tasking him with...
Aleksejs Halavins Shares Insights on Handling Mega Cultural Events At Sea
Latvian entrepreneur Aleksejs Halavins has turned luxury yacht voyages into recurring mega‑cultural events, gathering actors, musicians and other high‑profile guests on the Ionian Islands. The gatherings blend exotic dining, live performances and a playful wedding show, while offering a fully...
How to Make Purpose Part of Your Firm’s Working Day.
Accounting firms are urged to embed purpose into daily workflows, using a simple “Purpose Brief” at project kickoff. Research cited shows purpose‑driven firms enjoy 20‑30% higher engagement, a 21% profit uplift and 59% lower turnover, while disengagement can shave $22,800...
CIOs Struggle to Find Clarity in Their Organizations’ AI Strategies
A 2026 State of the CIO survey reveals that 31% of CIOs struggle with an undefined corporate AI strategy, while 24% are unsure which department should own AI ROI goals. Additional hurdles include a shortage of in‑house AI talent (40%)...
Wolt CEO and Slush Chair Marianne Vikkula on Building a Superapp, Leadership Lessons and Slush’s Secret Sauce
Marianne Vikkula, CEO of Wolt and chair of the Slush conference, discussed the Finnish delivery firm’s transformation into one of Europe’s few superapps on the Sifted podcast. Wolt, which started as a restaurant‑food delivery service in Helsinki, now offers groceries,...
Top Takeaways From Ragan’s Employee Communications and Culture Conference 2026
The 2026 Ragan Employee Communications and Culture Conference in Boston highlighted the tension between AI‑driven tools and the human touch in internal communications. Speakers warned that framing AI adoption as a cultural moment can ease employee anxiety, but over‑reliance on...
GOODFOLIO Founder: Always Think in Systems
GOODFOLIO founder Omid Pakseresht emphasizes that founders must think in systems, linking hiring, product features, and strategy to drive scalable growth. He credits an early T‑shaped branding and marketing hire for expanding the company’s pipeline and partnerships roughly twentyfold. Pakseresht...
IT Reskilling: The Pressing CIO Imperative
CIOs are now the architects of enterprise IT reskilling, targeting fast‑evolving domains such as generative AI, cybersecurity, data analytics and automation while also emphasizing soft skills like communication and leadership. Leaders argue that internal upskilling delivers far higher ROI than...
Med Ad News 2026 Industry Person of the Year: Matt McNally
Matt McNally was honored as Med Ad News 2026 Industry Person of the Year, recognizing his impact as global CEO of Publicis Health. Since returning to the firm, he has tightened global connectivity, modernized operating models, and championed creative excellence....
Changing Ideas of Respect and Power Are Transforming China’s Workplaces. Here’s What You Need to Know
ByteDance recently instructed staff to use the informal pronoun “你” instead of the formal “您,” signaling a shift toward flatter, startup‑style culture. The change challenges traditional Chinese norms where language denotes hierarchy and respect. Younger employees embrace the egalitarian tone,...
COLUMN: The Myth of the Perfect Message in Emergency Management
The column argues that crisis communications suffer from a myth that a flawless statement can fix a failing situation. It stresses that operational competence, prior trust, and transparency matter far more than perfectly crafted language. Early messages should orient stakeholders...
Lululemon Picks Former Nike Executive to Be Its Next Chief
Lululemon announced that former Nike executive Heidi O’Neill will become its chief executive on September 8, 2026, ending a months‑long interim leadership period. O’Neill, who helped scale Nike from $9 billion to $45 billion, brings three decades of apparel and brand expertise and will...
Sam Altman’s Next High-Wire Act: Getting OpenAI to Make More Money
OpenAI is trimming its portfolio, abandoning non‑essential projects such as the Sora video generator, and concentrating on revenue‑generating products like enterprise coding assistants. The move comes as rivals Anthropic, Google and Elon Musk’s SpaceX intensify pressure on the AI leader....
O’Reilly Expands Learning Platform with New Academies for Managers, Soft Skills, and Data Literacy
O'Reilly announced three new academies—Manager, Soft Skills, and Data Literacy—to deliver structured, enterprise‑wide upskilling. The academies blend technology and business content in short, multiformat tracks that include book chapters, courses, and audio, and award shareable badges with self‑serve progress reporting....
Lumin Digital Earns National Recognition for Excellence in Workplace Culture and Client Experience
Lumin Digital, a cloud‑native digital banking platform provider, earned Great Place to Work® certification for the third straight year, with 100 % of employees rating it a great workplace and scoring 43 points above the U.S. average. The firm also extended...
Linda Henry Joins iManage as Vice President of Customer Success
iManage announced that Linda Henry has been appointed Vice President of Customer Success, where she will oversee a global team of 50 professionals. Henry, a veteran of SaaS giants such as Salesforce, Google, AWS and Microsoft, will drive a more...
Cin7 Appoints Sheldon Cummings as Chief Executive Officer
Cin7 announced Sheldon Cummings as its new chief executive officer, effective April 20, succeeding Ajoy Krishnamoorthy. Cummings brings more than 25 years of experience scaling SaaS businesses for small and mid‑size firms, most recently leading Smarsh’s corporate unit and serving...
IWD Voices: Kavita Prasad – ‘The Future Should Be About Capability, Not Assumption’
Kavita Prasad’s International Women’s Day commentary stresses that gender equity must be built into a company’s structure, not left to goodwill. She argues that hiring, mentoring, and promoting women into operational and technical positions is essential. While workplace respect has...
CarbonCure Technologies Appoints Yuliya Kravtsov as CEO
CarbonCure Technologies named Yuliya Kravtsov as chief executive officer, ending an interim period under Kristal Kaye. Kravtsov brings over 20 years of senior leadership in cement, most recently overseeing integration at CRH and holding roles at Holcim and Lafarge. Her appointment...
EXL Picks Sharon White to Lead APAC Data Management
EXL announced the appointment of Sharon White as head of APAC data‑management solutions, based in Sydney. White will oversee client delivery in Australia and New Zealand, drive data‑modernisation initiatives, and expand the EXLdata.ai suite developed with Databricks. She arrives with more...
Telefónica Appoints Gómez as Movistar Plus+ CEO
Telefónica has named Alfonso Gómez as the new chief executive of Movistar Plus+, ending Daniel Domenjó’s brief tenure. Gómez arrives from leading Telefónica’s Hispanoamérica unit after the telco trimmed its Latin American portfolio to a single remaining market, Venezuela. The board’s decision is...
From the Field to the Floor: Dom Giampaolo on Leading Elite Supplements
Elite Supplements has grown from a single gym‑based shop in Canberra to a network of 151 stores across Australia, with 70 owned locations and the rest franchised. In 2019 the company abandoned a licensing model for franchising to regain brand...
Rimkus Promotes Gaudet and Hensen to Support Built Environment Team
Rimkus announced two senior appointments to bolster its Built Environment Solutions (BES) unit. Walter Gaudet was named vice president of BES Canada, while Michael Hensen became vice president of technical excellence for BES across North America. Gaudet will drive the expansion of...
Vinay Kumar Elevated to CPO, Skye Air Mobility
Skye Air Mobility announced the promotion of Vinay Kumar to Chief People Officer. Kumar, who joined the hyper‑local delivery platform in May 2024 as head of people, brings more than 15 years of HR leadership across retail, technology, and consumer‑goods firms....
Opinion: Prasad’s FDA Exit Good for Rare Diseases but New CBER Head Must Repair Eroded Trust
Vinay Prasad’s exit from the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) follows a Senate hearing that highlighted inconsistent approval pathways for rare‑disease therapies. Industry sponsors and patient advocates complained that the agency reversed previously negotiated trial designs, leaving patients...
Can Kering’s Comprehensive Plan Really Turn Things Around?
Kering's new CEO Luca de Meo unveiled a sweeping turnaround plan after years of sales decline, especially at Gucci. The strategy includes pausing the Valentino acquisition, selling the beauty business to L’Oréal, and cutting Gucci's SKU count by 20% while emphasizing...
Retail Just Lost One of Its Few Female CEOs. She Kept Best Buy Afloat During the Pandemic
Best Buy announced that CEO Corie Barry will step down in late October 2026, ending a seven‑year tenure that began in 2019. Barry steered the company through pandemic store closures, pivoting to curbside pickup, drive‑up fulfillment and a stronger digital presence, while launching...
Rose Herceg Promoted as WPP Revives ANZ CEO Role
WPP has reinstated the Australia‑New Zealand chief executive officer role after a five‑year gap, promoting Rose Herceg from president to CEO. The title change was reflected on her LinkedIn profile, though the firm says it is “a title change only.” The...
Majority of US Business Leaders Not Confident They Could Pass AI Audit – Study
A Grant Thornton 2026 AI Impact Survey of 950 U.S. executives reveals that 78 % lack confidence they could pass an independent AI governance audit within 90 days. Nearly half of boards (48 %) have set no AI governance expectations despite large...
DLA Piper Votes to Dissolve Verein
DLA Piper announced it will dissolve its Swiss verein structure and replace it with a single global limited‑liability partnership that sits above the existing US and International LLPs. The new entity will be led by Frank Ryan as global chair...
Dicker Data Appoints Fiona Brown as MD
Dicker Data has appointed co‑founder Fiona Brown as managing director, eleven months after she stepped into the executive chair role following CEO David Dicker’s departure. The board said her expanded responsibilities merit the formal MD title, which she will retain...
CB Hot Suit Takes: Ben Walker, Chief Doer / CEO, Those That Do
Ben Walker, CEO of independent agency Those That Do, shares how a graduate scheme in a shared advertising building thrust him into the industry. He highlights the Lifebuoy campaign, which he turned from a small tactic into a commercially viable...
Fujifilm Business Innovation Australia Makes Leadership Shift
Fujifilm Business Innovation Australia has promoted Yoshinori Nagata to Managing Director and Head of Oceania Sales Operations, succeeding Yasuyuki Matsumoto who is relocating to Tokyo for a global leadership role. Nagata brings more than three decades of experience across sales,...
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan: ‘This Is A Fundamentally Different Company Today’
Intel reported first‑quarter revenue of $13.6 billion, up 7 percent YoY, driven by a 22 percent surge in its data‑center business amid AI demand. CEO Lip‑Bu Tan credited organizational cuts, a refreshed leadership team, and a stronger balance sheet for the earnings beat...
Director of People & Culture – Oregon Shakespeare Festival via TOC Arts Partners
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is recruiting a Director of People & Culture to lead HR strategy, employee experience, and labor relations for its 500‑plus staff. The senior role will oversee recruitment, compensation, benefits, compliance, and union negotiations as the...
NAR Is ‘Not in the Business Anymore of Creating Chaos,’ CEO Says
The National Association of Realtors, led by CEO Nykia Wright, reported a membership base of 1.412 million, a modest dip from last fall’s 1.491 million. Wright highlighted a comprehensive derisking agenda aimed at insulating the group from further antitrust and commission lawsuits....
Chicago/Midwest People & Company News, Week of April 24, 2026
Premier Design + Build Group bolstered its national leadership by hiring Audra Billmeyer as senior vice president of professional development, where she will steer the PREMIER U education program. Transwestern added Alissa Adler and John Homsher, CCIM, as managing directors in...
AI Was Supposed to Elevate HR. What if It Does the Opposite?
HR executives are banking on artificial intelligence to shift the function from administrative support to strategic partner, but the transition is far from assured. Gartner reports that 95% of HR teams have AI projects, yet only 18% achieve significant transformation,...
EXEC: Lululemon’s Shares Slide as CEO Pick Gets Mixed Reviews
Lululemon’s stock plunged about 13% after the board announced former Nike executive Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO, with a start date of September 8 due to a non‑compete clause. O’Neill, who spent 27 years at Nike and most recently...
Pay Attention to the Quiet Ones
The article argues that during the AI disruption, the most effective leaders are the quiet ones who openly acknowledge uncertainty. Rather than broadcasting confidence, they test AI tools themselves and encourage honest dialogue, which accelerates learning. Loud, certain voices often...