Today's Management Pulse
Founder risk drives steep valuation discounts in owner‑led services firms
Dr. Dave Heath explains that founder‑dependency in owner‑led services firms mirrors the manager‑risk LPs assess in private‑equity funds. Buyers, banks and investors price this key‑person risk with 30‑50% valuation discounts or higher loan spreads. The risk stems from undefined decision authority, undocumented founder judgment, and missing exception handling.
NTT DATA Appoints Horace Blackman to Lead Federal Business Unit
NTT DATA announced Horace Blackman as the new leader of its Federal business unit. The former CGI Federal senior vice president brings over 20 years of government‑focused IT experience, positioning NTT DATA to accelerate cloud, AI and mission‑critical modernization for defense, civilian and health agencies.
BlackRock Posts $698 B Net Inflows in 2025, CFO Small Flags Fee Growth and Capital Returns
BlackRock announced $698 billion of net inflows for 2025, the highest in company history, while organic base fee growth hit 9% for the year and 12% in Q4. CFO Martin Small highlighted the firm’s expanding fee base, dividend increase and private‑markets...
Schedule Tasks, Turn Intentions Into Completed Actions
Be honest… how many things on your to-do list never happen? Because you didn’t decide when. That’s where most people get stuck. They collect. They organise. But they never actually do. The COD Method fixes that gap. It turns “I should do this” into “I did it.” Start...
Weatherford International Q1 Profit Jumps 42% on New Oilfield Service Contracts
Weatherford International reported a first‑quarter profit of $108 million, or $1.49 per share, up 42% from the same period a year ago. The earnings lift came despite a 3.4% revenue dip, as the oil‑field services firm secured new multi‑year contracts and...
Utility Companies Are the Best Strategic Planners. Here’s Why. | ClearPoint Strategy Blog
ClearPoint Strategy’s 2026 Strategic Planning Report reveals energy and utility firms complete 25.81% of strategic projects, far surpassing the 12.5% cross‑industry average. The sector’s success stems from dense milestone structures, multi‑owner staffing, regulatory‑driven reporting, and year‑round execution cadences. The analysis...
Proactive Service Agreements Prevent $20k Disputes
I’m bringing my friend Matt Sherlock into the Make More Money program this Friday. And I mean friend for real. We’ve known each other since middle school. We take photography trips together every year. He’s also been my lawyer for the...
Peak Performance
High‑net‑worth executives often experience subtle performance degradation—a gradual loss of capacity that shows up as slower decisions, poorer sleep and longer recovery from stress. Traditional coaching, focused on motivation, fails to address the underlying recovery deficit. Neuro Kaizen offers a...
Jacob Ortiz
Jacob Ortiz, a veteran operations and workplace services leader with more than 13 years of experience, now serves as Metro Workplace Lead for Accenture. He brings a service‑oriented mindset and operational expertise drawn from hospitality, hotel, and corporate environments. Ortiz...
Bloomsbury Layoffs
Bloomsbury Publishing announced a restructuring aimed at fueling future growth after a period of rapid expansion, including a doubling of sales and more than a doubling of profits in 2023‑2024. Headcount rose from 738 to 1,238 over five years, prompting...
How to Coach Your Sales Team with Empathy without Losing Your Edge (Ask Jeb)
Jeb Blount explains that many sales managers mistake sympathy for empathy, which hurts team performance. He outlines how true empathy means understanding a rep’s perspective without agreeing, then holding firm on expectations. The core coaching technique is to listen fully,...
1180: Where Finance Meets the Real World | Scott Thorell, CFO Benetrends
In this episode, CFO Scott Thorell shares his journey from public accounting at Ernst & Young and global audits at Campbell Soup to leading finance in mid‑market, founder‑led companies, most recently Benetrends Financial. He discusses the unique challenges of scaling...
Trying to Do Something You Probably Shouldn't
The post revisits Goodhart’s Law, emphasizing that it targets statistical regularities used for control, not direct output measures. It argues that metrics become unreliable when they are gamed as targets, but true outputs like disease case counts remain robust. Drawing...
How Luxury Retail Actually Works: Retail Staff
Luxury retail’s success hinges on staff, not just marble floors or curated lighting, according to former Dior VP Douglas Mandel. He argues that an employee‑centric culture translates directly into a client‑centric brand, especially in Canada’s competitive luxury corridors. Empowering associates,...
Reorganization Of Interior Has Not Produced Promised Results, Says PEER
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s 2025 reorganization transferred roughly 5,000 administrative, IT and communications staff to the Office of the Secretary, promising significant cost savings. A FOIA request by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) revealed the department has no records...
Brian Henry Jr., Walk On’s Sports Bistreaux
Brian Henry Jr. has been appointed Director of Operations Services at Walk‑On’s Sports Bistreaux, where he oversees the creation of scalable systems, modern training platforms, and execution models for both corporate and franchise restaurants. As the brand’s first leader in...
WD-40 Deploys AI in Supply Chain, Business Processes
WD‑40 announced the rollout of AI‑enabled platforms—including Microsoft Dynamics 365, Salesforce and John Galt Solutions' Atlas—to boost efficiency and decision‑making across its operations. The ERP system now supports U.S., Latin America, Asia distributor markets and parts of Canada, covering roughly half...
Julius Caesar Would Cut Your Product Line ⚔️
The post likens modern CEOs to Julius Caesar, arguing that spreading resources across ten product lines, seven initiatives and five experiments dilutes strategic force. Caesar’s victories came from concentrating legions where they mattered, and the author suggests startups should adopt the...
UK Study Finds Workers Average Under 3 Productive Hours, Urges Tiny Habit Focus
A recent study reveals UK workers achieve only 2 hours 53 minutes of productive output per day. Business leader Jake Humphrey and productivity expert Ali Abdaal argue the prevailing myth of big‑goal motivation is misleading, urging leaders to adopt micro‑habits. The shift could reverse...
Airlines Slash Routes as Jet Fuel Prices Double, Spirit Fares Surge
Jet fuel prices have jumped from about $99 to over $200 per barrel, forcing carriers such as Delta, Air Canada and Lufthansa to cut routes and trim capacity. Spirit Airlines saw its average fare for late‑March flights rise from $86...
Build Structure, Not Effort, to Lighten Growth
Growth starts to feel heavy when your business relies on your effort instead of your structure.
MainSquare Introduces Structured ‘Layer 2’ Execution Model to Boost Private‑Equity Portfolio Returns
MainSquare, a value‑creation operating partner, unveiled a new layered execution discipline designed to tighten post‑deal governance and drive EBITDA growth. Founder Mario Damasceno argues the model plugs the “messy middle” where strategic intent often stalls, a shift that could reshape...
Koei Tecmo Projects Record FY 2025‑26 Net Profit of ¥41.5bn on Tech Bets and Hit Games
Koei Tecmo raised its fiscal‑year‑ending‑March‑2026 net‑profit outlook to ¥41.5 billion (about $260 million), up from ¥27 billion, citing the runaway success of Pokémon Pokopia and a series of high‑yield market investments. The revision signals that the publisher’s management is leveraging both product performance and...
USA Rare Earth Seals $2.8 B Deal for Brazil’s Serra Verde Rare‑Earth Mine
USA Rare Earth Inc. announced a cash‑and‑stock transaction valued at about $2.8 billion to acquire Brazil’s Serra Verde Group, owner of the Pela Ema rare‑earth mine and processing plant. The deal adds 6,400 metric tons of annual rare‑earth oxide capacity and is expected...
Santos Restructures to Cut Costs Amid Ongoing Takeover Pressure
Santos Ltd. announced a restructuring that consolidates its Australian and Papua New Guinean upstream assets into four regional business units. The move follows a series of stalled takeover bids and is intended to lower operating costs and safeguard shareholder returns.
Lenovo Appoints Sumir Bhatia as First APAC Chief Commercial Officer to Drive AI‑focused Growth
Lenovo has installed Sumir Bhatia as its inaugural Chief Commercial Officer for the Asia Pacific region. Bhatia will consolidate enterprise sales, solution sales, channel and alliance teams under a single commercial organization, reporting to Amar Babu, President of APAC. The...
Stop Duplicate Processes, Unify Your Tools
If your staff is drowning in duplicate processes, disconnected tools, and manual workarounds, this article explains why...and what to do next. Check out my guest blog with @follett_software to see my take on this conundrum.
AI Lifts Law Firm Productivity but Junior Associate Pay Stalls
Law firms are seeing AI tools cut document‑review time and double billable hours for junior associates, but salaries and bonuses have not kept pace. The gap mirrors a broader productivity‑pay divergence that economists warn could widen as AI replaces more...
Newmont COO Hardy Outlines Gold Production Execution Amid Safety Incident and Growth Push
Newmont's chief operating officer, Francois Hardy, highlighted the company's 5.7 million ounces of gold produced in 2025 and a $2.8 billion free‑cash flow in Q4 while addressing a fatal incident at Tanami and a Nevada joint‑venture default. The COO said execution on...
Global Post‑Pandemic Rules Raise Hotel Hygiene Standards
Hotel operators are confronting tighter health‑safety regulations that demand documented, auditable hygiene processes, air‑quality monitoring and expanded contactless technology. Certification bodies such as NQA are now requiring structured risk‑management systems, fundamentally changing housekeeping, kitchen and guest‑service practices.
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Names Shalini Singhal as Chief Information and Technology Officer
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has appointed Shalini Singhal as its Chief Information and Technology Officer. The move reflects a growing trend among regional banks to merge information and technology leadership under a single executive, aiming to accelerate digital transformation and...
Lufthansa Cuts 20,000 Flights as Jet Fuel Prices Double Amid Iran Conflict
Lufthansa announced the cancellation of 20,000 flights until October, aiming to save 40,000 tons of jet fuel after jet fuel prices doubled following the Iran war. The move trims the airline’s short‑haul network and trims summer capacity by about one...
Finnair Flags Middle East Conflict as Jet‑Fuel Risk, CEO Says Company Is Preparing for Scenarios
Finnair CEO Turkka Kuusisto warned that a prolonged Middle East war threatens jet‑fuel availability and said the airline is preparing for multiple scenarios. The alert comes as the carrier posted first‑quarter sales in line with analyst expectations, underscoring the financial...
PNC Cuts 777 Jobs After $4.1 Billion FirstBank Acquisition
PNC Financial Services will eliminate 777 positions at its Lakewood, Colorado office as it integrates FirstBank Holding Company, a deal valued at over $4.1 billion. The layoffs, slated to begin June 30, 2026, reflect the bank’s effort to streamline overlapping functions...
SkySparc Expands Treasury Suite with Covarius and Uniun Acquisitions
SkySparc announced the acquisition of Covarius Group Limited and Uniun Technology Limited, merging implementation expertise and real‑time integration tools into its OmniFi platform. The deal, terms undisclosed, deepens SkySparc’s European presence and creates a single‑partner offering for cash‑flow optimization and...
Rivan Secures $32 Million to Accelerate European Synthetic Fuel Production
Rivan announced a £25 million ($32 million) funding round led by IQ Capital with backing from Plural, to expand its synthetic fuel manufacturing in Europe. The capital will fund a new plant, R&D, and a hiring push, underscoring the surge in climate‑tech...
How to Implement Scrum in Non-Software Industries: A Step-by-Step Guide
The latest Scrum Guide now explicitly supports use outside software, prompting a wave of agile adoption in sectors like manufacturing, marketing, and HR. Companies start by educating staff on Scrum terminology and securing leadership buy‑in, then form small cross‑functional teams...
Why Better Communication, Smarter Tech, and Stronger Training Are Rising up the Business Agenda
A recent Alliance Manchester Business School survey of 500 UK senior decision‑makers shows that 45% of firms have prioritized improving collaboration and communication, while 40% have invested in new technology and automation, and 35% have upgraded training for complexity and...
How My AI Agent Scheduled a Meeting for Me (And It Cost 15 Cents)
The author used a Lindy AI agent named Linda to schedule a workshop venue in Austin, and the entire coordination cost only 15 cents. Running 45‑50 such agents, he logged over 1,000 weekly tasks and saved roughly 70 hours of...
Optimized Warehouse Layout Turns Space Into Strategic Advantage
A well-optimized warehouse is more than just storage space—it's a strategic asset that drives efficiency, speed, and cost control across the supply chain. Successful warehouse optimization begins with detailed visual layouts that clearly map how space, inventory, and workflows interact. Key Elements...
Simplicity Wins: Prioritize, Focus, and Scale Down
The most effective systems are often the simplest. Pick a few priorities, focus on one thing at a time, and when something feels like too much, make it smaller. #productivity #focus #startsmall #getthingsdone #simplicity https://t.co/ZbpunFY432
The 3-Tool AI Stack That Runs a Business
The post outlines a minimalist AI stack—Notion, ChatGPT, and an automation platform like Make or Zapier—that can run a small business for under $70 a month. By centralizing data in Notion, feeding context to ChatGPT, and automating hand‑offs, users can...
S2P Fundamentals Are Simple Despite Varied Practices
“The Source-to-Pay (S2P) cycle is poorly understood partly b/c different orgs. adopt different practices for different types of spend. However, the fundamentals of an effective S2P process are straightforward.” 🔗 https://t.co/gy1EdLmJwM #procurement #purchasing #supplychain
One Prompt, 30 Editable Assets—No Photoshop Needed
GPT Image 2 just dropped on ChatGPT. Everyone's hammering it for single images. I ran it inside @lovart_ai instead. The workflow isn't on the same planet. One prompt. 30 campaign assets. Editable text layers. Zero Photoshop. Here's what happened 🧵 https://t.co/iTxSgC27L9
Jobs to Go as Simply Good Foods Tackles Costs
Simply Good Foods announced it will eliminate roughly 15% of its workforce to curb expenses and accelerate decision‑making. The Colorado‑based owner of Quest, Atkins and OWYN posted a Q2 loss of about $160 million, driven by impairment charges and a 9%...
Fuel Price Crisis: This Major Airline Just Cut 20,000 Summer Flights
Lufthansa announced it will cancel 20,000 short‑haul flights from its summer schedule, extending through October, as fuel prices have roughly doubled following the US‑Israeli attacks on Iran. The airline expects to save more than 40,000 metric tons of jet fuel,...
Roeth: Simple, Inexpensive Ways to Be More Fuel Efficient
Fleets can achieve measurable fuel‑economy gains by fine‑tuning electronic engine parameters, optimizing routes, and reducing idle time. Adjusting six categories of engine settings can add roughly 0.5 mpg, translating to 5‑8% savings when diesel exceeds $5 per gallon. Driver habits remain...
Why Supplier Scorecards Rarely Improve Performance
Supplier scorecards are ubiquitous in procurement, but they function as lagging measurement tools that often fail to drive improvement. Because they are typically updated quarterly, they capture problems after they have already impacted production, inventory, or cost. The article argues...
The Comeback of the Physical Store—And What It Means for Your Business
Retail analysts note a marked resurgence of brick‑and‑mortar locations in 2025, with foot traffic up 12% year‑over‑year after a pandemic‑driven slump. Stores are increasingly blending digital tools—such as in‑store AR, mobile checkout, and real‑time inventory data—to create seamless omnichannel experiences....
Executives Praise AI, Workers Lose 51 Days Annually
"though 81 percent of executives think their AI deployments have 'significantly improved productivity,' their workers are actually wasting eight hours per week cleaning up after AI’s messes, which is the equivalent of 51 work days a year." https://t.co/lAaa8wpyg3
The Silent Failure Between Approval and Delivery
The article argues that securing executive approval is often mistaken for securing execution momentum. After the green light, many initiatives languish in a limbo where ownership is unclear and daily work does not change, leading to silent, untracked failure. The...