Andrew Hill Three benefits and two pitfalls of bringing ‘AG’ back at P&G

May 24, 2013 12:18 pm by Andrew Hill

In saying AG Lafley is “uniquely qualified” to lead Procter & Gamble – again – Jim McNerney, the board’s presiding director, somewhat understates the case.

Not only was Mr Lafley one of P&G’s most successful ever leaders between 2000 and 2009, he has literally written the book on how he achieved the corporate turnround – Playing to Win, co-authored by Roger Martin and published this year. But the record of chief executives who return to the top job is mixed: while there are benefits to bringing back the former CEO, there are pitfalls too. Read more

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Posted in Consumer Goods, Management |
From FT.com May 22, 2013

After six years of scrutiny, and repeated legal action against those around him, Steve Cohen remains a free man. His $15bn hedge fund SAC Capital is still in business and he still firmly maintains his innocence, despite the evident disbelief of regulators and prosecutors. It is time to prosecute him. Read more

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Posted in Business, Finance, US |

Andrew Hill SAP’s search for autistic innovators

May 22, 2013 12:16 pm by Andrew Hill

SAP’s striking decision to hire people with autism to programme and test its products has already generated some sceptical commentary from FT readers. But it should be welcomed, and not only by sufferers of the condition. Read more

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Posted in Innovation, Management, Technology |
From FT.com May 20, 2013

Tony Hayward’s appointment as interim chairman of Glencore Xstrata last week marked his rehabilitation, three years after he told reporters “I’d like my life back”, following the fatal Deepwater Horizon explosion. Read more

Posted in Management |

John Gapper Page proves himself the right chief for Google

May 16, 2013 12:20 pm by John Gapper

As Larry Page, Google’s chief executive, launches a new music subscription service and the company’s share price continues to climb, it’s worth nothing what a success he has so far been in the role – despite the doubters, including myself. Read more

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Posted in Business, Technology |
From FT.com May 15, 2013

In the three decades since Michael Bloomberg launched his electronic terminal to supply financial information and analytics, his company has been called many things: ambitious, competitive, brilliant, fearsome, relentless and totalitarian. Until now, it wasn’t known as stupid. Read more

Posted in Management |

Ravi Mattu The consumer as founder

May 15, 2013 3:25 pm by Ravi Mattu
When US businessman Victor Kiam tried a Remington electric razor, he liked it so much he “bought the company”, and spent the rest of his life telling the rest of the world about it. But for some entrepreneurs a bad customer experience can be an equally powerful spur.
This was the case for Taavet Hinrikus and Kristo Käärmann, co-founders of London-based money transfer start-up TransferWise, which announced this week that Valar Ventures, the fund launched by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, had made the company his first European investment.

 Read more

Posted in Banks, Business, Entrepreneurship, India, Innovation, Transport |

Andrew Hill L’exception culturelle: just when you thought it was safe…

May 14, 2013 1:03 pm by Andrew Hill

Seen from outside France, the country’s “cultural exception” – which protects its art, music and movie industries in trade negotiations – is like a long-running film franchise.

In the new sequel – Exception Culturelle 3D, if you will – Pierre Lescure, author of a government-commissioned report, has given the story a great new twist by suggesting a tax on smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles and e-readers to fund French cultural output. Read more

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Posted in Business, France, Media, Technology |
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