Press

Tweets (And More) Of The Week: Board Gender Quotas

ForbesWoman Community | January 23, 2010

Some readers say a law feminizing corporate boards is the best path to equality; others oppose quotas as a matter of pride.

This week France's National Assembly passed a bill that would force the nation’s largest companies to devote at least 40% of board positions to women. By most accounts, the bill is likely to be signed into law later this year. This seems like a propitious moment for femmes d'affaires, with France on the verge of being the largest country thus far to impose quotas to break the boardroom boys' club--Norway and Spain also have quotas. more>>

How Global Is Your Senior Team?

Chief Executive.net | January 21, 2010

If more and more of your revenue and profits are coming from outside the U.S., should the composition of your top team reflect this?

Shivan S. Subramaniam is the quintessence of the modern American CEO. O.K., his name doesn’t read like “Sam Walton” or “Warren Buffett” or even “Howard Schultz,” but he and his senior management team at commercial insurer FM Global in blue collar Johnston, R.I., are the face of tomorrow’s U.S. multinational corporation. Maybe even the face of today. more>>

Career Smart Advisor Strategies & Solutions for Your Career Success

ExecuNet | November, 23 2009

As the Thanksgiving holiday rapidly approaches, it’s the perfect time to be thankful for what we have, both in our personal lives as well as our professional ones, while at the same time finding new things for which to be thankful. Despite 2009 being a tough year for many of us, in many ways, we all have hope that 2010 will be better.

The cover story in this issue provides executives with insights on what they need to do right now to finish off 2009 on a high note and what goals they should accomplish by December 31. more>>

The Growth of Family-Centered Care

AMN Healthcare | November, 4 2009

More and more facilities are discovering family-centered care appeals to health consumers and can improve outcomes.

“[Family-centered care] helps to save lives, it helps to save money and it helps to save time,” said Bernard Roberson, director for family services development at MCG Health in Augusta, Ga., which adopted a family-centered model in its hospitals in 1993. “When you have family at the bedside and patients and families as partners, it’s a win-win situation.” more>>

Who can fill the CEO seat?

The Boston Globe | October 9, 2009

With Bank of America under scrutiny, some say new leader should come from outside the company.
Help wanted: Seasoned executive with experience overseeing a bank or other large financial institution to run nation’s largest bank. Washington experience a plus. Clean record a must.

Bank of America’s chief executive officer, Ken Lewis, startled the financial world and caught his own board of directors off guard last week when he said he would retire at the end of the year.One leading candidate to succeed him is Brian Moynihan, a fixture in Boston banking circles, recently promoted to run Bank of America’s largest division, the consumer and small business unit. Moynihan, 49, was general counsel at FleetBoston Financial when it was sold to Bank of America five years ago. more>>

Work & Family mailbox

The Wall Street Journal | September 16, 2009

Q: I appreciated your recent column on at-home parents returning to the work force. I too am an at-home mom trying to find a full-time job, but I face the added burden of being well into my 50s. My age seems immediately to disqualify me for jobs for which I believe I am well-qualified. Any advice? —K.H., Minneapolis

A: Try to anticipate hiring managers’ concerns and offer evidence that in your case, they aren’t warranted, says Patricia Lenkov of Agility Executive Search, New York. Employers may worry, for example, about whether you have enough energy and stamina for the job, if you will stay more than a short time before retiring, if you will be able to adapt to new situations and learn on the job, or whether you will cost more than a younger hire. more>>

Career Smart Advisor Strategies & Solutions for Your Career Success

ExecuNet | September 14, 2009

When you spend so much time during a job search to find the best possible career opportunity, you want to be sure that your efforts lead you to a fulfilling long-term position. Due diligence is always recommended — you need to learn about a company to ensure that it’s a good (long-lasting) fit for all involved.

At the same time, companies need to perform some due diligence of their own to help them bring the best fitting candidates on board. While there are undoubtedly many happy endings, sometimes both individuals and companies can get it wrong. more>>

Getting From At-Home to On-the-Job, Even Now

The Wall Street Journal | July 29, 2009

When a mothers’ group huddled on Laurie Witt’s screened porch last summer over sandwiches and iced tea, they wanted more than leisurely chit-chat. As their children played nearby, the women grilled each other in imaginary job interviews, tore apart each other’s resumes and told tales of rugged job-market forays.

All had former careers—in consulting, marketing or finance—and all were intent on returning to work after years at home. The biweekly career-coaching sessions “built confidence and helped us develop a stronger game plan,” says Ms. Witt, of Wellesley, Mass. Three of the four regular participants have since found jobs. more>>

High-profiles CEO illnesses kept under wraps prompt debate

Executive Recruiter News | May, 2009

Much rides on weather or not a chief executive officer is fit to serve, and his or her health is one important criterion that determines this. Suddenly leader-less,an organization can become ruderless in short order. Even the mere appearance of a vacancy at the helm, wheather or not that appearance reflects reality can be devasting.

The search consultant's role as succession planning advisor moves to the fore as these issues gain traction. Clearly, a strong succession plan is the best offense more>>

Target board battle: What's it mean for the rest of us?

MinnPost.com | May 27, 2009

The results of Target's contested board of directors election will be announced Thursday at the company's annual shareholder meeting, but what does this internal battle mean for the rest of us who don't sit on the board or own Target stock?

I've been asking around this week to find out what, if any, implications hedge-fund manager William Ackman's board challenge may have on Target customers, company employees or Minnesota's economy in general.

Ackman, who controls an 8 percent stake in the company, is seeking to elect himself and four allies to the board over the company's chosen candidates. more>>