Harvard Business Review

MARCH 14, 2016

The term “unicorns,” coined, in 2013, by Aileen Lee, founder of Cowboy Ventures , is commonly used to identify venture-backed private companies valued at $1 billion or more. Financed by VC firms. billion in a single round of equity financing, the largest private fundraising round for a VC-backed startup ever.

Company 8

Company Succession Analysis Entrepreneur 8

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 12, 2018

Robo-advisors, which were introduced in 2008 , are steadily eating up market share from their human counterparts much the way that Amazon and Netflix have taken share from Walmart and Regal Cinemas. This would represent between 10% and 15% of total retail financial assets under management. will grow to U.S. $5 5 trillion to U.S. $7

Consultative 8

Consultative Strategy Advice McKinsey 8

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 23, 2012

For highly regulated sectors like finance, social media can be a legal minefield. Just ask Gene Morphis, ex-CFO of clothing retailer Francesca's. Employees, particularly those in the sales and marketing functions, need to know the rules of the road," Langford says. 132 characters for Goldman; one giant leap for the Twitterverse.

Compliance 15

Compliance Media Compliance Officer Policies 15

Harvard Business Review

JULY 24, 2017

So four years ago, when I was CEO of GE Capital Retail Finance and tapped to lead a mega change initiative — splitting off our unit into a new, publicly traded company, Synchrony Financial — I’ll admit I viewed it as a huge challenge. We have hired more than 5,000 new employees since beginning the effort in late 2013.)

Management 11

Management IPO Diversity Long-term 11

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 27, 2015

A witty comment or botched response on Twitter can travel to Facebook and even news websites in minutes (think of the Oreo tweet during the Superbowl blackout of 2013 ). Moreover, Twitter is used by virtually all big Western companies either for marketing or to respond to customers—and sometimes both.

Company 8

Company Airlines Brand Analysis 8

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 11, 2014

The majority of small businesses rely on such loans, and in the fall of 2013 alone, 37% of small businesses applied for credit. These lenders vary along several dimensions  you can read more about them in our full report  but together they offer hope that the small business credit market may be being reinvented.

Technology 9

Technology Banking Class Real Estate 9

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 5, 2014

Instead, the last few years have seen a proliferation of C-suite titles that include a component of marketing. This diversity reflects not only a deepening understanding of the connection between growth and customer satisfaction, but a much greater awareness of what marketing can do to help forge that bond.

P&L 11

P&L Banking Marketing Call Center 11

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 7, 2014

Sales doubled in 2013. Just a couple of weeks ago, BuildDirect received $30 million in additional financing led by Venture Capital firm Mohr Davidow. Until 2013, the rocks were reevaluated every 90 days. Early on, BuildDirect had its setbacks and near-death experiences, but in each of the last four years growth has accelerated.

Venture Capitalist 8

Venture Capitalist Brainstorming Proposal CEO 8

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 20, 2016

I’m talking about the superconsumers who are inside your organization, working at every level: the fashionista who works in the mail room at the headquarters of an apparel company, or the finance manager who works for a pork brand and who eats three pounds of bacon in any given week. So find them, ask questions, and let them help you.

Airlines 8

Airlines Energy Self-aware Learning Curve 8

Harvard Business Review

MAY 14, 2015

The company’s executives said that to help finance the plan, McDonald’s would increase refranchising (turning company-owned restaurants into franchises), take on more debt (even at the risk of lowering its bond rating ), and find $300 million to cut in general and administrative expenses.

Price 8

Price Franchising Short-term CFO 8

Harvard Business Review

JULY 12, 2017

Digital players wield outsize market power. With products that rely on network effects, these players enjoy economies of scale and dominant market share. Digital markets are uneven. Politics, regulations, and levels of economic development play a major role in shaping the digital industry and its market attractiveness.

Innovation 8

Innovation Policies Technology Politics 8