Strategy Driven

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

Leaders of small and medium size businesses (SMBs) often think their size lets them operate under the radar, as less attractive targets to bad guys. How would your CFO or CIO handle this? But, actually, their lack of robust security strategy and resources make them easier to penetrate. An excerpt is below. His new book is Tech Debt 2.0™:

Bottom-up 97

Bottom-up Software Policies CIO 97

Harvard Business Review

MARCH 23, 2015

If you want approval for a new project — purchasing new equipment or computer systems, applying for a patent, building a new store — chances are you need your company’s finance department on board. To get the green light, it helps to understand how finance people think. Finance & Accounting Tool.

Finance 8

Finance NPV CFO ROI 8

Harvard Business Review

JULY 29, 2014

In the July/August issue of HBR , Ram Charan argues that the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) role should be eliminated, with HR responsibilities funneled in two separate directions — administration , led by traditional HR-types, reporting to the CFO; and talent strategy , led by high-potential line managers, reporting to the corner office.

CFO 11

CFO Charan Intangible Assets Human Resources 11

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 8, 2018

This notion, that risk is a desirable feature, can seem like sacrilege to anyone who’s taken an introductory finance course. CFOs of these companies themselves admit that they cannot justify their market capitalizations based on traditional metrics. Traditional companies therefore rely on two strategies.

Report 8

Report GAAP Net Present Value CFO 8

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 5, 2016

Under this financing structure, the company contracts to buy kilowatts, not the turbines and panels. They had framing conversations with the CEO and CFO early on to discuss any financial or operational challenges. The Texas site alone produces more energy than what Owens Corning uses across its significant Texas operations.

Energy 8

Energy Industry Finance CFO 8

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

Don’t let your engineers hack together workarounds that will need to be maintained down the road; provide real engineering solutions to the types of problems new software has. Your customer feedback is coming in through a variety of channels: phone calls to founders, emails to engineers, even the occasional text message.

Metrics 13

Metrics Engineering Efficiency Learning-by-Doing 13

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 25, 2014

in January 1968 as a young 22-year old with $8 in his pocket and an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from IIT Bombay. I had an unlikely journey to the top. Born in India, I arrived in the U.S. Thirty-one years later, I became Chairman and CEO of a global Fortune 300 company. How did this happen? I was fortunate, to be sure.

Team 12

Team Diversity CFO TSR 12