Harvard Business Review

JUNE 25, 2015

What they don’t do well enough is reinvent and innovate. Sure, there are exceptions who are both visionary CEOs and innovators — Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos, for example — but there are very few companies that can stomach that sort of leadership. So if the CEO isn’t someone who can innovate, then who should?

Entrepreneur 8

Entrepreneur CTO Business Model CEO 8

Harvard Business Review

JULY 17, 2017

Despite rapid innovations in data processing and machine learning, many businesses have yet to make the leap from the Industrial Age to the information age, and the gap between technological and organizational progress is widening. Closing this gap requires much more than short-term fixes, like adopting new technologies. Insight Center.

Industry 11

Industry Short-term Planning Long-term 11

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 23, 2014

When I do get a name, it often differs depending on who I asked—a marketing executive points to one person, while finance identifies someone else. Analytics requirements can span business units, database and analysis systems, and reporting hierarchies. Where should the CAO report? That isn’t good.

Company 8

Company COO Information Technology CFO 8

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 23, 2014

” When I do get a name, it often differs depending on who I asked—a marketing executive points to one person, while finance identifies someone else. Analytics requirements can span business units, database and analysis systems, and reporting hierarchies. Where should the CAO report? That isn’t good.

Company 8

Company COO CFO Analysis 8

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 17, 2015

While the top reason for leaving was low compensation (57% reported it), nearly as important was frustration with a lack of professional development opportunities, which half of respondents cited as their reason for departure. Education crowdfunder DonorsChoose.org, which finances classroom-based projects, is a good model of success.

Development 8

Development Mentor COO CFO 8

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 30, 2013

In March 2000, Barron's reported that 51 Internet companies were burning cash so fast that they'd be broke by the end of the end of the year. So when Amazon reports below-consensus earnings, as it did Tuesday, and the share price jumps, as it did after-hours Tuesday and again Wednesday morning, the reaction isn't quite the puzzle it seems.

Training 9

Training Bond Christensen Long-term 9

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 7, 2011

When tradeoffs had to be made, solid departmental reporting relationships trumped dotted process relationships. The wishes of a functional head such as CFO, CMO, or company President won out over a Process Owner of Order-to-Cash. How many times have you heard "I'm a finance person" or "I'm a marketer"?)

Process 15

Process Champy Competitive Advantage Hammer 15

Harvard Business Review

MAY 23, 2012

Second, the formal head of the risk management function reported directly to Mr. Dimon and was part of the executive team with continual access to the company's board of directors. Quite the opposite; it should actually enable organizations to engage in daring, innovative strategies that promise high expected returns. But was it?

Risk Management 9

Risk Management CIO Management Banking 9

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 22, 2014

company takes on the legal identity of foreign subsidiary, usually in order to reduce its taxes — has become about as controversial as corporate finance topics get. We have some of our largest and most innovative companies doing this. I was with the CFO of Apple the other day, and they’ve got $140 billion of cash trapped overseas.

Globalization 8

Globalization CEO System Offshoring 8

Harvard Business Review

MARCH 7, 2017

The dispatch included disturbing and potentially illegal managerial activities, such as Fowler’s boss telling her she could be fired for reporting the behaviors. As Pete Ramstad and I note in Beyond HR , leaders often have far better developed frameworks for the value proposition of the finance function than for HR.

Compliance 10

Compliance Hedge Human Capital Finance 10