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An Insider’s Account of the Yahoo-Alibaba Deal

Harvard Business Review

In May of 2005, Yahoo CEO Terry Semel, cofounder Jerry Yang, corporate development executive Toby Coppel, and I — I was then chief financial officer of the Silicon Valley internet company — went on what would turn out to be a fateful trip to China. search engine company Inktomi in 2002.

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Many CEOs Aren’t Breakthrough Innovators (and That’s OK)

Harvard Business Review

However, CEOs often don’t have the career background and education that would equip them to personally lead the process of new product development. This would mean, for example, working in R&D to lead pharma innovation, new product development for high tech, and product design or merchandising for fashion retail.

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Rethinking the Function of Business Functions

Harvard Business Review

Business units come and go, but finance, HR, IT, marketing, legal, and R&D are forever. P&G's vaunted ability to launch breakthrough products isn't just a matter of R&D; it requires an integration of competencies, including consumer insights, engineering, external partnerships and brand marketing. Frito-Lay Inc.,