Archive for October, 2008

The endemic global financial crisis has drastically shifted financial engineering strategies for some of the world’s largest companies, private equity professionals said Oct. 28 at the Thunderbird San Francisco Global Private Equity Forum. From the mid-market buyout perspective, there is a shift in the types of deals and a restructuring of the balance sheet along with an increase in minority investments and growth equity opportunities.
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The same ethical guidelines that helped salvage Tyco International following revelations of greed and corruption in 2002 could benefit investment banks caught in today’s financial meltdown, a former Tyco executive said Oct. 28 at Thunderbird School of Global Management.
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Global business managers who hunker down and stop investing during the current economic crisis will miss big opportunities for growth, General Electric Chairman and CEO Jeffrey R. Immelt said Oct. 24 in a teleconference that included Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Ariz. | Video: A Discussion with Jeffrey Immelt (1:00:49) |
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Effective philanthropy requires more than writing checks. Donors need a plan for finding nongovernmental organizations aligned with their goals and interests, and they need tools for measuring success. These issues become even more critical in times of economic hardship, says global entrepreneur Betsy Brill, president and founder of Strategic Philanthropy, Ltd., in Chicago.
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America’s banking crisis will hit home during the next budget cycle for cities, schools, museums, airports, hospitals, performing arts centers and other nonprofit and government organizations that issue tax-exempt bonds, two Bank of America managers said Oct. 10 at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Ariz.
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Entrepreneurs who think of their business as their job have the wrong mindset and risk burnout, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” co-author Sharon Lechter told a group of Afghan women entrepreneurs Oct. 16 at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Ariz. | Video: Less Today, More Tomorrow (1:44) | Video: Your Business Is Not Your Job (1:11) |
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Corporate leaders who want to make a positive difference in the world can learn at least four important lessons from successful global entrepreneurs, Thunderbird President Ángel Cabrera, Ph.D., said during a panel discussion Oct. 14 in downtown Phoenix. | Video: Do entrepreneurs need business school? (2:04) | Video: Keys to Effective Leadership (2:41) |
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Many global business leaders view Sen. Barack Obama as a “smiling protectionist” and Sen. John McCain as a “grumpy free trader.” Those are the opinions that Thunderbird Dean of Research Mansour Javidan, Ph.D., hears about the U.S. presidential candidates as he travels the world. “However, these business leaders are not convinced that Sen. Obama will embark on a nationalistic or protectionist strategy, if elected,” Javidan said Sept. 20 during a panel discussion in New York organized by Bard College’s Globalization and International Affairs Program. Watch YouTube video

Do you know what your business really sells? The answer might be different than you think, Cookies From Home president and founder Susan Brooks told a group of Afghan women entrepreneurs Oct. 13 at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Ariz.
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Marketing From the Navel, by Brian Critchfield

In today’s global marketplace, companies no longer have the luxury of one way communications and spending their way out of a slump. The days of the 30 second spot and cost per thousand (CPM) as a measurement of effectiveness are waning. Today’s global customer wants a company it can trust.

Consumers are armed with unprecedented amounts of information. They know the exact price a dealer pays for a new car, they can compare retail prices all over the country in an instant, and they know the news before it appears at 6 o’clock or shows up in the morning’s newspaper. In order to compete in the environment of the consumer revolution, companies need to first become worthy of discussion. They need to become companies worth talking about.
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