Admin - Mahony Partners

Aug

2013

A Visit to Fox Business News

The kind folks at Fox Business invited me to join their conversation about Nasdaq's response to its trading blackout and the performance of CEO Bob Greifeld: Read More

Aug

2013

Bitcoin Challenges the Regulators

Financial Services, Taking & Managing Risk

The folks at Bitcoin have taken a very aggressive stance with regulators, who are eyeing the digital currency with suspicion. It’s following a path blazed by another upstart industry that operated in a grey zone of regulation – online gaming. That ended in a flurry of arrests and indictments. Will Bitcoin meet the same fate? Read More

Aug

2013

“Blackout Bob” Greifeld Misfires Again

Crisis, Financial Services

It has been quite a week for apologies. Hedge fund supremo Bill Ackman expressed regret over his money-losing bet on J.C. Penney. Dan Doctoroff, CEO of Bloomberg, released the results of an independent review of its data security and editorial practices and pledged steps to strengthen both. But when it came to the week’s biggest failure – the trading blackout at Nasdaq – Bob Greifeld just couldn’t say the word. (more…) Read More

Aug

2013

Bloomberg Survives its Terminal-Peeping Crisis

Crisis, Media

News and data giant Bloomberg LP deserves high marks for a thorough and candid report on its data security and editorial practices – and for the way it was communicated. (more…) Read More

Aug

2013

Bill Ackman Says the F Word

Financial Services, Taking & Managing Risk

Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman used the F word – failure – to describe his disastrous investment in retailer J.C. Penney. Mr. Ackman’s admission was honest, surprising and very shrewd. It is a risk that likely will pay off handsomely in the months ahead. Read More

Aug

2013

The Art of the Takedown

Financial Services, Media, Taking & Managing Risk

Readers of the Sunday New York Times found a scowling, unshaven Larry Summers on the front page, accompanying an article that questioned his fitness to lead the Fed given his close ties to Wall Street. The article was a first-rate takedown – a savaging that was thi... Read More

Aug

2013

Is Jeff Bezos the New Steve Jobs?

Media, Taking & Managing Risk

The passing of Steve Jobs left a big gap. Since his death nearly two years ago there hasn’t been a CEO with Jobs’s combination of brilliance, mystery and breathtaking commercial success. But with his surprise purchase of the Washington Post, Jeff Bezos might be stepping into the role Jobs left behind. Read More

Jul

2013

Omnicom and Publicis to Merge (Yawn)

Advertising

The market seems to like the merger of marketing giants Omnicom and Publicis. Shares of both companies are trading higher this morning. Shareholders have good reason to be pleased, but for clients and staff the deal looks less appealing. Read More

Jul

2013

Step Away from the Camera, Please

Taking & Managing Risk

I’m all for improving corporate earnings announcements. But the push by Yahoo, Netflix and other companies to broadcast their earnings from a television studio, complete with a borrowed cable-tv newscaster, is a triumph of style ove... Read More

Jul

2013

More Bank Advertising Nonsense

Advertising, Financial Services

There’s a fresh example of brand advertising by a big bank that is little more than self-congratulatory nonsense. This time it’s Caixa, the top savings bank in Spain. (more…) Read More