Chiefs of accounting firms don’t often make headlines. So it was surprising to see KPMG Chairman Michael Andrew tell a reporter that the insider-trading scandal involving a former partner was not a big deal. Is that really the best message for the CEO when his colleague commits a crime?
It is hard to recall a more dramatic week than the one just seen in Boston. And for the media, which reported the story and at times became the story, the episode shows how its world has changed forever.
Up to now, big banks have been the favored villains for all manner of bad business practices, like hasty home foreclosures, interest-rate manipulation and money laundering. But today’s report that DLA Piper, a large law firm, allegedly overbilled a small businessman by millions could give lawyers their turn in the spotlight. Are they ready?
Trying to downplay your culpability after a settlement with regulators is a very bad idea. Just ask Sir John Peace, chairman of Standard Chartered, the UK bank. His public shaming is a useful lesson for which financial firms everywhere should be grateful.
It’s the oldest trick in the PR playbook: get your bad news out on a Friday and leave early for the weekend. Strangely, this practice still holds, even in today’s continuous news environment. Just look at the news today from SAC Capital and J.P. Morgan.
Groupon CEO Andrew Mason stepped own after the daily-deals company reported dreadful earnings. Mason, who struggled to reverse heavy losses and a slide in the stock price, admitted he’d made mistakes. But he was right about one thing: how difficult it is for a fast-growing startup to be a public company.
In a week full of high-profile brawling, the fight between Elon Musk of Tesla Motors and the New York Times has captured a lot of attention. It’s got it all – visionary CEO, upstart company, allegations of media bias, a trove of highly detailed data and a passionate audience. As the saga continues to rage, […]
Barclays chief executive Antony Jenkins announced his plan to transform the troubled UK bank. He gets high marks for communication, but the substance was a little thin.
Most banks work hard to say they’re different from the competition. But Barclays chief Antony Jenkins wants us to know his bank just like every other. It’s a clever communication strategy for deflecting attention from the bank’s woes. But what does he do after that?
Besides offering a delicious glimpse into English gentry life a century ago, who knew Downton Abbey could also yield insights about communication? Last Sunday’s installment gave us an example of brilliance and another of dull-wittedness.