Nuggets from Behind Closed Doors
Inside every private Alliance meeting, there are hundreds of years of experience. While keeping confidentiality of the member who provided the challenge to their group, we’ve captured (with permission) just some of the insightful comments from a handful of members. Read what these members had to say to get a glimpse of what it is like to be an Alliance member.
To see insights for a certain category, choose one from the following list:
Leadership - Search Results (61)
Member Eric McAfee Speaks: Consider the Conveniences of Licensing
A new technology company owned by a close-knit group of founders is looking for a CEO – but they don’t want to give up any equity. Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO of Aemetis, explains an ideal workaround.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Entrepreneurship Finance Leadership Sales Strategy & Planning Technology
Member Kevin Kujawski Speaks: Bring in the Bankers
Correcting misalignment among managing partners is a herculean task. Kevin Kujawski, President and CEO of Menlo Equities, explains how investment bankers can help.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Finance Leadership Strategy & Planning
Member Manuel Gonzalez Speaks: The Power of Questioning
Low employee morale seriously impacts a company’s ability to grow and prosper. Alliance member Manuel Gonzalez of Rabobank International, advocates for a frank conversation.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Culture Human Resources Leadership Strategy & Planning
Member Jim Harrison Speaks: Rip the Band-Aid Off Now.
Behavioral problems from employees are not something to ignore. Alliance Member, Jim Harrison, President & CEO of MLSListings, describes the need for a direct approach.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Culture Human Resources Leadership Strategy & Planning
Member Sudhir Aggarwal Speaks: Go for the Gold, But Fall Back on Silver and Bronze
Embrace a spirit of achieving excellence. Alliance Member, Sudhir Aggarwal, Managing Partner at Transition Management, discusses ways to set ambitious goals and hedge risk to company reputation and team morale.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Leadership Sales Strategy & Planning
Member Kevin Chance Speaks: Breakneck Growth Demands Strong Processes
Here's a great problem to have: your business is growing at breakneck speed. Alliance Member Kevin Chance, President of Products & Services at Beckman Coulter, counsels the importance of building process within a dynamic business undergoing explosive growth.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Leadership Operations Sales Strategy & Planning
Member John Spottiswood Speaks: Use the Cloud to Improve — Not Repeat — Your Core Business
Instead of building specific, custom pieces of software to aide your client’s business processes, build up a common code base that can be deployed throughout your clientele. Member John Spottiswood, former EVP of Business & Corporate Development for Inflection, suggests using the cloud as an instigator to change one's core business model.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Leadership Operations Sales Strategy & Planning Technology
Member Stuart Latta Speaks: Forget the Org Chart. Own Processes For Which You’re Accountable
Alliance Top Team Member, Stuart Latta, Vice President of Supply Chain & CDS for Nestle Dreyer's Ice Cream, shared his insights with the CFO of a large, multinational corporation who felt a lack of control over what he was ultimately accountable for. He was fully accountable for the financials of the company, but the regional CFOs reported to a market head who reported directly to the CEO.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Executive Development Finance International Business Leadership Operations Strategy & Planning
Member Rob Conant Speaks: External Skills Solving Internal Problems
Alliance Member, Rob Conant, CEO of Cirrent, shares his insights on a case brought by the CEO of a recently purchased company, whose parent seemed unwilling to loosen the purse strings and invest in growing his company.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Leadership M&A Strategy & Planning
Member Brad Freitag Speaks: Go Direct, Go Small, Learn Lots
Alliance Top Team Member, Brad Freitag of FileMaker, shared his thoughts on a case brought by an SVP whose company was reinventing itself as a cloud provider offering SaaS in place of their current hardware/software package.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Boards Leadership Marketing Operations Sales Strategy & Planning Technology
Member John Maydonovitch Speaks: Inspire with Breakthrough Objectives and Stretch Goals
Here’s what member John Maydonovitch, CEO of MCE, shared with his Alliance peers following a case presented by a CEO who had prepared a very detailed business plan to guide his management team through the next fiscal year.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Entrepreneurship Leadership Strategy & Planning
Member Doug Dooley Speaks: Speak to Your Audience’s Language and Viewpoint
Alliance Top Team Member, Doug Dooley of Venrock, shared his insights on a case brought by the top leader of a software subsidiary of a global technology giant who was preparing for a meeting with the CFO of the multi billion-dollar parent company.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Leadership Strategy & Planning Technology
Member Shane Buckley Speaks: Reaffirming Executive and Non-Executive Function
Here’s what Shane Buckley, CEO of Xirrus, shared with his Alliance peers following a discussion from a CEO who was seeking clarification between executive and non-executive board member functions to help clarify precisely what is expected of a CEO.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Boards Leadership
Member David Traversi Speaks: When CEO Passion Ebbs, Discipline Is Required
The case at hand was brought by a CEO, who was in the middle of a taxing M&A deal. He was feeling intense CEO fatigue and looked to his Alliance group for advice. In response, here’s what David Traversi, former CEO of Traversi Capital Advisors, shared with this Alliance peer.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Leadership M&A
Member Pat Lashinsky Speaks: Hire Fresh Talent from Outside Your Industry to Drive Innovation
When a CEO was looking for ways to innovate in a commoditized market, he felt discouraged by the consumer perception that their industry’s products are “all the same” and wondered how he could find the right people to innovate his product portfolio. Here’s what Pat Lashinsky, CEO of RealMassive, shared with his Alliance peers.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Leadership Strategy & Planning
Russ Harrison Speaks: Change the Nature of the Conversation
When a fellow Alliance member wanted to acquire a company that would not allow any due diligence on its critical technology, Russ Harrison, President and CEO of The Leadership Group and an Alliance Director, shared the following insights with his Alliance peers.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Leadership M&A Strategy & Planning
Member John Weber Speaks: Be Honest With Yourself
The case at hand was brought to a recent Alliance meeting by an Alliance CEO who was considering whether or not to take the company public, but was concerned about his responsibility to employees who have been issued equity. Here's what John Weber, then President of CooperVision, shared with the Alliance member.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Finance Leadership Organizational Design Strategy & Planning
Member Alain Couder Speaks: Wait, Then Make the Call
The case at hand was brought to a recent Alliance meeting by an Alliance CEO whose company had a major acquisition in the works. As a result of the acquisition, the CEO believed that the company needed to change from a functional structure to a business unit structure. In response, here's what Alain Couder, then CEO of Oclaro, a global provider of optical products for the telecommunications market, shared with the Alliance member.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Leadership M&A Organizational Design
Member Prem Uppaluru Speaks: Be Careful About Switching to Product Business
Read what Prem Uppaluru, CEO of Transera Communications, shared with an Alliance member whose consulting company was considering whether to create a successful new product or transform itself into a product company.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Leadership Marketing Organizational Design Sales Strategy & Planning
Member Ittai Bareket Speaks: You Need Someone You Can Trust
When a fellow Alliance member was preparing to enter Japan with a huge partner that would resell its software, the member wanted to know what to do to succeed and whether to hire locally or not. Here's what Ittai Bareket, CEO of Netformx, shared with the Alliance member.
Read MoreInsight categories include: Culture International Business Leadership Operations Sales Strategy & Planning
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