Company founders

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin One of my clients, Shawn, is about to celebrate the tenth anniversary of his enterprise. He started his social impact investing company with a mission to transform the way investors think about sustainability and we were reflecting - marveling really - about what the team has accomplished. As we discussed his plans for a 10-year celebration, he told me that he wanted to think about culture . He and his leadership team had never fully defined their culture, and it had resulted in some hiring mistakes and some misalignment within the company. He realized codifying the culture would be important to lead the company to its future. When you’re building your company, department, or even your small group inside of a larger organization, you may think you have plenty of time to define culture. However, as an executive coach who works with startup founders and C-suite executives, I’ve seen firsthand how putting off defining … [Read more...] about It’s Time To Identify And Reset Your Company’s Culture

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin As a startup coach , I hope founders learn from me, but I also learn from them. I particularly want to mine the insights from founders who have been successful multiple times. That’s why I was excited to talk to Ronni Zehavi, cofounder and CEO of Hibob . Zehavi is a three-time successful entrepreneur within multiple industries. He cofounded and was CEO of Cotendo, a website and mobile solutions developer which was acquired by Akamai Technologies in 2012, and was a cofounder of Team8 Cyber Security. He cofounded Hibob 5 years ago and is the CEO. Hibob is a user-friendly cloud-based HR system that provides companies with tools for the basics of HR reporting as well as engagement builders like social tools. The platform also provides tools for social network analysis – a map to show you who in your company are hidden idea spreaders. Hibob represents a return to Zehavi’s roots since he started his career in HR. I … [Read more...] about Hire CEOs All Around You And Other Lessons From A 3-Time Founder

- A + A KUALA LUMPUR (May 18): Signature International Bhd and its largest shareholder-cum-chairman Datuk Seri Chiau Beng Teik have emerged as the largest shareholders of Fiamma Holdings Bhd after acquiring a combined 29.59% equity interest in Fiamma. The 29.59% stake or 150 million shares, was acquired from Fiamma's chief executive officer and group managing director, Lim Choo Hong, at RM1.50 per share. Following the disposal of shares in Fiamma, Lim ceased to be a substantial shareholder in Fiamma, holding a 0.413% direct equity interest and 0.118% indirect interest in the company. A filing with Bursa Malaysia showed that Signature had entered into a conditional share sale agreement (SSA) with Lim, to acquire 120 million shares or 23.67% equity interest for RM180 million cash. On a separate note, Divine Inventions Sdn Bhd, a private entity controlled by Chiau’s family, entered into an SSA with Lim to purchase 30 million shares or 5.92% equity interest in Fiamma … [Read more...] about Chin Hin founder Chiau Beng Teik and Signature International emerge as Fiamma’s controlling shareholders

On Wednesday, May 11, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal watchdog agency responsible for consumer protection in the financial services industry, finalized an enforcement action against debt-relief payment processors RAM Payment and Account Management Systems (AMS) as well as AMS’s co-founders, Gregory Winters and Stephen Chaya. The respondents have been accused of illegally collecting debt-relief fees, misleading borrowers about when said fees would be paid to debt-relief companies, sending illegal advance fees to debt-relief companies, and failing to return funds to consumers who cancelled their student loan debt-relief agreements. The CFPB has ordered RAM Payment, AMS, Winters, and Chaya to pay over $11 million in consumer redress and civil money penalties, in addition to banning AMS, Winters, and Chaya from the debt-relief payment processing and account maintenance industry. Key Takeaways The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has … [Read more...] about CFPB Orders Debt-Relief Payment Processors to Pay Over $11 Total Million Penalty

- A + A HONG KONG (May 18): Smarting from HSBC Holdings Plc’s move to scrap its dividend during the height of the pandemic, the bank’s largely silent mass of retail shareholders in Hong Kong is warming up to the idea of a breakup. Splitting up Europe’s biggest bank to separate out its Asian operations is being pushed by its largest investor, Ping An Insurance Group Co, based just across the border in Shenzhen. The call is winning support in Hong Kong’s retail base, which owns about a third of the bank, with some seeing it as a surefire way of preventing the steady stream of payouts from being cut off again. Their loyalty has been tested as numerous pivots in strategy fail to impress the market, leaving dividends at half of what they were in 2018 and the stock down more than 40%. The former British colony is the beating heart of the bank’s global operations, accounting for about 30% of the group’s 2021 adjusted profits. Yet decisions such as the halting of dividends … [Read more...] about HSBC’s mass of Hong Kong retail investors warms to breakup

(Image credit: @GhazalAlagh/Twitter) Mamaearth co-founder Ghazal Alagh, who was one of the judges on start-up reality show Shark Tank India, believes aspiring entrepreneurs should not give up when faced with setbacks. In a recent LinkedIn post, Alagh said she had observed up-and-coming businesspersons become confused, heartbroken and frustrated when the results of all their hard work did not align with what they expected. The Mamaearth boss said progress is not a linear path. “Even the tiniest of improvements, when applied consistently, realise their moment of breakthrough,” she added in her post. “So don’t give up. It takes vision to stay consistent till you achieve your desired result.” She quoted from American author James Clear’s best-selling book Atomic Habits. “You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results,” Alagh wrote. Alagh and six other business bosses -- Bharat Pe co-founder Ashneer Grover, Namita Thapar of … [Read more...] about Shark Tank India judge’s advice to up-and-coming entrepreneurs

Apple’s visionary co-founder Steve Jobs wanted the first iPhone to not have a SIM slot, iPod inventor Tony Fadell revealed in a recent interview. Fadell , while discussing his book Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making with journalist Joanna Stern, said that Jobs wanted Apple to use CDMA technology for connections with cell towers. “We don’t need a hole in this (iPhone),” Fadell quoted Steve Jobs as saying. “Verizon (a wireless carrier company) does not have SIM cards, why do we need a SIM card? We are not going to have SIM cards on our phones.” Fadell recalled telling jobs that the idea would not work. “We had to bring him all the cell phone data. Almost 95 percent of all the phones at that time (in 2007) had SIM slots. No one had the technology for eSIM at that time. It took 12 to 13 years to get there.” Fadella added that when working with a highly-opinionated person, one has to be certain to get data to oppose them. Close “We … [Read more...] about Steve Jobs didn’t want first iPhone to have a SIM slot, reveals iPod inventor

For one small Ukrainian company, conflict has become a key mile marker. Fashion editors Kate Zubarieva, 33, and Asya Varetsa, 31, conceived of the idea for their fashion label, Sleeper , during the 2014 Revolution of Dignity--a five-day clash between protesters and the Ukrainian government in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, which eventually led to the ousting of the country's president, Viktor Yanukovych. Then, in February 2022, after Russia invaded the country , the Ukrainian company rapidly laid down manufacturing roots in another country. As Russia began planning a military offensive against Ukraine in December 2021, the Sleeper team began to prepare for the worst, and the founders knew they had to make a series of tough decisions. In about two to three weeks, the apparel company helped relocate 30 employees abroad and 40 to more western regions of Ukraine. It also transitioned its production to Turkey. "We knew we had a good amount of savings to sustain the … [Read more...] about No One at the Ukrainian Fashion Brand Thought Russia Would Really Invade, But They’re Glad They Planned for It Anyway

U.S. equity markets are falling as tensions ratchet higher between Russia and Ukraine, with U.S. officials saying they expect a Russian attack on its neighbor shortly. Major indexes are heading for weekly declines and the Nasdaq is adding to its nearly 14% drop so far this year. Key Takeaways U.S. equity markets are falling as investors watch developments in the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Major indexes are heading for weekly declines and the Nasdaq is adding to its nearly 14% drop so far this year. Roku shares are plunging while FAAMG stocks, Tesla, and Intel all slide. Shares of all the FAAMG tech companies are lower. Tesla Inc. ( TSLA ) shares are declining 3%. Shares of semiconductor companies are dropping after Intel Corp. ( INTC ) warned of lower profit margins this year. Roku Inc. ( ROKU ) shares are plunging on its earnings report (more below). Shares of big industrial firms including Boeing Co. ( BA ), Honeywell International … [Read more...] about Russia–Ukraine Tensions Soar as Shelling, War Talk Increase; Investors Flee Stocks

Moody's cut Russia's credit six notches as it expects "sustained disruption to the economy" as a result of global sanctions against the country after it invaded Ukraine. Russia's stock market remained closed. U.S. stocks are higher after yesterday's surge that came in the wake of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell ’s congressional testimony signaling a Fed rate increase would be lower than what investors feared. Key Takeaways Top credit agency Moody's decreased Russia's credit by six notches. U.S. stocks are rising, following yesterday's surge that came after Fed statements that allayed fears of a big interest rate hike. Best Buy Co. Inc. and Kroger Co. shares rose after reporting better-than-expected earnings. Powell is set to testify before Senate lawmakers this morning after telling House lawmakers yesterday he would propose just a quarter-percentage-point rate hike at the central bank’s March meeting. All major U.S. stock indexes posted solid gains … [Read more...] about Moody’s Cuts Russia’s Credit, Wheat Prices Soar, Powell Allays Investors’ Fears