In the News–Executive Presence
More CEOs may ditch Trump
Axios, August 15, 2017
Merck & Co.’s Kenneth Frazier, then Under Armour Inc.’s Kevin Plank and Intel Corp.’s Brian Krzanich stepped down from a White House business group (Manufacturing Jobs Initiative), per Bloomberg’s Jeff Green. While none mentioned the president, Frazier, one of the country’s most-prominent black chief executive officers, … said he was acting on a “matter of personal conscience.”
As for Intel’s Krzanich, his Twitter account was peppered [yesterday] by pleas for him to quit the White House group.
Who’s next? Davia Temin, head of the New York-based crisis-management firm Temin & Co: “This conversation is viral in boardrooms right now.” […read more]
CEO Health: Shareholders Want to Know More
Lindsay Frost, Agenda, June 26, 2017
Newly minted CSX CEO Hunter Harrison is lauded as transforming the railroad game for Canadian Pacific and several other railroad networks. Although he took his post at CSX in March, investors were tasked with ratifying the $84 million pay package it would take to keep him. While considering the vote, shareholders voiced concerns about his health after a report was leaked noting that he has to work from home sometimes and uses an oxygen tank to help him breathe.
Harrison’s situation has put the question of materiality, and when and if to disclose CEO health issues, back in the spotlight. Considered the board’s responsibility, making health disclosures can be a difficult decision depending on the situation, sources say.
“[When boards are considering disclosing], they are caught in this world between privacy and HIPAA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996] and material information,” says Davia Temin, CEO of strategy and communications consulting firm Temin and Company, who has served on multiple boards. “Clearly shareholders and analysts want the information immediately, and very often CEOs who are ill want more time [before disclosing]. Different companies have threaded the needle differently and walked that thin line differently.” Subscription required for full access. […read more]
If you’d like to see the full article, please contact us.»
Trump CEO Brain Trust Huddles as Corporate America Splits
Justin Sink and Matt Townsend, Bloomberg | Quint, February 3, 2017
President Donald Trump has needled Mary Barra at General Motors Co. He’s troubled Doug McMillon at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and gone after Boeing Co., once headed by Jim McNerney. Those business leaders, and about a dozen others, sat down on Friday with Trump to talk trade, regulation and more.
In his first two weeks as president, Trump has rewritten the Washington playbook for corporate America, as he has for U.S. allies. In the process, he has opened rifts between companies over how to approach matters ranging from taxes to immigration and revealed the first cracks in companies’ tentative embrace of him, drawing criticism from some of the chief executives who were in the room Friday morning.
The meeting is the latest in a series of White House events designed to allow Trump to solicit feedback from business leaders — and burnish his image as a can-do businessman ready to strike deals. The events usually start with pictures and video clips to feed the news cycle and then a closed meeting with the president and top aides.
After the photo ops is when it gets interesting, of course, and it could be up to Blackstone’s Schwarzman to keep things in order, said Davia Temin, founder of the crisis-management company Temin & Co. in New York. If he’s allowed to be in charge, he should run it like a board meeting, with vigorous but respectful debate.
“One model is a high degree of professionalism and politeness, even while being tough and entrenched in your questioning,” she said. But “some boards are different — some boards you have knock-down, drag-outs.” […read more]
Communicating with Authority and Compassion in Crisis or Opportunity
Wanda Wallace, “Out of the Comfort Zone,” Voice America, August 21, 2015
The most admired leaders are admired because of their skill in communicating. What do these leaders do and not do that sets them apart? The answer to that question is what the show is all about. We will be talking with Davia Temin, President and CEO of Temin and Company, about how leaders inspire, how they convey authority and what they do when things go wrong. […read more]
To download the episode, CLICK HERE.
Lafley Pivots From Builder to Demolition Man as He Shrinks P&G
Carol Hymowitz and Lauren Coleman-Lochner, Bloomberg Business, April 14, 2015
A.G. Lafley helped turn Procter & Gamble Co. into the world’s largest consumer-products company. Now the builder has turned demolition man, shedding billions in assets because P&G is too large to compete.
Lafley, 67, interrupted his retirement in 2013 to revive P&G and telegraphed early on that he didn’t plan to stay long. Having announced plans to exit as many as 100 product lines in the past two years, he’s likely to step aside as chief executive officer by the annual meeting in October, according to people familiar with his plans. Before then, Lafley aims to divest at least $19 billion more in assets, slimming the company down to 65 leading brands, such as Tide, Crest and Pampers, which generate 86 percent of P&G’s $83 billion in revenue.
“It’s painful to dismantle something you built,” said Davia Temin, who runs Temin & Co., a crisis management consultant. “Most CEOs I’ve worked with, when faced with this, say ‘I’m a builder, let someone else shrink it,’ but Lafley’s showing he can pivot when that’s what the business demands.” […read more]
Weekly Wrap: Merging the GSEs; Does Choke Point Hurt the Unbanked?
American Banker, November 7, 2014
Among the stories in this week’s Weekly Wrap, Management consultant Davia Temin takes a look at some uncomfortable findings about how successful women negotiate unconscious gender bias and power dynamics in finance, technology and other industries. […read more]
Warby Parker broadens its focus to include physical stores
Adam Tschorn, The Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2013
The Los Angeles Times explores the expansion of Warby Parker, an online eyewear company, into retail stores. After opening stores in New York City and Boston, it plans to open a third store in Los Angeles in August. In response to its success, “Warby wannabes” have emerged – online retailers which use the brand’s name in their own marketing strategies. Davia Temin is quoted on the company’s innovative model and recent attempts by other e-commerce startups to co-opt the “Warby Parker” moniker. […read more]
Your Foundation in Crisis: Will You Be Ready?
Davia Temin, Philanthropy New York, June 18, 2013
Crisis is turning into the “new normal” for most organizations and corporations in this post-recession era. And foundations are as vulnerable and prone to crisis as public companies and universities, particularly in the age of social media. In this piece for Philanthropy New York’s Smart Assets blog, Davia Temin writes about the recent “crisis case” seminar she led for foundation executives. […read more]
Boards Coming Up Short on Crisis Management
Marcy Syms and Davia Temin, Agenda, June 10, 2013
Corporate boards are facing crises of a magnitude never before seen, with even the most experienced board directors finding themselves ill-prepared for crisis. Therefore, how boards respond to such events speaks volumes about the character and culture of the organizations they lead. In this Agenda article, Davia Temin – along with co-author Marcy Syms, former CEO of Syms Corporation – outlines several steps boards can take to set the right tone for management and help mitigate risk when crisis hits.
If you’d like to read the full article, please click here (pdf).»
McNerney Tested at Boeing as 787 Inquiry Raises Costs
Carol Hymowitz and Thomas Black, Bloomberg Businessweek, January 22, 2013
In this Bloomberg Businessweek article, Davia Temin is quoted on the Boeing Dreamliner battery failure, and how Boeing CEO Jim McNerney can protect the aircraft manufacturing company’s reputation. […read more]
More News Articles