Sewitch Etcetera Corporation

As a board member over the years, I have talked to many people who want to become directors on boards. They recognize that a great deal of power over the future of a company is wielded by the board, starting with the selection of CEO and including strategic decisions that have significant impact on the prospects of the business to succeed. Becoming a director for a company is also a major milestone in the evolution of a professional’s career. It is the achievement that one may say indicates arrival at the pinnacle of decades of experience and hard work. Therefore, many people want to know how to be invited to the board room, and how to be properly qualified to enter. Continue reading →

The research in mergers and acquisitions shows that when Company A is sold to Company B, the likely scenario is that 1) a significant number of employees are let go within the first year or two, 2) the value expected from the acquisition by the acquirer is not realized, 3) the premium of value goes to the seller instead, 4) the cultural and organizational challenges become all-consuming, adding to the disruption in the business, 4) customers are lost at a higher rate than expected, and 5) business growth does not materialize and in fact performance prior to the acquisition is retarded. Continue reading →

I seem to be stuck on a theme. Last week’s column was about the lowered expectations of retirement that many, if not most baby boomers will be accepting. This week I’d like to talk about the duty we boomers have to help following generations through mentorship, education and guidance. Continue reading →

Wisconsin has been a focus in the news, not as the only state with unfunded expenses in their budget, but as one that is the further down the road to the ugly solutions that must be employed by all public servants who have the fiduciary responsibility of managing public money. Those ugly solutions all involve material losses to some segment of the state population or another. Continue reading →