Public outcry prompts Pierre Beaudoin to give up Bombardier executive role
Public demonstrations and a shareholder revolt weren鈥檛 enough to keep Bombardier chairman Pierre Beaudoin from re-election, though he has stepped back from his former executive role.
Bombardier鈥檚 institutional investors by and large withheld support for Beaudoin and the executive pay raise, but Bombardier鈥檚 two-tiered share structure gives the founding family control; both measures passed easily.
For Quebecers, Bombardier鈥檚 shine has worn off
By all accounts, Quebecers have had it with Bombardier, and they showed it during the company鈥檚 annual meeting last week. After months of bad news, culminating in government bailouts and 14,000 jobs hitting the chopping block, the word that top execs were getting an almost 50-per cent pay raise made many throw up their hands in disgust.
In response, the founding family doubled down on the executive compensation in the name of retailing top talent.
Bombardier annual meeting turns into crucible for CEO Pierre Beaudoin
As late as Thursday morning, it was still not clear whether Pierre Beaudoin would be able to hang on as Chairman of Bombardier鈥檚 board of directors. Even though the founding family鈥檚 Class A shares give them over 50 percent of the voting power, the investor revolt that is currently raging is a clear indication that there is a real appetite for change.
Bombardier in major shareholder showdown
The fallout from Bombardier鈥檚 executive compensation scandal isn鈥檛 over yet. After the company鈥檚 recent bad-news cocktail of layoffs, ballooning C Series development costs, and a heavy taxpayer payout, the executive pay issue has raised eyebrows. Several high-profile institutional investors have had enough, and noted that they would be withholding their support 鈥� including, but not limited to, the Caisse de d茅p么t et placement du Quebec.
Karl Moore on introverts, extroverts, and Warren Buffett
Back in January, Karl Moore took a group of Desautels students to meet Warren Buffett at his Omaha offices. Mr. Buffett is known to be an introvert, and his conduct during the visit bore that out; rather than expounding on everything that came up, Mr. Buffett stuck to speaking on subjects he knows well.
Desautels alumna and Ericsson senior VP on travel, networking, and engaging others in decision-making
Rima Qureshi (BCom'87, MBA'96) knows all about learning to adapt. In an interview with Desautels Professor Karl Moore, she says that as a highly analytical, self-contained decision-maker, her position as senior VP and North American head of Ericsson has taught her the importance of listening, getting others involved in decision-making early, and finding a common position to build on.
Boeing comes after Bombardier
The protectionist wave sweeping across Washington right now spells trouble for Canadian businesses. After strong words from the White House about Canadian softwood and dairy, Boeing has opted to take a jab at Bombardier, filing complaints with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission over government subsidies that it claims have given Bombardier a pricing advantage.
Job skills that spell career success
According to a recent piece at Cheatsheet.com, the news is good for students looking forward to entering the job market: the vast majority of employers are looking for college grads this year. That being said, many of today鈥檚 grads are missing the key abilities that those companies are looking for. Skills like good oral and written communication, teamwork, and problem-solving will open the door to career success.
CEOs, academics and how to run a restaurant
Desautels Associate Professor Karl Moore was recently interviewed on The Grilled Podcast to discuss his development as a businessman and academic, collaboration and bringing CEOs in to speak to his classes. He then interviews those CEOs on his podcast, The CEO Series.
Is Bombardier too big to fail? A TV panel discusses the seminal Quebec company
Desautels Associate Professor Karl Moore appeared on an April 7th Breakfast Television panel to address the question of whether or not Bombardier is too big to fail. Professor Moore stated that, in some ways, this is definitely true, just because of the role it plays in the Canadian economy and the fact that it is 鈥淐anada鈥檚 greatest global competitor, in terms of size and in terms of where the exports go.鈥�
Public outrage over executive pay raises forces Bombardier into damage control
Bombardier鈥檚 recent executive pay raises have caused heavy public criticism in the face of recent cash injections from the federal and Quebec governments. In an interview on BNN, Desautels Professor Karl Moore states that some of the outrage is misguided, since so many of the execs joined Bombardier partway through the year, which skews the numbers.
Karl Moore talks Canada-US relations on PBS
Desautels Associate Professor Karl Moore was interviewed on a recent episode of Mountain Lake Journal to talk about pipelines, the Bombardier bailout, The Hot Cities Tour and the changing landscape of relations between Canada and the United States.
Caisse de d茅p么t reluctant about doing business in Russia
As the drama surrounding a Swedish bribery probe of Bombardier鈥檚 activities in Azerbaijan continues, it has become clear that the Caisse de d茅p么t聽et placement du Qu茅bec, which owns 30 per cent of Bombardier鈥檚 rail division, won鈥檛 do business in the former Soviet Union due to high rates of corruption, a lack of transparency and myriad other problems 鈥� including the Kremlin鈥檚 penchant for getting involved in some sectors.
A rare pleasure: praise comes seldom for older workers
For young workers just starting their careers, praise from their superiors can be a real boost. But, as Desautels Professor Karl Moore says in a recent piece for Forbes, professional praise dries up when they enter their 40s and 50s, since professional excellence becomes a given. Interviews that Professor Moore has conducted with senior-level professionals show this to be almost universal.
Karl Moore talks Hot Cities
For reading week, Desautels Associate Professor Karl Moore took a group of students on the ninth edition of the Hot Cities of the World Tour, which is an annual trip that gives 30 McGill undergrads and alumni a close-up view of the cities and towns powering some of the world鈥檚 fastest-emerging economies.
