Hello and welcome to Wednesday. They’re getting ready to rumble at the House of Mouse. Today, Disney’s annual shareholder meeting will reveal the outcome of a lengthy and heated proxy battle. Will the activist investors of Trian Fund Management be able to “restore the magic” (read: win board seats)? Stay tuned. ![](https://em-content.zobj.net/thumbs/120/apple/237/boxing-glove_1f94a.png) ![](https://em-content.zobj.net/thumbs/120/apple/237/mouse-face_1f42d.png)
In this issue:
What, them worry?
Tag team
Green resolutions
—Courtney Vien, Alex Zank, Graison Dangor, Alex Vuocolo
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Westend61/Getty Images
Do you ever worry that you’re worried about all the wrong things?
For your organization’s strategy, we mean. Not life in general—that’s a way bigger conversation and we’re not qualified to help you with it.
But as a leader or an aspiring one, if you’d like to see how your concerns line up with corporate execs’, we can share some findings from a report published by Chief, the self-described “largest community of senior executive women.”
In its January 2024 survey of 600 C-suiters at companies with at least 500 employees, the executives—three-fourths of whom were men, roughly mirroring the gender gap among high-level S&P 100 execs—were most concerned about changes in what their workers expect from their employers. One in three cited the challenge of “changing worker expectations” on issues including compensation, mental health benefits, and remote work policy.
Click here to see what’s keep execs up at night.—GD
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In the world of retail, one word echoes above all others: profitability.
Looking to ensure profitability in your biz? Check out the three strategic imperatives essential for e-commerce businesses right here in VTEX’s latest white paper, Three Investments to Drive Economic Growth.
Former IDC analyst Jordan Jewell sat down with dozens of e-commerce leaders and analysts to understand the key to not only growing an e-commerce business but also growing it profitably.
Today’s post-pandemic e-commerce landscape presents new challenges across consumer demands, digital ecosystem shifts, and economic fluctuations. Tack on other harsh realities, like a 38% reduction in digital ad effectiveness thanks to iOS 14.5 updates, and it’s clear retailers need to rethink their approach to digital success.
Your roadmap to profitability starts with VTEX’s white paper. Download it here.
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It’s no secret that the role of CFO is in many ways evolving into more of a strategic partner of the CEO. Thad Trent, EVP and finance chief at Onsemi, knows a thing or two about that. He joined the semiconductor manufacturer in early 2021 and has worked alongside president and CEO Hassane El-Khoury to transform Onsemi from what Trent called a “very defocused” company to one that has clear and specific objectives.
CFO Brew spoke with Trent about his role as CFO as a strategic partner to the CEO in this undertaking.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
How did you determine where the company should put its focus?
I joined in February. By August, we had to have a strategic plan that we could roll out to Wall Street…We went through every one of the businesses and understood the value of all the product lines that we had—what was the financial profile of it, what are the growth rates, and the investments in the past. That’s where we started reallocating resources and capital. Our capital allocation went to things that had high growth, where we could differentiate, and we started shutting down projects and shutting down the various products as well…We went from trying to service all markets to saying, “We’re going to focus on auto and industrial primarily.” Today, auto/industrial is 80% of our business. At that time, I think it was just over 50%.
For more on righting the corporate ship, click here.—AZ
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Happy Kikky/Getty Images
It’s proxy season, the time of year when shareholders of public companies come together to vote on major initiatives, and apparently climate change is top of mind for investors.
A new study from sustainability nonprofit Ceres found that shareholders have filed 263 climate-related resolutions this year, a record number for a proxy season, and that the consumer goods sector saw the largest share, with more than 70 proposals.
- Of those, 28 proposals were in the consumer staples sector, and 45 were in the consumer discretionary category, which includes hotels, restaurants, and retailers.
Why are CPG companies seeing more proposals than sectors generally more associated with carbon emissions, such as energy and industry?
Click here to keep reading Retail Brew’s story on climate-related proxy proposals.—AV
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Francis Scialabba
Today’s top finance reads.
Stat: 10,000 20-foot shipping containers. That’s the capacity of the Dali, the ship that crashed into Baltimore’s Key Bridge in March. But container ships more than double its size ply the seas. Companies have been building ever more gargantuan ships since the expansion of the Panama Canal in 2016. (the Wall Street Journal)
Quote: “I used to see Toyota Camrys in parking lots at a T.J. Maxx and now I see BMWs, I see Mercedes, I’ll see Porsches.”—Jeffries retail analyst Corey Tarlowe, on consumers’ growing preference for discount stores. Macy’s store closures may open up opportunities for these retailers. (CNBC)
Read: Going viral isn’t always a boon to small businesses. San Francisco’s The Wok Shop was overwhelmed by customers’ demands after one of its woks was featured on Wirecutter. (Bloomberg)
It’s growth season: If your e-commerce strategy isn’t focused on sustainable growth…it needs to be. Download VTEX’s white paper to see which three areas you should invest in to make it happen.* *A message from our sponsor.
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