It’s not often you can say things will remain status quo in President Trump’s second term, but this is one of them.

Both FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson and Omeed Assefi, acting assistant attorney general in the DOJ’s antitrust division, revealed the two enforcement agencies will keep the Biden-era guidelines for reviewing mergers. The two agencies jointly unveiled the set of guidelines at the end of 2023.

In a memo to FTC staff, Ferguson noted that merger guidelines work best for all stakeholders when both the FTC and DOJ are “singing from the same song sheet.” In the DOJ memo, Assefi said he “wholeheartedly agree[s]” that the guidelines work best when there is stability. He said the antitrust division “will continue to use the 2023 merger guidelines until further notice.”

Ferguson pointed to more than 30 years of history of new administrations maintaining guidelines from their predecessors. For instance, President Bill Clinton kept President George H.W. Bush’s 1992 guidelines when he took over the Oval Office, and President George W. Bush did the same with Clinton’s 1997 guideline updates.

“I think the clear lesson of history is that we should prize stability and disfavor wholesale rescission,” Ferguson wrote, adding that if “merger guidelines change with every new administration, they will become largely worthless to businesses and the courts.”

Click here to keep reading.—AZ

Tom Gallucci is CFO of myLaurel, which provides patients with at-home care and telemedicine services. Before joining myLaurel nearly four years ago, Gallucci worked for more than 20 years as a research analyst and investment banker focused on healthcare services. He also previously worked as a principal at Strategic Healthcare Advisory and CFO of Cota Healthcare.

Gallucci told CFO Brew that part of the CFO’s remit in healthcare is to help organizations “navigate the complexities of a highly regulated industry.” He also shared the nonfinancial skills now necessary to succeed in the role of finance chief.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

What are the challenges of being in a highly regulated industry?

Within healthcare specifically, the CFO also helps the company navigate the complexities of a highly regulated industry. For example, the significance of third-party payers, such as Medicare and health plans, adds complexity to the healthcare system. In turn, providers must follow specific rules and regulations when billing for their services, a vital aspect of the business that falls under the CFO’s purview.

What advice do you have for aspiring CFOs?

Understanding accounting and financial reporting is essential, but CFOs must go beyond these technical skills. Leadership, communication, and people skills are crucial, enabling CFOs to build and guide high-performing teams and take on strategic responsibilities that drive the company’s success. CFOs must also be analytical and forward-thinking to support decision-making and navigate complex environments that foster long-term growth.

For more on essential CFO skills, click here.—AZ

Even though Trump pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Accord, a new report indicates that the country and the world will continue to decarbonize. That’s because the decarbonization market is growing—specifically “decarbonization-as-a-service,” or companies being hired by other organizations to reduce their energy emissions and carbon footprint.

According to Valuates Reports and QYR Research, the worldwide decarbonization-as-a-service market is projected to be valued at $20 billion by 2030. In 2023, that market was valued at $170 million. And in the US, the decarbonization-as-a-service market will be valued at more than $4 billion (a huge increase from approximately $54 million in 2023).

But how can the US market grow without as much federal pressure to decarbonize? Jay Ruckelshaus, who co-founded carbon and energy management company Gravity, told Tech Brew that even though federal decarbonization regulations may be overturned by the Trump administration, the market will still continue to grow because many companies must adhere to state and/or international regulations. Additionally, domestic companies that work in states without decarbonization laws might still have to keep their emissions in check to comply with their big clients’ Scope 3 goals.

Plus, many companies aren’t just decarbonizing because they have to—they’re doing so because it saves money. Ruckelshaus said that’s certainly the case for many of the companies that Gravity works with in the Rust Belt.

Click here to keep reading Tech Brew’s story on the growing decarbonization market.—TC

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