Nice and Not So Nice
It has been a month that I moved to Nice for my sabbatical leave. I had barely set foot on the tarmac at the airport that the honeymoon phase set in. How could it not? There is the obvious, especially…
Claudine Mangen
Chrysler in 2009
In 2009, I wrote an article about Chrysler called “Tout un défi!” (i.e., “What a challenge!”) for La Presse, a Montreal daily newspaper. The article discusses the future of Chrysler, which was then in the midst of a massive reorganization.
Do You Know Your Orca?
I recently watched the documentary Blackfish. It tells the story of Tilikum, a star orca at Seaworld Orlando. Orcas, in spite of being called killer whales, are not known to have killed humans in the wild. Left to their own devices,…
On Mixing Things Up Responsibly
Earlier this year, I wrote about how locavores may end up encouraging local firms to persist in doing what they are not great at doing. Yet such persistence is not necessary. In today’s interconnected environment, local firms can focus on doing…
Shall We Mix Things Up?
A few weeks ago, a friend contacted me with a business conundrum. His company was looking for help with a web-related issue. A foreign firm had provided an original and cost-effective plan for solving the issue. Domestic companies too had…
Tug-of-Rope? Arcelormittal and France
I am visiting family in Luxembourg. The news here closely follows ArcelorMittal, the international steel giant. The local media interest dates back to 2002 when Arcelor was born from the merger of Luxembourg’s ARBED with the Spanish Aceralia and the…
Good Shoes for Shareholders
Elections are upon us in Québec, with all the ensuing brouhaha and commotion. After having lived here for a few years, I have sprouted an interest in Québec, and Canadian, politics. This in spite of the fact that I cannot…
Prince and Pauper: Different Politics?
Last week, Mr Romney announced his running mate, Mr Ryan, a representative from Wisconsin. Mr Ryan is known for his libertarian thinking, which has been profoundly influenced by the writings of Mrs. Ayn Rand. Mrs. Rand, who grew up in Russia,…
Bankers Skinny Dipping in Lake Wobegon
Remember Lehman Brothers, the once stellar investment bank, now defunct? Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, the barely salvaged bank? Dexia, the former banking behemoth spanning France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, shattered into smithereens? More recently, Barclay’s Bank, one of the largest in…
Executive Pay – Right or Wrong?
If only we knew. Alas, an answer is difficult to come by, as the recent executive pay controversy at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) illustrates. In January 2012, the CEO of RBS, Mr Stephen Hester, voluntarily renounced being paid…
