In April 2016, the yoga guru who started Patanjali Ayurved Limited declared that his company’s revenue would exceed that of Colgate-Palmolive India by the end of the year and would overtake Hindustan Unilever in India in three years. Patanjali’s revenue grew 125–150 per cent from the previous year. The company aimed to continue growing at a rate of 100–125 per cent annually over the next three years, as a manufacturer and marketer of a wide range of products including flour, biscuits, noodles, spices, honey, and toothpaste. It also considered exploring international expansion to support its high growth targets. Could Patanjali aggressively expand into more categories while maintaining sustainable growth?
In 2015, an ancillary client of a leading investment bank based in New Delhi, was looking to increase revenues from the two-wheeler and four-wheeler vehicle segments by acquiring customers that were original equipment manufacturers. A financial analyst was assigned the task of evaluating the options and identifying the right target to acquire for the client. The analyst used comparable company analysis and comparable transaction analysis, as well as valuation ratios (enterprise value-to-sales; enterprise value-to-earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization; and price-to-earnings per share) to arrive at Talbros Automotive Components Limited as the best target for the client. For comparable company analysis, the analyst also compiled a list of four publicly traded firms that were similar to Talbros Automotive Components Limited. The analyst needed to arrive at the final valuation range by combining the results of both techniques (i.e., comparable company analysis and comparable transaction analysis), which could be achieved by using a football field analysis.
In June 2015, Lee Pharma Limited, a small Indian pharmaceutical company, filed an application with the Indian Patent Office for a grant of a compulsory licence to manufacture the diabetes drug Saxagliptin on the grounds that the patented version of the drug had not been made available to the public at an affordable price. The granting of a compulsory licence was expected to make the drug more affordable for the general public, but it would also undermine the interests of the patentee, a Western multinational company. If the developed world imposed sanctions against India in retaliation for such a protectionist measure, the flow of trade and foreign capital into the country would be adversely affected. Should the patent office strictly enforce the patent regime, which would encourage higher foreign capital inflows in research and development in the Indian pharmaceutical industry and promote inventions and innovations in the country? Or should it grant the compulsory licence, thereby attaching greater weight to the welfare of India’s general public?
The Board of Alere, Inc, a leading medical diagnostic firm, is evaluating the offer made by Ron Zwanziger, the firm's founder and former CEO, to acquire the company and take it private. The offer arrives at the end of a tumultuous year for the company, which saw Zwanziger fighting and ultimately losing a confrontation with activist investors Coppersmith Capital. How should the board evaluate this offer? Should they reject it, on the basis that Zwanziger's decision to expand into integrated healthcare solutions was the main reason behind the company's poor stock performance, as Coppersmith claimed? Or should they once more place their trust in Zwanziger's leadership, and in Alere's ability to effectively implement his vision?
The Paramount is a 44-seat diner on Charles Street in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston. A frequent "Best of Boston" award winner, the restaurant is a perennial favorite among locals and tourists, particularly for brunch on the weekends, when lines often stretch down the street. The case focuses on the restaurant's interesting seating policy and a recent increase in the popularity of carryout orders, which poses a threat to the service experiences of customers and the sustainability of the operation.
A smooth transition from former CEO John Chambers to new CEO Chuck Robbins had put Cisco in a position of strength. Looking back, the board reflected on what they had done well and what they might have done differently, and pondered whether another company might be able to implement a similar CEO transition process. This case reviews the specific steps taken by the board of directors and other stakeholders during the selection process. Participants in the process included John Chambers, who was the company's CEO at the time, the Cisco board of directors, Cisco's human resources group, and the executive search firm Spencer Stuart. The process occurred in several stages, including an informal stage during which the board became familiar with candidates, followed by a 16-month formal process with goal-setting and clear definition of roles for all involved, various interactions with and evaluations of possible candidates, and voting.
Supplements the (A) case (417-031). This case supplement describes Cisco's communications strategy around the CEO announcement, which focused on controlling the narrative and avoiding leaks. The strategy included both internal and external processes aimed at introducing the new CEO to employees and the general public, respectively. Externally, the process unfolded without media leaks and with a modest stock market reaction.
Supplements the (A) case (417-031). This case supplement describes new CEO Chuck Robbins' earliest days after being announced as Cisco's new chief executive. During this time, Robbins focused on building a leadership team featuring people with complementary skills and the disclosure of top executive departures during the transition period. Chambers also assumed his new role as executive chairman during this time frame.
"Keyssa: Unraveling the Laws of Physics" explores the challenges associated with growing a start-up around a brand new technology. In October 2012, Eric Almgren became CEO of Keyssa. Founded in 2009, Keyssa reinvented the physical connector, an essential component in every computing and mobile device around the globe. Using a novel technology called Kiss Connectivity, Keyssa enabled contactless, wireless, secure, instant data flows within and between devices, while freeing product designers from the constraints of bulky but fragile metal connectors. Almgren was confident that this technology would have a huge impact on the next generation of mobile and computing devices. However, he faced several challenges in his efforts to grow Keyssa. Specific obstacles addressed include: replacing an existing CEO; raising money in a challenging fundraising environment; aligning on the company's go-to-market strategy; determining the right approach with regard to industry standards; and assessing opportunities outside of Keyssa's core computing and mobile markets. To Almgren and the Keyssa team, there was little doubt about the endless opportunities for Keyssa's revolutionary technology. Yet they also knew that it was only a matter of time before competitors would develop market ready products across multiple industries. Against that backdrop, Keyssa would need to continue innovating for the customers and industries that mattered most.
As a veteran international development specialist, Vivian Lowery Derryck spent 35 years trying to influence governments in Africa by working with State Department and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) officials, African heads of state, and non-profit leaders across the continent. She believed the right outside pressure and expert collaboration could meaningfully shape U.S. foreign policy toward Africa and improve democracy in African governance. Derryck left her tenure as Senior Vice President and Director of Public-Private Partnerships at the former Academy for Educational Development (AED) and joined the inaugural Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellowship program at Harvard University. She thought it would be an ideal opportunity to build on a long-standing desire to start an institute to build African democracy and strengthen good governance on the continent. She launched the Bridges Institute to promote civil society as a pivotal actor in bringing about more inclusive and effective policy dialogue in Africa. This case follows her journey and raises important questions about how to achieve such large scale change.
Nick Leeson was known in financial circles as the original rogue trader for his misbehaviour on the trading floor in the early 1990s, and his story still stands out — not just because he was played by Ewan McGregor in the 1999 movie “Rogue Trader.” Leeson singlehandedly toppled a major financial institution. Indeed, today’s push for effective risk management of global trading practices can be traced back to his actions as a 25-year-old trader in 1995, when Britain’s oldest merchant bank at the time suffered a US$1.3 billion loss thanks to Leeson’s unauthorized speculative bets. The actions in question were not driven by greed. Rather, Leeson bankrupted the Queen’s personal bank, destroyed his career and reputation, and was sentenced to six and a half years in a Singaporean jail because he did not have what it took to admit failure. In this IBJ interview, Leeson talks to Ivey Business School Professor Gerard Seijts about lessons learned, the unique challenges managing trading risk today, and why he supports initiatives by Ivey’s Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership to help the world proactively develop business professionals with superior judgement driven by a proper balance of leadership character traits. As Leeson says, “People who freely admit that they are not sure about operational matters are not what we’re traditionally drawn to when we look for a leader, but it’s what we need.”
When it comes to attracting investments, Canada is a laggard despite being a trading nation with all the talent and tools required. The main reason is that few in Canada have tried to answer the why-invest-in-Canada question. With or without Canadians leading large corporations, investment decisions made in Detroit are not influenced by any special love for Canada; they’re based on business. In 2016, the argument for playing the incentive game is very strong, and Canada could end up being bypassed for new plant investments for an entire investment cycle. But Canada isn’t just losing the competition for new auto plants. While the Canadian economy still attracts a reasonable share of foreign direct investment, there has been a significant shift in the industrial composition of Canadian FDI inflows. Over the past 15 years, Canadian oil and gas FDI has grown four-fold, while there has only been modest growth in manufacturing investments. As a result of weak performance in new greenfield projects, staunch free-marketers now accept the need to play the incentive game. Ivey’s Lawrence Centre has developed three overarching recommendations to help Canada raise its investment-attraction game to the level of its best-practice competitors: 1. All governments involved should make a formal commitment to act in a coordinated fashion when engaged in investment attraction. 2. Government players should jointly develop an explicit business plan for investment attraction to guide all parties, with results judged by incremental tax revenue generated. 3. Canadian political leaders and senior government officials should become engaged in a sustained way in all stages of the investment attraction process.
Few business leaders will ever confront the challenge that Landsbankinn CEO Steinthór Pálsson faced in mid-2010, when he attempted to rebuild Iceland’s oldest full-service financial institution. After the nation’s banking industry collapsed two years prior, the government seized control of a greed-dominated sector. Excessive leverage and aggressive expansion, combined with inadequate risk management and, in some cases, criminal executive behaviour, brought the country near bankruptcy. Angry citizens protested against massive personal and corporate losses and change was demanded, especially at Landsbankinn. Over the past four years, Pálsson has systematically restructured Iceland’s oldest bank. In this interview, the change management expert discusses Landsbankinn’s restructuring strategy and why he took a significant pay cut to take on what appeared to be an impossible task. Pálsson opened up all senior management positions at the bank to internal and external competition and took out ads in major newspapers promising to restructure customer loans and improve governance. Despite bank employees facing threats and physical attacks, he preserved the bank’s brand. He emphasizes the importance of allowing debate among his senior team and says, “Good ideas are worth one point and a good plan is worth 10 points, but good execution is 100 points.”
On September 9, 2015, Apple Inc. announced the "iPhone Upgrade Program," a new way to purchase iPhone models 6s and 6s Plus in Apple's retail stores throughout the U.S. Next to the strategic implications of the Upgrade Program, financial analysts tried to understand the accounting implications, especially the recognition of revenue, which the Upgrade Program could have on Apple's financials. Analysts' reactions to the disclosure were mixed. Was Apple's accounting system "right" for the iPhone Upgrade Program introduced in 2015?
This module reading describes the basics of building a successful strategy. Topics in this module include a discussion of the distinction between corporate and business strategy; how to conduct a SWOT analysis of market dynamics and internal capabilities; the use of the five forces analysis to understand customers, suppliers, products, and competitors; how to use this analysis to identify unique opportunities to create value for customers; and an overview of the four Ps of strategy implementation (strategy as perspective, position, plans, and patterns of action). The concepts introduced in this module provide the foundation for executing strategy effectively. While this module is designed to be used alone, it is part of the Strategy Execution series. Taken together, the series forms a complete course that teaches the latest techniques for using performance measurement and control systems to implement strategy. Modules 1 - 4 set out the foundations for strategy implementation. Modules 5 - 10 teach quantitative tools for performance measurement and control. Modules 11 - 15 illustrate the use of these techniques by managers to achieve profit goals and strategies. View the full Strategy Execution series at: hbsp.harvard.edu/strategy-execution.
In 2005 Craig Purse, the CEO of Videojet, a company recently acquired by the conglomerate Danaher, is dealing with the unexpected failure of a new high tech printer just launched in the market. The new product exemplified the first real instance in which the Videojet team had used the managerial processes of the Danaher Business System (DBS). Was the failure of the new printer a sign that the DBS was fundamentally inadequate for product development projects? Or was the failure instead a symptom that the Videojet team had not properly adopted the DBS? What should Purse do to correct the course of the company?
In 2005 Craig Purse, the CEO of Videojet, a company recently acquired by the conglomerate Danaher, is dealing with the unexpected failure of a new high tech printer just launched in the market. The new product exemplified the first real instance in which the Videojet team had used the managerial processes of the Danaher Business System (DBS). Was the failure of the new printer a sign that the DBS was fundamentally inadequate for product development projects? Or was the failure instead a symptom that the Videojet team had not properly adopted the DBS? What should Purse do to correct the course of the company?
Yosef Akhtman, CEO and cofounder of Gamaya, and Igor Ivanov, Gamaya's business development manager were elated at the latest news coming from Brazil. After a year of field tests, things were finally falling into place and Gamaya was now able to demonstrate credibly the contributions its drone-born miniaturized hyperspectral cameras could bring to local sugar cane farmers. It was not only the hardware that made Gamaya so special, but also the data analytics that converted the rich data images into valuable crop management information that could immediately be converted into field actions. The client in this case was also an investor in the venture and, as one of the most visible and acclaimed Swiss entrepreneurs, his validation was worth a lot to the company, and that could be a turning point for the company. Even though it had won prizes in venture competitions and research grants from the University lab, this was the first significant investment from a professional investor, and Yosef knew it would open doors for further funding rounds. Questions abounded though: Should they continue to focus on sugar cane farmers or should they move to other crops and geographies? Was the business model appropriate for their activities? How long would it take for the delivery medium, various drones at this point, to be replaced by mini-satellites offering almost real-time monitoring on a larger scale?