Financial holding company Gentera S.A.B. de C.V., located in Mexico City and operating in Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru, offered microlending, financial payment, insurance, and money transfer services to individuals at the bottom of the financial pyramid. The company was founded and operated on strong social values-reduce financial exclusion, focus on human and social values (including self-actualization), and enhance economic value-which pervaded the decisions made by the board and senior management. By 2016, the company had evolved from its origins as a non-governmental organization to become a private bank and, more recently, a public company listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange. The company faced questions about its governance structure and processes: should it reduce the number of board committees and alter their function in order to accomplish a stronger strategic focus? It also faced organizational challenges related to growth and the need to both adapt its current business model to encompass financial technology and invest in information technology. How should it allow extensive developments while simultaneously updating systems required to meet current needs?

In January 2011, the group medical director of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd (AHEL), India's largest integrated healthcare provider in the private sector, is weighing his options in driving clinical excellence among group hospitals. AHEL has been using a Clinical Score Card, called ACE@25, as a tool to measure and monitor clinical excellence which is becoming a source of differentiation in Indian healthcare industry. ACE@25measures 25 clinical parameters, benchmarked with the best globally, every month. The group medical director is wondering whether his role should be limited to monitoring clinical outcomes or whether, in order to drive clinical excellence, he should also prescribe the steps that the medical supreintendents of individual hospitals should take in improving outcomes in their watch.

A consumer goods analyst has been asked to understand the governance structure and various risks facing Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA (Richemont), a Swiss-based luxury goods conglomerate. Richemont has emerged as one of the premier luxury brand houses in the world and is controlled by a single person, Johann Rupert. The case describes the development of Richemont and provides information on various aspects of the firm, including its many luxury brand houses, management's preferences and competitor information with which to conduct a comparator analysis.

Barrick Gold, the largest gold producer in the world, has taken steps to eliminate its longstanding gold hedging program. In its early years, Barrick's hedging program was a key factor allowing the firm to grow amidst falling gold prices. But Barricks management team faced questions about its hedging program when gold prices started to rise in the 2000s. The case allows students to review Barrick's hedging program and consider the impact of its decision not to hedge going forward.

Boots Group PLC, one of the best known and respected retail names in the United Kingdom, provided health and beauty products and advice that enhanced personal well-being. The marketing manager at Boots was planning a sales promotion strategy for a line of professional hair care products. The professional hair care line consisted primarily of shampoos, conditioners, and styling products (gels, wax, mousse, etc.) developed in collaboration with United Kingdom's top celebrity hairdressers. The marketing manager's challenge was to select one of three promotional alternatives--get three for the price of two, receive a gift with purchase, or an on-pack coupon--for the Christmas season. The alternative selected would have both immediate effects on costs and sales, but also long-term implications for the brands involved. His primary objective was to drive sales volumes and trade-up consumers from lower value brands, while retaining or building brand equity.