#leadership

Ken is out and Ken is in as CFO.

https://www.l3harris.com/newsroom/press-release/2026/03/l3harris-appoints-ken-sharp-senior-vice-president-and-chief

Mike you can blame Frank all you want but $62 is on you buddy! You were a rookie who was unprepared and you destroyed $100B in Market Cap! Congratulations on holding the that record, surely puts you in the top 5 of worst CEOs ever! By the way why is Chris Foskett still here riding around on the jet! The guy does nothing. What big account has he brought on in three years. As Revenue head he has lost a ton of business in last two years.

Donna Hart left Ally in January and she was CIO over IPRM. Now Satish is leaving CIO over Tech. What are your thoughts?

Writing my “ambitious” goals this past week had me feeling 1000% unqualified and diminished in my job. Like they are asking us to figure out how to make an 8 day work week.
Which got me thinking, how many medical LOAs do you think the bank will see this year? Mental health reasons? I have to believe this number will rise this year based on the mental health downfall many are feeling from all of the impossible pressure. And if that number does in fact rise, what does it take for someone to take notice and take action? (And I don’t mean internal leadership.) I mean an external intervention. Does anyone watch those sorts of claims against a company?

I just talked to TMobile about switching and they were less than what I am paying at Verizon even after the employee discount and they are giving away new phones and they have a 2 year upgrade pipeline. Verizon's network coverage seems to have gone to sh-t.

I don't think even Dan the Hatchet Man can save this sinking ship.

Because of pressure from the US administration, SAP stopped most DEI programs in 2025. And now, two. Executive Board members will “step down” or “not renew contracts”.

Gina is a woman and was compassionate towards trans employees so she’s gone. We will not see a female executive board member for a long long time.

Alam is a person of color and not a Christian. He is gone as well. We will not see a person of color or a non-Christian in the executive board anytime soon.

In any case, LGBT members never make it to important positions within SAP so we won’t see them in the executive board either.

They needed Gina only to bring performance management and destroy most of the employee benefits. And they needed Alam to initiate multiple reorganizations after Juergen Müller was given the boot.

What changes do you think will happen in teams now? Will they only consider white Christian males for leadership roles from now on? And what about LGBT employees? Is SAP starting a program to remove all migrant employees in Germany? The demands from the US administration are pretty straightforward and the SAP board has done nothing but comply.

No one's even pretending to steer anymore. Just managed decline, slow and steady. Layoffs forever, now reaching offshore too. There's hardly any core left, both among employees and leadership, that could pull off a turnaround, if that was ever the plan. Am I off base here?

I feel like there isn’t any real insider knowledge on this page, but let’s give a go. Anyone know what the tour in first week of April will be for? With everything going on, I believe it’s potentially to bring in a new business.

I’d pay to see leadership try handling this workload for even a few weeks.

Real question. Realistic answers please. Would we be better off? Would chaos ensue? Could the Dir level successfully form a coalition and get $hit done?

Ford is a shadow of its former self. Sure, maybe a few areas are okay, but overall it's been a decade-long decline. If you're young and have skills, go somewhere that actually values you. Unless leadership completely changes, which won't happen, it's just more cuts from here.

Remind me, how much did we pay for it and how much did we sell it for? Just another proof Stankey is an id--t with no business sense.

Can anybody even remember when that happened?

Any guesses?

Watching leaders get promoted while experienced teams are laid off is hard enough.

Being spoken to with profanity by senior leadership during this time is unacceptable. The tone suggested a level of comfort—and untouchability—that should concern anyone who cares about culture.

If this is the new culture, it’s a serious step backward.

what's up with all this vps reporting to vps?

we talk about flattening nike but keep hiring more sl.

Response was

Using AI to replace a CEO’s decision‑making can be framed as beneficial when the focus is on cost efficiency, consistency, and data‑driven governance, especially in organizations where strategic decisions are already heavily analytics‑driven.

Core Argument: AI as a High‑Precision, Low‑Cost Executive

Replacing a CEO’s decision‑making with AI can be seen as a net positive because it removes one of the most expensive and variable elements of corporate leadership—human executive compensation—while potentially improving decision quality through constant, unbiased, data‑driven analysis.

AI systems don’t demand bonuses, equity packages, or golden parachutes. They operate continuously, process vastly more information than any human, and make decisions based on evidence rather than ego, politics, or fatigue.

Cost Savings: Regaining the CEO Salary

CEO compensation is extraordinarily high across most industries:
• The average CEO salary in the U.S. is about $812,900 per year A.
• At large public companies, total compensation often exceeds $18–23 million annually B C.
• Some CEOs earn over $100 million per year in total compensation packages B.

Replacing this with an AI system—even one requiring significant infrastructure and oversight—would cost a fraction of that. Even a robust enterprise‑grade AI system might cost low millions per year, and often far less, depending on scale.

Savings could range from $800,000 to over $20 million annually, depending on company size.

Those funds could be redirected toward:
• R&D and innovation
• Employee compensation
• Lower consumer prices
• Shareholder returns
• Long‑term strategic investments

Why AI Decision‑Making Can Be Better

1. Data‑Driven Consistency
   AI evaluates every decision using the same logic, the same data, and the same criteria—no mood swings, no biases toward certain executives, no political maneuvering.

2. 24/7 Strategic Awareness
   AI can monitor markets, competitors, supply chains, and internal metrics continuously, not just during quarterly reviews or executive meetings.

3. Faster Decision Cycles
   AI can simulate outcomes, run forecasts, and evaluate risk scenarios in seconds, enabling rapid responses to market shifts.

4. No Ego, No Personal Incentives
   Human CEOs may prioritize:

• Personal legacy
• Compensation tied to short‑term stock price
• Risk‑averse decisions to protect their position
AI has no such incentives and can be optimized for long‑term organizational health.

1. Scalability
   One AI system could theoretically oversee multiple business units or even multiple companies, something no human could do.

Trade‑offs and Constraints
This argument is strongest in contexts where:

• Decisions are highly quantitative (e.g., logistics, pricing, supply chain, finance).
• The company already relies heavily on predictive analytics.
• The culture values efficiency and transparency over charismatic leadership.
• Oversight mechanisms exist to prevent runaway automation or misaligned incentives.

It is weaker in contexts requiring:
• Deep human intuition
• Complex interpersonal negotiation
• Visionary leadership
• Ethical judgment in ambiguous situations

But even here, AI can serve as a powerful co‑pilot or decision‑support system.

A Non‑Obvious Insight

The biggest benefit may not be cost savings or even better decisions—it’s eliminating the single point of failure that a CEO represents. Human executives can burn out, get sick, make emotional decisions, or cling to outdated strategies. AI systems can be versioned, audited, and improved continuously.

CEO change needed to bring new direction

My heartfelt sympathies go out to everyone affected by the recent layoffs. I’ve followed this forum for a while, and the consensus is almost always to place 100% of the blame on management. While leadership holds the wheel, we need to have a candid conversation: a trajectory like this is rarely the fault of just one group.

The Reality of the Financials
If you look at the last 12 years of financial filings, the numbers are staggering. Until 2020, Sabre spent roughly $250M annually on software development. From 2020 onward, "Technology Expense" (payroll, support, and hosting) has hovered near $1 billion annually.

We have to ask: Where did that money go?

Was a decade of billion-dollar spending really just to "keep the lights on" or migrate to GCP?

Did we ever look at the P&L of the specific products we built?

Did our development efforts actually attract new revenue or lower operational costs?

It seems many of us grew comfortable with the pace, rarely questioning if our daily output contributed to a profit or a loss.

The "Knowledge Hoarding" Trap
There is a common sentiment that "critical knowledge" is being lost. But we should ask: What is the value of that knowledge if it couldn't save the company? If "legacy knowledge" contributed to a failure to grow, it should have been challenged years ago.

We see this in teams where individuals (such as in Connectivity) are perceived as reluctant to share information. When knowledge is used to protect a desk rather than drive growth, it becomes a liability. For example, if those with the "keys" to connectivity had been responsible for the P&L, would they have allowed millions of redundant, non-revenue-generating calls to hit our systems for a decade?

The AI Pivot vs. GDS Reality
The current pitch of becoming an "AI company" feels like a pivot to a buzzword. As a GDS—an automated aggregator—our interaction with the end-customers who actually benefit from AI-driven personalization is limited. In our current position, the impact of AI is likely to be minimal because the core business model isn't structured to leverage it.

Moving Forward
In some ways, those leaving now might be the lucky ones. You are heading into a market where "innovation" must drive key business indicators. In the real world, no one cares about a billion-dollar "Next Generation Platform" or complex CI/CD pipelines if those tools don't translate into tangible business benefits.

Read awhile back about 4-5 big transformations. Haven’t seen or heard much other than the office collapse. Any word on what is going on with that?

I posted over a year ago how I had been RIF'd from CNC, had found a new job, and was promoted within 4 months of being there. I also pointed out how unprofessional and poorly the management was in my year there, and how they handled the lay-off (Dec. 2023).

The leadership in this thread were PI---D.

This post is for those emotionally struggling and worried about your job with Centene. Move forward with another company, consider a whole new area in the workforce, take a pay cut if you have to or can, and grow elsewhere.

Life is so much better outside of that place! I took a job I had to take to pay bills, but it was a blessing! 1.5 years later and Ive earned my CNC salary back! Better benefits and stock options!

1. Voyix Software is terrible and might work in 5 years (20 more quarters or what you already know…RIF cycles.) AI driven software coding from actual BigTech software companies will beat anything Voyix attempts in 5 years. Software is the only strategy Jim Kelly and Board have for Voyix…that should should concern you.
2. Voyix has given up on hardware w/the ODM move. The company leadership and strategy is toward cr-ppy software (see above). No one is is focused on selling hardware and hence sales/revenue will continue to decline while competitors like Toast and Toshiba who really want to and are committed to be in the hardware business take market share.
3. Hardware and Desk Services - the actual heart of Voyix revenue and earnings is going to continue to decline as it did throughout all 2024 & 2025. No focus, priority, or investment is given to it in Voyix. Voyix hasn’t trained a service technician in its training centers in an entire year to save $.

Forgive an old man for reminiscing. It was 2 years ago today the ENB ended my career and laid me off.
What a gut punch! The team I led was a high performing, highly regarded team. The folks I worked with, led and supported were the best. Our senior leaders, not so much.
During my decade at ENB I survived 5 rounds of layoffs before I was kicked to the curb. During one round I happened to be the senior on site and had to conduct the “all clear” meeting, that was a tough one.
Today I’m in a much better place, with the severance package I was given I was able to retire. Next month the last of my LTI grants will pay out. I wish all of you who remain the very best. Except the clueless senior leaders who have no idea what they are doing. And while I don’t miss working at all, I still miss my team!

so many roles (cdm, csp, ecsp, dcsp,pl, solution advisors, pmo,architects , cas etc.. so many people managers of inner circle with headcounts moved from different teams just maintain people managers.
no womder share price going down

Meetings are being held (in person and Zoom) to encourage and push branch offices to use co-pilot.

Whereas the HO witnessed this type of hype in their "new system processes," which later showed itself as a RIF, so too will the field. It may take a couple of years, but its coming.

NEW employee slogan: "Participate in your own demise at EJ" ....instead of:
"Together We Serve" which really means "together we serve ---> the ELT."

Dan gets a lot of flac for his cutting, but this company is like a terminally ill patient that needs an infestation of tumors removed. At some point he will have the stock at a proper value.

VP of STS is out. Does anyone know what happened?

Mass Market is actually comedy.
They went into a full week “lockdown”… just to come back out and say, “We need to move faster.”
That’s it? That’s the breakthrough?

Let's call it what it is.

There's a particular kind of cruelty that doesnt scream.

No permanence. No space. No autonomy. Police in the lobby. Badge logs. Presence monitored like attendance in detention.

Five days in office — not because the work demands it,
but because control does.

And then you ask:
"Why is the morale low?"

Dignity doesnt disappear overnight.
It erodes — policy by policy.

Engineered humiliation that nobody deserves, it subtle.
It smiles in town halls.
It calls itself "transformation"

Loyalty isn't dead.

Respect is.

It’s pretty clear given AC has only 11 direct reports and 200 additional people took the time to upvote how awful of a leader he has been, that you have a problem with tech leaders.
Just layoff and don’t replace.
Leader of tech RA is likely breathing a sigh of relief as he was being pinged as an arrogant unqualified leader before the AC post overshadowed that.
Do your layoff of all of us but if you want the remaining folks to care and not be riddled with low morale, you’ve got to get rid of all existing tech leadership. All.
Clear case of how one bad apple in charge of 11, can affect hundreds and that’s just those on this site.

It baffles me why anyone is using the term “Leadership” followed by the description of what a lead, boss, manager, or executive is. It has been several years or more since I have seen a true Leader here. Unfortunately, those that were or could be have been stifled. Their voice and empowerment silenced, unable to lead due to the constraints imposed by management and executives.

Reminder of what Leadership is…

LEADERSHIP is the ability to influence, inspire, and guide individuals or teams toward achieving a common goal, often by fostering collaboration, motivation, and positive change. It is a set of behaviors—not just a title—focused on setting direction, building trust, and unlocking team potential to navigate challenges.

Saw this on LinkedIn today, what a joke! I don't work at Kyndryl anymore, but I remember my time there and it was brutal. Leadership constantly switching to the next big thing, reorgs every 3 to 6 months, managers who didn't have a clue about what was going on internally or on projects, and a workforce with very low morale. And now "Most Loved Workplaces." Maybe things turned around quickly, lol. I don't think so.

I don’t even care if I give myself away on here, because I need to say this.

Over time, I’ve noticed a consistent pattern in how several senior directors operate, I’ve seen certain leaders target employees outside their own unit through gossip, and finger pointing.
When issues arise, the focus rarely lands on the behaviors or decisions of the senior directors that contributed to the problem. Instead, pressure is redirected onto others.

This is especially prevalent from GP&T Product and Sales senior directors.

I try to be transparent about what I know and what I don’t. When I ask questions for example, whether a specific person is the right contact for client obligations or duties, the response is often disproportionately hostile.

Today was a straw that broke the camel’s back situation. I tried being helpful and instead was responded to as if I was a schmuk (and maybe I am) but to the Sales guy, you could have used a little more tact especially at your level.
“Period!” (your own word)

I took it personally and it ruined my mood going into the weekend. I’m not ashamed to admit that I teared up.

Below are the compensation numbers for John Stanley and some of his direct reports. Talk about having the best dream team in the world and falling so short on ROI and delivery very little value.

John Stankey - $26,410,845
Pascal Desroches: $15,477,119
Lori Lee: $9,889,903
Jeff Mcelfresh: $15,602,605
D. Mcatee: $13,637,271

I was in a call the other day.
She starts to ask how we can use ai to make our tools better. Offering suggestions that have already been solved last year. Literally doesn't know anything.

Worse is I looked her up and she has no direct reports. I asked around and apparently they gave all her reports to some poor schmuck and her role now is to literally look for ai opportunities wherever they are.

That's it, that's her job. $175k a year to for someone with no ai experience, no software experience, no hand on experience to do nothing except look for ways to justify more layoffs

This is a joke right...

Target leadership need to realize as a publicly traded company they are continuing to harm their external stakeholders and investors despite the changes that perceive will fix the issues.

https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2026-02-27/targets-management-under-fire-as-investors-agitate-for-change

What do you all think about the new Technology leader, doubt he’s fit for this job, previous one at-least knew about the technology. Do you think he’s just here to get more layoffs?

Between the all time high stock price in late 2021 and now, NKE value dilution is nearing half a trillion.

Why are we holding on to our CFO?

Heather Cianfrocco is out. Seems she has decided to leave. Right. Looks like she was made CEO and than all those investigations, than lateral transfer to compliance. The death department and now quietly will ride into the sunset. Wonder how much she is getting paid to zip it.