#leadership

Listening to Chuck talk about Circuit really made me laugh. 😂

Ford is in denial if they believe the supply base is responsible for their pathetic quality performance, First they purge their tenured engineers from the team and they revel in lowest price globally and can’t provide reliable repairs for recall issues.

No one is drinking the Ford Kool-Aid on TVM.

From Ford Authority:

Ford has certainly dealt with its fair share of quality issues over the past few years, leading to soaring warranty costs and a record number of recalls being issued. However, many of these quality woes stem from supplier parts, and not anything made by The Blue Oval itself, though it's obviously dealing with the repercussions. As such, while Ford attempts to improve its relationships with suppliers, the automaker is also getting serious about improving the quality of parts it procures from them.

According to Crain's Detroit Business, Ford is cracking down on supplier quality and costs by placing companies that exhibit quality issues on a "no bid" list for future contracts, as well as requiring others to submit three-year cost savings plans to prevent a similar outcome. The Blue Oval is requiring certain suppliers to enter what's known as "total value management" plans (TVMs), which require a certain percentage of cost savings on the overall supplier business every year.

TVM programs are nothing new nor uncommon, as automakers generally bind suppliers to meet certain quality and cost savings targets in that manner. What makes Ford's TVMs unusual, however, is that it's stepping up the enforcement of its multi-year requirement, and even pulling business from suppliers that don't reach some sort of agreement with the company.

At the same time, Ford was quick to point out that this is not a new policy, and that enforcing TVM programs are part of its broader efforts to improve quality and reduce costs in order to better "compete in a rapidly changing and complex industry."

“We work with each of our suppliers to seek ongoing improvements to address gaps in quality, cost, delivery and resilience, which may take multiple years to implement,” Ford spokeswoman Ursula Muller said in a statement. “Sourcing is a multi-dimensional process that rewards suppliers who perform and bring the best enterprise value for Ford and our customers.”

Here's an Interesting article that parallels what is happening in our industry today.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/mark-zuckerberg-is-realizing-that-when-you-treat-your-workers-like-human-garbage-they-might-not-like-you-anymore/ar-AA2369ab?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=6a04bce8f6f34192a3919b59b944e2ea&cvpid=5ea63c8bb12642a98ff3e9b42593777f&ei=36

Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is apparently shocked to discover that when you treat employees like garbage, they stop applauding your “vision.” After years of layoffs, culture rewrites, and “efficiency” crusades, Meta is now learning the obvious: workers don’t develop warm feelings toward leaders who treat them like cost centers with pulse rates.

And the irony? Everything described in that article reads like a template for what BNY employees complain about daily on this forum. The same themes echo: performative culture, leadership detachment, endless “transformation,” and a workforce managed like an inconvenient expense. Employees at both companies describe the same pattern — praise the mission, cut the people, then act confused when morale collapses.

The punchline is simple: whether it’s Silicon Valley or Wall Street, executives keep discovering the same truth. If you treat workers like garbage, they eventually notice — and they talk about it.

Just watched the “Highlights” of the convention. Same old bs blah blah blah as every convention. Nothing will change in any significant way. I swear these are the same taking points I heard 30+ years ago 🫩

Please stop sending unprepared or poorly matched representatives as the face of the team or organization to seminars and conferences (external events). It was embarrassing to watch our representative at the AIChE recruiting event struggle to communicate and barely explain the material. We had to step in repeatedly to help her.
The same issue happens when people who simply want the spotlight are allowed to present technical work they cannot clearly articulate. Wanting visibility does not mean they can represent the science of the work they didn't contribute to.

Leadership changes coming? any info….

BNY has finished its evolution from financial institution to LinkedIn‑themed performance art, where optics outrank output and your “personal brand” is the only deliverable that matters.

Real work is optional; what counts is the curated feed of hallway selfies, Teams‑call enthusiasm, and gratitude posts praising and thanking the EC, all polished to a corporate shine.

Following RV's brilliant example, Leadership has quietly traded competence for corporate‑influencer energy, rewarding visibility over execution because it’s easier to manage a workforce obsessed with image than one asking hard questions.

The shift isn’t accidental. It’s a distraction from layoffs, offshoring, and AI quietly absorbing job families. If employees stay busy perfecting “leadership presence,” they won’t notice the restructuring happening beneath them. BNY doesn’t want performers — it wants performances. Show up to the photo‑op town hall, drop a few “inspiring journey” hashtags, give a like to an EC empathy post, sing hallelujah praises to the almighty RV and EC team and suddenly you’re a rising star, even if your actual output fits on a sticky note.

At BNY, the only performance that matters is the one you can screenshot.

$1 billion share buyback announced while they have $500 million they still need to repurchase from the last buyback.
At the same time...the leadership team has wipes out the last 6 years of growth and gains.
They are basically gaslighting shareholders at this point as I'd rather be able to dump ally shares at $250 as opposed to $98.
The announcement didn't help stock price as it only stayed in the green for the first hour and a half of market open.

What happened to the "Corrupt DXE..." post? Great post - very informative, detailed, & with references. Some good responses as well.

Did an administrator pull the post? Or, one of the leaders that was called out? My concern is that OP, who was laid off last week, pulled the post out of fear of losing his/her severance.

Let's be honest about what's happening at Humana. Constant turnover, good people leaving every month, reorgs that make everything worse, leadership saying one thing while we see something else entirely. Who can think this is a good way to run a company?

Fidelity's leaders should be ashamed but that would require them to be able to feel shame. Ned must be rolling around in his grave, rest in peace. I didn't agree with everything he did but he never showed the lack of respect for employees that we see today.

So much this! Reposting from @a6+1krerh6ct for being 100% correct.

Did anyone else see the post where the Chief Digital Officer was just dancin’ around at some Good Energy Event? I didn’t see her doing any actual work.
This was posted on LinkedIn.

Watched the SAP Sapphire keynote. Embarrassing.

Speaker after speaker, palpable stage fright. Forced enthusiasm, unnatural pauses, reading slides like middle school presentations. You'd think a $30B+ company would invest in actual public speaking coaches, not just PowerPoint designers.

How you say it matters more than what you say. Every awkward "game-changing!" inflection ki-ls credibility faster than a missed quarterly target. Audiences aren't stupid. We see the anxiety. We feel the disconnect.
This wasn't visionary leadership. It was a $500k production budget wasted on executives who can't connect human-to-human.

Fire the presentation trainers. Hire actual speech coaches.
SAP sells trust at enterprise scale. Start with your keynotes.

His warm demeanor, level-headedness, and unwavering resolve will undoubtedly be missed by all.

I’m still new to ExxonMobil but I don’t know how our leaders think the actions they are taking don’t hurt our long term value. Short termism is very visible. The way good people are being treated is cruel and does not make us younger gen want to stay around. All of the people who want to teach us are leaving and I don’t many the ready to retire but the people who have been around for 10-20years are leaving and the gap is becoming more and more obvious with no one replacing them with the work being outsourced to India.

Then let’s go to the system and process. They just don’t work anymore. Any new system or software su-ks. career connect doesn’t work, D&S is even more opaque (maybe yet again the plan) and we’ve outsourced our pay, vacation.. basically everything with no accountability to fix or own any issues.

The foundation is sinking and it’s just getting worst. I’m leaving as soon as I can but investors and shareholders should be worried. DWW is feathering his nest for retirement but our stock will be impacted by the short term actions that will impact long term value

Shell cut a large portion of its IT workforce in Bangalore for a reason. Yet RB and LC apparently thought it made sense to bring in the leader who built Shell’s India data and analytics group, even though that role was eliminated during Shell’s own layoffs. Now we are watching that same leadership rebuild the team by hiring former Shell India employees into Chevron.

It started with Ganesh, and now seeing it within other lines of business. It’s all white men now…

So heard in a meeting today that MS has some managers getting demoted, overall wholesale changes in leadership in some groups, folks with 10 years in DS leaving...

So whats really going on?

Dan promised by 2028, see what moffet says tomorrow?

Anyone know what’s going on?

Someone that is in the board. Tim Cook!!!

He knows Nike well, recently step down as CEO of Nike.

He will bring stability that he gave in apple. Bring same old more boring stuff quarter after quarter!!! LOL

Everyone who is an active board member should be immediately fired

Chris Leahy
Virginia Addicott
Lynda M. Clarizio
Anthony R. Foxx
Kelly J. Grier
Marc E. Jones
David W. Nelms
Joseph R. Swedish
Sanjay Mehrotra
Donna F. Zarcone

I've been here long enough to remember when the AT&T name actually meant something. People respected this company. Employees were proud to work here. That's gone now. The culture is different, the leadership is different, the way they treat us is different. The only thing that's the same is the name on the door. Don't defend this place based on what it once was. Judge it for what it is now.

They keep proving this every single day.

One of the panelists (an upper manager for another group in a suit and tie) told all of us “this is a pretty cool place to work for. This is pretty cool.” I responded “yes-if I was making your money I would say the same thing.” People laughed and so did he. We shall see.

What a shame - this leadership team led by Mike is not getting it done for us investors.

It’s time to lose the useless triplicate managers managing the managing . Long overdue . VZN doesn’t need these useless directors

CPL and Wholesale Q2 Town Hall, did AWII just call smaller payments "nuisance payments"?

This call started off with the highest of BS, and CB does think like an owner and his wallet is bulging because of it. The first 100 days has been a Sh** Show!!

Can people go from AVP to SVP? Or stories that this has been done?

Every CEO needs a good story to tell Wall Street to justify a higher stock price. Hans & company claimed that they had an edge over the competition with mmWave 5-Yee. Dan & company claim AI gives them that edge. In any event, you can expect more layoffs in the future.

https://www.thestreet.com/employment/verizon-ceo-cuts-to-the-chase-new-layoffs-ai-future

Our leadership has never sat where we sit. They don't know what it takes to get things done. They don't understand why certain things take as long as they do. They're completely disconnected from the reality of the people who actually do the work.

Many people on my team in cyber are worried they’re next. Some well loved employees have already been let go and no one feels safe right now! One person told me they think leadership will replace her by moving her role to India. Has anyone heard anything?? They’ve made poor decisions already on who they decided to lay off.

Real leader! Fiesta time!

Over 25+ years building the superior fiber broadband residential network. Engineering A+. Yet in MDUs and SFUs Vz has less than 50% of broadband customers.

Based on observation... same tired marketing tactics being used today as when first rolled out. This is a direct failure of VPs and Directors in those MDU and SFU organizations.

Much talent has left and listening to remaining Marketing/Sales Directors in the MDU/SFU space its obvious waisted CapEx remains.

Time for Dan to inject new blood and support Engineering build.

That's what we can find solace in.

Any chance the last two CEO’s were planted by the investors? They both run this company like they want to bleed it out and then sell it to someone who may have pushed for them to get to the top.

As an owner, I know this is a good company with kind, and capable people who are victims. The teams are carrying a huge burden, and living in fear, but the real issue is leadership. The company has become top heavy with expensive SVPs, slow to act, disconnected from customers and value, and incapable of executing with clarity or urgency or even working together. And whenever we hire a new person to lead, strategy shifts and we start all over, or worse they come up with the exact same plan that the old team did, but that leadership were too blind or paralyzed to execute on. For the last 5-6 years, there has been almost no meaningful customer context at the executive level, and even now there is a visible disconnect between leadership’s new direction and what CDW actually does in the market to create value.

Proof? The Overall messaging is weak. The company struggles to articulate or sell new solutions with confidence. Marketing has become performative instead of effective. Internal politics, favoritism, and executive empire-building are rewarded while execution suffers. Consultants swarm the business looking for problems to solve while accountability disappears, and we are slowed down. Teams compete internally instead of aligning externally against the market. Fundamental operational discipline, blocking and tackling has largely vanished. Stock is a perfect reflection of reality. We were given the shot.

An equally concerning problem is that too many leaders are learning the business while running it. A top strategy executive from a bloated fire alarm company with stock performance almost as bad as CDW’s. A CMO from a car dealership with no meaningful B2B expertise. A former C level executive from a second rate department store. A sales leader from an HR leadership role. A Bain person running partners and acquisition integration, now c suite strategy. And it goes on, throughout the organization. Customers can feel it. Employees can feel it. The market can feel it. Partners scratch their heads and wonder when it’s going to implode. You people literally have no respect in our market. We apologize for you on every call. Now, we are losing credibility by even working here. Destination workplace? .

At some point, there have to be consequences and structural change at the top instead of another round of resets and reorganizations.

Here is what should happen, thinking like an owner:
• Name a new CEO immediately, even on an interim basis. Anyone would be better than a stock in freefall with no plan. Alternatively, appoint a President with full operational authority from a competitor, or internally, who knows how we create value, is respected and has run these businesses. The organization needs visible leadership and accountability now, not eventually.
• Any executive who cannot hold a credible customer conversation about the company’s core business and solutions should be visibly removed in a layoff. We are better off knowing you were fired, in order to regain respect for you leaders and ourselves. This is not an academic exercise. If leaders do not understand customers relative to our CDW value, they should not be leading any customer-touching organizations.
• Standardize technical and AI enablement across the company using actual vendor ecosystems, proven customer conversations and market platforms just like our peers, not internally manufactured abstractions disconnected from reality created by the burglar alarm team. Everyone should know the stacks, the tools, and the customer use cases. Everyone should be able to prove it.
• Align sales compensation to strategic outcomes, not just individual revenue extraction. The current model rewards personal economics over company transformation.
• Stop socializing executive compensation across broad leadership layers. Compensation should be tied directly to measurable departmental outcomes and execution quality. If I am doing well, don’t penalize me for a weak link i cannot control. Or I will leave, like many other effective leaders have.
• Expand equity participation broadly across employees instead of concentrating upside only at the top. The people doing the work should share in the value creation. They will be loyal and work harder, and be able to actually hold each other accountable as owners. And we will do better as a whole.
• Reduce consultant dependence dramatically, or to zero. If the business cannot operate without armies of external advisors, leadership has already failed.
• Re-establish operational fundamentals: accountability, execution speed, customer intimacy, and cross-functional alignment. Reduce red tape at all costs. AI isn’t enough. Mentality has to shift.

Finally, leadership credibility and employee loyalty requires you make shared sacrifice right now, and it should also be very public. If performance, growth, execution, and customer confidence are all materially off-track, CEO and EVP compensation should reflect that reality. That’s CEO, CFO, COO, CHRO, CCO, CSSO. Accountability cannot only exist for the people lower in the organization. No pay until we are fixed. If you don't like it, please leave or don't expect any respect. Step up and lead.

So...Serafin's departure email just hit. Was in there for less than a year, and just moved to San Antonio. Clyde left a dingle berry of a mess from Op Model AND move to Guidewire. If you objected to the simultaneous switch, you were labeled as "not a team player". But when you watch senior officers leaving on their own, it is acceptable to not be a kool aid drinker. Here we go again with switching gears/strategy as new 'direction' is given. A years worth of work thrown away. Missed family events were for nothing.