“A perfect division of responsibilities between the board and management is a mere illusion. While the board sets strategy and oversees management, and management executes the plan, there is an inherent overlap and interdependence. A successful relationship is built on clear communication, defined boundaries, and a collaborative culture, rather than a rigid separation of duties. […]
Overly intrusive board is CEO’s worst nightmare Read More »
The transformation of internal audit from a ‘policeman’ to a value-adding business partner has not been as rapid as that demonstrated by the finance and accounting function in the past three decades. While the finance and accounting function, driven by technology, data availability and data analytics, has transformed itself from a predominantly staid, boring, rules
Businesspersons: Better leaders of internal audit than professional accountants Read More »
In today’s dynamic business landscape characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, the ability to make swift but considered, decisions is what separates the men from the mice. In an era of global connectivity and instant information, unnecessary delays can be costly. As consumer preferences evolve rapidly, market trends shift unpredictably, employee aspirations change frequently
Effective decisions, a mix of gut and information – avoid constipation by data Read More »
Recent revelations of the many instances of the abuse of power and privilege, the lack of transparency and the lack of accountability of national and political leaders in Sri Lanka range from the trivial to the significant. From the price of meals in the parliamentary canteen, disbursements from the President’s Fund to ‘select’ parliamentarians and
Accountability inspired by rule of law: NPP’s path to inclusive growth Read More »
It is natural for a leader to present an image of invincibility, solidity, strength, and wisdom to those around him/her. Whether it be in a corporate, sports or other group setting, it is the leader who the team members look up to and it is him/her who becomes their first port of call in times
It takes guts to show vulnerability in leadership Read More »
“The core idea of simplification in business is not about reducing effort or commitment. Instead, it is about focusing your energy on the most impactful activities and streamlining processes. In the current world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity a simplified approach can be significantly value adding. It is all about cutting through the clutter
Simple is effective: Eliminate the unnecessary for the necessary to survive Read More »
Despite the rapid decline in popularity of the traditional conglomerate as an effective business model, it is ironic that the five largest companies in terms of market capitalisation in the world, in United Stated Dollars trillions, as of 6 January 2025, were Apple (3.7), Nvidia (3.5), Microsoft (3.2), Alphabet (2.4) and Amazon (2.4) and they
Rise of neo-conglomerates: Obsessive focus on core competencies Read More »
In a rapidly changing business and societal landscape where artificial intelligence (AI), digitisation, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues are featuring prominently and where the public’s expectation of boards to engage more on risk oversight, strategy, investments, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), talent and performance management is on the up,
CEO, appointment and succession: Board’s most critical responsibility Read More »
“An astutely crafted pricing strategy is an essential requirement of any business striving to succeed in today’s market. Pricing is much more than merely adding a margin over the cost of production. It drives product awareness, demand generation and customer loyalty and it influences customer perceptions, impacts sales and mirrors the company’s attitude to transparency,
Your pricing is right when customers complain, but still buy Read More »
“There is a continuation of policy at least in the short term. There is no immediate disruption. Trying to do too much in too short a time invariably leads to disaster. The NPP Government is the first in recent times to continue with the economic policies of the previous regime. All this, in my eyes,
