a curious Yankee in Europe's court » business

Women at the top: not nearly enough, says Christine Lagarde

rebecca — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:49:46 +0000

Online now at the Financial Times (and not behind their paywall – yet) is a feature listing the top 50 women in world business, see here.

In a related piece, the FT features a five-minute video interview with a woman truly at the top on the world political and economic stage, French finance minister Christine Lagarde (“Lagarde speaks out on female quotas” Nov 16, 2010).

Answering questions from FT editor Lionel Barber, Lagarde acknowledges a recent change of mind about what’s needed for women to move beyond being an endangered species in politics around the world and in company board rooms.

Excerpt:

Barber: And in practical terms, do you favor quotas to strengthen women’s representation on boards?

Lagarde : Well, when I was a lot younger, I was dead against quotas. I thought at the time that, you know, we should be accepted on our own merits and everybody’s terms. But as I’m getting older, I see that it’s moving on too slowly. And I support quota. I support quota in companies. I support quota in the political circles as well. There are not enough women at the top…

Lagarde was in London as a keynote speaker at the FT‘s Women at the top Conference this week. Click on video link above to hear full FT interview. Go here to read more about Lagarde’s speech at the conference.

Today’s opinion pick: “We the People” to “King of the World”: “YOU’RE FIRED!” …a letter from Michael Moore

rebecca — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:30:24 +0000

Academy-award winning filmmaker Michael Moore is astounded and elated by President Obama’s firing earlier this week of the chairman of the giant U.S. automaker General Motors. In a blog post on his website today, Moore wrote that Obama’s stunning, unprecedented action has left me speechless for the past two days.

Two excerpts:

Nothing like it has ever happened. The president of the United States, the elected representative of the people, has just told the head of General Motors—a company that’s spent more years at #1 on the Fortune 500 list than anyone else—”You’re fired!”…

This bold move has sent the heads of corporate America spinning and spewing pea soup. Obama has issued this edict: The government of, by, and for the people is in charge here, not big business.

Read the full post here.

Can Google woo Yahoo

rebecca — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:36:51 +0000

Top fave search engine Google is hoping to block a marriage between its ailing competitor Yahoo and software giant Microsoft, according to a video report (below) from Reuters yesterday.

“Google has offered and Yahoo is now considering a business alliance,” Bobbi Rebell reports in the video.

Microsoft’s unsolicited bid to buy Yahoo a few days ago is getting front row and center treatment from many news organizations, if you’ve noticed. And the analysis and conversation from business and technology experts and others about the proposed deal is becoming a virtual blizzard.

From today’s stories on the matter, here are links to features at the The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post about some of the complexities and pros and cons of it all.