Artificial intelligence has reshaped audio production in ways that would have been difficult to predict five years ago. For Greg Soros, a podcaster and founder of Podcraft Media Lab, that shift demanded a deliberate response not a wholesale embrace, and not resistance. Soros came to podcast production through a path that included technical training at Berklee College of Music and […]
For Kelcy Warren, the connection between building a major energy company and investing in the surrounding community is not incidental. It appears to be central to how he understands leadership. As founder and Executive Chairman of Energy Transfer, Warren has channeled resources back into the communities where his company operates in ways that go well beyond standard corporate giving. Energy […]
When Berkshire Hathaway acquired Alleghany Corporation in the fourth quarter of 2022, it inherited Jazwares as part of the deal. The toy company, founded by Judd Zebersky after he left a law practice in the late 1990s, had by then established itself as one of the more recognized names in the industry, with Squishmallows driving a significant portion of its […]
Retirement rarely sticks for executives who have spent their careers driving consequential work. Michael Polk discovered as much after stepping down from Newell Brands in 2019. He had spent years at the center of major consumer goods operations, first at Unilever, then at Kraft Foods, and finally at Newell Brands, where he served as CEO for seven years. The idea […]
Most executives at the peak of their careers return to familiar territory when they step back into the workforce. Michael Polk took a different path. After retiring from Newell Brands in 2019 following a decade at the helm, he chose to lead Implus LLC, a fitness accessories company owned by private equity firm Berkshire Partners. The move raised eyebrows among […]
How Karl Studer Scaled Operations Without Losing Organizational Culture Growth is easy to celebrate and hard to manage. As organizations expand — adding headcount, new geographies, and new business lines — the informal culture that made them successful in the first place often becomes the first casualty. Karl Studer has navigated this challenge across organizations of dramatically different sizes, and […]