Leadership and Business

When you hear the word "dominoes," chances are you think pizza. And for good reason: There are over 20,000 Domino's locations across the world. Domino's is #1 in the world in quick-service restaurant pizza. It has 20% of the global market share, and 22% market share in the US. And while pizza is the heart and soul of Domino's, company leaders see themselves in three businesses: pizza, storytelling...

Twenty-five years ago she made history when she became the first woman to be named CEO of a top company. Carly Fiorina became CEO of Hewlett Packard in 1999. During her tenure as Chair and CEO, HP became the largest technology company in the world, as cash flow, revenue, and profit all grew. Since that time, she's been working as a consultant and leadership coach in the government and private sect...

If you're a sports fan, you often hear about the substantial salaries some professional athletes earn. Most players rely on their agent to handle the details and negotiations on their contracts. But it's only been recently that many coaches and assistant coaches have turned to agents for guidance. Dennis Cordell is one of those agents. He's the CEO of Coaches Incorporated, a sports marketing agenc...

Chances are you've dined at one or more of Bloomin' Brands restaurants. Their brands include Outback Steakhouse, Carrabas, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse. Casual dining was hit especially hard during the global pandemic, but thanks to innovative thinking, leadership, and loyal customers, Bloomin' Brands continues to grow in the US and abroad. Michael Healy is CFO and Head of Global...

You're familiar with the stories of lottery winners and athletes suddenly coming into large, life-changing sums of money. It happens to entrepreneurs and professionals who sell their businesses as well. Sudden wealth not only changes the individual's financial situation, but it has the potential to greatly impact other aspects of their lives. Biff Baker is Managing Director and Senior Wealth Manag...

The role of the CEO: In this particular case, it means leading a complex global organization. One with employees all over the world, interacting with a robust board, and countless other stakeholders. For Dan Draper, the CEO of S&P Dow Jones Indices, the job means that, and more. Earlier this month, Draper was the keynote speaker for "From Dog Street to Wall Street," an annual event hosted by the B...

The students are back on campus at William & Mary, but before classes began, the new students at William & Mary's School of Business participated in orientation activities where they heard from employers, alumni, and others. Michelle Avery, Senior Managing Director at J.S. Held, a global consulting firm known for its expertise in forensic accounting and litigation consulting, spoke with the new st...

You look at your calendar and you see a Team Meeting is up next. How does that make you feel? Love them or hate them, we spend about a third of our work week working in teams. A Stanford University study found effective teamwork is linked to increased productivity. Harvard Business Review says teams make better decisions than individuals 87% of the time. Tatia Granger is a clinical associate profe...

Cate Faddis is in the midst of an interesting career and journey. She has spent over 25 years in investment management and financial services, working as a managing partner at Mason Capital Partners, and President and Chief Investment Officer at Grace Capital. Early in her career she spent time with Deloitte and Putnam Investments. Today she's a portfolio manager for Zevin Asset Management. A Will...

The intersection of finance, technology, and the future are the focus of a new book, titled "From Hoodies to Suits: Innovating Digital Assets for Traditional Finance." The book just released this month bridges the gap between the hoodies - who invented the technology behind the digital assets - and the suits who run traditional financial markets. Annelise Osborne is the book's author. A William &...

Last month, the William & Mary School of Business and its Boehly Center for Excellence in Finance hosted the annual Women's Stock Pitch competition where 24 teams consisting of undergraduate women from the world's top universities competed, networked, and learned. One of the keynote speakers for the event was Lisa Petrelli, managing director, acting country head, and head of global markets for Can...

We interact with it on a regular basis; some of us daily, some weekly. Whatever the frequency, it's a major part of life and spending. Retail. Whether it's discount stores, department stores, online or brick-and-mortar, retail is a massive sector. And for the most part, since the beginning of the pandemic, things have been good for retailers. For much of his career, Greg Melich has studied and ana...

The adoption of artificial intelligence and generative AI is moving so quickly. Leaders, companies, and organizations are working to determine how AI can best help them, their employees, their customers, and others. And while the work continues, some organizations have found the sweet spot: developing ways AI and employees work together to provide outstanding customer service by using the best of...

Succeeding. And doing so in the right manner. That's principled achievement. The William & Mary School of Business defines the principled achievement leader as one who values people, diversity of thought, empathy, humility, and success. This leader listens and inspires, practices ethical compassionate behavior, and embraces the tenants of the William & Mary honor code. This year's Principled Achie...

If you've lived for any length of time, you have experienced grief. It's a universal emotion caused by losing someone or some thing you've loved or cared about. Whether it's the loss of a job, the death of a family member, or loss of a pet, grief and grieving can be intense - strong enough to adversely affect your work and life. Martha Rouleau is an adjunct lecturer and mindfulness/wellness profes...

Success today requires resilience. Whether it's a company dealing with a major shift in the market, or an individual faced with a significant personal or professional obstacle, resilience is a requirement. Casey White knows all about resilience. A young, fit, working professional at the start of her career, she became unexpectedly and critically ill, and began a lengthy fight for her life that wou...

It's been a little over a year now since most of us were introduced to ChatGPT. Since that time, many professionals, businesses and organizations have worked hard to understand not only ChatGPT, but    machine learning and Artificial Intelligence, and what it all can do to assist employees, serve customers, and positively affect the bottom line. There's no shortage of information in media coverage...

If you're an athlete, or someone close to you is an athlete, you've most likely spent time in a Dick's Sporting Goods store. Depending on where you live, the next time you visit your neighborhood Dick's Sporting Goods, you might be surprised. Dick's has launched its House of Sport: A new type of sporting goods store. Dick's House of Sport isn't just about sporting goods; it's experiential, and the...

It's difficult to succeed in business today without having a solid grasp of public affairs, public policy, and politics. Regardless of the size of your business or sector, decisions that are made in your state capitol, Washington, D.C., and beyond can greatly affect your bottom line. Learning to strategically manage corporate public affairs was the focus of a recent three day workshop for William...

When you think of a typical hospital chief administrator, who comes to mind? The majority of hospital CEOs are men and many possess a graduate business degree. But Amber Price is different; she's one of a small number of women who lead hospitals. She holds a doctorate in nursing practice with a focus in change leadership, and she spent years working as a certified nurse midwife. She says those dif...

When it comes to the job market, things certainly have evolved in the past few years. During the pandemic, the unemployment rate reached almost 15%. Today, the labor market is strong and the unemployment rate is under 4%. When comparing today's employment landscape with that of the pandemic, one word comes to mind: Change. We're seeing changes in hiring practices, employee expectations, and the ag...

Host Phil Wagner fills in for Ken White on this special crossover episode of Leadership & Business and Diversity Goes to Work. Our guest today is Dr. Elias Zerhouni, who has had an incredibly inspiring story of pursuing the American dream while never forgetting his roots. Born in a small village in Algeria, he came to America in his 20s with only a few dollars to his name. Yet through hard work an...

Imagine leading and revamping your organizations cyber security system. For Lyn McDermid, that organization is the Commonwealth of Virginia, the 11th most populated state in the US. McDermid is Virginia's Secretary of Administration. She was appointed to the position by Governor Glenn Youngkin in January of 2022. She oversees five state agencies and leads Virginia's efforts in cyber security, IT,...

One of the best ways to succeed in the future is to understand the past. A new partnership between Colonial Williamsburg and William & Mary will count on the past, along with a special place, to teach leadership, civil discourse, and engagement in a unique way. The newly created Williamsburg Institute will offer learning opportunities like no other for leaders, executives, adults, and young adults...

About 1 in every 10 American households is food insecure. That's according to the US Department of Agriculture. That means 10% of American households are uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all members of the family. In addition, households with children have a higher rate of food insecurity than those without kids. A big problem like food insecurity require...