Panos: My Life, My Odyssey in illustrious company

  I was thrilled to read this review about Panos: My Life, My Odyssey from Nikolas Venios, founder of the Ideas Agency in Gloucester. From his Linkedin (with his full post embedded using Linkedin’s own code at the end): Panos Papadopoulos has written one of the best business/strategy/life/creativity books I have ever read (and I […]

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Sharkonomics 2 reviewed

  I wanted to add a few words to Amazon for Stefan Engeseth’s Sharkonomics 2, but it seems Amazon no longer lets me post reviews. I guess Jeff B.’s rich enough without needing my content. I thought some of the negative ones he got there were a bit rough, given that he’s not proclaiming that […]

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Reach out if you need a business mentor

I’ve served with Business Mentors New Zealand for 17 years. It might be time to depart, after my present client. This has always been a voluntary role and bless all those who have given their time, and continue to give their time, to business people around the country. I have made two real friends over […]

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Have you driven a Ford … lately? Probably not

Ford’s Brazilian line-up, 2021. Once upon a time, there were locally developed Corcels and Mavericks; even the EcoSport was a Brazilian development. Today, it’s Mustang, a couple of trucks, and a rebadged Chinese crossover.   We heard a lot about the demise of Holden as GM retreats from continents at a time, seemingly in a […]

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Peter Hanenberger’s unintended post mortem of Holden

The 2009 Chevrolet Caprice SS, sold in the Middle East but made in Australia.   I came across a 2017 interview with former Holden chairman Peter Hanenberger, who was in charge when the company had its last number-one sales’ position in Australia. His words are prescient and everything he said then still applies today.   […]

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Flip-flop again: GM deems Chevrolet Europe strategy a failure

GM has changed its mind again: Chevrolet will not be its global brand.    The strategy, where Daewoo was rebadged Chevrolet in western Europe at the beginning of the century, has been deemed a failure, and GM will withdraw its core Korean-made models such as the Spark, Aveo, Cruze and Malibu, by 2015. It will […]

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Global experience trumps education—Anna Tavis, Brown Brothers Harriman

Every now and then, the Harvard Business Review comes up with some gems. This video, from Anna Tavis, head of talent and development at Brown Brothers Harriman, says that global experience is more important than education if you wish to be successful in business.    She also hints at the importance of differentiation, which I […]

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Another MG Rover gaffe: turning down the Fiat Stilo platform

Robin Capper referred this to me, found on Autocar’s blog and penned by Hilton Holloway. I’ve only taken excerpts: [A senior MG Rover insider] claims MG Rover bosses were offered a life raft shortly after they bought MG Rover for a tenner. Realising that Rover’s L-series diesel engine was hopelessly outclassed, they approached Fiat about […]

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Saab promises new generation of cars will have original DNA

Rumour has it that the new Saab—a small car (finally)—will resemble the ur-Saab, the 92. In fact, inside Saab, it has the codename 92.    Where have I heard this one before? I know. Stefan Engeseth’s Detective Marketing, 2001 edition. And from what I understand, since in 1999 I could not read much Swedish, it […]

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