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Corporate Catalyst: A Chronicle of the (Mis)Management of Canadian Business from a Veteran Insider,Used
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An inside look at the real business worldIn Corporate Catalyst, Tony Griffiths gives readers a ringside seat on the many boardroom and corporate battles that he both fought and witnessed through the nearly six decades of his productive and colorful career. Among other stories, Griffiths replays his two stints as the CEO of Canada's darling of the telecom industry, Mitel Corporation. The first was in the late 1980s, a time when he helped staunch the flow of red ink and returned the company to profitability. The second was in the early 1990s, when he steered the company through its majority ownership by British Telecom and then its sale to Schroder Ventures. As Griffiths relates it, he had to learn how to deal with the bureaucratic style of the former and the powerhungry moves of the latter.Corporate Catalyst includes the author's blowbyblow account of what went on inside Confederation Life in the 1980s and early 1990sa story that should have prevented the failure of the likes of Lehman Brothers in the recent Great Recession. Griffiths, who had his hands full at the time with challenges at Mitel, also sat on Confed's board. He tried to warn Confederation Life's executives and his fellow board members of the financial dangers the company was facing. No one but a few other board members would listenand even they did not do so consistently. The fall of Confed Life became one of the largest failures of a major finance company in corporate history.Griffiths takes the reader on a dramatic tour of the trickery, betrayal, and politicking that the world of business seems to attract. He introduces readers to the biggest and boldest names in Canadian business, including Jake Moore of Brascan, Robert Campeau of Campeau Corporation, Terry Mathews of Mitel, Ted Rogers of Rogers Communications, Conrad Black of Hollinger, Adam Zimmerman of Noranda, Pat Burns of Confederation Life, and Christopher Ondaatje of The Ondaatje Corporation.In the book's many cautionary tales, Griffiths warns against mixing the roles of governance and management and shows the marked tendency of executives to take up residence far from reality when times get tough. 'We don't listen. We don't plan. We don't act,' he wrote in frustration to the board and management of Confederation Life after months of trying to get someone to address the financial mess they were in.Full of hardwon wisdom, Corporate Catalyst is a mustread for anyone working in business or interested in what the business world is really like.
⚠️ WARNING (California Proposition 65):
This product may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
For more information, please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
- Q: What is the main topic of 'Corporate Catalyst'? A: 'Corporate Catalyst' explores the management and mismanagement of Canadian businesses, highlighting the author's experiences and insights from nearly six decades in the industry.
- Q: Who is the author of 'Corporate Catalyst'? A: The book is authored by Tony Griffiths, a veteran insider in the Canadian business landscape.
- Q: What type of book is 'Corporate Catalyst'? A: 'Corporate Catalyst' is classified as a hardcover used book that is in good condition, focusing on company profiles and business management.
- Q: How many pages does 'Corporate Catalyst' contain? A: 'Corporate Catalyst' has a total of 352 pages.
- Q: What insights does Tony Griffiths provide in the book? A: Griffiths shares his experiences with corporate governance, management failures, and the critical lessons learned from his roles in significant Canadian companies.
- Q: When was 'Corporate Catalyst' published? A: 'Corporate Catalyst' was published on April 3, 2012.
- Q: What is the condition of the book? A: 'Corporate Catalyst' is listed as a new book, ensuring that readers receive it in excellent condition.
- Q: Is 'Corporate Catalyst' suitable for business professionals? A: Yes, 'Corporate Catalyst' is recommended for business professionals and anyone interested in understanding the complexities of the business world.
- Q: Does the book contain real-life examples? A: Yes, the book includes real-life examples and anecdotes from Griffiths' career in various Canadian corporations.
- Q: What are the key themes discussed in 'Corporate Catalyst'? A: Key themes include corporate governance, management challenges, and the importance of listening and planning in business.