LA Times reports on CHINA 2024 and the opportunities for Chinese MBAs
One legacy of the Cultural Revolution is a shortage of highly-educated and seasoned managers in China. As a result, young MBAs are in high demand. This article describes the phenomenon and Katzenbach Partners' CHINA 2024 project.

Saj-Nicole Joni sees African-American leadership for global economy
Katzenbach Partners Senior Fellow Saj-Nicole Joni explores "Perspectives in Leadership" for Forbes.com. In this column, she explains why African-American business leaders are particularly well-positioned and well-suited to lead global companies.

BrandWeek cover story cites Katzenbach Partners analysis: customer service drives decisions for customers at all income levels
This article describes how rising expectations are forcing companies to rethink and improve how they serve customers. It cites a Katzenbach Partners survey showing that customer service is equally important to consumers of all income levels.

Financial Times cites Jack O'Kelley III in special report on business turnarounds
Jack O'Kelley III comments on how to handle two critical periods in a turnaround: the first few months, when it's essential to identify the underlying problem and understand its implications for the long term, and the third year, when there's a risk of reverting to the old way of doing things.

Business Week cover story shows impact of organization-wide approach to customer service, cites Katzenbach Partners study
"Helping employees become more empathetic with customers was a common focus among the brands on our list," reports Business Week, citing Katzenbach Partners' "Empathy Engine" research study to help explain what differentiates the top-ranking companies.

Mergers & Acquisitions reports Tim Galpin's research on where integration efforts fall apart
Integration efforts are often halting, fragmented, or prolonged, and they often fail.

The Washington Post quotes Zia Khan on new mayor's operating style
Zia Khan comments on the tradeoffs involved in running a city in "air-traffic control mode."

Jon Katzenbach discusses the informal organization in Business Week Online
Marshall Goldsmith asks Jon Katzenbach how individuals can use the informal organization to be successful.

The Seattle Times cites Traci Entel and "The Empathy Engine"
This article takes a look at the customer service orientation of GAP Inc.'s new venture Forth & Towne, and asks what makes customer service tick.

Treasury & Risk cites Tim Galpin's findings on M&A mishaps
Treasury & Risk's monthly news brief cites Senior Fellow Tim Galpin's research showing weak follow-through on most mergers.

Niko Canner comments in The New York Times on the changing nature of the pharmaceuticals industry
This column explores the challenges facing Big Pharma. Patent limitations put a timeline on blockbuster successes, pricing and regulatory pressures are increasing, new drugs may or may not pan out, and future innovations may favor different players.

"The Empathy Engine" calls for a major shift in thinking about customer service.
Many accepted ideas about customer service are wrong and are costing companies customers and profits. Companies must take an organization-wide approach to providing service to their customers.

The Chicago Tribune cites Brian Corey on changing expectations for wireless carriers
This article describes the shifting landscape of the wireless telecommunications industry and the growing importance of customer service and retention.

Traci Entel comments on customer expectations in The Washington Post
This article explains why retailers expect nearly 9% of holiday purchases to be returned, and describes the challenge this poses for customers and retailers. Traci Entel comments on customer expectations.

CEO of Campbell keeps The Wisdom of Teams in mind during turnaround
Campbell CEO Doug Conant put Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith's classic The Wisdom of Teams on his book list for this Business Week article on how he's turning things around at Campbell.

With service quality driving shopping decisions, companies provide additional support for service reps
This article reports an increase in the use of counseling to help customer service representatives recover from difficult customer interactions. The results of our consumer survey suggest why companies are willing to provide this degree of support.

Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators named "best strategic book of the year" by Strategy + Business
Strategy + Business lauds Govindarajan and Trimble for "the best book we've seen on the 'how-tos' of creating an innovative new business."

Operational excellence will be decisive for mobile network operators
With a fast-maturing marketplace and the emergence of disruptive technologies, the land grab is over for mobile network operators. They are now big companies managing complex challenges, and that means operational excellence counts for more than strategy.

Katzenbach Partners consumer survey indicates retailers need to treat shoppers right
Americans say customer service is as important as price - if not more so - when deciding where to spend. Most consumers say they'll spend more where the service is good, and not go back if the service is bad. 99% of consumers have an opinion on customer service, and few believe it's improving.

Jack O'Kelley III comments in The New York Times on the challenge of signing on a new CEO
As the CEO seat gets hotter, their contracts get more complicated. Jack O'Kelley III comments on the risks that directors have to take into account when evaluating CEO candidates.

Zia Khan discusses informal organization in The Financial Times
This article explores what companies can do when they attend to their informal organizational structures - not the ways work is supposed to happen, but the ways it actually happens.

Niko Canner encourages candid communication between employees and their bosses
Niko Canner is quoted in The New York Times on the importance of engaging employees who may be reluctant to speak up or to express dissenting points of view.

Gus Vlak comments on CEO health disclosures in "To Tell Or Not To Tell?"
This Forbes.com article discusses the role the CEO's health plays in succession planning and risk management. Gus Vlak comments on the balance between transparency and privacy.

Stacy Palestrant describes how our in-house IT team adds value
Employees of smaller companies need to be adept at many things. Technical support is invaluable. At Katzenbach Partners, it helps that the technical team is part of the home team.

The Harvard Crimson describes problem-solving session on behalf of the Brattle Theatre
A four-hour workshop drew on the problem-solving skills of students at Harvard College, Harvard Law School, and the Kennedy School of Government.

Houston energy companies need to make talent management a priority, Damon Beyer writes in Houston Business Journal
With a talent shortage looming, Houston energy companies can look to Slumberger for ideas on how to manage the technical workers who are increasingly important and rare.

What if the CEO falls ill? Gus Vlak comments in The Wall St. Journal
In a special supplement on corporate governance, The Wall St. Journal examines what happens when CEOs encounter disabling illness. Gus Vlak comments on the seriousness of the challenge.

Katzenbach Partners asks Harvard students for ideas to save landmark theater
The Boston Herald describes how we're drawing on Harvard students' creative thinking to aid the Brattle Theater.

Damon Beyer recommends talent management strategies for energy companies
In Oil & Gas Financial Journal, Damon Beyer explains why the energy exploration and production industry faces a dramatic shortage of technical talent and describes how companies can make talent management a strategic priority.

Houston Business Journal reports talent crunch in the energy industry
The editors cite Damon Beyer's assessment of an immediate and long-term shortage of talent to meet the technical challenges ahead.

Saj-nicole A. Joni, PhD., noted strategist and advisor, joins the firm
Dr. Joni, business strategist and key advisor to corporate leaders, joins Katzenbach Partners as a senior fellow. Her book The Third Opinion describes how leaders can leverage insights from outsiders and confidants to improve performance.

The DMA's John Greco, Jr. recommends Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators in the WSJ
Trimble and Govindarajan's book makes Greco's reading list. "It outlines how to turn an idea into a new, viable commercial business," says the Direct Marketing Association President and CEO.

Leader to Leader publishes "Motivation Beyond Money" in 10th anniversary issue
The quarterly journal of the Leader to Leader Foundation (formerly the Drucker Foundation) presents "new contributions from 16 of the world's top thought leaders." Jon Katzenbach's article appears along with work by Peter Senge, Stephen R. Covey, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Noel M. Tichy, and Ram Charan.

The Financial Times reports on CHINA 2024: A New Generation of Leaders
Two years into our 20-year commitment to a cohort of Chinese business school graduates, CHINA 2024 "promises to provide a remarkable window on to a business culture undergoing dramatic change," The Financial Times reports.

Rich Schroth discusses Infosys move to recruit U.S. grads
"A sign of maturity in the outsourcing talent pool."

The Financial Times explores how executives balance travel and technology
Stacy Palestrant comments on the value of meeting in person.

Gus Vlak gives advice on CEO succession
CEO transitions are increasingly common and high-stakes, but most boards do not prepare sufficiently to meet these challenges. Gus Vlak provides guidance.

Jon Katzenbach comments on innovation in BusinessWeek cover story
The CEO is key to establishing an environment where innovation can flourish.

Katzenbach Partners mourns the passing of colleague Nathaniel J. Mass
A Senior Fellow at Katzenbach Partners, Nat was a brilliant strategist, inspirational teacher, and close friend.

The New York Sun profiles outsourcing expert Roopa Unnikrishnan
Read about Roopa's background and her thought leadership on outsourcing.

Forbes sees "Storm Warnings" for the pharmaceuticals industry
Niko Canner comments on the shifting balance of power.

Zia Khan discusses how to balance formal and informal systems
CFO.com explores how companies adapt as they grow in size and complexity.

US Industry Today publishes Nathaniel Mass on the Relative Value of Growth
In pursuit of shareholder value, many companies pull the wrong levers. RVG can help management determine how much effort to devote to growth vs. margin and decipher messages from the financial markets.

US Industry Today publishes Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble on how to hold innovators accountable without blocking their breakthroughs
The authors of Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators explain how to hold entrepreneurs accountable for learning instead of planning.

Business Week takes a look at informal networks in "The Office Chart That Really Counts"
Zia Khan comments on the delicate challenge of revealing who's really at the center of activity in this article on how and why companies are mapping out the human connections behind the work that gets done.

The Wall Street Journal describes how we improve customer service
Sarah Grayson and Zia Khan describe our work with a large telecommunications company in this article on what it really takes to deliver quality service.

Niko Canner comments on executive decision-making in The Wall Street Journal
On a smaller scale, L.L.Bean's sudden change of plans "recalls bet-the-company moves such as Intel Corp.'s 1985 decision to abandon memory chips in favor of microprocessors, or Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates's 1995 memo awakening the software giant to the promise and threat of the Internet."

CFO Magazine looks at Chris Trimble's work on strategic innovation
This article describes what Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble, a senior fellow at Katzenbach Partners, have figured out about the conditions that allow innovative new businesses to succeed.

Katzenbach Partners pro bono client announces unusual opportunity for extraordinary talent
Acumen Fund Fellows will provide support on the ground in Africa and South Asia to help Acumen realize its goals for social impact. This pro bono work represents our commitment to a creating unique and formative experiences -- a commitment that extends beyond the boundaries of our own firm.

Business Week Online covers the engineering outsourcing debate
The article addresses recent discussion of the Duke University study, advised by Katzenbach Partners, that takes a second look at the data behind the debate.

Harvard Business School Press publishes Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators: From Idea to Execution
Vijay Govindarajan and Katzenbach Partners Senior Fellow Chris Trimble explain what it takes to build a new, high-growth business within a profitable old one.

Offshore Outsourcing and the Relative Value of Growth
Nathaniel Mass, Rich Schroth and Roopa Unnikrishnan discuss what their RVG analysis reveals about the future of outsourcing.

Fortune Magazine says, "Get A Life!"
Jon Katzenbach gives his perspective in Fortune's cover story exploring the desire – and practical options – for a better work-life balance.

Katzenbach Partners is among top firms in Vault survey
Katzenbach Partners receives top marks in culture, client satisfaction, prestige and compensation, jumping 25 places in Vault’s new rankings of the top 50 management and strategy consulting firms.

Consulting Magazine interviews Niko Canner on CHINA 2024: A New Generation of Leaders
In this video interview, Niko Canner describes why and how Katzenbach Partners is getting involved in China today.

Consulting Magazine interviews Niko Canner on what makes Katzenbach Partners different
Katzenbach Partners’ capabilities are most distinctive in situations where decisions alone won’t bring results.

Outsourcing Information Technology: "Old Standbys" Are No Longer The Safe Bet
New capital markets research shows that India-based upstarts are positioned to serve clients better and be even tougher competition than U.S.-based outsourcers anticipated; legacy outsourcing players may disappoint customers in third or fourth years of IT contracts.

Richard Schroth, technology management strategist, joins Katzenbach Partners LLC as a Senior Fellow
Formerly the chief technology officer at Perot Systems, Schroth will work with Katzenbach Partners clients on the increasingly important links between corporate strategy, technology and outsourcing.

The Wall Street Journal Explores Work-Life Balance for CEOs
Niko Canner comments on the "relentlessness" of the job.

China Economic Review highlights Katzenbach Partners’ CHINA 2024
As China booms, “the pool of skilled managers risks running dry quickly,” China Economic Review reports. With so many opportunities, what do Chinese MBAs want?

Katzenbach books become business classics
Harvard Business Review labels The Discipline of Teams an "HBR Classic" and cites Peak Performance as one of ten major management theories.

Chicago GSB profiles CHINA 2024
"Making History with an MBA: CHINA 2024 Measures the Progress of a New Generation"

Fast Company profiles Katzenbach Partners
"Upstairs...above the nail salon and the deli, there's a quiet experiment unfolding in the realm of organization building. ...This experiment is worth paying attention to," says Fast Company. "They are attempting to construct an institution...that will rival the enduring service firms of our era."

Better, faster, cheaper: "Hondas In Space" looks at low-cost innovation
"I think SpaceX has a good shot to revolutionize the industry," says Katzenbach Partners Senior Fellow Nathaniel J. Mass. Fast Company reports on SpaceX, a startup company that intends to decimate the cost barrier in rocketry.

Organizing to withstand disaster: Fast Company quotes Niko Canner
Fast Company explores what 9/11 and other disasters can teach us about how organizations fail.

Focus on CHINA 2024 Leaders
Fast Company profiles five Chinese MBAs who are part of CHINA 2024, our 20-year study of China's future business leaders.

To get more value from R&D, companies must refocus on what motivates scientists and researchers
The current "portfolio" approach actually diminishes returns on $180 billion of annual R&D investment. Potential solution: nurture fervor and intellectual freedom, and invest in what's working.

CHINA 2024 holds inaugural leadership conference
The conference, which brings together 114 MBAs for our 20-year study of China's future business leaders, receives notice in Business Week, China Daily, Shanghai Daily and China Radio International

Former Aetna CEO Jack Rowe describes our work in Consulting Magazine
“Near the end of the last century three partners with a zeal for organization set about building a consulting firm for the next 100 years. Six years later...

India's Economic Times interviews Jon Katzenbach on building the perfect team
"Most organisations have groups that call themselves teams but aren't," says Jon Katzenbach. "A team is a performance unit. ...One of the best examples of a great team was the one that produced our declaration of independence."

"How to Lead Now": Pride makes the cover of Fast Company
Mid-level managers discuss pride-building as a management technique in "How to Lead Now: Getting extraordinary performance when you can't pay for it."

Harvard Management Communications Letter looks at the connection between pride and performance
Managers at General Motor, Aetna, and Unocal comment on the motivational value of pride.

TIME Magazine reviews Why Pride Matters More Than Money
“Katzenbach’s news is good: it is possible to change,” reports TIME Magazine. “That’s the radical idea behind Why Pride Matters More Than Money, Jon Katzenbach’s engaging new book about what motivates employees and what doesn’t.”