When former Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf pushed his employees to sell eight Wells Fargo products per customer through cross-selling – he no doubt assumed it would be done with customers’ consent. Instead, under pressure to meet aggressive and unrealistic sales targets, Community Bank staff opened 3.5 million bogus deposit and card accounts without customers’ knowledge or permission. The scandal destroyed the bank’s reputation for sound management and led to the Federal Reserve capping the bank’s assets at $2 trillion.
Barclays: Culture is more than just a word
Summary
During the financial crisis of 2007-2008, Barclays manipulated LIBOR down by submitting artificially low rates to make itself look less risky. Trad...
Reference
IMD-7-2360
Copyright
©2022
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Barclays
Industry
Finance and Insurance, Banking
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Commonwealth Bank of Australia: Accommodating ATMs
Summary
When Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) installed intelligent deposit machines (IDMs) it did so to make banking more convenient and save time for...
Reference
IMD-7-2362
Copyright
©2022
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Industry
Finance and Insurance, Banking
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Credit Suisse: Lackadaisical about risk
Summary
When Archegos, a low-profile family office, lost money on its holding of ViacomCBS shares in March 2021, it faced margin calls it could not meet, f...
Reference
IMD-7-2363
Copyright
©2022
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Credit Suisse
Industry
Finance and Insurance, Banking
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Wells Fargo: When eight wasn't great
Summary
When former Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf pushed his employees to sell eight Wells Fargo products per customer through cross-selling – he no doubt as...
Reference
IMD-7-2361
Copyright
©2022
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Wells Fargo
Industry
Finance and Insurance, Banking
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Climate Risk - CFO Horizons - Financial Imperative
Summary
CFOs must drive a financially disciplined way to manage environmental and climate risk amid growing push back against sustainability efforts.
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The dss+ journey - Buying your way into entrepreneurship
Summary
How a private equity-backed corporate carve-out created a successful, sustainable consulting powerhouse by Benoit Leleux
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Lifepreneurs - Rethinking the default
Summary
Women’s realities are often overlooked, but lifepreneurs—entrepreneurs innovating from experience—are turning struggles into profit and systemic change.
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Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Banking Regulations - UBS - Sergio Ermotti
Summary
Switzerland should assess the Credit Suisse collapse before adding more banking regulations, says UBS Group CEO in a talk on Europe's financial future.
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AI Adoption - From artificial to actionable - CFO
Summary
CFOs can rethink underperforming AI adoption by focusing on business value, data readiness, and employee buy-in.
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Is a US crypto reserve the next Fort Knox or a financial time bomb?
Summary
US President Donald Trump’s full embrace of digital assets has sent shock waves through the cryptocurrency market, driving a price surge while creating both new opportunities and heightened risks for investors and corporations. Last week, Mr Trump...
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DSS+: Carving out a sustainability consulting leader
Summary
The case examines the entrepreneur-led carve out and buyout of dss+, DuPont’s safety and sustainability consulting division, by Gyrus Capital and dss+ management team. dss+ (formerly “DuPont Sustainable Solutions”) played a pivotal role in high-risk industries such as oil, gas, and chemicals, providing critical consulting services at a time when global regulatory pressure on operational safety and sustainability was intensifying. Gyrus Capital, a mid-market private equity specialist, came together with the management team to engineer the buyout, based on the firm’s strong and predictable revenue streams, long-term client relationships and specialized expertise in safety and sustainability consulting. What emerged out of the 2019 transaction was an independent sustainability consulting powerhouse with over 1,500 consultants around the world. By 2024, dss+ was still expanding rapidly in terms of staff and domains of expertise, not to mention geography, and had to respond to quickly evolving external and internal demands, with clients increasingly expected to be served globally on a full range of sustainability-related services. With a strong sense of purpose (saving lives and creating a sustainable future), a potent pitch line (Protect. Transform. Sustain), over 750 clients on 1,800 projects across 41 countries, a global team of 1,500 people and plenty of organic growth across 7 core industries, the company was clearly heading for the stars. Yet, new questions loomed: Was it time to start managing that wild growth, deepening competitive advantages and building functional moats? How would dss+ remain competitive? Was it time to put a few new initiatives on high octane fuel: Leadership? Digital transformation? Global growth? Some totally new ideas?
Reference
IMD-7-2639
Copyright
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
dss+, Gyrus Capital, Inflexion
Industry
Services, Environmental Services;Healthcare, Health and Medical Services;Services, Public Safety;Business Management Services, Consultancy
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Companies need a first-rate geopolitical radar
Summary
Ten years from now, we’ll know which companies best navigated geopolitics. And the hunt will be on for enduring lessons. Which firms made the smartest adjustments to their global commercial footprint by exiting certain markets, doubling down on ot...
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Brookfield Asset Management Catalytic Transition Fund
Summary
Brookfield’s Catalytic Transition Fund is a case study in how the financial industry can spearhead sustainable development. Brookfield Asset Management announced an initial closing of $2.4 billion for the Catalytic Transition Fund, marking a significant milestone toward the target of raising up to $5 billion for deployment to clean energy and transition assets in emerging markets. $1 billion of capital was provided by ALTÉRRA, the world’s largest private investment vehicle for climate finance based in the United Arab Emirates, with the purpose of mobilizing investment at scale to finance a new climate economy. The fund is focused on deploying capital into clean energy and transition assets in emerging markets in South and Central America, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. This strategic partnership will help drive clean energy investment into emerging markets, where investment needs to increase sixfold over current levels to reach the $1.6 trillion required annually by the early 2030s in line with global net zero targets.
Reference
IMD-2652
Copyright
©2024
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Brookfield Asset Management
Industry
Finance and Insurance, Private Equity
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
The knowledge bank: an essential guide to venture capital
Summary
Explore top books, websites, and podcasts recommended by IMD expert Jim Pulcrano for anyone venturing into or exploring venture capital, from entrepreneurs to investors.
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