WestLB (C): A change in direction

Societe Generale market capitalization surged after restoring financial discipline, cutting costs strategically and protecting innovation to rebuild trust.

How do you rebuild trust in a 160-year-old bank? Société Générale CEO Slawomir Krupa on discipline, fintech disruption, and tough turnaround decisions.

The Wealth of Nations remains a cornerstone of economic thought. Adam Smith’s treatise on free trade is relevant for today’s fracturing global economy.

CFO Raphael Savalle shows how finance leaders can embed sustainability, drive AI-led transformation, and lead with credibility and human insight.

The Qualios case tracks the search, negotiations and ultimate acquisition of an industrial, family-owned SME in Southern Germany. Using a variety of materials, including sophisticated composites, the company produces customized, high-quality braided sleeves primarily for technical applications. The fourth-generation owners were led to sell due to a lack of succession and health issues. A reputable niche business serving automotive, packaging, construction and industrial clients across Germany and internationally, Qualios generated €12 million in revenue and healthy EBITDA and employed around 50 staff. The company faced several issues, such as rising raw material and production costs, difficulty attracting skilled workers to the region and growing demands from customers for sustainability certifications. The potential buyer, Konrad, believed he had a joker up his sleeve with Georg, an experienced operating manager, family confidant and potential co-investor. Negotiations proved complex until the duo was able to bypass the broker and establish direct links to the seller. A deal was ultimately closed, involving not only a significant earnout element from the seller but also 90% leverage offered by local banks, with strenuous covenants. Nonetheless, fundamental questions remained after the deal: Had the buyer paid the right price and established the proper structure to ensure long-term success? Closing was only the first battle: Could Qualios grow fast enough to service the debt, repay the vendor loan and justify the price tag – all while honoring the company legacy that mattered so deeply to the seller?

A scenario based framework showing how banks can build a sustainable finance strategy that balances long term sustainability commitments with strong financial performance.

The fourth industrial revolution (I4.0) is critically relevant to the future of business management. In this study, we theoretically examine I4.0 investment and implementation from a social capital perspective. By explicating the various forms of ...

IMD’s Inside the Transition explores how finance drives the energy transition, with Pictet CSO Marie-Laure Schaufelberger on credibility, capital, and ESG.

IMD’s Salvatore Cantale explores how CFOs can balance CEO ambition and board oversight to strengthen decision-making and ensure long-term business success.

The Gulf’s search for influence beyond oil now runs through Africa. Sovereign wealth fund the Qatar Investment Authority is investing $500 million in Ivanhoe Mines, a Canadian company that produces copper and other key minerals in Africa. The deal...