Create More Value

Brian Tomlinson of EY argues that sustainability is a long-run driver of shareholder value. Brian and our host, Greg Milano, explore how boards and managements can measure, reward, and communicate their sustainable business practices. While noting that contemporary ESG metrics can pose certain challenges, the discussion underscores the growing importance of these financial disclosures in attracting committed long-term shareholders. Brian also covers global ESG reporting developments, including the EU’s Green Deal and strict regulatory standards—and contrasts this unified approach with the U.S.’s fragmented regulatory landscape. Brian is Managing Director of ESG at EY and was formerly Director of Research for Chief Executive for Corporate Purpose’s CEO Investor Forum.

Ken Fisher, CFO of Champion X, discusses his extensive career in finance and leadership roles across industries, including his time at Noble Energy, Shell, and GE. Ken shares lessons on strategy development, execution, and working capital management that are vital for new and aspiring CFOs. His insights highlight the value of diverse experiences, such as handling growth and restructuring in various sectors like industrials and energy. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on both the income statement and balance sheet to improve cash flow and business efficiency. The episode also touches on Ken's experiences in M&A, investor relations, and the challenges facing a public company CFO.

Professor Shiva Rajgopal addresses common shortcomings in financial reporting frameworks, highlighting a lack of transparency on key metrics, costs, and disclosures, which can frustrate investors. Rajgopal suggests companies should take their reporting a step further and improve how they communicate their value drivers, competitive advantages, and segment performance to attract sophisticated, long-term shareholders. He also calls for reforms by regulatory bodies and greater accountability from boards and management to yield better insights into how companies leverage tangible and intangible assets to create value. Shiva is Professor of Accounting and Auditing at Columbia Business School and is an expert in financial reporting, executive compensation and corporate culture. His research is frequently cited in many publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Fortune, Forbes, Financial Times, Business Week, and the Economist.

Michael Levin, experienced investor, consultant, and creator of The Activist Investor website and newsletter, explains how activists determine targets, honing in on governance issues, capital allocation, and executive compensation. Michael also covers how activists advance their agenda to unlock more value.

Fortuna’s Greg Milano talks capital and resource allocation best practices and highlights pitfalls, such as overinvesting in underperforming businesses and relying on misleading metrics. An objective, value-oriented approach is an underappreciated source of competitive advantage for corporate teams—and a proven driver of sustained returns for shareholders.

Bennett Stewart, the “father of EVA” was co-founder of Stern Stewart and a leader in the shareholder value movement. He explains how EVA revolutionized performance measurement corporate governance and empowered better value management. He discusses the measure’s application in major companies like Coca-Cola and General Motors and how it helped them drive a focus on true value creation.

Donald Chew, author and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, discusses the life and legacy of the late Professor Michael Jensen, a pioneering figure in financial economics. We explore Jensen's work on agency costs, corporate governance, and executive compensation, as well as his later focus on corporate culture. The conversation highlights Jensen's profound impact on how US corporations and capitalism create value today.

Steve O’Byrne is among the most knowledgeable experts on executive pay practices, hands down. He shares his insights on the evolution of performance measurement and executive pay, from the fixed profit-sharing models of the 1920s to today’s market-based compensation packages. We explore the use of option grants, EVA, private-equity models, and even Steve’s most recent innovation, Employee Value Added. Steve is president of Shareholder Value Advisors with over 30 years’ consulting experience in compensation, performance measurement, and valuation.

Our discussion with Dr. Anastassia Lauterbach explores the transformative power of AI, discussing its potential across industries, the impact of the European AI Act on innovation, and its implications for corporate executives and boards. She said, “Around 2012-2013, digital assets made up about 12-14% of the valuation of large businesses. After COVID, that number jumped to 90%...  What does it mean for the competitiveness of your company?”  For those interested in creating more value at their companies, Dr. Lauterbach is someone to listen to.

Value management means applying objective valuation principles to strategy, resource allocation, and performance measurement processes to deliver sustained returns for shareholders and other stakeholders. In this episode, Fortuna Advisors' CEO Greg Milano discusses the very innovative approach Fortuna Advisors takes to value-based management, focusing on the key tenets of creating an “ownership culture” within companies.