Dan Daly, our publisher, meets with a good friend John Castle, the founder of investment firm Castle Harlan. John has decades of experience as a majority investor, owner, CEO and Board Chair. They discuss corporate culture traits that might be nothing more than words in a mission statement. Instead, they bring words such as integrity, loyalty and teamwork to everyday business operations.

Key Takeaways:

• Integrity Applied to Reporting
• Company Loyalty, Worker Loyalty
• Components of a Winning Attitude
• The Critical First Impression

Dan Daly and John Castle, the founder of investment firm Castle Harlan, continue their discussion of corporate culture. How do you identify corporate culture and how do you impact corporate culture. Not just hackneyed descriptions but identifying and evaluating critical items impacting corporate success.

Key Takeaways:

• Identifying Elements, Physical and Interpersonal
• Culture Aligned with Goals?
• Leverage of, CEO, Owner, Investor
• Leadership, Observe, Assess and Act

Attached is our sample 10 minute audio analyzing the Theranos Case. CEO Elizabeth Holmes is off to jail along with her partner Sunny Balwani.

The Theranos case should be required knowledge for every member of the board and senior executives regarding their fiduciary responsibility. Our panel of experts discusses the details of: who, what and why.

This sample is part of a three-part series that is available only to annual subscribers of The Directors Letter and Executive Video Series. An annual subscription to both including the Theranos videos is $175.00. For subscription details go to  www.thedirectorsletter.com

Key Takeaways:

• Overview, Stardom to Fraudster
• Major Deals Are Signed, Walgreens
• Cracks in the Story, Begin to Show
• Rapid Unraveling

Dan Daly continues the discussion of corporate culture applying it to the Top – Secret breach of national security by a young airman on Cape Cod. This includes security considerations for your company's board and senior management.

• Case Background, Culture, Morals, Patriotism
• Failures in Vetting, Access, Oversight, Detection
• Potential Damage to US Security and Allies
• Applying Lessons to Your Company's Security

Dan Daly reviews 3 cases where corporate culture had a major impact on the survivability and the safety of the organization. The cases are FTX, Silicon Valley Bank and the release of Pentagon Documents. 

Key Takeaways:

• The Components of Corporate Culture
• Criminal Versus Mismanagement
• FTX Versus Silicon Valley Bank
• Reflecting Upon Risk Management

Dan Daly reviews his discussions with directors and senior executives about the business impact of multiple events that took place in Q1 2023.

• Looking Back on Q1 2023
• Impact: Economics, Financial and Politics
• Research, Discussion, and Planning
• Strategic Risk Management

Dan Daly discusses the origin of ESG:  its Charter, its Impact and its Future. How do companies realistically work with ESG and fulfill their mission

• ESG, Its Source of Legitimacy?
• A Realistic Discussion, Starting Now!
• Balancing the Benefit, Recognizing the Risk
• Corporate Pushback, a Necessity

Dan Daly, the Publisher of Executive Insight Videos, discusses the critical need for Corporate America to be involved in any solution to the climate crisis.

Key Takeaways:

• Cyclical Versus Man-Made
• Assessing Corporate Risk
• Corporations’ Leadership Role
• Begin Today

Dan Daly, as Chairman, presents a theoretical case to Stuart Cable, the Vice Chair of Goodwin. “Someone wants to buy your company.” 

Is your response tactical, when it should be strategic? Is your board prepared to respond? Has the annual plan been updated to provide the information (including risk) critical to any discussion?  "One of the most informative interviews on a critical topic that I have been involved in.”

 Dan Daly Publisher

• A Buyer Expresses Interest, Notify Your Board
• The Discussion Must Be Strategic, Not Tactical
• Is the Time Right, or Wrong and Why?
• An Annual Plan Including Risk Is Critical

This Saturday’s Podcast highlights Stuart Cable, Vice Chair of Goodwin, discussing M&A in 2023. This includes changes in valuation, financing, identifying opportunities, and the psychology impacting decisions. 

For board members and senior executives, “not to be missed, short and right on target!”

• The Credit Sources Are Changing
• Valuation Linked to Cost of Capital 
• Boards Must Reflect and Adjust
• Cash Flow Versus Future Innovation
• Caution Versus Cancellation