The Delphi Roar: January 12, 2025
I am very pleased to welcome Kaori Ikeda, the GM of high-end Swiss cosmetic firm La Prairie. She is truly bi-cultural, educated at top French schools, and I look forward to practicing my French with her! She was our 7th member in 2024, adding to the CEOs of Keen, Port Cities, AB InBev, the VP of IMG, the CEOs of EngagedSquared and Ultra Tendency, and a partner at McKinsey, making for a year of expansion at Delphi.
The Delphi Roar: December 14, 2024
Another year draws to its close. For the Delphi community, it was a good year. Members are generally thriving (despite the shock of several members dealing with newly arrived private equity owners
The Delphi Roar: November 17, 2024
Like most if not all neoliberals, I have learnt the painful lesson that firing one’s seemingly un-essential and expensive admin staff makes you feel good for a bit, but you then notice that things are getting “wobbly”…Last week, I had my first “double booking” in a while (this is when I book two events at the same time, which is clearly not possible without a time machine) and I suddenly realized that unless I got my calendar seriously under control, there would be a host of others.
Only Define: AI
In the rapidly evolving world of technology, definitions matter more than ever. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes integral to how we work, communicate, and live, businesses are facing a significant challenge: defining what AI really is and understanding how it differs from traditional concepts of intelligence or life. Take Google’s Bard, for example—a large language model that has been heralded as the next step in AI advancement. However, a fundamental question persists: Is Bard truly intelligent, or even alive?
Building Trust in Business: Lessons from Leadership, Corporate Relations, and the Power of Social Capital
One of the most striking examples of trust in business is the $9 billion investment MUFJ made in Morgan Stanley during the height of the Great Financial Crisis. As Morgan Stanley hovered on the brink of collapse, MUFJ trusted them enough to make a major financial commitment. This wasn’t just about money; it was a testament to the years of relationship-building between the two companies.
Globalization Still Works for Companies and the Rich, No Longer for Ordinary Individuals
Globalization is a broad concept, but it can be distilled into a few essential characteristics: high levels of geographical mobility, wealth creation, career advancement, open options, and the ability to leverage "arbitrage."
The Fall of Singapore: A Turning Point for the British Empire and a Lesson in Trust and Preparedness
The surrender of Singapore to the Japanese in 1942 remains one of the most astonishing episodes in British history. Visiting the battle sites recently, I was struck by the extraordinary irony of the event: for the first time, the British, renowned for their expansive empire, found themselves experiencing the humiliation of colonization.