Tag Archives: executive employment

Uber Leadership Vacuum Exposes Strings Attached to Startup Financing

Posted on September 20, 2017 by Joe Ahmad

The executive leadership vacuum at Uber and a series of PR missteps and management blunders is exposing the contentious push-pull dynamic between private equity and venture capital investors and startups that usually plays out behind the scenes and rarely makes … Continue reading →

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Regional Economies Find Hidden Price of Noncompete Agreements

Posted on June 22, 2017 by Joe Ahmad

A recent New York Times article by Conor Dougherty puts a human face on the damaging consequences that result when workers in broad swaths of the economy are required to sign noncompete agreements as a condition of employment. While the … Continue reading →

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U-Turn Ahead: Uber hits brakes over new hire’s refusal to help in trade secret defense

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Joe Ahmad

In a move that surprised no one watching the drama between Uber and Google’s Waymo self-driving vehicle division, Uber fired engineering whiz Anthony Levandowski on Tuesday. The company thought it scored a real coup last year in hiring Levandowski to … Continue reading →

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President Not Alone in Cavalier Approach to Protecting the Digital Crown Jewels

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Joe Ahmad

President Not Alone in Cavalier Approach to Protecting the Digital Crown Jewels Continue reading →

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Game industry executive’s job-hopping mistake leads to `Game Over’ jury verdict for Facebook/Oculus

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Joe Ahmad

Hours after a Dallas jury returned its $500 million verdict for ZeniMax over claims that Facebook and Oculus unfairly used its virtual reality coding, the creator of that code, John Carmack, took to social media to continue his defense. Carmack, … Continue reading →

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Picture that text you just wrote on the screen in a courtroom

Posted on December 8, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

Executives know better than to put questionable statements in email, right? Well, it is past time to realize the same goes for texts. Just like a Miranda warning: Anything you text can and will be used against you in a court of law. Continue reading →

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NFL lessons for the C-Suite on succession planning, Exhibit 1: Tony Romo

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has himself in an ideal succession situation. He waited to draft the perfect candidate – Dak Prescott. He and can now let potential future star quarterback Prescott learn while aging star Tony Romo still has the ball. Boards and C-Suite folks should think like Jones: Keep your stars in place, but keep an eye on the future of the company. Continue reading →

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White House Report Says Non-Competes May Hurt Competition

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

The White House is weighing in on the growing use of non-compete agreements and how they can negatively affect competition, individual workers and the overall economy. Once a tool reserved for top executives, the 16-page report released earlier this week … Continue reading →

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UPDATED: Trade Secret Proposal Has Won Over Congress & The President, But Not Me

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

Who says Congress can’t agree on anything these days? By an overwhelming vote of 410-2, the House recently approved the Defend Trade Secret Act (DTSA). The Senate already has passed the proposal and President Obama is expected to sign it … Continue reading →

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Crass Executive Spending Puts Leading Veterans Charity under a Cloud

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

As obvious as it seems, abusing an expense account with lavish personal spending is one of the most common ways a CEO can get into trouble. Being an executive comes with reasonable perks that are necessary and helpful to doing the job. But some people get carried away and forget that these funds are not for their personal use and enjoyment. Continue reading →

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