This White Paper examines the financial psychology of the three Presidential frontrunners with the aim of assessing what impact they will have on the US economy and US competitiveness.

By Dr. E. Ted Prince, Perth Leadership Institute, May 2008

Cost cutting in a recession usually includes strategic HR and leadership development initiatives and expenses. Recessions often also lead to negative perceptions of HR since they are made responsible for cutting people and programs in line with company directives. The CEO and board are usually so preoccupied with company survival and the need to significantly cut expenses that they often have no sympathy or time left for strategic leadership development initiatives.

Perth Leadership Institute, February 2008

Organizations today need managers and employees who can contribute to financial success. That’s why many of them are offering financial literacy training. However, a Finance 101 course that focuses on terminology and financial statements isn’t enough. Instead, developing the business acumen of employees — going beyond financial literacy to a true understanding of what it takes for a business to make money — is the key to producing real results. In this white paper, you’ll learn what business acumen is and how two of the country’s leading companies used business simulations to help managers and employees impact the bottom line.

By Raymond D. Green, Paradigm Learning

Financial services organizations currently face two significant challenges to their survival and success: continued revenue generation and regulatory compliance. The two elements are sometimes in conflict but the survival of the entity relies on sufficient compliance to allow the revenue earners to keep the business viable.

Some C-level executives have claimed that their business is now driven by regulation; this may be an exaggeration but there is some truth in this. There is no doubt that intense regulatory analysis is required in advance when organizations are assessing entry into new markets, whether by geography or product.

A Complinet White Paper, September 2007

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Succession planning has become a key competitive weapon in its own right through its impact in building a strong culture where new leaders are constantly identified and developed. But succession planning programs as currently practiced focus on competencies that are mainly social, professional and personal in nature and focus too little on business acumen. In order for succession planning programs to achieve their full potential they must integrate the development of business acumen so that they are directly linked with the building of shareholder value. This is the case both for SPPs conducted at the C-level, and for those that, increasingly, are focused on executives below it, including high potential managers.

By Dr. E. Ted Prince, Perth Leadership Institute

Institutions have toiled to weather the successive storms of regulations such as the US Patriot Act, Basel II, Sarbanes-Oxley, RegNMS, and now MiFID, each with its own data-reporting and record-keeping requirements. At the same time, regulators are tightening up and applying their existing rules with increasing tenacity, including large fines and even the jailing of company executives, often leading to a reactive, short-term focus on particular regulations. In many firms, this has resulted in individual regulation silos and less-than-optimal implementations. However, as the regulations and pressures increase, and projects, risks, and costs proliferate, market leaders in financial services firms are looking beyond individual regulations.

A Network Appliance Inc. White Paper, January 2007

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The UK’s financial services institutions may be suffering compliance fatigue but ignoring what is arguably the biggest shake up in European banking for a generation would be an extremely high risk strategy. The penalties are not just punitive fines and negative publicity; in the worst case scenario, organisations could be forced to cease trading.

Coming into force in November 2007, the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) is part of the European Union’s Financial Services Action Plan, which has been designed to help integrate Europe’s financial markets

A Touchstone Group,

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