Create More Value

Jeff Greene explains why capital allocation is so important, what companies typically do wrong, and his view on the main tenets of good capital allocation. As Jeff says, “Clearly, allocating capital is one of the CEO’s and CFO's most important jobs,” and, “Very few companies do all aspects of capital allocation well.” Jeff joined Fortuna in 2020, after 26 years as a partner in the Strategy & Transactions practice at EY (Ernst & Young), and he also spent eight years at investment bank Houlihan Lokey. 

Steve Chopp, currently CFO and EVP of Strategy for Lief Labs, describes his experiences implementing value-based management at smaller private companies. These companies tend to be less complex and the implementation process can be easier and faster, but it is still change management so there needs to be communication, training, etc., to help people see what is changing, how it affects them, and what they need to do differently. And since smaller companies tend to have tighter budgets for such things, they need to be resourceful, using, for example, train-the-trainer approaches.

Ryan Barker explains how critical brand love is in driving total shareholder return.  He is the CEO and founder of BERA Brand Management and has been revolutionizing the measurement of true brand differentiation using predictive AI technology. He talks about the shortcomings of media mix models, the use of brand metrics as an executive KPI, and the ways in which companies can improve how they manage by using brand love to develop plans, allocate resources, and drive more short- and long-term profitable growth.  Our host, Greg Milano, also describes Fortuna Advisors' research showing how BERA brand metrics relate well to valuation multiples.

With Anna Catalano’s extensive experience as a board director across many industries and as a former executive in energy, she shares insights that are useful to anyone in a business leadership role. Her thoughts on how companies can avoid being disrupted, and the board’s important role in this, are very helpful. She also covers risk management, innovation, and career advice for women, and throughout, she fills the discussion with well thought out advice to all.

Scott Morrison recently stepped down from being CFO of Ball Corporation, the longest running user of EVA, which is economic value added. Over his tenure, Ball has delivered about eight times the total shareholder return of the market, a very impressive result. Scott explains how EVA has helped management and employees deliver such outstanding results, with commentary on planning, capital allocation, investment decisions and corporate culture. 

Pamela Savino, CEO and founder of Live Authentically, says “There's nothing more magnetic than a leader who's in touch with who they truly are,” but she concedes that, “inauthentic behaviors are pretty prevalent, mainly because our society isn't set up to promote authenticity.” She blends her corporate experience with the concept of authenticity and shows executives how they can attract more in all areas of life and business. Organizations who invest in authentic leadership will create more value.  

Gary Bischoping, a partner at private equity firm Hellman & Friedman and former CFO of Finastra and Varian Medical Systems, explains how “operationalizing value creation” can be a “superpower.” Indeed, at Varian, Gary championed a focus on explicit value management, both at corporate and in operations, that redirected their capital allocation priorities, reignited profitable growth, and dramatically increased the share price. Gary refers to himself as a “corporate finance junky,” and he explains the “art” of strategic finance in terms of alignment, rhythm, and truth.

Investing in small and mid-cap public companies can be tricky, but Glenn Welling, founder and chief investment officer of Engaged Capital, has made a name for himself in the industry. About being an activist, he said, “When we arrive, nobody ever wants us there… [but] once we’ve been there for 90 days, nobody wants us to leave.”. With a background in investment banking and strategy consulting, Glenn brings valuable skills to each company he invests in. Glenn shared what Engaged Capital looks for when identifying companies to invest in and what companies can do to keep activists away. He also shared some of the more interesting situations his firm has faced, including an investment where the board included a priest and a nun as directors. 

Paul Clancy successfully engaged with activist investors for more than a decade as CFO of Biogen, then Alexion. A stalwart believer in value-based management, Paul was recognized in the top three biotech CFOs by Institutional Investor from 2011-2020. He was awarded the number five Top CFO by the Wall Street Journal, across all industries. Now he sits on four biotech boards, teaches at Cornell’s business school, and is an executive in residence at Harvard Business School. We discuss the unique challenges of allocating capital, innovation, and marketing resources with very long product development cycles. Paul is also clear that once “you get a medicine to market, you actually can narrow the range of outcomes” and all the “sound principles of corporate finance” apply.