I am a big believer in handing out well-earned praise to colleagues and associates. So I want to introduce this edition of our newsletter by praising Geraldine Pelletier, one of our key Principals, for her prescience in writing about India last month, explaining how that nation is becoming a major M&A player on the global business stage. No sooner had our issue hit readers’ e-mail boxes in mid-January but The Tata Group, based in Mumbai, announced it was acquiring Europe’s largest steelmaker. This month, we have a brief follow-up to Geraldine’s article.

In mid-February, The New York Times business section carried a major article on the growing role of interim executives in companies. This month, we look at how companies in Canada are becoming increasingly receptive to the interim executive concept. While the Times article focuses on CFO’s, we are seeing businesses of all sizes use our Principals as interim presidents, vice presidents and senior operations executives.

We also take a look at how having a solid marketing plan helps a business achieve its overall objectives, and we describe the ingredients of a workable plan. We also present a case study that examines how, by focusing on key needs and weaknesses, a client was able to punch through the “concrete ceiling” that was limiting its growth.

And don’t forget to complete the reader survey questionnaire that accompanies each article. Your input helps us make the newsletter more useful to you in running your business or division.

I hope the cold and storms of the past few weeks didn’t leave you stranded along the side of the road, either literally or from a business point-of-view. In any event, there can’t be much winter left, not if baseball’s spring training is already underway.

Regards,

Greg Petkovich
President
Atticus Interim Management

Follow-up: More Multi-Billion Dollar Acquisitions By India
The Tata Group fights off a Brazilian suitor to gain control of Europe’s largest steelmaker, the Anglo-Dutch company Corus, while Hindalco Industries snaps up Canada’s Novelis.

Last month, we reported on India’s growing might as a global economic powerhouse. Then, The Tata Group acquired Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus for £5.75-billion (about C$12-billion) and India's top aluminium producer, Hindalco snapped up Canada’s Novelis Inc. in an all-cash deal.

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New York Times Reports That Interim Executives Help Small Business
A timely article in the Times business section focuses on how small businesses use interim executives to smooth over transitions, ease budgets and meet short-term management needs.
By Greg Petkovich

When the sober and thoughtful business section of The New York Times thinks a story is worth 1,000 words, readers know that the topic is more than a passing fad or flighty trend. In 1997, interim management was unknown in Canada. But in under a decade, it has become an established business tool.

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A Marketing Plan Is Simply The Roadmap.
Often confused with a sales plan, a solid marketing plan makes meeting sales objectives easier.
By James Bliwas

Too often, senior executives and business owners mistakenly believe that they have a marketing plan when what they really have is a set of sales goals. But a carefully thought-out marketing plan, driven by the overall objectives of a business, is a roadmap detailing how the company will use marketing and sales to get from where it is to where it wants to be.

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Case Study: Finding Clarity To Boost Growth.
By focusing on key needs and weaknesses, a company punches through the “concrete ceiling” that was limiting its growth.

Revenues and profits were flat for three years, signalling the business has reached a plateau. By focusing on key needs and weaknesses, a company punches through the “concrete ceiling” and within six months, growth exceeded even the most optimistic expectations.

Read more >>>

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Atticus is a leading professional services firm dedicated to interim executive management.Interim management is a step above consulting, combining needs analysis with implemented solutions. When companies need immediate results but lack the time or in-house skills to get them, they turn to Atticus, whose team of interim executive managers achieve critical goals as much as twenty times faster than permanent senior managers.Contact us today to see how we can help you achieve key business goals faster.