Atticus Is Moving Up – And Onward
Worldwide Demand For Interim Managers Is Being Matched In Canada.

Thanks to our successful work with a growing list of clients, and to better meet the increasing demand for interim management solutions in Canada, we have moved into the heart of the Toronto business district. Our new address is:

Atticus Canada Interim Management.
First Canadian Place
Suite 3700
Toronto, ON M5X 1C9

Our phone number remains the same – 416.644.8795 – but we have a new fax number: 416.850.5538 and a new URL for our website. Our website address is now www.AtticusCanada.com.

Increasing Need

So what’s behind the growth that prompted our move?

There is a growing recognition by companies of the value interim management can add to their business. As a result, they are finding new and expanded needs for interim managers. For example, in the last month alone, we started working on interim management assignments that find our Principals:

ROUNDUP: A New Feature Providing A Brief Summary of Emerging Trends For You To Note

Roundup makes its first appearance in this issue of the Atticus Newsletter. Each month the column will offer you several brief overviews of emerging trends. If you have questions about anything you read here, feel free to call the contact Principal at 416.644.8795.

COULD THAT iPOD™ BE AN OFFICE SPY? Designed to store 5,000 songs, Apple’s iPod could become the latest tool for corporate spies. Why? Once its hard drive is plugged into a computer, it can copy all Excel, Word and pdf files in about 65 seconds. An iPod-equipped industrial spy can steal 20,000 files from more than two dozen work stations in less than an hour. Burned onto a CD, intellectual property and business data is ready to be sold to the highest bidder. Impact: Companies with highly sensitive data, innovative ideas or unique intellectual property stored in their computers may need a "desktop lockdown policy," disabling the universal plug and play functions. Contact David Plouffe

SING GOOD-BYE TO HAPPY BIRTHDAY? Ontario's new privacy law could put an end to office birthday parties. That's what some human resource officials fear could be an unintended consequence of tough legislation designed to protect employee records. Why? Because revealing someone's birthday could run afoul of the law. Impact: On a more serious side, companies are struggling mightily to come to grips with complex legislation that carries strong penalties for violations. Contact Carmine Domanico

A RIPPLE EFFECT ON CANADA WHEN US COMPANIES HEAD OFFSHORE. When US producers move operations to lower-cost countries, such moves have a ripple effect on small-to- midsize Canadian companies that supply them. Even though they are profitable in Canada, some are being forced by US customers to follow them off-shore. Why? Partly, it’s pressure on Canadian suppliers to lower costs; partly it is because Canadian suppliers are told they must be closer to their customer. Impact: While only a handful of businesses have moved so far, in the next few years there could be a wave of smaller Canadian companies being told to move to South Asia, China and similar low wage countries, leaving behind Canadian jobs and hobbling the economy.

HEY, COACH! HOW AM I DOING? Executive coaching is an idea that never really caught on. But now, some forward-thinking CEO’s are finding a new, very different use for coaches. Why? Rather than being “the president’s analyst,” coaches are being retained as a sounding board for the chief executive to test ideas, engage in creative thinking, manoeuvre through uncharted waters, and search for unconventional solutions to traditional challenges. Impact: The CEO is seen as a leader delivering innovative business initiatives, capable of and adapting to new situations with ease. Contact Ron Feddersen.

“DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION” – A NEW BUZZWORD IN EMERGING BUSINESSES. Coined by Clayton Christensen in 1997, “disruptive innovation” describes how a new technology can overthrow the competitive advantage of an industry powerhouse. Many emerging businesses looking for additional capital now say they offer “disruptive innovation”, but the tactic could backfire. Why? Disruptive innovation really means unpredictable markets, overhauling organizational structures, and business plans always in flux. In other words, “disruptive innovation” means uncertainty. Impact: Calling a venture “disruptive” without managing the risks only says this is a trip into the unknown – a lesson lost on many emerging businesses that should be more careful about using the phrase in their quest for capital or promotional literature and websites. Contact Steven Ryan.

CLIENTS UNHAPPY WITH LAWYERS. A new survey of law firm clients says that Toronto-area businesses are dissatisfied with the service they receive from their law firm – whether it’s a big Bay St. firm or a small, suburban boutique. Why? Clients say the work lawyers do lives up to snuff, but firms fall down on key issues such as listening to what the client wants to achieve. Impact: Increasingly, clients are willing to shop for lawyers; branding efforts are falling short because they’re based on slogans, not what the firm actually delivers. Contact Greg Petkovich.