Boardroom Talk: Alec Hogg

Alec Hogg: Boardroom Talk : Latest Posts

08 March 2010 15:46

Mistakes exposed as the tide turns

Shareholders carry can for strategic blunders at Sasol, Group Five.

MOOI RIVER - Economic activist Nassim Taleb has written a couple of bestsellers containing countless examples of how, when it comes to money, it's better to be lucky than brilliant (they can be purchased from the Moneyweb Shop) . Often, business mediocrities have been massively rewarded through factors other than their own talent. Taleb is not the only one to make a strong case that many of those earning large executive salaries have done so because of being in the right place at the right time rather than the possession of any special talents.

This philosophy will attract legions of new supporters as the economic downturn continues to reveal examples of poor executive decision-making. Or, to use investment guru Warren Buffett's terminology, wh...

Read post

03 March 2010 14:00

Disdain old business models at your peril

Alec Hogg finds deeper meaning in Steinhoff's continued success.

MOOI RIVER - One of the country's leading publishers confided that every year over 10 000 new business books hit the market. To stand out in the crowd, authors are encouraged to offer fresh ideas usually coupled with denouncing previous systems as "old fashioned". No wonder so few of them gets past the first print run.

Occasionally the system uncovers a talent like Gary Hamel, creator of useful concepts like outsourcing and core focus which work brilliantly for some. But more often, concepts proposed in the flotilla of business books are poorly researched and soon discarded by the few unfortunate readers who think they have found the new silver bullet.

The genius of great entrepreneurs is their ability to see past the fashion of the moment. Especially when it comes to so...

Read post

01 March 2010 17:08

Folly of promises made so long ago

Alec Hogg wonders if the market will forgive Bidvest's aggressive forecasts.

MOOI RIVER - In the four years that Moneyweb polled business leaders for their opinion on which of their peers they admired most, Bidvest's Group Brian Joffe made the top eight every time. Joffe has showed once again in Monday's interims from his creation, Bidvest (JSE:BVT), that he remains the kind of business leader others chiefs model themselves on.

But the level headed man he is, Joffe himself will be wondering what possessed him five years ago when he stuck his neck out by forecasting the group could double by 2010. To be fair, when first mooted, the corporate objective looked a shoo-in. But that was before the global economic slump. And after another tough half year to end December, i...

Read post