Risk Mismanagement Timeline

There are a number of worthwhile accounts of the firms that failed or nearly failed in the great financial market collapse of 2007-2009. Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin and All the Devils Are Here by Bethany Maclean and Joseph Nocera are two strong general...

Liquidity Crisis Management and BP

When the Deepwater Horizon blew up in April of 2010 and the Macondo well started spilling thousands of barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, BP’s management had to deal with massive human, environmental, operational, and financial challenges. The controversy...

Early Warning Signs at Borders Part 2

It may be disappointing, but it can’t be surprising that Borders Group went bankrupt this week. It was clear some time ago the company was heading deep into distress. What made it so clear? The six classic early warning signs of financial distress. We covered...

Early Warning Signs at Borders Part 1

We blogged about Borders Group back on January 4. Even though the company has a new financing commitment, it continues to have problems paying suppliers. It looks like Borders is still circling the drain. Borders’ survival is questionable, but for us the more...

Master of the world?

Jean Marie Messier became Chairman of Compagnie General des Eaux in 1996 at the age of 38. He was a graduate of elite French universities. At age 29, he held a senior post in the French Ministry of Economy and Finance. At age 32, he joined Lazard Frères, where he...