Pimco’s Bill Gross Picks Up the Pieces – Businessweek

All of his carefully constructed plans for the future of Pimco, the company he started in 1971, were thrown into disarray;

the day-to-day running of the firm, which El-Erian had done much of in his role as chief executive officer, was left with gaping holes.

It was as if he became aware, for the first time, of the possibility that the qualities found in successful traders

—a fixation on numbers and the markets, impatience, the desire to win no matter what

—are not necessarily the same ones that make for a beloved boss.

via Pimco's Bill Gross Recovers After Mohamed El-Erian's Departure – Businessweek.

Philips Joins Osram to Lure Cities With LED Innovations – Businessweek

Washington’s transit authority in November awarded Philips,

which has been selling light bulbs since 1891,

a contract to upgrade 13,000 lighting fixtures in parking plots,

along with a 10-year maintenance deal.

It gives the world’s biggest lighting maker a long-term income stream, and allows Washington to cut energy usage by 68 percent.

via Philips Joins Osram to Lure Cities With LED Innovations – Businessweek.

The Company Reinventing How To Learn A New Language | Fast Company

When Duolingo decides to provide a new language, they go into their database and filter through the applicants, selecting those they feel are best equipped to be course moderators.

The moderators then choose whoever they want to be contributors to the course.

Courses are typically made with a team of up to five contributors. Duolingo provides guidelines on material and what the course should cover, as well as feedback data to help moderators improve the course.

via The Company Reinventing How To Learn A New Language | Fast Company | Business + Innovation.

Goldman Explores Sale of Market-Making Unit- NYTimes.com

Goldman is valuing the unit at about $30 million, a sign of just how much technology has changed the way Wall Street conducts its business.

Goldman paid $6.5 billion for the firm, which operated three core businesses: securities clearing and execution, floor-based market making and off-floor market making.

via Goldman Explores Sale of Market-Making Unit – NYTimes.com – NYTimes.com.

The Former CEO Of IBM On Working At A Global Scale | Fast Company

.. in 2003, I saw the need to transform the company, given what we at IBM saw coming–namely, fundamental shifts in the information technology industry and in the global business environment.

Not only did our products and services need to be transformed, so did the entire structure of the company.

So we took wholesale action, which positioned us to deliver on our business model on a sustainable basis, while giving us greater flexibility to focus on growth and profit opportunities in what was a rapidly-changing world.

via The Former CEO Of IBM On Working At A Global Scale | Fast Company | Business + Innovation.