Apple names new CFO, United Airlines flight attendants authorize strike
Plus, a CEO speaks out against employee coffee breaks.
Greetings, comms pros! Let’s take a look at a few news stories from the past week and see what we can learn from them.
1 . Apple taps Kevan Parekh as new CFO
Apple is undergoing a leadership transition. New CFO Kevan Parekh is slated to take over the company’s finances in January 2025, replacing long-time Apple employee Luca Maestri as he transitions out of the role and into a smaller one over the coming months.
“It appears that the transition to the new CFO is planned and orderly, which is the most important question. Maestri staying on with Apple is also very important, as it removes the risk of financial questions,” D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria said.
“(Parekh) will need to continue the prudent capital management, but may also be tasked with restarting Apple’s exploration of complementary acquisitions.”
When a notable company such as Apple undergoes a leadership transition, there’s bound to be scrutiny. But Apple seems to have gotten this one right. Bring the new leader in ahead of time, let them get familiar, and transition out the old one over a few months. This allows communicators to keep open lines to employees about the transition and to answer questions or concerns that might pop up. The more lead time you give yourself, the smoother your leadership transition is likely to be.
2. United Airlines flight attends authorize strike
Flight attendants at United Airlines have overwhelmingly authorized a strike, with 99% of union members voting yes to authorize it. While this doesn’t mean a strike is necessarily imminent, it’s certainly a wake-up call for those in union comms.
“We deserve an industry-leading contract. Our strike vote shows we’re ready to do whatever it takes to reach the contract we deserve,” Ken Diaz, president of the United chapter of AFA said in a statement. “The 99.99% yes vote is a clear reminder that we are unified in the fight against corporate greed and ready to fight for our fair share of the profits we create.”
Effective union comms work is based on a foundation of listening, familiarity with the rules and regulations, and engaging with employees in good faith. That also includes learning from the mistakes of others.
It’ll be worth watching how United proceeds on the path forward here, and whether it takes a leaf from the many examples of good union communications, or chooses another, more risky path.
3. Australian mining magnate who banned remote work decries coffee breaks
Some executives are known for bluster in their executive comms, and Australian mining tycoon Chris Ellison is among them.
After taking remote work away at his company Mineral Resources, Ellison recently made a bit of a head-scratching statement when he said that he didn’t want employees leaving the premises for coffee.
Chris Ellison, the chief executive of the Australian miner Mineral Resources, said he was trying to make its Perth headquarters as appealing as possible as he does not want staff “leaving the building”.
He said: “I want to hold them captive all day long. I don’t want them leaving the building.”
“I don’t want them walking down the road for a cup of coffee. We kind of figured out a few years ago how much that costs, wandering out around lunch time.”
He said the head office has a restaurant, a gym and “other facilities that keeps them glued in there”.
Will this attitude affect Ellison in the long run? Probably not, seeing as he’s already a billionaire.
But this sentiment is at odds with the higher priority placed on workplace flexibility that employees have come to expect. Those little touches at work that remind people they’re human beings and not just drones to turn shareholders a profit are what make places desirable to work at. We’re sure Ellison is a good businessman just based on his net worth. His words are a reminder that knowing how to manage finances and run a business doesn’t necessarily mean you know how to communicate.
Finding those gaps between how your leaders advance the business and how they put the business at risk might mean you should have more influence in shaping exec comms strategy. To that end, it’s hard to imagine a comms pro vetting Ellison’s take. Point to this incident as the latest example of what happens when the judgment of comms leads is not heeded by executives.
4. How about some good news?
- Rock band Oasis announced a reunion tour 15 years after their last concert.
- Construction workers in Germany found a set of medieval coins while building a swimming pool.
- A Roman mosaic decorated with sea creatures was found in England.
- Ragan Training is great for communications pros to find inspiration and resources.
- You should be rewarded for your work. Find out how to earn an award here!
Have a great weekend comms all-stars!
Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports, a good pint and ’90s trivia night.
