Confusing Consequences of Corporate Combination
This fine young chap is none other than Ignacio Garat. Who, you might ask?
Key strengths:
Ignacio has more than 25 years’ management, operational, commercial, strategic and transformational growth experience within the freight and logistics industry.
Previous roles include CEO Spain & Portugal, CEO Brazil at TNT and Senior Vice President for Southern Europe, France and Benelux at FedEx. In his last position, Ignacio had responsibility for a business operating in over 22 countries, with 22,000 employees and generating annual revenues of over €4.5bn. He has a track record of leading international, complex businesses with a clear strategic purpose and inclusive management culture. Ignacio has a degree in international business from the American University of Paris and a postgraduate diploma in management and business studies from the University of Warwick.
Key strengths in supporting the Company’s strategy:
Dynamic catalyst of transformation into high performing culture
Strong strategic and operational leadership with clear financial and service improvements delivered
Experience of leading large-scale complex businesses across many different countries and continents, assisted by being multilingual
Has a focus on safety and using data analytics and technology to innovate and drive service efficiency, customer experience and excellence
Has a strong focus on people and culture and solid credentials in M&A and business integration
It is palpably obvious from the above CV that our Ignacio is Group Chief Executive Officer for National Express.
He am de big boss-man, man! As they say.
A fortnight ago, when the deal was announced, he and three of his new-found chums presented an entertaining (NOT) slide show and series of talks explaining how good the "Combination" with Stagecoach would be. But do not be deceived, dear readers, by words to soften the truth - this is Nat Ex Group taking over Stagecoach Group!
fbb has received a copy of the presentation to the shareholders of both companies. By the very nature of these things, all they tell you how absolutely super-smashing the deal will be - offering inestimable benefits to both after their "Combination".
Of course, benefits mean, as one certain TV entertainer was wont to say ...
... "Loadsamoney!" Or that is what the consequence of the deal should be.
Rather than listen to Ignacio's peroration, we can peruse some of the slides that illustrated his talk - and thrill of thrills, there are three more Executives to perform even after Iggy has explained it all.
But we will continue.
But can they run buses and coaches, and, furthermore, can they run them better than the old Stagecoach lot?
Of course they can, because, like Beattie's "Ology" ...
... Nat Ex have got a "Strategy"!
fbb thinks that the green ring ...
Strong Financial Returns
The Safest
The Most Reliable
The Environmental Leader
The Most Satisfied Customers
The Employer of Choice
will be
Digitally Enabled
leading to various achievements like
Filling The Transit Gap
Consolidating and Compounding
Reinvigorating Public Transport
Multi-Modal Expansion
Operational Transformation
which will, in turn fulfil the Vision of being
The world's premier mobility operator
and the Purpose
To lead modal shift from cars to mass Transit.
There is a bit more from Ignacio which basically says we can do all these noble things BETTER if we are "combined" with Stagecoach.
You are right - it is aspirational and philosophical guff which sounds OK, BUT ...
... what does it mean for passengers?
Ignacio may respond, "Passengers? What are they?"
fbb cannot help remembering part of a soliloquy from Macbeth (in the play Macbeth by a certain Mr Shakespeare):-
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this super "combination" day,
To the last syllable of corporate time;
When all our strategies have guided fools
The way to voting yes. Out, out, brief candle!
It's but a presentation, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
But there are three more exciting presentations to come.
We cannot wait.
fbb will investigate further after the weekend's festivities.
The next bit is a bit "preach-like" - but tomorrow is CHRISTmas, so there is an excuse. And there aren't too many appropriate words beginning with "X".
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
It is amazing how often we use the cross in everyday life. Obviously, from the dreary depths of our schooldays, we learn the the X means we've got it wrong. In our trawl through the Biblical progress we have seen, time and time again, the consequences of "getting it wrong".
The Biblical name for "getting it wrong" is that little word SIN. It is not always the big things like Murder and Adultery - it is those little niggles wherever we fall short of God's standards.
X is a crossroads, points at which we need to make a decision about what really matters. What might we vote for, by placing our X?
The Christ Child moved on from Xmas and, on the X he accepted the punishment that should have been ours (as explained by Isaiah in Chapter 53**). As the adult Jesus explained to Nicodemus, the secret follower within the group that eventually condemned Him to death (ironic eh?):-
The Son of God must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.
The Kiss (X) of Sacrificial Love.
**P.S. Isaiah 53 verses 5 and 6 written over 5 centuries before Jesus appeared.
But because of our sins he was wounded,
beaten because of the evil we did.
We are healed by the punishment he suffered,
made whole by the blows he received.
All of us were like sheep that were lost,
each of us going his own way.
But the Lord made the punishment fall on him,
the punishment all of us deserved.
The real CHRISTmas, predicted!
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
As originally instigated, CHRISTmas begins at midnight and goes on to January 6th. as the clock strikes 12 we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child who grew up tp "save the world".
If it was all true - and countless millions are happy that it was - then it really is worth celebrating.
Innit?
Next short seasonal snippet ; Saturday 25th December
No comments:
Post a Comment