An analysis of 1,172 public companies over 19 years reveals that the more uncommon a leader''s given name is, the more his or her strategy deviates from the industry norm.

In 2017, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) faced the first big investment decision in its new Scaling Solar project. Founded in 1956, IFC was an international investment body with national governments as shareholders, whose mission was to promote economic development. It achieved this primarily through debt financing, which allowed the organization to use covenants to exercise close stewardship of its investments. Beginning in the late 1990s, .....more

In 2018, Thailand''s Bank of Ayudhya (known as Krungsri), was considering whether to participate in the first issue of a new financial instrument from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), known as a gender bond. Building on the success of the Green Bond program at promoting investment in sustainable businesses, IFC intended the Gender Bond to encourage local banks to lend to woman-owned businesses. IFC was offering Krungsri substantial .....more

The (D) case updates the case series from the time of Ant''s planned IPO, and the Chinese government''s regulatory shifts.

Both founded in the mid-2000s as two of China''s earliest online video platforms and both emphasizing creative, original content, Youku and Tudou enjoyed popularity among China''s young netizens, while constantly battling each other for market leadership. Both firms went public, on the NYSE and Nasdaq respectively. Facing China''s hyper-competitive online video market, the twin firms decided to engage in a series of transactions, .....more

Mihir is the head of the Disaster Management Department for the fictional coastal state of Udan, in South India. He receives a weather bulletin from the Indian Metrological Department (IMD) about "Ichko," a cyclone that has suddenly changed course and is set to make landfall in the southernmost district of Iramuk in the next 24 hours. Mihir''s department typically received early warning of such events, making it possible to mobilize .....more

Bairong CEO Felix Zhang, in launching his credit scoring start-up that incorporates 74,000 variables per individual, found strong initial success. However, the shifting regulatory environment, growing breadth of competitors, difficulties in retaining top talent, and uncertainty around the accumulation and protection of data that fuels the company all threaten the company''s stability during its IPO. Defining exactly how his firm will make .....more

On August 9, 2020, Sean Jean De Ville, who had recently joined French fashion and cosmetics giant Satix as digital marketing head of the shampoo products division, was preparing for his first meeting with the CEO. He had been tasked to explore the viability of employing influencer marketing on Instagram. This would be a new promotional vehicle for the company, which had traditionally used billboards, print, and limited digital advertisements. He was .....more