■ Hiring and Firing
When CEOs get the boot
Congratulations! You have just been named chief executive. Here's a bit of advice: Don't unpack your bags. Not only is the imperial CEO a thing of the past, so, too, is the idea of the long-tenured chief executive, Strategy & Business says in its summer issue. Some 355 of the chiefs of the world's 2,500 largest companies -- that's 14 percent -- left office last year. Of that number, 111 of them "were forced from office for performance-related reasons or because of disagreements with their boards," according to the article's authors. "This is the highest level of forced resignations we have seen," they write. "It represents a 300 percent increase over 1995, the earliest year we benchmarked." The authors say that this turnover is "a natural response to today's difficult corporate environment -- continued pressure for investment returns, geopolitical uncertainties, expanded regulatory oversight and international talent wars - along with the perceived or real inability of many CEOs to deliver."
■ Promotions
Soup Nazi Inc
In one of the better-known Seinfeld episodes, New Yorkers groveled at the feet of the Soup Nazi, a man who, depending on his mood -- and your attitude -- might or might not serve you what was described as the world's best potage. The character was reportedly based on the soup purveyor Al Yeganeh. Chain Leader, a restaurant trade magazine, reports Yeganeh now has "teamed up with seasoned food industry executives to take his famous recipes beyond New York via The Original Soup Man concept." Yeganeh's image is on all the signs and he will serve as the company spokesman. "He will not permit any follow-up or personal questions from the media, with whom he only communicates via e-mail ... Yeganeh prohibits reporters and prospective franchises from using the `Soup Nazi' phrase that made him famous."
■ Office dating
Colleages with benefits
Apparently there is a lot more going on at the office than just meetings and memorandums. Some 58 percent of workers surveyed said they had had an office romance, according to an article in the current issue of Men's Health. And 19 percent of employees reported they had dated a boss or supervisor. That number would seem accurate since 19 percent of the people in the same survey said they had dated a subordinate. Nearly four out of 10 said their company had no official policy on office romances. Some 23 percent said they had had sex in the office.
LANDMARK: Taiwan and Haiti are set to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, the president said, adding that the two would deepen bilateral ties President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday pledged continued support for Haiti, particularly in food aid and healthcare, as the Caribbean nation faces ongoing social and economic challenges. Speaking at a meeting with Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste, Lai said Taiwan would step up bilateral cooperation to help improve Haiti’s social infrastructure. Taiwan would continue supporting Haiti through initiatives aimed at improving healthcare, food security and overall development, he said. Taiwan and Haiti are set to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, the president said, adding that the two nations would continue to support each other and deepen bilateral
MONTHS OF WORK: The core mission of Taiwan’s negotiators is to safeguard the national interest, public health and food security, President William Lai said Taiwan is still hoping to reach a deal with the US in ongoing tariff talks after it was not among the first batch of 14 nations to receive tariff notification letters. The US issued its first batch of tariff notification letters on Monday, but Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) yesterday confirmed that Taiwan has yet to receive one. Vice Premier Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) and Minister Without Portfolio Yang Jen-ni (楊珍妮), who lead the Office of Trade Negotiations, are in the US negotiating the tariff issue, the Executive Yuan said yesterday. The US in early April announced sweeping tariffs on imported goods, including
The New York Yankees are to host Taiwanese Heritage Day for the first time this year, the event’s organizer announced on Monday. The annual event, which has been held nearly every year since 2005, has often been hosted by the New York Mets at Citi Field, but this year it would be hosted by the New York Yankees on Sept. 10 at Yankee Stadium, organizer ROF International Sport Marketing wrote on social media. The event, which is being co-organized by the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce of North America (TCCNA), is one of many cultural events hosted by the Yankees, the announcement said,
‘A SERIOUS THREAT’: Japan has expressed grave concern over the Strait’s security over the years, which demonstrated Tokyo’s firm support for peace in the area, an official said China’s military drills around Taiwan are “incompatible” with peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya said during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi (王毅) on Thursday. “Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is important for the international community, including Japan,” Iwaya told Wang during a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in Kuala Lumpur. “China’s large-scale military drills around Taiwan are incompatible with this,” a statement released by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday cited Iwaya as saying. The Foreign Ministers’ Meetings are a series of diplomatic
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