#ceo

There was a lot of concern coming out of SKO regarding the direction of the company. Many people, rightfully so, are sharpening up their resumes.

The new CEO started today so put on your seatbelts for a bumpy ride.

At a time when many legacy tech companies struggled to adapt, Arvind made the hard, visionary decisions—doubling down on hybrid cloud, AI, and enterprise modernization rather than chasing hype. The Red Hat acquisition, the focus on open systems, and IBM’s renewed relevance in mission-critical enterprise workloads didn’t happen by accident.

True leadership isn’t about quarterly soundbites—it’s about positioning a 100+ year-old company for the next 100 years. Under Arvind’s leadership, IBM has shown discipline, clarity, and long-term vision in an industry obsessed with shortcuts.

That’s what real CEOs do: make bold calls early, stay the course, and let results speak.

https://pulse2.com/opentext-names-ayman-antoun-as-ceo/amp/

OpenText announced its board has appointed Ayman Antoun as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board, effective April 20, 2026, positioning the veteran technology executive to lead the company’s next phase of cloud modernization and enterprise AI-focused growth.

Antoun brings more than three decades of operating and transformation experience across global technology organizations. OpenText highlighted his tenure at IBM, where he most recently served as President of IBM Americas from 2020 to 2023, overseeing the company’s largest regional business across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. OpenText said his leadership at IBM included driving advancements spanning cloud, infrastructure, cybersecurity, cognitive solutions, and digital modernization. Antoun also previously served as President of IBM Canada and General Manager, Global Technology Services, and spent time in telecom as Senior Vice President of Business Market Sales at Bell Canada from 2013 to 2015.

Antoun will succeed James McGourlay, who has been serving as interim CEO. OpenText said McGourlay will remain in the interim role through the transition and then move into a role within the company’s Executive Leadership Team. The company also said P. Thomas Jenkins, currently Executive Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer, will return to the role of Chair of the Board following the CEO transition.

OpenText’s board described the appointment as the outcome of a thorough CEO search process aligned to the company’s strategy and leadership needs, emphasizing Antoun’s experience with large-scale modernization efforts and his relationships across public and private sectors. Antoun, in comments released by the company, pointed to OpenText’s product portfolio and global client base as advantages as organizations place greater importance on trusted data for AI and business operations.

Antoun holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Executive program in financial analysis, business management and strategic planning. He currently serves on the boards of TD Bank and CAE.

KEY QUOTES

“The Board is very pleased to welcome Ayman to OpenText, and as we look ahead to the Company’s future, the Board believes that he is the best leader to drive shareholder value by growing revenue in our core Enterprise Information Management for training Agentic AI business. Ayman’s deep enterprise technology and software expertise and decades of leading large-scale global transformations will be a catalyst for OpenText’s next phase of growth.”

“On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank James for his steadfast leadership as Interim CEO and for the strong results we are realizing by his commitment to our clients. I look forward to welcoming Ayman back home to Kitchener-Waterloo, where he grew up and went to school at the University of Waterloo, and to work with him, our Board and Executive Leadership Team as OpenText continues to advance its strategy.”

P. Thomas Jenkins, Executive Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer, OpenText

“The Board’s CEO Search Committee conducted a thorough CEO search, assessing a strong and diverse slate of global candidates against the Company’s strategic direction to identify the right leadership fit. We were impressed by Ayman’s experience leading major technology organizations, particularly in cloud and digital modernization, along with strong international relationships across public and private sectors. It became clear in our conversations with Ayman that he is uniquely positioned to advance the Company’s leadership in enterprise AI during our pivotal phase of growth.”

David Fraser, Lead Independent Director, OpenText, and Co-Chair of the CEO Search Committee

“OpenText’s core product portfolio, which is the foundation for training agentic AI, combined with its worldwide client base offers the company a competitive advantage as trusted data is now essential to how economies, nations and businesses operate around the world. I am energized by the opportunity to lead OpenText into its next chapter and look forward to working with the Board and leadership team to accelerate the Company’s growth strategy and deliver long-term shareholder value.”

Ayman Antoun, incoming Chief Executive Officer, OpenText

• Michael Fiddelke, who started at Target as a finance intern, takes over the top job at the retailer on Sunday.
• He must deal with declining sales and civil unrest in Minneapolis, the city where Target is based.
• The company's outgoing CEO will stay on as executive chairman, raising questions about how much change is possible.

https://www.businessinsider.com/target-ceo-michael-fiddelke-thrown-into-crisis-mode-day-one-2026-1

Given the significant losses, which are expected to continue to increase, this is a serious concern, and Microsoft should be prepared for a potential CEO exit and make preparations ahead of time.

There is something in water brewing with the IBM connection. I found it quite strange IBM speaking at the kick off given the past relationship. It looks quite clear the new CEO has been brought into to facilitate a takeover of some sort by IBM, clears the decks of what they don't want and make the takeover/transition easier and cleaner. He looks a safe pair of hands that IBM trust, there is simply no other reason you would give a man closer to retirement and has been semi retired for a number of years this gig.

New CEO= no wfh,subpar bonus, less than inflation salary increase, AI psychosis and the most toxic work environment in the metro. Is Continental hiring?

Our company isn't doing great and we were hoping the next CEO would actually be able to help us.
Care to way in on what kind of boss Ayman will be?

Best guy for CEO!
I bet on Mark!

Some of us were not invited to the party in Vegas. How goes SKO and what about the CEO msg??

Pretty clear Bill only cares about share price.

He gets a question about ICE and he just waffles and rambles about how we need to be calm.

He gets a question about culture and he barfs out a word salad about safety.

Let's see how this plays out.

Mary is making things happen over at GM, actually announcing subscription REVENUE numbers. $2 BILLION current, $$5 BILLION future commitments.

From Business Insider:

Mary Barra, GM's CEO, boasted major gains in the company’s subscription base.

General Motors said its in-vehicle tech services generated nearly $2 billion last year.
GM sells three main subscription products: safety features, in-car internet access, and hands-free driver assistance.

GM told Business Insider it plans to add features through updates over time, reducing the need for new car parts.

General Motors has been pulling a Tim Cook and boosting its software and subscription business.

During the automaker's Tuesday earnings call, CEO Mary Barra highlighted the rapid growth of GM's in-vehicle software and subscription business.

In the past nine months, GM's software generated $2 billion, and customers have already signed up for about $5 billion in future subscriptions.

The company said it now has 11 million subscribers for its OnStar safety system, up 34% from a year earlier. Another half a million customers are also paying for Super Cruise, its hands-free driver-assistance system.

Now, that's still just a fraction of its total revenue, which was $45.29 billion in the last quarter alone. But the margins on those services are also higher than on cars sales.

GM says its software business keeps roughly 70 cents of every dollar it brings in. That's a rare level of profitability in the auto industry, as many car sales generate just four to 10 cents per sales dollar.

"We are also executing plans to grow software and services like OnStar and Super Cruise to generate even greater revenue during and after each vehicle sale," Barra said on the call. "We think there's a growth opportunity there with very attractive margins."

"Software and services are becoming increasingly important to how customers experience GM vehicles and how we deliver value beyond the initial purchase," a spokesperson told Business Insider.

The company also said it will keep adding features and services to vehicles over time, rather than relying on hardware upgrades.

"As vehicles become more software-defined, we can introduce new digital experiences through updates and optional services rather than hardware changes," the spokesperson added.

The subscriptions push comes as automakers look for new ways to make money after cars leave the dealership lot — especially as Detroit automakers roll out new electric vehicles.

Up 5%. Not today haters!

Headline: Qualcomm CEO pockets 15% pay rise as profits fall 45%
How else can CA afford to give himself a pay raise?
https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/23/qualcomm_ceo_pay/

New CEO sold aerospace to raise stock price. CEO then must not have been able to forecast revenue growth after and decided to cost cut in hopes to retain momentum on stock.

Hope CEO reassures them not to fear about their jobs and give them the holidays back. Take care of people and they will take care of business. Say nice motivating words, it will energize them. Please, I beg.

James McGourlay is no longer in my org charts. Have we a new CEO finally?

On a Sunday and of course no mention of safety measures and work from home for Minneapolis employees due to unrest. Typical clown CEO. Donate while I cut your jobs. Can she get any worse?

You're not powerless. You can certainly fight back.

The whole point of the layoffs are to keep the already struggling Cigna stock value up. The goal of this is to please investors and because the CEO, David Cordani, is payed mostly in stocks (no really, look it up on the SEC website).

If you are an employee you might have a 401k. A 401k is a collection of stocks used for retirement. Your 401k likely has at least one fund invested mostly in Cigna stock. When you are layed off, or maybe even before, transfer those Cigna funds to something else/better. Your retirement account will be better invested and you have undone any stock benefit of them laying you off.

Investor-backed Mycrogrid is acquiring Renova Energy. Layoff notices were issued to 20 to 30 employees. The company had furloughed over 300 staff members in 2024. Vincent Battaglia, Renova Energy's CEO, also leads Mycrogrid. Mycrogrid anticipates reopening in April with new positions.

https://kesq.com/news/2026/01/23/exclusive-renova-energy-announces-acquisition-by-investor-mycrogrid/

This is the thing we're not talking about enough. https://www.startribune.com/us-bancorps-ceo-pay-increased-14percent-in-2024/601233686

U.S. Bancorp’s CEO pay increased 14% in 2024
Andrew Cecere realized $15.9 million in total compensation for 2024

• Amazon plans a second round of corporate job cuts next week, aiming to eliminate about 30,000 white-collar roles in total, according to sources cited by Reuters.
• Roughly 14,000 corporate jobs were already cut in October, and the upcoming round is expected to be of a similar size, potentially starting as early as Tuesday.
• The layoffs are expected to hit AWS, retail, Prime Video, and human resources (People Experience and Technology), though details could still change.
• CEO Andy Jassy said the cuts are driven mainly by company culture and excess bureaucracy, not by short-term finances or AI replacing workers.
• Earlier, Amazon had linked job reductions to AI-driven efficiencies, and Jassy has said the corporate workforce will continue shrinking as AI boosts productivity.
• The full 30,000 cuts would equal nearly 10% of Amazon’s corporate workforce, though only a small fraction of its 1.58 million total employees, most of whom work in warehouses.
• If completed, this would be Amazon’s largest layoff ever, surpassing the roughly 27,000 jobs cut in 2022, with affected employees previously kept on payroll for 90 days to seek internal or external roles.

https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/amazon-plans-thousands-more-corporate-job-cuts-next-week-sources-say-2026-01-22/

CSX Q4 Profit Down on Weak Demand, Severance

CSX reported a 2% profit slip in the fourth quarter. This decline was attributed to weak demand. Severance costs from recent layoffs also impacted results. The railroad earned $720 million, or 39 cents per share. CEO Steve Angel expects only modest economic growth for the coming year.

https://www.abc4.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-csx-railroad-profit-slips-2-as-shipping-demand-remained-weak-and-severance-costs-hurt-results/amp/

Lcation: Jacksonville, Florida

Citigroup Plans March Layoffs for Senior Staff

https://www.benzinga.com/markets/large-cap/26/01/50108593/citigroup-plans-fresh-march-layoffs-targeting-senior-roles

Citigroup is preparing for another round of employee layoffs expected in March. These reductions will primarily affect managing directors and other senior employees. This is part of a larger plan to eliminate 20,000 roles by the end of 2026. CEO Jane Fraser noted automation and AI will reshape the bank's workforce. The company aims to simplify operations and boost productivity.

Many on this blog are going to dislike this post. But VK is absolutely crushing it at Davos this year. The stock is rallying and the strategic decisions he is leading are poising us for a step change in growth. Bravo this is fantastic to watch on CNBC.

##Proud Honeyweller ##

Exceptional leadership in a time of great uncertainty. You haven’t wavered on the core principles that Centene emphasizes. I, for one, appreciate that. Too many haters on here. I am glad we have you and wouldn’t want to work under anyone else. The stock returns over the last 6 months aren’t bad either!

There was a CEO named Whelan
Who set up his company for failing
They missed all their targets
We're punished by markets
Was surprised when Woods started wailing

It also appears that more layoffs may be in Ubisoft's future too. We already knew that their Halifax studio is being shuttered, but according to VGC, the company is also considering the sale of other assets. On top of this, CFO Frederick Duguet said, "There are some people who will be refocused on other big projects, and some may leave the company." An exact figure wasn't specified in terms of staff members being moved or laid off.

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/prince-of-persia-the-sands-of-time-remake-and-more-cancelled-by-ubisoft-with-layoffs-potentially-on-the-horizon

With Mike Wirth having sold off around $80,000,000.00 (public information/verifiable online) of Chevron Stock within the last three months...how many of us believe it is a smart move to wait for the next axe to fall? When our own CEO has lost faith in this company it's clearly time to start looking to get out before there's a logjam at the gates.

Ebrahim Poonawala (Bank of America) asked about the sustainability of revenue growth and margin targets if the environment worsens; CEO Robin Vince highlighted BNY’s agility and ability to adjust expenses, emphasizing their diversified revenue engine and reduced macro sensitivity.

He is showing his inexperience as a rookie CEO. If he thinks that he can grow this company by doing the large layoff he did today, he is just a fool.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bank-america-ceo-confirms-gen-133000077.html

I read an article about a company that recently replaced its CEO. The new CEO was asked how he planned to gain the trust of employees. I laughed, thinking about how Scharf had the same opportunity to improve the lives of 260,000 people and chose betrayal instead.

Hearing there are org change meetings today. Surprised that no org changes have been announced when new CEO “officially” starts on Feb 1. Walmart is running laps around Target and they just announced a huge c-suite change last week. Target has a lot of work to do and they’re taking zero aggressive action to drive meaningful change to compete.

I think I should say this. I had heard good things about PNC and had found a couple positions I wanted to apply for in Technology, but after hearing the CEO‘s decision on a 5 day work week, and how the morale has completely changed, there is no way that I want to work for PNC. I truly believe I’d be miserable every day. I will take my talent and expertise where employees are cared about and respected.

Do y’all realize how many announcements Apple, Google, and gang have made about new campuses then the start date for construction gets pushed for this or that reason? Do you know how many permits it takes to knock down huge existing office buildings and the time it will take to pull up massive parking lots and roadways? Just thinking about the number of dump truck runs needed is mind boggling.

This is just big talk to make the news and try to garnish a stock price “buy” recommendation. A new CEO will be named in the next few years and will squash this whole idea, lease a few buildings and call it a day!

BD has turned into a circus of nincompoops , seemingly united by one goal: destroying what used to be a great company. It started at the top with the CEO, followed by a chain of DEI hires, each worse than the last, culminating in the collapse of TGS. The irony is that the CTO/CIO doesn’t even realize that he/she’s being manipulated by her VPs.

Maybe for the cost savings we get a new CEO that is at the Engine? Would save over 30 million a year. Or let AI do the ELT job, cant be any worse that what we have now. We are wasting millions on our ELT now!