17 Global Goals

November 2023

Lark & Berry: The diamond disruptors

By Ioannis Ioannou, Nick Mickshik

Laura Chavez was delighted beyond words when the Atelier Asymmetric Bow suite, designed by her luxury jewellery company Lark & Berry, won the 2019 Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council Graff jewellery award. The Graff Award was the jewellery industry’s equivalent of the Oscars award for Best ...

September 2023

Desso (B): Going Forward (Portuguese language)

By Ioannis Ioannou, Amandine Ody-Brasier

This is part of a case series. This case describes the strategic transformation of DESSO, a Dutch manufacturer of carpet tiles and flooring solutions. The first part of the case describes the difficult situation in which the company found itself in the early 2000s, following a series of changes in o...

September 2023

Desso (A): Taking on the Sustainability Challenge (Portuguese language)

By Ioannis Ioannou, Amandine Ody-Brasier

This is part of a case series. This case describes the strategic transformation of DESSO, a Dutch manufacturer of carpet tiles and flooring solutions. The first part of the case describes the difficult situation in which the company found itself in the early 2000s, following a series of changes in o...

August 2023

Stepping out of lockdown: Launching a footwear brand during a pandemic

By Claudia Yoshinaga, Elisa Larroudé, John Mullins

Marina LarroudĂ© stared glumly at all the crossings out on the proposed boots order for the autumn collection. Her husband Ricardo wanted to cut her suggestions by nearly half – in models, colours and quantities. Their fledgling shoe business had begun to a promising buzz a few months ago, but las...

July 2023

Alessandro Riccombeni Case A: Lessons in leadership

By Randall Peterson, Nick Mickshik

This case is aimed at helping executives understand the reasons why they may ‘derail’ when promoted to a new position or when they secure a new job that does not accord with their expectations of it. Case A describes the situation Alessandro Riccombeni found himself in when, having seemingly se...

July 2023

Alessandro Riccombeni Case B: Resolving the impasse

By Randall Peterson, Nick Mickshik

This case is aimed at helping executives understand the reasons why they may ‘derail’ when promoted to a new position or when they secure a new job that does not accord with their expectations of it. Case A describes the situation Alessandro Riccombeni found himself in when, having seemingly se...

February 2023

Cree (C)

By John Mullins, Elizabeth Philp

Another four years had passed, and it was now April 2018. After two attempts to shut down the venture totally, Hubert Rhomberg’s father Walter-Heinz presented Hubert with an opportunity to buy their cash-burning company, CREE, for €1. CREE had been “his baby” for the better part of a decade,...

February 2023

Cree (B)

By John Mullins, Elizabeth Philp

After having been spun out of the family business, CREE’s progress had been disappointing, to say the least. Despite the fact that two towers had been built using CREE’s innovative approach, and to considerable acclaim, it was proving difficult to sell additional projects. The result was that CR...

February 2023

Cree (A)

By John Mullins, Elizabeth Philp

Hubert Rhomberg was contemplating the wall of photographs at the entrance to the headquarters of his family business, Rhomberg. They showed the history of the company and his forefathers. With such rich heritage, should he really be pushing for innovation so strongly? But if he didn’t, he would be...

March 2022

Marin Alsop: Dream job or nightmare – Compact Case

By Carrie J. Fletcher, Randall Peterson, Vyla Rollins

This case study follows the career of world-renowned orchestra conductor Marin Alsop. As a gay woman in a blatantly male-dominated (and often sexist) field, Alsop faced significant challenges in her rise to the top of the profession. At virtually every turning point on her unconventional path, Alsop...