Format: Paperback, 283
Publisher: North River Pr (October 01, 1994)
Measurements: 9"(h) x 6"(w) x 0.75"(d), 1.04 lbs.
ISBN: 9780884271154
Alex Rogo was the Executive VP in charge of the diversified group of Unico. He is the central character in this novel of business. Alex is faced with the dilemma of saving three of his companies from being sold off almost for scrap in reorganization following the retirement of their CEO, Granby. The story is told through Alex’s eyes. It is a facinating read for anyone involved with sales and or marketing.
The story begins with a boardmeeting. Alex sees the typical corporate board (his included) as consisting of three groups:
1. Top management: they –we do the actual work of the company and do it
before the board meetings.
2. Decoration directors: these people are or were top guns in other
companies and do their work elsewhere.
3. Professional sharks or shareholder representatives.
The story revolves around his relationship with two members of the third group, the “sharks.” A board meeting about a year before the expected retirement of Granby is the opening scene. Doughty, one of the sharks remarks that the company’s stock is hovering around $32 per share, slightly over half of what it was selling for when Granby took over seven years ago. Moreover Doughty feels that Unico has made many poor investments and eroded the company’s asset base. Truman feels like Doughty and that they need to look externally for a successor to Granby. He goes on to say they have invested almost 300 million dollars in diversifying, with a poor return on investment, and that they should cut their losses and sell the companies involved/purchased in efforts to diversify.
As the story progresses, we see Alex involve ...