Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld
Lessons on the Role of Business in Society, from a Timber Baron
Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld remembers George Weyerhaeuser, who led his family’s timber business for decades. He died earlier this year at 95.
CEOs Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Politicians Who Cry ‘Woke’
Stakeholder capitalism is not new, argues Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld. Despite political backlash against “woke” CEOS, today’s leaders need to account for the broad strategic environment in which their companies operate.
Loopholes Persist in the Dragnet around Russia’s Economy
Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian, who have been tracking companies’ disengagement from Russia, write that Asian airlines, European aviation giants, and sanctions evaders are gaming the system and gaining an advantage over their American competitors.
The Myth of Putin as World Energy Czar Is Running Out of Gas
Media commentary suggests that Russia is using its energy resources to hold the rest of the world hostage. To the contrary, write Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian, Russia’s actions have devastated its own economy and undermined its status as an energy exporter.
Are the Companies That Promised Withdrawal from Russia Following Through?
In some cases, those pledges have not been fully honored, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld’s team has found. He writes that boards play a key oversight role in ensuring that companies genuinely end their exposure.
Businesses Staying in Russia Are Underperforming the Market
A new analysis from Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and his team suggests that the firms cutting ties with Russia are seeing markedly better shareholder returns.
Some of the Biggest Brands Are Leaving Russia. Others Just Can’t Quit Putin.
Since the invasion of Ukraine, Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and his team have been tracking which companies have withdrawn from Russia, which are making partial moves, and which are staying put.
Why the Business Retreat from Russia Matters
Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld writes that companies’ moves to disengage from Russia can make a difference, pointing to the withdrawal of businesses from apartheid South Africa in the 1980s.
Temporary CEOs Can Introduce Permanent Problems
Yale SOM's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld writes that putting off a leadership transition is usually the consequence of governance failures—and can have negative repercussions long after a permanent leader is installed.
Office Romance Policies Aren’t Working
Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and author Joanne Lipman write that Jeff Zucker's departure from CNN illustrates the inconsistency and ambiguity of corporate policies on workplace relationships.