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Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld

  • Remembering Oz Nelson, Who Reinvented UPS

    In the 1990s, Nelson modernized the shipping company and gave it a new focus on the customer. Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld remembers the former CEO, who died on April 6.

    Oz Nelson in his office
  • How Disney’s Bob Iger Outmaneuvered Ron DeSantis

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld writes that Iger offered a master class in standing up to bullies when he undercut the Florida governor’s attempt to impose new oversight on Walt Disney World.

    Robert Iger with Mickey Mouse at an event
  • Just Say No to Handing Putin Control of the UN Security Council

    Russia is slated to assume the presidency of the UN Security Council on April 1. Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Senator Richard Blumenthal, and former ambassador Jon Huntsman write that the U.S. must exercise its rarely-used veto powers to prevent Russia from using the role to whitewash its invasion of Ukraine.

    Vladimir Putin speaking to the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. 
  • The Fed Pushed Silicon Valley Bank Off the Cliff

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian and Jeremy Siegel of the Wharton School write that the Federal Reserve’s impatience in taming inflation could tip the economy into crisis.

    Customers outside the  headquarters of the Silicon Valley Bank on March 13.
  • With ‘Zero Visibility’ into the Russian Economy, the IMF is Parroting Putin’s Line

    Rather than admitting ignorance, write Yale’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Stephen Roach, and Steven Tian, the IMF is accepting the Kremlin’s statistics—and fueling pessimism about the impact of sanctions.

    Vladimir Putin visiting the Ustianskiy timber complex in Arkhangelsk, Russia, in February. 
  • A Year after the Invasion, the Russian Economy Is Self-Immolating

    Economic pressure and a talent drain are pushing Russia into permanent irrelevance, write Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian.

    A vacant commercial building in Moscow on February 10. 
  • Business Prognosticators Keep Getting It Wrong

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld explains the mistakes that analysts and forecasters make while trying to predict the future.

    A crystal ball with a stock chart inside
  • Activist Investor Nelson Peltz’s Track Record Doesn’t Back Up His Bluster

    Peltz, the founding partner of Trian Fund Management, is demanding a seat on Disney’s board. Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian found that more than half of the companies with Peltz on their boards have underperformed the market.

    Nelson Peltz pointing at the camera
  • The U.S. Has Thwarted Putin’s Energy Blackmail

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian write that the Biden administration’s balanced approach has helped Europe maintain its natural gas supply while protecting U.S. interests.

    The Enagas regasification plant at Barcelona’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal. 
  • The CEOs Who Succeeded and Stumbled in 2022

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Stevan Tian name five corporate leaders whose accomplishments stood out this year—and five who led their enterprises into rough waters.

    Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at the 2022 World Economic Forum.