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Steven Tian

  • Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar’s Death Can Bring the Middle East Closer to Peace

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, co-author Steven Tian, and diplomat Dennis Ross write that Sinwar’s death could ultimately lead to the end of Hamas rule and the political and economic stabilization of Gaza.

    Yahya Sinwar in Gaza City in April 2023.
  • What Critics of Pfizer Are Getting Wrong

    The activist investment firm Starboard Value has launched a proxy fight again Pfizer, questioning the company’s management under CEO Albert Bourla. Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian write that the critics are demonstrating the same impatience that has led investors to underestimate Pfizer in the past.

    The Pfizer logo and stock price on a display at the New York Stock Exchange
  • CEOs Are More Optimistic about the Economy Than the Rest of Us, and They’re Probably Right

    At Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld’s Yale CEO Caucus last week, the vast majority of the business leaders in attendance said they expect a soft landing. Sonnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian write that the economic indicators back up the CEOs.

    A "Now Hiring" sign in the window of a mall clothing store
  • The IMF Is Returning to Russia. No One Should Be Surprised.

    The International Monetary Fund’s decision to send a delegation to Russia is only the latest pro-authoritarian move from the organization under the leadership of Kristalina Georgieva, according to Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, co-author Steven Tian, and Tymofiy Mylovanov and Nataliia Shapoval of the Kyiv School of Economics.

    Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva at a press briefing at IMF headquarters in Washington, D.C., in April 2024. 
  • Has Starbucks Finally Found the Right Leader?

    For more than two decades, the coffee empire has tried and failed to find a lasting successor to longtime CEO Howard Schultz. Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, with co-authors Steven Tian and Stephen Henriques, provides an insider’s view of the drama and explains why Chipotle’s Brian Nicoll might be the right person for the job.

    A aerial view of Starbucks’ headquarters in Seattle
  • Trump Is Already Rattling the Stock Market

    Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, co-author Steven Tian, and investor and analyst Whitney Tilson write that the pattern is familiar from Trump’s term in office, when his remarks frequently swayed markets—usually for the worse.

    Donald Trump on a TV at the New York Stock Exchange
  • Why Many Business Leaders Are Worried about Trump’s VP Pick

    Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and two Yale SOM colleagues write that the selection of J. D. Vance as vice presidential nominee reflects Trump’s worst anti-business instincts.

    Images of J. D. Vance on video screens at the Republican National Convention
  • Biden Should Go on Offense—Without Being Offensive

    Yale leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and his co-author Steven Tian argue that President Joseph Biden has a strong record of economic accomplishment, and he should tout that at the first presidential debate rather than rely on populist attacks on big business.

    Empty lectern
  • How AI Is Already Transforming Fortune 500 Businesses, According to Their CEOs

    At a recent Yale CEO Summit, Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld talked to business leaders about the AI tools and other new technologies appearing everywhere from back offices to fast-food kitchens. Sonnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian outline the looming changes in a variety of sectors.

    A Chipotle chef with Chippy, an autonomous kitchen assistant that makes tortilla chips
  • Speaker Mike Johnson’s ‘Profiles in Courage’ Moment

    Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian write that the House Speaker displayed rare courage in learning on the job and defying extremists in his own party—and draw historical parallels to an ideological conversion that changed the course of the Cold War.

    House Speaker Mike Johnson speaking to the press, in a wide image from behind