United Wholesale Mortgage's Landmark SPAC | Inside CES 2021 | How To Transform Your Quarterly Earnings Reports

Plus: America’s Top Givers: The 25 Most Philanthropic Billionaires

As January comes to a close, the license to wish someone “Happy New Year” and get away with it also comes to an end. 2021 is now fully underway, and with it come chances to start anew but also opportunities to build upon the learnings of the past year of radical change. All C-suite executives continually assess where, when and why to invest.

In this CxO newsletter, we bring together the perspectives of CEOs, CIOs, CMOs, CFOs and more as a sort of one-stop shop that yields a snapshot of where their goals, incentives and priorities align, where they diverge, and where they can and should better intersect to drive business growth.

Stay tuned for more focus on and examples of optimal collaboration and connectivity in the C-suite, and share with us your experiences of what’s working, what’s not and what’s possible as we move ahead.

Comings & Goings

The most significant hiring announcements came out of the public sector this past week. On Wednesday, the Senate confirmed Avril Haines as the new director of national intelligence. Haines, a frequent critic of the Trump administration’s intelligence policy, is the first woman to hold the position.

In another notable first, Dr. Rachel Levine was nominated as the assistant secretary of health and human services. The former physician general of Pennsylvania, Levine could become the first transgender American confirmed by the Senate for Federal office.

Connection & Collaboration

In the absence of in-person networking at this year’s virtual CES, CMOs made the most of digital experiences, with remote concerts and virtual meeting rooms. While something of a novelty, could the pandemic fuel a larger push toward digital events for marketers?

Quarterly earnings reports can be so much more than fiduciary due diligence. Here’s how CIOs can turn dry, bureaucratic presentations into opportunities to create a shared organizational vision.

CFOs need to understand the numbers, but even more importantly, they need a robust understanding of the factors at play behind them. In an interview with Forbes Senior Contributor Jeff Thomson, La-Z-Boy CFO Melinda Whittington weighs in on how dramatically the role has grown, and what 2021 will bring for CFOs.

By The Numbers

$13 billion

The increase in Mat Ishbia’s net worth after closing the largest SPAC deal on record.

SPACs, the specialty investment vehicles used to take private companies public with minimal risk, were Wall Street’s darling in 2020. They also made Mat Ishbia, owner of United Wholesale Mortgage, one of the richest men in America in the blink of an eye.

Reputation & Risk

Last week, the New York Mets fired their General Manager Jared Porter after ESPN released a report documenting his sexual harassment of a baseball reporter in 2016. Despite the widespread acceptance of the #MeToo movement, harassment remains all too common. Zero tolerance policies might be the only fix.

Thanks to the pandemic, having a well-polished website is more essential than ever for all businesses, large and small. Whether you’re looking to bolster your company’s credibility or reach a new market, it’s time to revamp your web presence.

Shadowy businesses are about to find it much harder to hide. The Transparency Act, passed in December, will ostensibly require companies and investors to disclose ownership, and make it impossible to hide behind “front men.” Expect mixed results.

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