Russia's Franchise Fallout | Advertising's Dark Underbelly | Business Travel’s New Class

Plus: War-Fueled Global Hunger Catastrophe On The Way With Solutions Tough To Come By

Good morning.

Western retailers spent decades expanding their footprint in Russia through franchises, but cutting ties to the country following President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine means leaving thousands of stores, their owners and staff, facing an uncertain future. We’re also covering the need for the ad industry to expand the definition of “malvertising” and how the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill gave rise to a new class of business travelers. Finally, don’t miss this story on increased risk of food insecurity.

In The News Today

Evan Neumann, a California man wanted by the FBI for his alleged participation in the January 6 Capitol Riots, has been granted asylum in Belarus. 

Around 100,000 people remain trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol, which continues to experience water and food shortages and frequent Russian attacks. Follow our live blog for the latest news about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its repercussions. 

Top Take-Aways

Western brands’ decision to bow out of Russia dealt a sudden blow to franchisees in the country. Dmitry Azarov, a 61-year-old entrepreneur who operates stores of cosmetics brand Lush, reckons his supplies will last about three more months.

Carrie Dolan was named as the new chief financial officer of $10 billion cryptocurrency exchange Kraken. Her CV features a history of helping run successful fintech startups—but also a scandal linked to her time as CFO of peer-to-peer lending startup Lending Club.

Ads that could cause insidious harms, like promoting and gamifying rape and sexual assault, aren’t current included in the definition of “malvertising”—but it’s high time they do.

Okta confirmed it suffered a breach in January, shortly after hacking crew LAPSUS$, which extorts its targets after stealing their data, claimed an attack on the $25 billion market cap company that handles logins for more than 100 million users.

Corporate technology leaders have long played something of a peripheral role in sustainability efforts at many businesses. But as the stakes keep rising, CIOs are being drawn ever more deeply into boardroom debates about how to boost sustainability.

President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill creates a new breed of business travelers—not those wearing a suit and tie, but those wearing a hardhat and work boots. Wyndham Hotels is ready to capitalize on the change.

Today's Must Read

In Case You Missed It

Among the growing number of music icons who have cashed their talent in for massive sums in the past three years, Nat King Cole has gone virtually unnoticed—until earlier this month, when Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group announced the acquisition of Cole’s music publishing rights, name and likeness, television shows and the royalties his estate receives on his recordings.

Tips You Can Trust

Communicating about your needs at work can help prevent stress and burnout. Here are three ways to set healthy boundaries.

Keeping employees motivated ensures talent retention. These five steps can help boost engagement.

Today's Must Watch

Recommendations
From Beyond The Newsroom

A Forbes subscription illuminates, informs and inspires. Join today to gain unlimited access to all our journalism and a front-row seat at exclusive subscriber-only events.