Fortune

My latest exclusive at Fortune: The CEO of Whole Foods Market held a town hall meeting with his corporate employees today to discuss their concerns about Amazon's new controversial 5-day office mandate and how it'll apply to them. Employees sent in 1,200 questions in advance. I reviewed a recording of the 50-minute meeting and found that the chief executive, Jason Buechel, tried to assuage employee concerns by telling them he wanted the process to be more "carrot" than "stick." However, he and the other execs who spoke gave little to no details on what incentives might encourage those unhappy about the change to become excited about going into an office every weekday. Instead, Buechel talked up a volunteer "office experience task force" that will be charged with coming up with ideas during the three-month transition before the mandate begins January 2. I've included more details on the meeting in the story below. As important, my question for Whole Food employees: what do you think of the answers provided on Tuesday and the change overall? Feel free to message me privately.

Mary Barra’s first year on the job as the first woman ever to lead a global automaker was about as rough as a CEO’s first year can be. Barra, a General Motors lifer, took the helm at GM in January 2014. Just a few weeks into the gig, she found herself navigating a catastrophic recall of millions of GM-made cars due to faulty ignition switches, some of which had caused fatal accidents. Barra spent much of her debut year on Capitol Hill, testifying in front of lawmakers who grilled her about why the defects had gone unfixed for so long. It was the kind of experience that might make you want to quit before year two—but this January, Barra celebrated year 10. She’s led GM to its strongest financial position since its 2009 bankruptcy, when the government was compelled to provide the automaker a financial lifeline. Read more from our #FortuneMPW issue: https://lnkd.in/ePEh8PYi

Congratulations to everyone on this year's Fortune's Most Powerful Women list. And, a huge callout to my dear friend Mary Barra, the CEO of General Motors, for being named #1. This recognition is so well-deserved. Mary has tackled every challenge with grace and grit, all while never losing sight of GM’s commitment to its people, customers, and communities.  Mary, you’re one of the most authentic leaders I know. Everything you do reflects what you truly believe in your heart. You are a role model to me and to all future generations of leaders.

So much work and thought goes into our annual Fortune Most Powerful Women list, from initial ideas conversations in the summer, to vetting, writing, art and long discussions about rankings. This year's list stretches across continents and tons of industries and includes a number of brilliant newcomers. And we have a new No.1 - GM chief Mary Barra! It's a huge team effort but a particular shoutout must go to head writers Claire Zillman and Emma Hinchliffe. Read the full list 👇

“Everybody does a better job when they’re able to balance." In a 2012 Inforum interview, Mary Barra, now General Motors' CEO and the No. 1 woman on Fortune Most Powerful Women list emphasized the importance of work-life balance for success. Read more about Mary Barra and her EV transformation at GM in the latest #FortuneMPW issue of Fortune Magazine. bit.ly/4gP9oC3

"I have been at General Motors my entire career." bit.ly/4gP9oC3 General Motors CEO Mary Barra started working at the company when she was only 18 years old as a co-op student. Now Barra is among the 55 women who currently lead Fortune 500 companies—and one of only nine who have been CEO for a decade or more. She currently sits at #1 on the 2024 Fortune Most Powerful Women list. In a commencement speech at Duke University in 2022, she shared how starting her career at GM shaped her into the leader she is today. Read more here: bit.ly/4gP9oC3

In her 10th year on the job, Mary Barra returns to the top of the Fortune Most Powerful Women list as #1. bit.ly/4gP9oC3 The CEO of General Motors has led the company to its strongest financial position in decades, transforming its culture and reorganizing its product lines to prepare for an electric-vehicle revolution. Barra, a General Motors lifer, took the helm at GM in January 2014. Just a few weeks into the gig, she found herself navigating a catastrophic recall of millions of GM-made cars due to faulty ignition switches, some of which had caused fatal accidents. Leading the company through the recall crisis gave her momentum to reform GM’s culture and reorganize it to prepare for an electric-vehicle revolution; it also helped her earn the No. 1 position on our MPW list from 2015 through 2017. And this year, she reclaims our top spot. Read the full story here: bit.ly/4gP9oC3

LVMH and the organizers of the Formula One races have signed a major sponsorship deal potentially worth $1 billion, with the French luxury goods group taking over from Rolex. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton will start sponsoring races from 2025, with brands including Louis Vuitton, Moët Hennessy, and TAG Heuer all involved, according to a statement. The 10-year tie-up could be worth more than $1 billion with annual sponsorship fees topping $100 million, people familiar with the negotiations previously told Bloomberg News. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eUWPXNvD

Politics often makes for fraught office situations—workers get upset over election results, managers have to break up arguments, and overall productivity tanks. With the November general election quickly approaching, employers have already started bracing for a divisive election that will almost certainly impact their workforce. Ultimately, how a company responds to workplace political tensions depends on several considerations including legal risks, a company’s relationship with its employees, and how management has responded to political issues in the past.   But dozens of executives and workplace experts Fortune spoke with say there is some advice that applies to the vast majority of workplaces, and add that business leaders should devise a policy rooted in the company’s values sooner rather than later. Waiting until election season is in full swing to figure out what to say to workers is the wrong move. Read more: https://lnkd.in/en58H7nd

Congratulations to Rachel Lord, Head of International, who was named to Fortune's 2024 list of 100 Most Powerful Women in Business. This recognition highlights her leadership of our firm and of our industry globally. Read more about Rachel and the other female business leaders recognized: https://bit.ly/3UgTo2r