Executive Connection

Produced by Dick Wray Executive Search

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The Big News


Shells Seafood Restaurant Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and closed eight of its 23 restaurants. The move comes a few days after Shells reported that Warren R. Nelson had resigned as president and chief financial officer.

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Viewpoint

A Creative Human Capital Strategy – The Competitive Advantage

The complex challenges we face in the business arena today require innovative human capital strategies and frankly a major realignment of focus on the part of our human resource professionals. HR functions, capabilities and competencies need to be tightly correlative to the critical business priorities of the company.
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Leadership

Transformational Leadership: Inspiring to Change

by Akhil Shahani, Serial Entrepreneur

Say the word “leader” and most of us envision a knight-like figure charging headlong, inspiring his troops and generally leading from the front. That’s the dramatized version of a special type of leadership called “Transformational Leadership”.
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FYI Candidates

Are You in the Right Career?
Five Questions to Help you Decide

Are you searching for a new job and are not sure whether the ones to which you are applying or considering are a match for you? Or, are you currently working for a company, but unsure of whether your decision to take or stay in the position is the right one?
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Executive Movements

GRANITE CITY FOOD & BREWERY has promoted DARIUS GILANFAR to chief operating officer. He replaces Tim Cary, who resigned. Gilanfar, a veteran of Cheesecake Factory and Brinker International, was hired last September as senior vice president of operations for the 25-unit brewpub chain.
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RON GRAVES has been named chief executive of the PINKBERRY frozen yogurt chain, after serving as interim CEO for months, the company said Tuesday. Graves was named interim CEO in October 2007.

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The Board of Directors of Ruth's Hospitality Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: RUTH) announced the appointment of Michael P. O'Donnell as President and Chief Executive Officer. In his new role, O'Donnell will be responsible for the overall strategic and operational direction of the company.


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Financial Overview

STANDARD & POOR'S RATINGS SERVICES has cut the credit rating of O'CHARLEY'S INC. to a non-investment grade on expectations that its sales and profits will decline for the remainder of the year.
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After reporting a second-quarter loss of $89.2 million, JAMBA INC.'s new management team, which has been on the job for three weeks, said it would close additional JAMBA JUICE locations, terminate more employees and shift the company's focus to franchised-unit growth and ready-to-drink retail products.
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Citing the strength of its movie promotions and longer operating hours, BURGER KING HOLDINGS INC. reported a 42-percent rise in fourth-quarter profit and a 9-percent jump in quarterly revenue, to $646 million. The operator or franchisor of more than 11,500 Burger King restaurants recorded same-store sales surges of 5.3 percent globally and 5.5 percent in the United States and Canada.
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