CMOs and CIOs Working in Harmony
While not necessarily the case in auto finance, most large companies seem to be employing Chief Innovation Officers, as well as Chief Marketing Officers. How they should work together in any industry, not just auto finance, is newly being debated. A new Harvard Business School article cites a report that surveys Chief Marketing Officers and Chief Innovation Officers, and both separately said that they need to work more closely together. While the survey shows that over the past few years that sentiment of cooperation has become popular, HBS outlined a few ways that CMOs and CIOs can work even better together. Now, if only there would be more Chief Innovation Officers in auto finance …
Meet Apple University
The New York Times published a nice expose on “Apple University,” Apple’s internal education curriculum, and it bears considering by any auto finance company that is looking to enhance its training results. The expose offered many interesting little tidbits — professors compare a Google TV remote (which has 74 buttons) to an Apple TV remote (which has three) to emphasize Apple’s focus on simplicity. Teachers at Apple University also analyze key businesses decisions — like having the iPod work with Windows, which helped the iPod go mainstream. The article focuses on Apple’s cult-like corporate culture — and, it implies to us, that there are ways for auto finance companies to develop a close-knit community of employees, as long as the corporate culture is unique and wholesome.
