HEC loses its top spot this year and comes in 2nd place … but the ball remains in the European camp, since it is the Spanish business school, IESE, which holds the top rank in 2012 of "Executive Education", namely the non-degree executive education, conducted by the Financial Times (FT).

The Best 50 schools worldwide in the field made for 5 years by the prestigious English newspaper compiles two rankings: one programs tailored to companies (the "customs") and the catalog of programs, intra-company (the "open ").

"We have focused our strategy on programs tailored to companies. We worked to ensure sticking to their needs, "explains Bernard Ramanantsoa, ​​Director of HEC, who sees annually 7500 participants in such programs. Currently, these requirements focus on change management. "

"A company can send up to 800 employees," says the boss of HEC. For middle management executive committees, through their battalions of "high potential" identified internally, needs to train executives are considerable.

The Financial Times ranking thus directly reward the attractiveness of business schools to businesses. And it is clear that European schools have their own in the face to all Anglo-Saxon traditionally powerful.

These six French schools

Behind IESE and HEC comes the Swiss IMD, beating Harvard, which lost two places. Finally, the ranking of 13 U.S. schools, four British, and not less than twenty European, including six French: CET (2nd), Insead (10th), ESCP Europe (29th), EDHEC (33th) , EM Lyon (40th) and Grenoble School of Management (50th).

"This ranking shows that the French business schools worldwide are on continuing education, and this even though France is a country of more training," commented Olivier Oger, Chairman of the EDHEC group.

Absent from the rankings last year, EDHEC is back in 33rd position. Olivier Oger sees the recognition of a strategy pursued since the early 2000s called "Edhec for business" of redirecting research to companies. The group, which opened in 2011 with campuses in Singapore and London, has recently opened in the heart of Paris, a research center serving the company. Executive Education on business customers include Bouygues, Veolia, Michelin, Suez, but also "the banks based in Singapore who need our services on the subject of governance," says the director.

"The important thing is to be present in the rankings!" Comments does one in Grenoble School of Management who arrives in 50th position. Since entering the charts three years ago, its tailor-made programs continue to ramp up. Hilton, SNCF, Safran, Sanofi, or Schneider Electric are among its customers.

Considered a guarantee of quality, this ranking of the FT is one more argument brandished by schools during the bidding companies.

Candidates with strong personalities, verbal jousting, a dose of suspense, … presidential election, the highlight of French political life, provides a golden opportunity for brands to stand out for their creativity. For some of them, it is even the opportunity to make themselves known. Among them, the Paris Chocolate brand, created last year, did speak of her with boxes of chocolates bearing the image of candidates. Popilz society, which wants to start selling humorous figurines inspired by celebrities, moved, for his part, since its April 23 first characters in the image of Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande. MarionDem, young designer who launched last December the lingerie brand Panty Me, launched panties printed with the colors of the candidates. Best known and oldest brand Reunion sorry! commercialized a reversible shirt if we hesitate to support the UMP candidate or PS free instant credit score.

In these operations, profitability is not often visit. "We know that this is not a shirt to wear every day. We especially want to build brand awareness, "said Peter Marten, founder of the brand sorry! that focuses on products related to humorous news. Even at the risk a fine for infringement of image rights, as in 2008. At Popilz also, "the goal is not to make profits but to come forward and test the market," says Bastien Rochard, manager of the company. "The presidential election is the best time to create awareness around a brand. Citizens and the media only talk about it for a month. This is an opportunity to talk with humor. "

The figurine "Zarkface", inspired by Nicolas Sarkozy and sold by Popilz. DR

"The change is now!" The slogan is that of Francois Hollande, business leaders have clearly in mind. For good reason: the change, it is not their cup of tea. Standards changed according to the news, a tax system that grows with the economy, laws that impose new overnight … "If Francois Hollande is elected, tell us once and for all that it will do to businesses but especially then he takes it for five years, 'says almost begging a boss in the industrial sector. "From small to large group of local CAC 40, the stability is claimed hue and cry for years," says an official of Bercy.

Take five years the same policy is still not easy. Nicolas Sarkozy has learned to its cost, which had to come back, as and as Europe plunged into crisis, and unemployment and deteriorating public finances, on key measures of the beginning of his mandate: tax shield, tax credit on real estate loan interest, windfall tax on bank bonuses …

Windfall

Meanwhile the second round of presidential elections, so businesses take their troubles patiently. Is wait-business show – "they have especially put aside their investments," the economists note. Delay the initiation of social plans, according to unions. Wonder about their future boss, their compensation strategy or dividends, when they state as shareholder. And express their concerns about topics that they feel the winds, without really feeling the direction cheap business cards. The research tax credit (CIR) is one of them.

If Francois Hollande said he does not challenge this device "because it is necessary to support research" in France, the employers have understood that his team was working on a shift. "There is a windfall for big business, where we will end so that the CIR has more to SMEs", explained last week Alain Rousset, in charge of the "pact productive" in the PS candidate's campaign, speaking to redirect up … one billion euros. Enough to significantly modify the decisions of entrepreneurs!

Large and small companies also expect to know how they will be affected by "modulation" of the scheduled corporate tax that must be done "for the benefit of SMEs and companies that reinvest their profits."

Banks, they, stomp whether the Socialist candidate will carry out its threat to introduce what he calls his bill consolidation of banking which provides for "the separation of deposit and speculative activities." They should be fixed quickly, the project is provided, if any, for next summer.

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Now that he has eliminated all its competitors in the Republican nomination for president – has abandoned Santorum, Gingrich and Paul are too far behind – Mitt Romney has a new challenge before him: catch Barack Obama in the race for dollars. In this respect, the Republican can boast of a successful month of March. With nearly 13 million collected, he never raised much money. But the delay is very clear with the outgoing Democrat, who has earned almost $ 35 million over the same period.

Result, at nine months of the election, relations between the two candidates are from one to ten in terms of "cash" available. Barack Obama has $ 104 million when Mitt Romney, who had to spend lavishly to remove tough Santorum, no longer "only" 10 million in the bank. A bad sign, if one remembers that in 2008, with the same period, the ratio was similar between Barack Obama and John McCain, who ended up losing the election.

As in 2008, therefore, spending on U.S. presidential promise this year to reach record highs. Experts even suggest the sum of one billion dollars a camp, which supasserait the record set four years ago to 1.6 billion in all. By contrast, French law allows a maximum ceiling of 20 million per candidate, set in 2007 by Ségolène Royal and Nicolas Sarkozy.

Super PAC: advantage to Romney

The responsaibilté this runaway overseas rests with the change of election financing rules, which were imposed in the game a new player: the super PAC, support committees with permission to spend without limit (provided that it remains formally disconnected from the official campaign). One area where Romney camp knows how effective. Roamed this land, the former governor of Massachusetts has the advantage over Barack Obama in March, "Restore Our Future" raised him to $ 8.5 million, when "Priorities USA" harvested 2.5 million for Democrat. The outgoing president owes his advance as individual contributions.

This imbalance is not without worrying about the Democrats, as the super CAP seem to play a crucial role during the campaign. Indeed, it is up to them to the "dirty work" of producing spots decrying, sometimes extremely virulent opponents of their champions. And Mitt Romney has yet to benefit from the reinforcement of "American Crossroads", probably the most powerful Super PAC Republicans, whose co-founder is none other than Karl Rove, former adviser and electoral strategist for George W. Bush. The committee plans to spend this year $ 300 million, almost exclusively in attacks against the Obama camp.

Another factor to watch: the entry into operation of the National Committees of each party. CNR, for the Republicans, and the CND, for Democrats, allow candidates to receive donations for their respective parties, the amount can legally be much higher than that paid to the official campaign committees. And both have already started to build their war chest.

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Google remains an unconventional company in many ways. In terms of governance, however it comes to side with the practice in the media sector. The search giant announced on the Internet Thursday night creating a new class of shares which confers no right to vote. This reform will enable the two co-founders of Google, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, and their partner Eric Schmidt, who surrendered the CEO Larry Page to a year ago, to lock their controls on capital and strategy Company.

The three men already control 67% of the voting today through their actions "Class B". On their own, Sergey Brin and Larry Page and hold just over 58% of the voting rights. However, the continued distribution of stock options to employees gradually erode this position of strength. To reduce this dilution, Google ranks the system in place so long at Comcast, News Corp. or even The New York Times.

The new songs called "Class C" will be listed separately. They carry no right to vote. But, if Google decides to distribute a dividend, the holders of these shares may perceive them. This probability increases as Google continues to accumulate considerable liquidity. Its cash exceeds $ 49 billion already. Besides their use in the distributions of stock options, these new shares may also be used to finance potential acquisitions.

Divide by two securities

Traditionally, this governance structure serves the interests of families who want to maintain their dominance in a listed company. The Murdoch media empire for News Corp. or Roberts for the cable operator Comcast fall into this category.

But more recently, the model was taken over by young companies whose founders intend converse control, despite a lucrative IPO. The new stars of the Web, Zynga, LinkedIn and Groupon, for example, have two types of actions, one of which is reserved for managers or shareholders historical and is accompanied by superior voting rights.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, also intends to continue to control the voting rights of his company once it is introduced on the stock market, probably in May.

In addition, Google has responded to public inquiries wanting to buy stocks cheaper per unit. The Class A shares are divided into two. Today, before the division, the Class A share is $ 630. After division, the same amount would buy two titles.

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The French are discouraged before they even take steps to resolve a dispute. It is thought that nine out of ten surveyed by Ipsos for the first edition of the barometer Axa legal protection. Justice remains an unknown for most of them: 80% do not know who to turn to know their rights, and 97% believe that the justice system is difficult to understand.

Worse, seven out of ten French think they have no financial means to defend themselves. Godsend for the legal protection insurers, which offer information in their contracts, and if necessary support – within limits – of legal fees. According to the Ministry of Justice, the cost of resolving a dispute is on average 200 euros for the costs of bailiff, 500 euros for an amicable and 1500 euros to cover attorney fees for a procedure .

Family, an area seldom covered by insurance

The French think that the main sources of conflict are employment, housing and the Internet. In fact, the most common disputes relate primarily to the housing (25%), led by neighborhood problems and relations between landlord and tenant, and Internet purchases (24%). Relations with the employer is not a priority (23%).

Numerous disputes also affect the field of family (divorce, inheritance …). But legal protection insurers rarely venture in this field. Axa Protection legal disputes of this nature are supported only if the client has signed the contract the more upscale, costing between 140 and 300 euros per year, much higher than a domestic contract classic (63 euros per year).

The insurer, like others, offers customers a hotline: a lawyer tells them about their rights and answered their questions. This service receives 175,000 calls a year. The insurer sees submit 36,000 new claims per year, most amicably resolved.

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Hard times for the 380. After the case of microcracks detected in the wing of the superjumbo, Airbus will he deplore a new problem, this time in the "nose" of the device? The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is interested in any case the rivets of radom, that is to say the cover that protects the radar of the aircraft.

The authority may decide to issue in the coming weeks an airworthiness directive (AD) requiring the change of six rivets aluminum rivets titanium stronger. The 19 airlines that operate the world's fleet of 69 A380, eight months have to do this for an average of 3:30. Clearly, they would have time to schedule it as part of their regular maintenance schedule.

After the decision to order the Efsa a general inspection of the planes of A 380 in service and production, totaling one hundred aircraft, the image of the A380 takes another blow. However, this type of airworthiness directive is very common in aviation. All aircraft receive throughout their careers.

Two types of directives

"The FAA, U.S. aviation safety authority, has issued more than 830 airworthiness directives for Boeing B 747 in forty years," says one at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse. "For an airplane, receiving such a directive is as ordinary as to think about changing the wiper blades on your car or an oil change," says one.

The Aesa issues two types of directives: the current, AD, and urgent, called "emergency AD." In the case of microcracks, the two directives were common. The agency goes up a notch when it considers that the subject can affect flight safety. In this case, companies have little time to react, sometimes not even 24 hours.

In the case of rivets, flight safety is affected in any part, Airbus insists. The manufacturer points out that these are not structural elements. Six rivets 40 to 50 by radom "are not likely to blow up" the unit cover.

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A380

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Kellogg's takes its revenge. After being out of the game last year, the world's leading cereal offers Pringles potato chips, for $ 2.7 billion. It takes advantage of misadventures of the seller, Procter & Gamble (P & G), which had entered into negotiations in April 2011 with fellow American Diamon Foods for the sale of Pringles.

These negotiations were unsuccessful, the purchaser being mired in a huge accounting scandal. Within months, the stock price Diamond Foods has lost half its value. But the company had committed to spend $ 2.4 billion, mainly in equities, to get their hands on Pringles. In early January, Diamond Foods announced it would need to reassess its accounts the past two years, following an internal investigation into its accounting practices. Hours later, P & G said look for an alternative.

Kellogg's and P & G should complete the operation by the summer. The withdrawal of Diamond Foods will not result in financial compensation for P & G.

By offering the brand of chips, which generates about $ 1.5 billion in sales and employs 1,700 people, Kellogg's is a giant step for the future. "Pringles has a global presence that propels to Kellogg's second in the world of crackers, helping us achieve our goal of becoming a real business of cereals and snacks," says John A. Bryant, CEO of Kellogg's, which topped last year's $ 13 billion in revenue.

PepsiCo, the leader

Sold in over 140 countries, produced in Belgium and the U.S., the Pringles potato chips become the second brand of Kellogg's Special K behind The U.S. giant has already Keebler cookies and crackers and Cheez-It Townhouse. The group also sells cereal bars and fruit snacks. But he has to go up a gear abroad.

"The acquisition of Pringles it provides a platform for international distribution of its products ready for snacking," analysts said BernsteinResearch. This should lead to synergies, particularly in Asia, where Kellogg's is still low.

Dominated by PepsiCo, the snack market, with sales approaching $ 65 billion, grew twice as fast in the last five years in emerging markets (+9.6% on average) than in mature markets. The sale of Pringles brand disengagement of P & G's food, a segment where the world's leading consumer products had tried to diversify in the 1990s. In 2004, he had already sold its Sunny Delight juice. It intends to focus on cosmetics, personal care and cleaning products.

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The new tone decidedly anti-jargon adopted by South Radio when he arrived in Paris on the air is controversial. The High Council of Audiovisual (CSA) has remained the station for anti-Semitic statements in the release of Michel and Eric Mazet Cardoze 16 hours to 18 hours. Eric Mazet was laid off by the radio. Robert Ménard, who hosts the morning show with a phone-called "free-Ménard," is also under fire because the auditors have made racist remarks on his show. How far can we go with freedom of expression? "That's the difficulty. Simply South Radio does not do the same as the others. If today half the French do not trust the media because they feel that journalists are cut off from them. This is a problem of democracy.How to talk about people, their worries, their fears, even if they are poorly made, do not pass in the media, "said he. Should we let freedom provided to foul words? Racist and antisemitic fall under criminal law. "That is why in my show, I immediately put a stop saying we will not see it at home. Eric Mazet made a stupid, clumsy as it did not have the right spread. But that does not mean an anti-Semite. The challenge of Sud Radio, is not to repeat what all the major radio stations, that is to say information among themselves. You know, to combat racism and antisemitism, there is the French method is to prohibit all about. But another method is practiced by other democratic countries like the United States with the First Amendment.It is to say, we will give expression to views reprehensible, and, opposite, there are journalists who disagree with this statement. But I want to meet up to walk to these comments. The problem is that France, when you do this, it is pointed to by all sorts of associations "

After the notice of the CSA, Sud Radio Will it continue these programs free antenna or correct it? "We will continue to freedom of expression and we will enforce the law as I am working every morning easy payday loans. The CSA was entered on August 17 with a complaint about anti-Semitic words classified as Jean-Michel Larqué (on RMC, ed.) I do not feel that the CSA has already studied the issue. But with South Radio, 48 hours, it was folded. There are two weights, two measures. There are three of the band: RMC, Europe 1 and RTL that can be abstracted from the law, and small as Radio South who are beaten up.I think we should change the stupid laws in France that does not solve the problems of racism and antisemitism. For 25 years I say. In France, freedom of the press is corseted by laws unnecessary. "

The model of Robert Ménard is it the Fox News? "In the U.S., radio is a thousand times freer because it does not have this problem of law. In South Radio, we tried to invent something. "

With his arrival in Paris, Sud Radio plays big economically. That's why the station has taken as many risks. But if it increases the skids, the CSA may punish by removing the frequency Paris. Moreover, the allocation of this frequency has been challenged by RMC, Europe 1 and RTL. "It's been 25 years that I defend freedom of expression. I paid professionally. With RTL, this is wrong.I went on Sud Radio because it gave me a freedom that I have anywhere else. If this changes, I will not stay. I think, even if it bothers you, what is done in South Radio is a work of public safety. Finally, we give voice to the people. It serves no purpose to prohibit, we must fight. This is what I do every morning, telling listeners: this is not acceptable but I'll answer. "

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The weekly jobless claims rose unexpectedly during the week of Aug. 20, at 417,000 against 412,000 the previous week, according to data from U.S. Department of Labor unveiled at 14:30. What foster uncertainty and investor concerns about the health of the world's largest economy, while analysts had forecast 405,000 registrations.

Wednesday night, orders for durable goods in the United States had rebounded in July, prompting stock markets to rise, on both sides of the Atlantic. "But the indicator of business spending showed the U.S. economy remains fragile," do, however, keep stock analysts from Barclays. In a context marked by the end of the indicators is misguided, or worse in reality than it seems, investors are clearly on their defense.

Meanwhile Jackson Hole

Especially since tomorrow is Friday that Ben Bernanke will speak from Jackson Hole on Friday in 16 hours. We will then know whether a possible third last monetary easing, on which markets have been speculation this week, will be decided. Otherwise, investors will likely welcome the continuation of low interest rates.The second estimate of U.S. GDP for the second quarter will also be unveiled.

The growth rate of the world's largest economy in the spring, which had greatly disappointed a month ago, could then be revised down 0.2 percentage point to 1.1%.

As for commodities, oil prices ended up in a small New York. A barrel of "light sweet crude" won 14 cents to 85.30 dollars.

Values ​​of the day

The title of Apple, the Apple brand famous, lost 0.65% to 373.85 dollars after the announcement of the departure of its founder, Steve Jobs, Tim Cook replaced. The title, which had plunged by 7% in electronic trading after the close of trading, limits the breakage, while the name of Steve Jobs was closely linked to the success of the giant consumer electronics. The markets were confident in the group's ability to continue growing.August 9, the computer giant had a happy time at Exxon Mobil's first-place capitalization in the world in full trading day before falling on the second step of the podium payday loans in 1 hour.

Bank stocks, meanwhile fly, first Bank of America, which ended up 9.44% to 7.65 dollars after surging 25% in early trade. The markets welcomed the surprise announcement that Warren Buffet announced an investment of $ 5 miliard in Bank of America through his Berkshire Hathaway fund. The bank is facing many challenges including the accumulation of legal proceedings against him related to mortgages "inherited from its subsidiary Countrywide. She plans to eliminate 3,500 positions during the quarter.

JP Morgan Chase lost 0.31% to 35.72 dollars after gaining 7.2% on opening. Citigroup gained 5.10%, Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley 1.43% 2.72%.Goldman Sachs sells 0.46%

Google (-0.62% to 520.04 dollars) on Thursday announced a new agreement with a French publisher to digitize books, this time signing a contract with La Martiniere, which is between 5,000 and 10,000 works not reprinted. Wednesday night, we learned that the search giant online had agreed to pay $ 500 million to settle a dispute related to its advertising activities in the United States.

The manufacturer of the phones Research In Motion (-1.23% to 28.22 dollars) plans to make its new models of Blackberry smartphones compatible with the application platform Android for Google, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the project.

The aviation sector also suffers from fears about Hurricane Irene threatens to hit the east coast of the United States, especially the city and the airports of New York at night from Saturday to Sunday.Yield 2.97% American Airlines, Continental United 2.91% 4.15% US Airways.

Applied Materials (-4.84% to 10.81 dollars) Wednesday reported results above expectations as part of its third quarter, but forecast judged disappointing for the last three months of its fiscal year have reduced its activities in the transactions electronic. For the current quarter, the Group expects adjusted earnings between 16 and 24 cents per share, against a Reuters consensus of 30 cents.

Big Lots (-0.62 to 32.18 dollars) Thursday raised its profit forecast for the year after having exceeded expectations in the second quarter, with earnings per share excluding items of $ 0.52. The Thomson Reuters consensus was counting on $ 0.44. The group now expects fiscal 2011 earnings per share between $ 2.90 and 2.80 (consensus: $ 2.89).

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