Ben Heineman

January 12, 2009

"Bribery Warrants Global War"

Op-Ed, Bloomberg

By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

"Anti-corruption rhetoric exceeds commitment and accomplishment, especially in emerging-market nations. Building durable, transparent and accountable institutions in the highly diverse developing world -- with failed, failing, fragile and rising states -- is key, though complex and time-consuming."

AP Photo

December 15, 2008

"Be Thorough"

Op-Ed, On Leadership at washingtonpost.com

By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

“While political leaders are always tempted to "get out front" of the story with strong denials (see Jesse Jackson, Jr.), partial truths, glaring omissions or statements that subsequently become misstatements are a political cancer that can metasticize in ugly ways. Plus, the facts gathered by the internal team may be contradicted by facts to which only the prosecutor (or the media) have access. Despite the drumbeat of deadlines and public pressure, accuracy is far more important than speed.”

AP Image

December 8, 2008

"Pay For Performance"

Op-Ed, Washington Post

By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

"For the CEOs to say that they will work for a dollar a year if Congress forks over the cash ignores the vital importance of providing compensation carrots (and sticks) for the key executives who, as a team, will have to defy auto history and transform the industry, which these executives had a hand in creating."

istock

November 4, 2008

"Financial Leaders Go AWOL in the Meltdown"

Op-Ed, Bloomberg

By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

"What's happening is a crisis of capitalism, though not because there is a debate about the ultimate virtues of capitalism over socialism -- that argument is long over. Rather, the failure of business leadership on an almost cataclysmic scale has brought front and center the issue of how government should rein in business."

AP Photo

September 26, 2008

Boards Fail -- Again

Op-Ed, BusinessWeek

By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

Sadly, it is clear that the boards of our major financial institutions did not understand the risks the entities were taking. It may be that the CEOs and top management didn't understand, either, but it is the board's job to press management. As experienced individuals, it is board members' duty to ask hard questions when things are going extremely well as well as when they are going badly.

Angel Herrero de Frutos

September 22, 2008

"Don't Get Blindsided By Your New Job"

Op-Ed

By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

"In the past 20 years, many dimensions of the general counsel's job have changed dramatically for the better: responsibilities, challenges, value to the corporation, compensation, stature in the profession.

But one has not: GCs are still dependent on the CEO and constrained by company culture."

March 2008

The Lost Generation?

Magazine or Newspaper Article, Corporate Counsel

By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

Demoralized and dispirited, big-firm associates are defecting in droves. Here's how law firms - and their clients - can change that.

April, 2007

Caught in the Middle

Magazine or Newspaper Article, Corporate Counsel

By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

Corporate counsel must guard their company's reputation and work well with the business side. GE’s former GC explains how to reconcile those often competing roles.

April, 2007

Avoiding Integrity Land Mines

Magazine or Newspaper Article, Harvard Business Review

By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

An inside look at how GE has worked to build a culture that sustains both high performance and high integrity.

October 1, 2006

Hand Across the Water

Magazine or Newspaper Article, Corporate Counsel

By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

A case study on GE's legal "foreign policy."