Mormon Business

By: Dave - November 26, 2006

Deseret News posted a short piece on a new book, The Mormon Way of Doing Business.  It looks at eight LDS CEOs and how they do business.  No doubt you could guess two or three of the eight.  Those profiled in the book include David Neelman (CEO of Jet Blue); Dave Checketts (formerly CEO of Madison Square Garden); Kim Clark (former Dean of the Harvard Business School); and Kevin Rollins (CEO of Dell Computer).  Amazon lists the publication date as January 3, 2007, so it’s not clear whether you can get your hands on a copy in time to put under the Christmas tree of the aspiring Mormon business tycoon in your family.

4 Comments

  1. Checketts is an odd choice.

    He’s a fairly prominent Mormon, but I wonder if his personality might rub the average Mormon the wrong way. Certainly, he’s not well liked in Utah right now (the RSL stadium issues). He’s commented before on how his personality bothers people.

    I saw the Deseret News piece, and I expect a sort of Larry King-ish puff piece. Rollins and Neelman are certainly great selections. Kim Clark’s inclusion is automatic in any LDS-business discussion. Early reviews have listed James Quigley, the CEO of Deloitte & Touche, in the book. But Checketts? Surely you could find a suitable replacement.

    However, I acknowledge that this book is probably focused at the Utah market, and you have Jazz fans there, and Checketts was once a Jazz exec.

    Off the top of my head, I’d be interested in Dr. Kenneth Cooper, Neelman, Rollins, Clark, Huntsman, Sr., Paul Allen (the lesser :) ), Quigley, Nolan Archibald, Jim Jannard. Not Marriott; that’s been done ad nauseum.

    Comment by queuno — November 26, 2006 @ 3:48 pm

  2. I wonder if he asked them whether or how the growing gap in executive compensation (which continues to soar) and lower tier worker’s wages (which continue to stagnate) fits in to the Mormon Way of Doing Business.

    Comment by Bill — November 26, 2006 @ 4:51 pm

  3. One I would be interested in is Mark Willes, who was president of General Mills, and then was publisher of the LA TImes. Of particular interest would be his role, as president, CEO, and chairman of the Times’ parent company, in the sale to the Tribune Company. Anything Mormon in way that business was done? After leaving the LA Times, Brother Willes presided the Honulu Hawaii Mission.

    Comment by John Mansfield — November 27, 2006 @ 1:47 pm

  4. So what is “the Mormon way of doing business?”

    Take no prisoners and comb your hair?

    Comment by Seth R. — November 27, 2006 @ 2:10 pm