ABSTRACT
The flight back from the Frankfurt analysts’ meeting was scheduled to leave shortly. Scott Giffen was not in a good mood and Deena wasn’t looking forward to spending eight hours with him in the cabin of the company’s private Gulfstream IV-SP jet. International operations had missed their financial targets for the third consecutive quarter. With sales down and financial liabilities growing in all areas of the business, the meeting with the Deutsche Börse analysts had been particularly brutal. This time, Scott was likely to face growing Board pressures to turn things around or leave. As they settled into the aircraft’s plush leather seats, Scott ordered a double whiskey. Deena looked away as he gulped down half of it, his eyes glazing as he stared out of his oversized panoramic window.
