Helping executives excel

by Robert C. Powell
Virginia Business
October 2007

At times, executives need someone to ask them tough questions and make sure they are headed in the right direction. I’m not talking about an independent board of directors but an executive coach.

Coaching has emerged as a viable resource for executives. They help execs improve their personal performances and make their organizations more efficient. Richmond writer Lisa Antonelli Bacon explores the growing acceptance of coaching as an employee benefit for executives and their staffs.

Coaching sessions don’t typically show up on company proxies reporting executive pay, but a lot more detail is disclosed under new Securities and Exchange Commission rules. In fact, the new rules make it difficult to compare this year’s pay levels with previous years. Richmond writer Garry Kranz explains what has changed in our annual list of compensation for CEOs heading Virginia companies with annual revenues of $1 billion or more.

Another list in this issue takes a look at Virginia’s biggest mergers and acquisitions. Richmond writer Aaron Kremer reports that recent turmoil in the financial markets and the tightening of credit may dampen a national M&A boom.

While investment bankers deal with the constraints of a tightened credit market, Virginia contractors face a different sort of challenge. Building around a historic site isn’t easy as Williamsburg writer Andrew Petkovsky shows in his story about projects at the Mariners’ Museum and Historic Jamestowne.

While Virginia is well known for its history, it is less known for its film-making industry. In fact, many movies are shot in the state each year. One event that showcases films and the commonwealth’s link to movie making is the Virginia Film Festival, which celebrates its 20th year next month. Fredericksburg writer Robert Burke reports that the festival also contributes to Charlottesville’s ambience as one of the most desirable cities in the country.

Finally, Options, our executive lifestyle section, visits Graves Mountain Lodge in Syria, which has been entertaining guests since the early 1800s. The inn’s old-time hospitality and beautiful scenery help guests to relax and recharge. I guess that counts as a kind of coaching, too.