Business Biography Morsels

A feature always worth reading in the Sunday business section of The New York Times is the "Preoccupations" column. The format is "By XYZ as told to Patricia R. Olsen." Mr. or Ms. XYZ is a corporate person with a passion for a special aspect of his or her job. Pat does a great job of finding fascinating stories and telling them in the subject's own voice. I'd equate the pieces to sidebars in an executive memoir: They don't tell the whole story, but they definitely capture the subject's style and approach to management.

This one focuses on an enterprising actuary for Towers Watson (CorporateHistory.net is proud to have written and published Our Family Tree: The Towers Watson Story).

And this one, by the CEO of Western Union, ends with the refreshing sentiment "Diversity attracts diversity."