Fortune Work

Geoff’s popular Value Driven column appears in every issue of Fortune. He writes many other articles as well, and for the past three years he has conducted The Colvin Interview: C-Suite Strategies, available in print and on video, in which he talks with many of today’s most influential and interesting business people.


Jan 30, 2012

A world in chaos? That may be good news.

Outrage and pain are the words for 2012. They may finally force us to confront mega-problems the world has been avoiding. More

Jan 06, 2012

Here comes the big profit lie

Wall Street expects corporate miracles in 2012, and that means trouble. More

Dec 22, 2011

The Leadership Interview: Wal-Mart’s Makeover

In the smiley-face years, Wal-Mart marketing was frankly amateurish. CMO Stephen Quinn tells how he's transforming it. More

Dec 22, 2011

Can Wall Street Thrive Again?

The financial industry is besieged by protesters. It's also facing a slow-growth world and a wave of new regulation. To flourish again, the big firms must change in painful ways. More

Nov 30, 2011

Rahm Emanuel: Chicago’s new boss

Interview with Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago More

Nov 18, 2011

Sam Palmisano’s legacy of leadership at IBM

The CEO steps down leaving his company in great shape. Will that legacy last? More

Nov 09, 2011

Southern Co.‘s Tom Fanning bets big on nukes

Interview with Tom Fanning, CEO of Southern Company More

Nov 08, 2011

We need a flat tax Democrats and Republicans can love

Done right, a flat tax can make the U.S. more competitive and help working people. So let's stop making it so partisan. More

Oct 27, 2011

Nils Andersen: Møller-Maersk’s trade tracker

Interview with Nils Andersen, CEO of A.P. Møller-Mærsk More

Oct 25, 2011

Harry Brekelmans on the future of Shell

Interview with Harry Brekelmans, EVP Royal Dutch Shell More

Oct 20, 2011

What really has the 99% up in arms

It's not that the rich are getting richer. It's that the rest of America isn't. More

Oct 17, 2011

Even all-star executives need awesome coaches

What makes an Executive Dream Team even better? A superconnected, no-nonsense board of directors. More

Sep 30, 2011

Jim Collins: In his own words

What's behind a giant multiyear research project like the one that became Great by Choice? Fortune's Geoff Colvin asked Collins what inspired him, what surprised him, and what may be next. More

Sep 19, 2011

Obama: Looking for jobs in all the wrong places

The president has a very clear vision of how to solve the jobs crisis. The problem is he's completely misguided. More

Aug 25, 2011

The critical facts that no one mentioned in the debt debate

Hiking taxes on the rich has a long history of backfiring. Let's learn from history. More

Jul 15, 2011

Zhang Ruimin: Management’s next icon

You'd be hard pressed to find a manager who is more innovative or fearless than the head of Chinese appliance giant Haier Group. More

Jul 13, 2011

Uncle Sam’s first CIO

It's a title to conjure with: chief information officer of the United States. Vivek Kundra, 36, is the first person ever to hold it, having been given the new job by President Obama in March 2009. And what a job... More

Jun 22, 2011

Motorola’s uphill battle

Can Sanjay Jha revive the cellphone legend in a world dominated by Apple and just about everyone else? More

Jun 20, 2011

Why can’t we fix Medicare once and for all?

The largest element in America's worsening debt outlook is the growth of Medicare. If we don't fix it the right way, the country will become dramatically poorer and weaker. More

May 13, 2011

Mitch Daniels tips his presidential hand

With decision time approaching, the Indiana Governor shows (noncommittally, of course) why he'd make a perfect candidate for the GOP. More

Apr 20, 2011

Corruption: The biggest threat to developing economies

It's gone beyond petty palm-greasing. Graft across the globe has reached staggering dimensions. More

Apr 11, 2011

Income inequality: How to fix it

A close look at new data sheds light on the real reasons income inequality is a problem, plus how we can solve it. More

Apr 06, 2011

Wanted in Japan: A rebirth of innovation

Japan's great innovators rose from the depths of World War II. After 20 years of stagnation, will this crisis bring back the Japanese entrepreneur? More

Feb 17, 2011

A New American Exceptionalism

China will overtake us economically, so if we're not top dog anymore, how will we deliver greatness? More

Jan 05, 2011

Note to Congress: Don’t blow this historic chance

Congress members: There's no time for pleasantries at the start of this legislative session. If you want to serve your country, here's a three-item to-do list. More

Nov 19, 2010

Is bipartisan debt-reduction for real?

Recommendations from a panel of lawmakers are sure to change with the power shift in congress. Here are 4 easy ways to find out if it'll work. More

Nov 02, 2010

As Europe cuts, America spends

It's the ultimate economic experiment. Europe is tightening its belt while the U.S. is betting on stimulus. Someone's got to be right - and someone's got to be wrong. More

Oct 20, 2010

Uncertain of future regulation, businesses are paralyzed

Companies have rarely felt so unsure of what the laws and rules governing their industries will be, which has put the brakes on economic growth. More

Aug 31, 2010

The staggering pace of technology

10,000 transistors now cost less than a grain of rice. Here's why that matters. More

Aug 12, 2010

Desperately seeking math and science majors

The number of China's engineering grads are growing while Americans major in fitness. Why? More

Jul 28, 2010

Who’s to blame at BP? The board

BP's directors are all at the top of their careers, but despite their A-list credentials, you can hold them responsible for the disaster in the Gulf. More

Jun 14, 2010

Nielsen’s $78 million CEO

David Calhoun left a big job at GE to run Nielsen in 2006. With an IPO on deck, now we know why. More

Apr 30, 2010

My own private Goldman testimony

In a historic market dislocation, there were -- guess what -- winners and losers. Last time I checked, that was not a crime or even a scandal. It's the way economies work. More

Apr 22, 2010

The real outrage is how CEOs are paid, not how much

If you want to get mad at companies for screwing up executive pay, here are three good reasons. More

Jan 29, 2010

Stop blaming Big Business

Punishing Wall Street for the recession won't solve the real problem - that most Americans still won't be better off. More

Jan 11, 2010

A new financial checkup

Forget the other performance ratios. A new metric has emerged that can't easily be gamed. More

Nov 10, 2009

Leading during a downturn

Leadership problems come up again and again in a downturn. Solving them doesn't take fancy technology - just character and courage. More

Oct 28, 2009

Fewer deaths during a recession

The death rate went down as unemployment rose - a lesson for companies: overworked employees can be bad for business. More

Sep 28, 2009

Stay lean and mean even after the recession

It's critical to stay lean and mean during an economic recovery - and even expansion - so you're ready for the next disaster. More

Sep 21, 2009

Renovating Home Depot

That's part of CFO Carol Tomé's job, and after the housing bust it's tougher than most - but the lessons are valuable for anyone. More

Aug 11, 2009

3 Big Myths about health-care reform

With historic legislation on the line, the spin is coming from all sides. Here's how to sort through it. More

Jul 09, 2009

Making big drugs during troubled times

Amgen CEO Kevin Sharer's job is to produce blockbuster drugs. Will health-care reform make that harder? More

Jul 07, 2009

National healthcare may never happen

Americans love the idea of insurance for all - until they realize how much it will cost them. More

Jul 01, 2009

Business gets taxed, workers get hurt

The Obama administration wants to whack companies with stiff new taxes, but the real victims are already suffering enough. More

Jun 10, 2009

Geoff Colvin on The Upside of the Downturn

View the associated video for The Upside of the Downturn More

May 28, 2009

The Upside of the Downturn

This recession will change the course of your career. Whether you're damaged or strengthened depends on the way you respond. Can you rise to the challenge? More

May 12, 2009

Sympathy for the devils

How to get Main Street off Wall Street's back. More

May 05, 2009

The government’s new definition of rich

President Obama's tax plan won't help balance the budget, and it may hurt the upper middle class. More

Apr 21, 2009

How to manage your business in a recession (January 8th, 2009)

More

Apr 09, 2009

Will the Motor City shakeup work?

GM's fate has less to do with the new CEO than with the restructuring model the government is using. More

Mar 31, 2009

When government calls the shots

After Hurricane Katrina, bureaucracy failed and business saved the day. Now it's the reverse. Here's how companies can profit. More

Mar 17, 2009

Layoffs cost more than you think

Cutting jobs may seem the fastest, easiest way to manage in a recession. But it's really one of the most expensive. More

Mar 06, 2009

Chris Dodd wants to scrap your bonus

The stimulus package may turn bonus babies into time servers. More

Mar 02, 2009

A powerful asset

Any company that can perform well and maintain its good name during the worst recession in 75 years is arguably more admirable than the best performer during boom times. More

Feb 18, 2009

Yes, you can raise prices

A few smart companies are raising prices in the recession. Should you? A simple but useful matrix can help. More

Feb 02, 2009

A recession of biblical proportions

Consumers usually build savings in booms, then raid their troves during busts - but not this time. More

Jan 29, 2009

What boards must do in the crisis

With major companies battered by recession, the spotlight is on boards of directors to take more active roles in response to the crisis. More

Jan 23, 2009

Why we should help the rich

The right kind of relief for businesses and the wealthy might be just what the economy needs. More

Jan 12, 2009

A CEO masters micro-credit

Ex-ABB chief (and GM board member) Percy Barnevik is making a different kind of subprime loan: to India's very poor. More