Sara Campbell Ltd. (A)

Romana  Autrey; V.G.   Narayanan; Julia  Rozovsky

Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2008 (Revised October 2010)

Sara Campbell Ltd. (A)

by Romana Autrey, V.G. Narayanan and Julia Rozovsky

Abstract

Describes a situation in which Sara Campbell, the CEO of a women's apparel company, must decide how to resolve the tense relationship with her Financial Controller and ex-brother-in-law, Stephen Holt. Holt was employed by Campbell for 10 years, took on the majority of financial responsibilities for the firm, and knew the business very well. Although he was bright, Campbell was often disappointed by his poor judgment and disorderly nature. By 1999, two incidents by Holt forced Campbell to question how she should proceed in terms of his employment. Students are given context to debate whether Holt's behavior was detrimental enough to overshadow a successful ten-year working relationship and his monetary obligations to Campbell's immediate family.

Keywords: Accounting; Judgments; Governance Controls; Employee Relationship Management; Behavior; Apparel and Accessories Industry;

Format: Print

9 pages

Educators Purchase

Citation:

Autrey, Romana, V.G. Narayanan, and Julia Rozovsky. "Sara Campbell Ltd. (A)." Harvard Business School Case 108-070, January 2008. (Revised October 2010.)

In 2019, Board Chair and third-generation shareholder Helen Fullerton was preparing for a meeting to discuss Ohio-based Hayden Saw Company’s (Hayden) future as a family business. As the company entered its fifth decade, the Hayden family was dealing with three distinct pressures. First was the question of how to represent shareholders equitably in a way that would enable the family to move past its history of friction and estrangement. The second question was how to ensure a talented pipeline of family members working at the company as the family dispersed across the U.S. Third and relatedly, was the question of how to ensure informed family representation on the company’s board to support its independent directors. To address these pressures, Fullerton had commissioned a family business consultant to generate a series of proposals. The consultant had come back with comprehensive ideas for a shareholders’ council, a family office, family employment tracks, and a shareholder director process. Now it was time for Fullerton to review the proposals and decide how to move forward.

Faculty & Research

Sara Campbell Ltd. (A)

Abstract

Citation:

About the Author

More from the Author