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    Luke Brooks

    Luke Brooks

    Senior Producer

  • Panera Bread founder shares his secrets to success

    Ron Shaich was on the first wave of fast-casual dining when he founded Panera Bread in the 1990s. After selling Panera in 2017 Shaich has built on his accomplishments in the food industry, with investments in several businesses, including the growing Mediterranean chain, CAVA (CAVA). Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi met with Shaich in Cambridge, MA to learn about the leader's steps to sustained success. Shaich explains the importance of filtering out unnecessary stressors and trusting yourself enough to take risks. “Whenever you go down the road in anything in life, whether it be a relationship, in a business, in a career,” said Shaich, “what’s so fundamental is taking that leap.” For the full conversation with Shaich, click here. For more of our Lead This Way Series, click here, and tune in to Yahoo Finance every Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.

  • Panera Bread’s Ron Shaich: The father of fast-casual dining

    Fast-casual restaurants like Chipotle (CMG) and Sweetgreen (SG) are commonplace today, and are set to become even more ubiquitous, with their market share expected to reach $337.8 billion by 2032, according to Allied Market Research. But fast-casual dining, emphasis on the sit-down-dining part, wasn’t always a thing – at least until Panera Bread founder and former CEO Ron Shaich came along. Shaich has earned the moniker ‘father of fast-casual’ and for a good reason. Surveying a landscape that included fast food on one side and sit-down fine dining on the other, Shaich vision was to create something in the middle. His success has continued post-Panera, with the launch of Act III Holdings in 2018. The company has investments in a handful of businesses, including the popular Mediterranean chain, CAVA (CAVA). Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi caught up with Shaich in Cambridge, MA to check out a few of the businesses he invests in, including CAVA, Life Alive, and Tatte, and to hear more from Shaich about what it’s like to be the founder of a household brand-name restaurant chain. One tip: leaning into fear. “It's constantly living with the materiality of what you're dealing with,” said Shaich. “If you don't take that leap, you're not gonna go anywhere.” Lead This Way is a new series that features personal, in-depth interviews with the business leaders shaping our world today. In these one-on-one conversations, they reveal how their approach to leadership helped them reach the top of their field. To hear more from Shaich on what it takes to succeed, click here. For more on our Lead This Way Series, click here, and tune in to Yahoo Finance every Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.

  • Beyond Meat: How the plant-based CEO leads an uphill battle

    Ethan Brown is one of the leaders taking on the meat industry, as Founder and CEO of Beyond Meat (BYND). Brown has managed to make deals with brands like Target (TGT) and Dunkin Donuts, and in May of 2019 he took the company public as part of the plant-based meat boom. Brown invited Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi to Beyond Meat headquarters in El Segundo, CA to share insights on what it takes to lead the company through the challenges of competing in the meat industry and the qualities that keep him going, like building a trustworthy team, focusing on the company’s true mission of changing how consumers consume meat, and embracing failure along the way. “We have to figure out how to get people comfortable with quick iteration, quick failure, and then quick recovery,” says Brown. “It’s a big part of our culture.” Beyond Meat is not the only brand in the plant-based meat space, with many competitors, including Nomad (NOMD) and Impossible Foods. Traditional meat companies, like Tyson (TSN) and Cargill, are also adding plant-based meat offerings. Brown is aware of this reality and leads to create a sense of urgency within the company. “There's always somebody that's working really hard,” Brown says. “If it doesn't motivate you enough to just bring this goodness to the world, you know, competition can also motivate you.” Lead This Way is a new series that features personal, in-depth interviews with the business leaders shaping our world today. In these one-on-one conversations, they reveal how their approach to leadership helped them reach the top of their field. For more of our Lead This Way series, click here, and tune in to Yahoo Finance every Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.

  • Social Security alone is not a retirement strategy: Experts

    The decisions we make today, whether it’s the careers we pick or where we choose to live, can make the difference between thriving or barely surviving in retirement. If you plan on solely relying on Social Security, that could be the case. Some 58 million Americans were eligible for Social Security in 2022 - a number that is expected to rise to 75 million by 2035. However, reserves are expected to dry up by 2033, potentially leaving many without much-needed basic benefits to rely on. To examine the future of social security and its impacts, Yahoo Finance’s Rachelle Akuffo sits down with some of the leading experts in the field of financial security and retirement planning: Bob Powell, Editor of the The Street’s Retirement Daily, Teresa Ghilarducci, Labor Economist and Retirement Security Expert, and Surya Kolluri, Head of TIAA Institute. The panel provides answers to the important topics necessary to plan for your golden years, like social security, along with caregiving, and preparing younger generations for retirement. They also share their insights on how we as Americans need to reimagine our financial future and the steps needed to be better prepared for what lies ahead. For the latest information on how to set yourself up for financial success, tune into Yahoo Finance Monday through Friday at 9 a.m. ET.

  • Saving for yourself and others: caregiving and retirement

    There are many factors to consider when planning for retirement and calculating financial security, but one factor rarely gets the attention it deserves: caregiving. According to the TIAA Institute, one in five adult Americans provide uncompensated care to loved ones. This care typically requires 24 hours per week and costs caregivers an average of $7,200 annually per parent. These costs, along with the cost of saving for your own future care, make it one of the most important topics when it comes to planning for retirement. To explore caregiving solutions, Yahoo Finance’s Rachelle Akuffo sits down with some of the leading experts in the field of financial security and retirement planning: Bob Powell, Editor of the The Street’s Retirement Daily, Teresa Ghilarducci, Labor Economist and Retirement Security Expert, and Surya Kolluri, Head of TIAA Institute. The panel provides answers to the important topics necessary to plan for your golden years, such as caregiving, along with social security, and preparing younger generations for retirement. They also share their insights on how we as Americans need to reimagine our financial future and the steps needed to be better prepared for what lies ahead. For the latest information on how to set yourself up for financial success, tune into Yahoo Finance Monday through Friday at 9 a.m. ET.

  • Why the next generation needs to re-think retirement

    According to experts, there are three main risk factors to consider when planning your future financial security: inflation, longevity, and market risk. With all three on the rise, younger generations are starting their retirement savings at a disadvantage. Many young people are lacking confidence in their ability to secure their financial future. According to the TIAA Institute, only 40% of young people are saving for retirement, while 56% feel empowered to play a role in large societal issues, like climate change and social justice. Two out of five young people are living paycheck to paycheck and more than half of the population do not expect to do as well financially as their parents. To help young people find solutions and build their retirement confidence, Yahoo Finance’s Rachelle Akuffo sits down with some of the leading experts in the field of financial security and retirement planning: Bob Powell, Editor of the The Street’s Retirement Daily, Teresa Ghilarducci, Labor Economist and Retirement Security Expert, and Surya Kolluri, Head of TIAA Institute. The panel provides answers to the important topics necessary to plan for your golden years, including preparing the next generations for retirement, along with social security, and caregiving. They also share their insights on how we as Americans need to reimagine our financial future and the steps needed to be better prepared for what lies ahead. For the latest information on how to set yourself up for financial success, tune into Yahoo Finance Monday through Friday at 9 a.m. ET.

  • Campbell Soup CEO on military peers turned business leaders

    When Campbell Soup (CPB) CEO Mark Clouse made the transition from the military to the business world, his first role was part of Kraft’s, now Kraft Heinz (KHC), Junior Military Officer program. Now, more than 25 years later, Clouse is not the only leader who has gone from that Junior Military Officer program to CEO. Some of his military peers include: Hostess Brands CEO Andy Callahan, UTZ (UTZ) Brands CEO Howard Friedman, and Diageo (DEO) CEO Debra Crew. Clouse talks with Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi about the rise of these business leaders and the value Junior Military Officer programs can bring to both veterans and businesses, including Campbell Soup. “They're bringing leadership, complex project management, problem solving, and then we build the business knowledge,” says Clouse. For the full conversation with Clouse, click here. For more of our Lead This Way series, click here, and tune in to Yahoo Finance every Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.

  • Campbell Soup CEO offers three tips for new leaders

    Mark Clouse has been a leader for more than three decades. His journey began in the military at West Point and as a Captain in the Army before transitioning to the food industry, where he is now Campbell Soup (CPB) CEO. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi walks the halls of Campbell Soup headquarters in Camden, NJ with Clouse to gather learnings from the CEO’s career. Clouse shares three tips he has for new leaders, one of which involves getting yourself in a position where you can experience leadership to practice and build that muscle. “Take those opportunities,” says Clouse, “maybe the ones that others won’t take.” For the full conversation with Clouse, click here. For more of our Lead This Way Series, click here, and tune in to Yahoo Finance every Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.

  • Captain to CEO: Campbell Soup leader leans on military lessons

    Mark Clouse has risen the ranks of the food industry over the last two decades, reaching the peak – becoming Campbell Soup (CPB) CEO in 2019 – during a time of crisis for the company. Clouse credits his time in the military, first at West Point followed by more than six years in the Army, for his leadership style and success in the business world. At Campbell Soup headquarters in Camden, NJ, Clouse tells Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi how he re-centered the historic brand, guided the company through the pandemic, and is now leading Campbell Soup into the future. Clouse leans on his leadership pillars: to set a clear vision, assemble a complementary team, and inspire and uplift employees. “Instead of just being that constant force of execution and deliver, how do you create this feeling of empowerment?” Clouse says. Clouse took over as the 14th CEO of Campbell Soup since the company was founded in 1869. One of his biggest moves since taking the reins, includes the acquisition of the popular pasta sauce brand, Rao’s, along with their parent company, Sovos Brands (SOVO). Before taking the top job at Campbell Soup, Clouse served in leadership positions at Pinnacle Foods, now part of Conagra Brands (CAG), Mondelēz International (MDLZ), and The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC). Lead This Way is a new series that features personal, in-depth interviews with the business leaders shaping our world today. In these one-on-one conversations, they reveal how their approach to leadership helped them reach the top of their field. For more on our Lead This Way Series, click here, and tune in to Yahoo Finance every Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.

  • Abercrombie & Fitch CEO’s turnaround playbook: Lead This Way premiere

    Fran Horowitz took over the top job at Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) in 2017, following a tumultuous stretch for the retailer. Under Horowitz’s leadership, Abercrombie & Fitch has undergone a revival, not only reclaiming its cultural relevance, but delivering profits for investors in the process. While visiting the company’s new flagship store in New York City, Horowitz tells Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi what it took to turn around the legacy retail brand. Horowitz describes the qualities that she says make her an effective leader, such as being authentic, having patience and admitting when she’s wrong. “Make a mistake. And when you make a mistake, just fix it and move on,” Horowitz says. Prior to leading Abercrombie & Fitch, Horowitz rose up the retail ranks at Express (EXPR), Loft, and Hollister, a brand owned by Abercrombie & Fitch. Lead This Way is a new series that features big interviews with the business leaders shaping our world today. In these one-on-one conversations, they reveal how their approach to leadership helped them become Wall Street titans. For more on our Lead This Way Series, tune in to Yahoo Finance every Thursday at 3 p.m. ET for the latest episode.