Synopsis
One of the most innovative minds in business provides an equally original guide to getting ahead.
Frank Bennack’s accomplishments in media and business are unrivaled.
He was named chief executive of Hearst in 1979, and for nearly 30 years he helped solidify the company’s reputation as a leader in consumer media, overseeing the purchase of more than two dozen television stations and several major newspapers (Houston Chronicle), the launch of top-selling magazines (O, The Oprah Magazine), and a partnership with ABC, now the Walt Disney Company, to create the pioneering cable networks A&E, HISTORY, and Lifetime. One of his greatest achievements was when, in 1990, he negotiated a 20 percent stake in ESPN for $167 million. The sports network would be valued by market analysts at roughly $30 billion. He also played a key role in Hearst’s march toward diversification, with acquisitions of business media assets including global ratings agency Fitch Group.
In Leave Something on the Table, Bennack takes readers behind the scenes of these high-stakes moves and offers practical tips for excelling in the corporate world and beyond. He tells stories from his Texas childhood—a first job at 8, his own television show at 17—that foretold why he would become a CEO at 46. And he shares his encounters with US presidents, reflects on his longtime commitment to philanthropy, and describes his and his colleagues’ unwavering quest to build the visionary Hearst Tower.
This is a heartfelt handbook for how to advance not only as a professional but as a person. As Bennack writes, “It’s not currently fashionable to make the case for the high road. It looks longer, and old-fashioned, and it’s easy to conclude that while you’re climbing the ladder, burdened by your values, others are reaching the top faster. But if the stories in these pages suggest a broader truth, it’s exactly the opposite: The high road is quicker, with a better view along the way, and more satisfaction at the summit.”
About the Author
Frank Bennack is executive vice chairman and former CEO of Hearst, a leading global media, information and services company with more than 20,000 employees and 360-plus businesses. During Bennack’s tenure as CEO, he directed the company through an unprecedented period of growth from when he began his first tenure as CEO in 1979 through June 2013 when he stepped down increasing revenues 14 times and growing earnings more than 30 times. He is also chairman of the company’s Executive Committee, a director of Hearst, and a trustee of the Hearst Family Trust. In addition, he sits on a number of corporate committees and the Hearst Foundations Boards, where he has served for more than 25 years. Bennack is currently a director of Ralph Lauren Corporation. He is chairman of Hearst Magazines UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst. Bennack is also a governor and former chairman of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and its Healthcare System, a managing director of the Metropolitan Opera of New York, chairman emeritus of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and chairman of The Paley Center for Media (formerly The Museum of Television & Radio).
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