Faxon praised by biz strategist

UNDER PRESSURE: In her latest Forbes.com column, business strategist Trish Gorman Clifford takes stock of Roger Faxon, noting that the embattled EMI chief “can’t depend for long on his new partners at Citi. The bank has enormous financial problems of its own. Faxon will have to preserve EMI’s extraordinary trove of content…while potential new owners weigh a bid… If Sony or Vivendi leave EMI to be sold again to a purely financial buyer, Faxon could find himself trying to dissuade the new owner from selling off some portion of EMI’s library to help finance the purchase. And believe it or not, all that is the easy part of Faxon’s job… This is real management under uncertainty. Faxon needs to form coalitions, persuade with integrity, play savvy politics, keep his people calm and focused, maintain key client relationships and deliver value—all while striving to reshape an industry… My fascination with Faxon is the thrill of watching a shaping strategy emerge in real time, with all the risk and drama that entails. Keep an eye on Faxon.” (5/25a)