James Smith's vision

If you go for organic growth only, you get criticised for being unadventurous [James Smith’s vision: Thomson Reuters 2.0]. That happened to Reuters around 1999-2000. If you buy up what you can, they say you are wild and woolly. 

Customer-intimate? Remember Front Line Business Units at Reuters anyone? Pain in the neck if you were trying to launch a new product, since the FLBUs needed to say whether customers actually wanted it! Salutary, I have to admit. That was a time of success for Reuters. 

Culture of innovation... no silos... excellence... Worthwhile aspirations, but not exactly new. If I were CEO James Smith, in my heart of hearts I would be careful about believing all my own propaganda. Like any other CEO launching a strategic change, he is on test. I wish him good luck. ■