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H&R Block chief executive Curtis Campbell has said the biggest barrier preventing middle managers from reaching the C-suite is a deeply human fear of rejection that stops them from seeking mentorship, building relationships, and learning from others. Campbell, who rose from a modest background to lead the company, emphasizes that career advancement depends less on raw intelligence and more on persistence, strong performance, and a willingness to ask for guidance. He encourages professionals to actively seek out colleagues with specific strengths, noting that learning directly from high performers can accelerate development more than formal programs. He stresses that visibility and networking only matter when backed by consistently high-quality work, arguing that credibility is built through excellence in any role. Ultimately, Campbell said those who overcome hesitation, deliver strong results, and proactively learn from others are more likely to break out of mid-level roles and advance into senior leadership. 

 

Fortune

The 2026 State of AI

We didn't just ask AI.

We asked 500 financial leaders—including CFOs, VPs of finance, and heads of strategy—about their budgets, their breakthroughs, and their biggest takeaways.

Download now to explore how your peers are budgeting for AI, governing data integrity, and proving measurable ROI.

 

Cisco has appointed former Deloitte executive Pete Shimer to its board of directors as it accelerates its push into AI and digital infrastructure. Shimer brings more than 40 years of experience, including senior roles at Deloitte such as COO, CFO, and interim CEO, as well as expertise in transformation, strategy, and corporate development. He currently serves on multiple boards and leads the Cancer Artificial Intelligence Alliance. Cisco said the appointment will strengthen its leadership as it positions itself as a key provider of infrastructure for the AI era, with management highlighting Shimer’s experience as valuable in supporting global AI innovation and growth.

 

Capacity

Inflation pressures across the U.S. services sector accelerated sharply in March, with the ISM prices index rising to 70.7 from 63.0, marking its largest monthly increase in more than 13 years and the highest level in four years. The surge was driven primarily by rising energy costs linked to the ongoing Iran war, with businesses warning that higher oil prices are feeding through into broader input costs and threatening to erode consumer purchasing power. Despite these mounting cost pressures, the services sector continued to expand, with the headline ISM index easing to 54 from 56.1, indicating slower but still positive growth. The majority of industries reported expansion, though retail, agriculture and public administration contracted, pointing to uneven performance across the economy. Notably, employment in the sector weakened, with the jobs index falling into contraction territory at 45.2 from 51.8, signalling potential softening in labor demand. The combination of persistent inflation and slowing growth highlights a more challenging outlook for the U.S. economy, as policymakers monitor whether energy-driven price increases begin to spread more broadly ahead of upcoming inflation data.

 

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman has proposed a €56bn ($65bn) deal to combine Universal Music Group with a U.S.-listed vehicle, offering shareholders cash and stock while pushing to shift the company’s primary listing from Amsterdam to New York and cancel around 17% of shares. The plan, aimed at boosting valuation and addressing what Ackman calls an underutilized balance sheet, has driven a sharp rise in UMG’s share price but faces uncertainty without support from major shareholder Vincent Bolloré, whose backing is seen as critical for the deal to proceed.

 

Bloomberg

Wall Street Journal

Neurocrine Biosciences has agreed to acquire Soleno Therapeutics for $2.9bn, offering $53 per share in cash - a 34% premium - to gain access to Soleno’s approved drug Vykat XR, a once-daily treatment for hyperphagia linked to Prader-Willi syndrome. The deal, which is expected to close within 90 days, strengthens Neurocrine’s endocrinology and rare disease pipeline, with management projecting Vykat could exceed $1bn in annual sales, while analysts suggest the acquisition price may undervalue the drug’s long-term potential.

 

Bloomberg

Reuters

Hackers have stolen $280m from Drift, the largest so-called perpetual futures exchange on the Solana blockchain. Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic said the heist shows multiple hallmarks of North Korean state-sponsored DPRK hackers. “It is a continuation of the DPRK’s sustained campaign of large-scale cryptoasset theft, which the U.S. government has linked to the funding of its weapons programs. DPRK-linked actors are believed to be responsible for billions of dollars in cryptoasset theft in recent years,” Elliptic said.

 

CoinDesk

Financial Times

OpenAI is calling on the California and Delaware attorneys general to consider investigating Elon Musk and his associates' "improper and anti-competitive behavior" ​ahead of a trial between the two sides that is due ‌to begin this month. The upcoming jury trial will consider claims that the generative AI company defrauded Musk by ditching the nonprofit structure that it had when he initially donated to the startup. OpenAI and Microsoft - a subsequent $13bn investor in the startup - have denied Musk's claims. Musk is seeking as much as $134bn in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft. On Monday, the ChatGPT maker sent a letter to ​California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings, saying ‌the ⁠lawsuit would effectively cripple the organization.

 

Reuters

U.S. agriculture equipment maker Deere & Company has reached a settlement agreement to resolve the multidistrict "right to repair" litigation pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The case is part of broader scrutiny in the U.S. over such practices; regulators and plaintiffs argue that some ​manufacturers limit competition by controlling access to repair tools and ⁠software. The settlement fund covers eligible plaintiffs who paid Deere’s authorized ​dealers for repairs to large agricultural equipment from January 2018. "This ‌settlement ⁠addresses the issues raised in the 2022 complaint and brings this case to an end with no finding of wrongdoing," Deere said in a statement.

 

U.S. News

The Globe and Mail

UPS and the Teamsters union have reached an agreement to limit a controversial driver buyout program to 7,500 employees, each eligible for a $150,000 early retirement package, resolving a dispute over labor rights and contract violations. The deal follows union opposition and legal action, with buyouts now allocated by seniority and no further severance schemes permitted under the current agreement through July 2028, as UPS continues efforts to reduce its workforce amid declining revenue.

 

Louisville Courier Journal

Reuters

Amazon and the U.S. Postal Service have reached a tentative new agreement that scales back planned reductions in package volumes, with Amazon now set to cut shipments through USPS by 20% rather than the previously proposed two-thirds. The deal, which still requires approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission, ensures USPS will continue handling more than 1bn Amazon packages annually, preserving a major portion of a relationship that generates roughly $6bn in revenue for the agency. The revised terms reflect a compromise after Amazon explored shifting volumes to alternative carriers as part of a competitive bidding process initiated by USPS to reassess pricing for last-mile delivery services. However, weaker-than-expected bids from other logistics providers prompted USPS to re-engage with Amazon, highlighting the importance of the partnership to both sides. For Amazon, the agreement maintains critical last-mile delivery capacity, particularly in rural areas where USPS plays a key role, as the company continues to expand its own logistics network while balancing reliance on external carriers.

 

Bloomberg

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

KPMG Canada has appointed Ali Jaffery as its first chief economist, effective April 1st, to lead the firm’s economic advisory services and expand its research on key issues such as trade, productivity, and competitiveness. Based in Ottawa as a partner, Jaffery brings over 15 years of experience across government, central banking, and the private sector, most recently serving as a senior economist at CIBC. His appointment is aimed at strengthening KPMG’s ability to help clients navigate economic uncertainty and geopolitical challenges, and follows the firm’s recent investment in new leadership roles, including an AI research head.

 

Internet Accounting Bulletin

Russia is expanding its A7 cryptocurrency payments network into Africa, with offices in Nigeria and Zimbabwe and plans for further growth, as part of efforts to bypass western financial restrictions.

 

Financial Times