Developing Diagnostic and Analytical Skills Case Application 9-A: A FUDGE CAREER Ann Fudge has built her career by breaking through the barriers that did just that After her self-imposed sabbatical, she decided to have frustrated women and minorities in gaining aceess to the top return to the world of work. levels of management. Not only did she break the glass ceiling to In late 2003, Fudge was lured back to corporate America with work her way to head of a division at Kraft Foods, but as a woman of an opportunity to take the helm of che advertising and communica color, has headed one of the nation's largest advertising and com. tion company Young and Rubicam. A company with revenues of munication companies about 40 percent of her previous job she was taking over an organi After graduating from Simmons College with a bachelor's degree zation that was having serious problems. The past several year, in management and earning an MBA from Harvard, Ann Fudge under its previous leadership, the company was neglected. Executive embarked on a career with General Foods (which later became part of greed was rampant But more important, the organization was los Kraft Foods) as a marketing assistant. Her early career efforts were ing customers so many that it had lost nearly two-thirds of its met with tremendous success. Her performance excelled, propelled by revenues. Fudge said she was excited by the challenge of turning a knack for developing successful marketing campaigns. As a brand around Y&R. She wanted to make a difference and build a company manager, she was credited with rekindling the excitement behind that worked with independent businesses in an effort to identify Kool Aid, Log Cabin Syrup, and Stove Top Stuffing She did this while problems and implement workable solutions controlling costs and increasing product quality. For her effores, Fudge left Young and Rubicam in late 2006 to increase her senior managers at Kraft rewarded her with a promotion to head of commitment to communiry involvement and become more involved che Beverages, Desserts and Post division of the company. This divi in the nonprofit sector. Her current involvement includes the sion had annual revenues in excess of $5 billion and accounted for board of the Rockefeller Foundation and the Council on Foreign more than 15 percent of the entire company's revenues Relations After just a year into the job, Fudge stunned everyone. She announced that she was quitting. She was leaving her job -not to Questions: focus completely on raising her children or for a bigger challenge in another organization. Rather, she was quitting so she could spend 1. Describe what has happened in this case to Ann Fudge in time on herself After more than twenty years of working incessantly terms of career stages. and infrequently seeing her family, she had had cnough. Fudge 2. Do you believe that Fudge suffered a mid-life career crisis wanted to go cycling, enjoy her house, and sit on her front deck and Defend your position read a book. She wanted to meditate, and to have a "normal" life of 3. What can organisations do to prevent talent like Ann Fudge eating a home-cooked dinner with her husband for two years she from leaving their organizations? Explain