Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Novartis has bought the remaining shares in US eyecare company Alcon it did not already own for $12.9 billion (£8.2 billion), thus sealing 100 per cent ownership.

Novartis had been trying to assume total ownership of Alcon since January, when it paid $28.1 billion for a 77 per cent stake in the US company from food giant Nestlé.

Alcon is famous for its contact lens solutions and is also a leader in intraocular lenses, tiny lenses that are implanted in the eye to correct focusing problems.

Here’s a lighthearted list of bullet points (but serious, nevertheless).

If you are a new CEO, could any of these be a problem in your organization? How are you going to tackle them?

Or are you one of the employees? If so, are you giving your new CEO a fair chance?

1. Someone else had aspirations for your job, didn't get it, and concluded that the selection process had serious flaws.

Jeff Garr, CEO and Frank Zych, director of HR Services, HR Knowledge, Inc, suggest ten reasons companies are struggling with staffing issues in the current economy.

George Magnus argues that the financial crisis in the West has thrown down the gauntlet of structural reform for emerging markets. The prospects for the global economy, he says, depend not so much on mechanical extrapolations of GDP, than on good politics and robust legal and social institutions.

Why is cash forecasting so critical?

Where do you fit in your supply chain? How fit are you to meet the purchase decision drivers of your target customers? The success stories will emerge from the firms that match their company’s competencies with the factors that drive competitive success in those markets, says George F. Brown, Jr.

Dianor Resources is advancing its Leadbetter diamond project, the first step toward a long-term plan to become a global player in the diamond market, as Keith Regan learns from president and CEO John Ryder.

Having divested numerous gold and base metal assets, Dianor Resources is now squarely focused on the opportunities it sees in diamonds, opportunities it believes will make both it and Canada major players in the changing diamond market.

Rod Bridges tells Andrew Pelis about the changes he has implemented at the Curragh mine and how these have resulted in big savings.

Global demand for coal continues apace, with mining companies across Australia enjoying something of a boom period. For a business like Wesfarmers Curragh, the key has been to implement cost-effective mining processes to make the most of buoyant market prices.

Already a trusted partner to the world’s major ocean carriers, Maher Terminals has kept its sights set on growth, using the economic slowdown to further improve its operations and prepare for a longer-term phased expansion of capacity as necessary, Keith Regan learns.

Nordic Mine Technology is pushing the boundaries in customised rail haulage systems for the mining sector. Philip Brown talks to Gay Sutton about innovation and growth.