Talk:Stephen Cooper (businessman)

A problem with the references list
I just expanded the article a little bit while sourcing everything properly, but even though the article's structure is just fine, there seems to be an issue displaying the references list. Any ideas/suggestions? Thanks, Shalom11111 (talk) 17:32, 22 August 2013 (UTC)

This article is repeatedly referenced in the "Personal Life" section, but it has no affiliation to Stephen Cooper, so I removed it: http://www.bloomfield-cooper.com/dm20/en_US/group/business/bloomfieldcooper/index.page.

Here is an accurate bio of Stephen Cooper: http://www.wmg.com/management/stephenfcooper — Preceding unsigned comment added by Cmacowski (talk • contribs) 15:19, 24 February 2014 (UTC)
 * See Biographies of living persons/Noticeboard ([//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia%3ABiographies_of_living_persons%2FNoticeboard&diff=596931457&oldid=596929880#Stephen_Cooper]). Nil Einne (talk) 16:27, 24 February 2014 (UTC)

Make Page More Educational
Learned about a lot of these cases in business school. Think the page could be more educational and source out to businesses / bankruptcy financial cases etc. Also noticed that the existing page has errors - Eg. birth year is incorrect and in many previous versions, including more recent ones, he's listed as Jewish which is incorrect. Here is version of bio that got flagged as COI because we coincidentally share a last name so I've been told to submit to the talk page for consideration.

Stephen F. Cooper (born 1946) [1] is an American businessman known for his expertise in turnaround consulting.

With over 30 years of experience as a financial advisor, Cooper has become a figure in the business world, specializing in guiding companies facing operational and performance challenges. His career spans numerous executive roles across a variety of industry. Notable turnaround cases include Enron, Warner Music Group, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Krispy Kreme, Laidlaw, TWA, Polaroid, amongst many others.

Early Life & Education Born in 1946 in Gary, Indiana, Cooper's educational journey began at Occidental College in Los Angeles, where he earned his undergraduate degree in economics. His passion for finance and leadership led him to the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, where he obtained his Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in 1970.

Career Touche Ross After graduating from Wharton, Cooper established himself in the world of corporate restructuring finance. He played a founding role in the formation of a reorganization advisory group within Touche Ross - the first of its kind at the firm. This move positioned him as an emerging expert in the realm of finance and corporate restructuring. At the time, Touche Ross was one of the world's largest accounting firms (The Big 8) which would eventually evolve into what is known today as Deloitte.

Zolfo Cooper In the mid-1980s, Cooper embarked on his entrepreneurial journey, co-founding a corporate-turnaround firm alongside Frank Zolfo. Zolfo Cooper rapidly gained recognition as a bankruptcy consultancy firm, offering assistance to high-profile clients such as Federated Department Stores, Trans World Airlines (TWA), Polaroid, Boston Market, and Colt Manufacturing, among others. Cooper's focus in negotiations with creditors proved significant in many cases, where companies could be rescued through strategic restructuring.

Enron One of the most iconic chapters in Stephen F. Cooper's career was his appointment as the Chief Executive Officer at Enron Corporation in 2002. This period was marked by significant turmoil and scandal in the energy sector. Enron had been a major player in the energy industry and a Fortune magazine's "most innovative company in the United States" for several years. However, a lengthy investigation uncovered that the company's corporate officers had hidden debt, inflated earnings, and manipulated financial statements to deceive shareholders.

In January 2002, Cooper was named the interim CEO of Enron, replacing Kenneth L. Lay, who was later indicted on several counts of securities and wire fraud. At that time, Enron had filed for bankruptcy, making it the 2nd largest bankruptcy case in U.S. business history. Cooper's task was to find ways to address Enron's mounting debt, navigate numerous investigations, and work towards stabilizing the company.

Cooper dismissed speculations on what had led to Enron's downfall, focusing on the company's future. He worked to secure a reorganization that would be approved by the bankruptcy-court judge. Cooper oversaw what went on to be not only one of the largest bankruptcy cases in the US at the time but also the most complex ones, with multiple investigations, including those by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice.

Throughout his tenure as interim CEO, Cooper faced significant challenges, including the need to address the financial concerns of employees and investors. Many Enron employees had 401K savings and retirement plans, and Cooper worked to secure funds from the bankruptcy court to support former employees whose severance payments had been held up by the proceedings.

Krispy Kreme Cooper was again in demand when he stepped in to assist Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in 2005. As the interim CEO, he helped the company navigate financial challenges and steer clear of bankruptcy, providing reassurance to employees and investors.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) In 2009, Cooper assumed the role of CEO at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios.

Cooper Investment Partners Cooper has also been the chairman and a managing director at private equity firm Cooper Investment Partners since its founding in 2010.[2]

Warner Music Group Cooper became CEO of Warner Music Group (WMG) in August 2011, replacing Edgar Bronfman Jr., who then became chairman of the company upon Cooper's appointment.[3] During Cooper's tenure, the company achieved significant growth and transformation. Within two years of Cooper's arrival as CEO, WMG committed to paying GBP £487 million to acquire the Parlophone Label Group, expanding its global presence. Over the past decade, WMG's annual revenues more than doubled, reaching $5.92 billion in 2022, and its market value grew from $3.3 billion in 2011 to $17.1 billion. WMG's global recorded music market share increased from 15.1% in 2011 to 16.7% in 2021. Cooper's strategic mindset included acquisitions in the U.S., the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as catalog buyouts with music legends like David Bowie and David Guetta. Cooper's leadership also led to a successful IPO on the NASDAQ in 2020 during a global pandemic, highlighting his ability to make strategic decisions under challenging conditions. His tenure redefined WMG's role in the music industry, establishing it as a global leader.

He was succeeded by Robert Kyncl as CEO of WMG in early 2023.[4]

All the sources are in the version history. Bahbahblacksheep007 (talk) 17:46, 7 November 2023 (UTC)