Chapter 135 Cecilia's Business Acumen
The Lockhart Group, Sales Department Meeting Room.
Cecilia sat at the head of the table. On either side were the department's key managers, supervisors, and core team members.
She scanned the room and spotted Juliana.
With Isadora's death, Vincent, Andrew, and Juliana had all taken leave to grieve at home.
Catching Cecilia's eye, Juliana quickly spoke up, "Isadora's already been buried. Staying home makes it worse, so I came back to work early. Maybe focusing on work will help me cope."
Cecilia gave a slight nod but didn't say anything.
Juliana noticed Cecilia's cold demeanor and scrutinized her in return.
Yesterday, Cecilia had forced Roy out and pushed Charles to resign, causing a huge stir in their family. No one expected Charles, the second-largest shareholder of the Lockhart Group, to be ousted by Cecilia. From now on, he'd only get dividends and have no say in company decisions.
Vincent was livid when he heard the news.
He had worked hard to win over Charles for support among the top brass. Now, Cecilia had completely ruined that, forcing Charles out in disgrace. It was unacceptable.
Vincent had Juliana, Andrew, and himself come to the office early.
He was genuinely afraid that in their absence, Cecilia might actually turn the company around!
They couldn't let Cecilia gain any ground.
If she did, their family's grip on the Lockhart Group would be in jeopardy.
So, early this morning, Juliana came to the office with Vincent.
As soon as they arrived, she ran into Cecilia. She wanted to approach but saw Alaric getting out of the car.
Alaric was undeniably handsome.
But he had a bad reputation before, so the high-society ladies didn't pay him any mind. However, at some point, Alaric's image seemed to change, especially after marrying Cecilia. Alaric's trajectory was now positive, even outshining Dominic.
Dominic's reputation took a nosedive after the wedding scandal.
It was said that the Kingsley family's finances were hit hard by Dominic's disgrace.
Even Juliana felt that under Alaric's current aura, Dominic had lost all his luster. She once had her eyes on Dominic.
Juliana gritted her teeth.
Thinking about Alaric and Cecilia's interaction this morning, Alaric's eyes were full of genuine affection, not just for show, which made Juliana insanely jealous. She couldn't understand why Cecilia was so lucky.
Why was Cecilia born with so much more privilege?
Why did Cecilia get to live so gloriously while she had nothing?
"Today's meeting is to address some current sales challenges, focusing on two projects: the unfinished Flower Beach residential complex and the marketing issues of the Tower of Light," Cecilia began, exuding authority.
The room fell silent.
"Let's start with the Flower Beach project. We had a solid partnership with Bright Construction, but now the owner has run off with the funds, and the police have come up empty. The site’s abandoned. I’ve reviewed the plans; it’s in a prime spot in Serenovia City. Once finished, it should be a hit, but with the contractor gone, we’re stuck. This mess is hitting our revenue hard. I’ll push the board to find a new way to get it done. You all know the issue, so start thinking about our marketing strategy for Flower Beach."
Everyone listened closely.
Cecilia continued, "Now, let’s talk about the Tower of Light. Rose, what’s the latest?"
Rose stepped up.
She projected her overnight PowerPoint onto the big screen and began, "Here’s where we stand with the Tower of Light. We’ve been building for a year, it’s got 12 floors and nearly 1,000 shops. Right now, only 20% are occupied, about 200 businesses. But only 130 are actually open; the rest are closing due to heavy losses and will terminate their leases soon."
"The Lockhart Group invested $2 billion in the Tower of Light, and we’ve only made back $20 million. So far, we’ve lost $1.98 billion, making this one of our biggest flops." Rose explained seriously, "We planned to break even in three years and see a 30% return in five years, meaning $2.6 billion in revenue. Given the current situation, that’s a pipe dream."
After her report, Rose stepped down.
Cecilia looked away from the screen, "Which department handled the marketing for this project?"
"It was us," said Michael Brown, the central manager of Sales Department A. "I oversaw the implementation."
"Why is our marketing so poor?" Cecilia asked.
"When the Tower of Light was being built, we considered multiple angles and expected it to be a hit. But we hit three main issues. First, large-scale demolitions around the Tower of Light made many locals move away, leading to the nearby subway station being canceled. Without convenient transportation, foot traffic is low, making it hard to attract businesses. Second, the Tower of Light was meant to be the largest high-end luxury brand mall in Serenovia City, but no top-tier luxury brands wanted to move in. Without these brands, there’s no draw for others. Third, the Tower of Light was built to the highest standards, which means high costs, so the rent is higher than average. Given these factors, businesses are reluctant to choose us."
Cecilia nodded, taking it all in.
"Mr. Brown, join me for an on-site inspection this afternoon."
"Yes," Michael nodded.
"Now, let’s clarify our tasks for this project. But first, let’s set our goal." Cecilia’s commanding tone filled the room.
Everyone waited respectfully for her instructions.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
