Boris Fedorov, a prominent champion of better corporate governance in Russia's biggest companies, and one of Sberbank's independent directors, believes that the move is mistimed.

ECONOMIST: Cash in your chips

Orange Switzerland Wednesday sold a so-called payment-in-kind bond debt without any coupon payments that instead pays interest in one installment at maturity at a price and speed that had all the hallmarks of being a "top of the market trade, " according to Duncan Warwick-Champion, head of corporate research at ECM Asset Management.

WSJ: Bond Offer Shows Limits of Yield Hunt

Enter Carly Fiorina, a champion seller of technology and corporate makeovers.

FORBES: All Carly, all the time

The repercussions of this affair are likely to poison European-American trade relations and expose the administration to accusations of corporate welfare for America's aerospace national champion.

ECONOMIST: EADS and America

David Bolt is being recognized as a Champion of Change for his work demonstrating that corporate environmental leadership makes sense, both for business and for American communities.

WHITEHOUSE: The Joy of Sustainability

And just as corporate marketers have learned to adapt to this new normal, the role of the agencies that support and champion those brands has evolved as well.

FORBES: The Idea CMOs Need Now