Publications
Publications
- December 2014
- HBS Case Collection
Groupon: A New CEO Takes Charge
By: Lynda M. Applegate and Arnold B. Peinado
Abstract
On August 7, 2013, Eric Lefkofsky, the chairman and largest shareholder of Groupon was named CEO, replacing founder Andrew Mason, who had run the company since its inception in 2009. When Groupon had its initial public offering (IPO) in November 2011, the company's stock was offered at $20 a share. When Lefkofsky took over from Mason, the company was worth about a quarter of the IPO price and some technology experts were predicting that Groupon could well go bankrupt. Lefkofsky faced the challenge of turning Groupon into one of the major Internet companies that many predicted it would be. What lessons could Groupon learn from successful Internet companies, like Amazon, Google, LinkedIn and Facebook? How could it incorporate those lessons into a unique strategy that would enable the company to fulfill its early promise?
Keywords
Entrepreneurial Management; Disruptive Technologies; Growth Strategy; Customer Relations; Service Management; International Business; Business Models; Strategy Execution; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Model; United States
Citation
Applegate, Lynda M., and Arnold B. Peinado. "Groupon: A New CEO Takes Charge." Harvard Business School Case 815-083, December 2014.