Children's Theatre Company to Present Mr. Popper's Penguins

Paul Liska held executive positions with major corporations in diverse industries until 2009, when he turned to private investment. A committed philanthropist, Paul Liska has contributed to groups such as Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis.

Known for inspiring and educating young people, Children's Theatre Company has earned honors such as the Regional Theatre Tony Award. Each year, its young actors present a variety of performances.

In early 2019, the company will feature Mr. Popper's Penguins, adapted by Pins and Needles Productions from the book written by Florence and Richard Atwater. The story follows Mr. Popper, a painter trying to make a living to support his family, who suddenly must provide for 12 penguins as well. His idea to create a vaudeville act of performing penguins offers hope while delighting the audience.

The Children's Theatre Company production of Mr. Popper's Penguins will run January 15 through February 24, 2019, on the UnitedHealth Group Stage.

Thin Shots in Golf - What They Are and How to Avoid Them

A talented financial leader with extensive experience as an executive vice president and a CFO, Paul Liska operates as a private investor. An avid golfer in his free time, Paul Liska particularly enjoys playing at The Country Club at Castle Pines, The Club at Wynstone, and Pinehurst.

In golf, a thin shot occurs when the head of the club meets the ball near its midpoint or higher. Where these types of shots will land is extremely difficult to predict. Thin shots also produce more vibration in a golfer’s hands, thus making them uncomfortable for the player.

Thin shots typically result from an issue or issues with a golfer’s swing. When swinging, golfers must keep their upper body even. Some players rise up at the moment of impact, which makes them hit the ball higher than usual. To address this, golfers should remain mindful of the position of their head throughout their swing. By ensuring the head maintains the same vertical distance from the ground through impact, golfers can avoid rising up during their swing.

Swaying during a swing can also cause thin shots. During a swing, golfers who sway move their hips away from the ball during their backswing and toward the ball during their downswing. By leaning the right knee in during the address, which occurs when the bottom of the club approaches the ground, golfers lock in their stance and keep the body from swaying.

Other issues that cause thin shots are positioning the ball poorly when setting up, having a narrow stance, and flipping the golf club. These problems are easily addressed by making sure the ball is neither too far back nor too far forward and by widening the stance. Meanwhile, golfers can avoid flipping the club by ensuring their pressure on the grip remains light and keeping the hinge in their wrists.

An Introduction to Divestiture

Paul Liska has held leadership roles at companies such as Motorola, Speciality Foods Corporation, and Kraft General Foods. In these roles, he became familiar with a wide range of business functions. Paul Liska has spent the past several years working as a private investor in Illinois.

The opposite of investing, divesting is getting rid of an asset by exchanging, selling, or closing it. In most cases, divesting of a business unit is done because the unit is not part of the company’s core competency. 

To refocus the business, management may decide to get rid of certain units through divestiture. In doing so, they reduce the lines of business a company must manage.

If a business is struggling financially, it may choose to sell business units to bring in money and return the company’s focus to its primary business line. Divestiture may also be part of a business’ survival plan after a bankruptcy.

The Lasting Influence of The Guns of August

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, Paul Liska draws upon more than four decades as a chief financial officer and corporate executive in his work as a private investor. An avid reader in his free time, Paul Liska enjoys nonfiction works about history, with The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman being one of his favorites.

Published in 1962 to great critical acclaim, The Guns of August details the first month of World War I through a unique storytelling style that brings to life the events and characters of one of the most important eras in world history. The book appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for over 40 consecutive weeks and won the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction in 1963.

The book’s impact has extended well beyond the bestseller lists. For example, President John F. Kennedy was reportedly greatly influenced by the book. In addition to presenting copies of the book to his staff, Kennedy drew upon information in the book while navigating the Cuban Missile Crisis in the fall of 1962. Since that time, the book has been a mainstay in high school and college history curricula while having a lasting effect on the way we understand both World War I and the shape of 20th century history.