BC Chief Execs Club crosses the pond

Moving the BC forum overseas for this Friday's event requires some additional logistics for Warren Zola, the CEO club's executive director. He had to plan particularly far in advance: This one has been in the works for a year.

Coca-Cola Co. chief executive Muhtar Kent will be the keynote speaker, and the event will be cohosted by State Street Corp. CEO Jay Hooley and Neil Naughton, deputy chairman at Irish appliance maker Glen Dimplex. Zola said other chief executives who are expected to attend include Suffolk Construction chief John Fish, Mike Mahoney from Boston Scientific, and MGM Resorts' Jim Murren.

The real reason they will be packing their suits and heading to the airport? A football game. On Saturday, Boston College will play ACC rival Georgia Tech at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The Irish business leaders who sponsored the game wanted to turn this showdown into a series of events that stretch throughout the week. That's why they approached Zola about exporting his successful CEO networking series over to Dublin.

Zola said Naughton has helped by rounding up Irish leaders for the event, an invite-only affair. Nearly 400 people are expected.

So will we see more globe-trotting on the part of Zola and his merry band of CEOs? Not anytime soon. Once he gets through Friday, Zola's focus will be on preparing for Walt Disney Co. CEO Robert Iger's visit to Boston, on Oct. 5.

There's something about winning your client a $1 billion stake in a media conglomerate — it just puts you in a good mood.

After hours of emphatic argument on behalf of Keryn Redstone, granddaughter of mogul Sumner Redstone, attorney Pierce O'Donnell and lawyers for other members of the feuding family struck a deal guaranteeing his client an eventual one-fifth stake in the company that controls Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp.

That had O'Donnell beaming like the sun — which, poetically, emerged from behind storm clouds just as the sides came to an agreement. Speaking to reporters after a hearing, O'Donnell heaped praise on the judge in the case, George Phelan.

"He was masterful!" O'Donnell said. "He was prepared — what we call a 'hot bench.' "

The soft-spoken justice at the Norfolk County Probate and Family Court, who grew up in a Fall River housing project and previously served as legal advisor for the State Department in Iraq, became an unlikely central figure in the high-stakes Redstone lawsuit. Throughout the case, Phelan sought to cut through voluminous legal posturing — such as the hundreds of discovery requests O'Donnell rained down this week — and resolve the family fight at its core.

"He really had a laser-beam focus on the human part of this case," O'Donnell said. "This resolution . . . is great for everybody, which doesn't happen that often." — DAN ADAMS

RJ Dourney didn't just lose his full-time job as chief executive at Cosi Inc. last week. He also found out the following day that he lost his seat on the board of directors as well.

The move apparently came as a surprise to Dourney. On Aug. 22, the day his termination was announced, Dourney told The Boston Globe that he expected to remain on the board. But the next day, Cosi notified him that he was gone from the board as well, according to a document the company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.

The Cosi board took the position that his director seat was directly linked to his role as CEO. Dourney remains one of Cosi's biggest shareholders, the result of a previous merger of his Cosi franchise operation into the parent company. An affiliate of Denver-based investment firm Janus Capital Group still appears to be the largest shareholder, although it was selling much of its Cosi stake last week.

Reached by e-mail on Friday, Dourney didn't seem to drop any of his trademark optimism.

"Leveraging my experience with Cosi along with my willingness to help is the board's call," Dourney said. "Either way, I remain an advocate of Cosi, the team, and the culture the team has worked hard to create."
— JON CHESTO

Ask any alcohol industry analyst and they'll tell you: millennials are a beer maker's dream. The Brewers Association has found that the generation is helping to drive the growth of the craft beer market, are loyal to trusted brands, and are eager to try new flavors. They see craft beer as an affordable luxury. And 57 percent of them drink craft beer at least once a week.

So perhaps it was inevitable that Boston's largest craft beer maker decided to pay tribute to the generation with a brew all its own: the Millenni-ale. Sam Adams founder and head brewer Jim Koch will unveil the new recipe as part of the Forbes 30 Under 30 event, which will take place in Boston Oct. 16-19. The limited edition batch will be on tap in the pop-up "village" that will occupy City Hall plaza during the summit.

So what does a beer inspired by millennials taste like? Perhaps a touch of brininess as a nod to the sweat that millennials put into their resumes? Some buttery, or caramel, notes, thanks to all the popcorn they eat while binging on Netflix? Or maybe a scintilla of coffee grinds, due to the generations' reliance on caffeine?

Sam Adams was mum on what will constitute the exact flavor profile of the beer, but we're thinking it's all part of drumming up a bit of buzz for the special brew. And you know who will love that buzz the most? Millennials.
— JANELLE NANOS

Can't keep a secret? Tell us. E-mail Bold Types at boldtypes@globe.com.