This case describes the difficult times Charles Schwab the company faced after the dot-com bust of the early 2000s. It also describes how Charles Schwab the man returned in July 2004 to take on the CEO position, and the strategic actions he took to fix the problems and refocus the company he founded over 30 years ago. The case shows how he was able to draw on the considerable remaining strengths of the company, not in the least its long-established culture that emphasized doing the right thing for customers. Two years following Schwab's return to the CEO job, the company turned in strong results. With the crisis of the past few years weathered, the case focuses on the challenges the company faces going forward as it pursues its strategy of offering good, consistent, un-conflicted investment advice to increasing numbers of smaller investors.
