RE: [Leica] Leica Advertising, was How could the R8 be bettered?

["Kotsinadelis, Peter (Peter)" <peterk@lucent.com>]

Bill,

If Cohn is an outsider, he has nothing to "unlearn." Sometimes being a exec
and coming through the ranks in the same industry has a way of creating many
executive with a type of "tunnel vision."  I think much was thought along
the same lines when George Fisher took over Kodak.  He cleaned house and now
Kodak is finally doing well and has move into the race with others in areas
where they were dooing poorly at one time.  Sometimes, change is good, and
transfusion of new blood into an old lethargic company is needed.

Peter K

- -----Original Message-----
From: LEICAMAN56@aol.com [mailto:LEICAMAN56@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 1999 11:19 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Leica Advertising, was How could the R8 be
bettered?


Hanns-Peter Cohn, the new CEO at Leica is an industry outsider.  This scares

me a little bit, but he is not a bean counter.  Klaus Dieter Hofman, his 
predecessor, was.  According to the interview with Herr Cohn in 2/99 Leica 
Photografie, he has held management posts with Olympia, Wang, Rank-Xerox and

for the past 14 years the furniture firm of Vitra.  I recommend that you all

read this article.  I was able to meet Herr Cohn at PMA in Las Vegas.  I was

only able to talk with him for about 20 minutes, but I got the impression he

is a fast learner and he definitely has the will to turn the company around.

I think he will give the company much needed direction which was previously 
lacking.
As reported on the LUG recently, the value of Leica AG stock has improved 
about 50% recently.  In the last week, one of the board members has been 
dismissed.  Changes are being made.
Stefan Daniel, the M Product Manager has a solid technical background with 
Leica.  He went through the old Leitz apprenticeship program.  As part of 
this program, the apprentice built his own M camera from start to finish.
He 
knows the M camera inside out.  I think the M is in good hands.
On the R side, I have not met the new R Product Manager, so I cannot
comment.
BTW, Roger Horn, President of Leica USA is a bean counter and has been doing

an excellent job here in the US.  Leica USA is the best performing Leica 
agency, worldwide, including the German home market.

Bill Rosauer