Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/04/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]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