CEO Oliver Kalter will leave Leica...

"........I am pleased to have found such an outstanding successor to him in Oliver Kaltner – a man with outstanding strategic and business acumen and an exceptional instinct for innovation, whose enormous commitment and obvious passion for the brand has already led to considerable success in terms of growth, transformation and digitization only a very short time after joining the company." ..... Dr Kaufmann adds: "The Supervisory Board of Leica Camera AG has expressed its complete confidence in Oliver Kaltner, and I personally wish him every success in the important task of leading a company as steeped in tradition as Leica into the future."

That mustn't have ended well.
 
This is a surprise indeed. The article that was posted by Kent suggests a level of jealousy from other administrators at Leica, with the accusation that he treated the "small business firm" like a large business firm. It may be about tradition versus high-tech profits.
 
We cannot say if it was "jealousy" or who is responsible, Raid.

It was the supervisory board, not the rest of the management that stated the incompatibility.

Leica does nurture a certain business and production philosophy. The human beings in the company and their well-being have always had a certain importance - a tradition that was started by Ernst Leitz himself. This is different to most "global players" and perhaps the reason why an international top manager does not entirely fit to this "provincial" company. ;)
 
Kent said:
Leica does nurture a certain business and production philosophy. The human beings in the company and their well-being have always had a certain importance - a tradition that was started by Ernst Leitz himself. This is different to most "global players" and perhaps the reason why an international top manager does not entirely fit to this "provincial" company. ;)
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Dr. Kaufmann should have known that a «Kaltner» doesn't fit. NOMEN EST OMEN.

(The «Kaltner» surname may have a completely different etymology, but it sounds like the adjective «kalt» = cold.)
 
Mr. Kaltner confirmed to me these news.
He may have shaken Leica up, and it could very well be that his ventures were too different from past Leica ventures. His past position at Leica has to do with Marketing and Finance, so his focus may have been 100% on creating huge profits for Leica while old timers may focus on traditional approaches.
 
I can say "jealousy"

I can say "jealousy"

I think that seeing Kaltner as the rising superstar was not taken well by some at Leica. I feel it.

Raid

Kent said:
We cannot say if it was "jealousy" or who is responsible, Raid.

It was the supervisory board, not the rest of the management that stated the incompatibility.

Leica does nurture a certain business and production philosophy. The human beings in the company and their well-being have always had a certain importance - a tradition that was started by Ernst Leitz himself. This is different to most "global players" and perhaps the reason why an international top manager does not entirely fit to this "provincial" company. ;)
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radi(c)al_cam said:
Dr. Kaufmann should have known that a «Kaltner» doesn't fit. NOMEN EST OMEN.

(The «Kaltner» surname may have a completely different etymology, but it sounds like the adjective «kalt» = cold.)
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Mr. Kaltner is a very nice person and I did not observe coldness from him when he met with the RFF group who visited Leica in Wetzlar last summer. Just the opposite. He is a very smart person, and he seems to have created a new vision for Leica, which may be too radically new for traditionalists at Leica.

Then again, we are all guessing here ...:angel:
 
In the actual market it's and it will be more and more difficult to make profits without innovation...but very difficult to be innovative in an environment much related to tradition...
not easy to be the boss at Leica...
I agree with Raid from our meet with Mr. Kaltner he seems to be clever, friendly and more important with a vision for the future.
Just my thinking, anyway I will not apply for that position :)

robert
 
It was not my intention to offend Mr. Kaltner.

«Nomen est omen» is not the only famous saying regarding names; there's another one, coined by Goethe (IIRC), as follows:

«Namen sind Schall und Rauch.»

(«Names are sound and smoke.»)

;)
 
Robert in my opinion for Leica to remain relevant they need to keep M as a true alternative to what is out there. I think creating products like the M-D and the MM are two fine examples of creating true alternative choices. The new M10 seems to stay in that tradition.
 
When someone lifts the barriers a lot, then gets negative views on these changes, this can lead to a "compromise" by which the barriers are lifted but not so much. It is in the end a good outcome. On the other hand, if the old school did not learn from the new innovative ideas of others, the old school Leica will fail commercially. RFF community cannot save it from itself in such a case.
 
tom.w.bn said:
If you look at his vita then he changed position or job every 2-3 years. Some people are always on the move.
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That's kind of typical for executives. People like him, who become CEO of a company such as Leica in their late 40s, need a vast collection of management experiences.
 
Leica has been on good track past 10 years. don't think it needs any shaking up and disturbances from their products p.o.v.

DPr recently reported that Hasselblad CEO is also changing. to me it sounded strange as he was first CEO that made series of good decisions. someone still remember those wood grip Sony's they engineered not that long ago?
 
I think what has and will keep Leica afloat will be not to become part of the herd. Leica creates some things now that no one else does. So if you want that you have to buy Leica. If you get down there in the herd you will just be another one of those so why buy Leica if that's what you become? Nice to have choices and as long as Leica M is a real choice then that is the one I will choose.
 
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