LUF Admin Posted March 5, 2009 Share #1 Posted March 5, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) A lot of unaspected news from Solms - just found this in my email inbox: Supervisory Board appoints Rudolf Spiller new Chairman of the Board of Management Leica Camera AG today unanimously appointed Rudolf Spiller new Chairman of the Board of Management with effect from April 1, 2009. Rudolf Spiller will succeed Dr. Andreas Kaufmann who had assumed office as member and Chairman of the Board of Management for an interim period until February 28, 2009 only. Rudolf Spiller was previously active as an indepent management consultant. Before that he held executive positions with various optical industry companies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 5, 2009 Posted March 5, 2009 Hi LUF Admin, Take a look here #003 Mr. Rudolf Spiller new Leica CEO. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
stunsworth Posted March 5, 2009 Share #2 Posted March 5, 2009 Interesting that they've gone for someone with knowledge of the industry this time. Do we know any more about him? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LUF Admin Posted March 5, 2009 Author Share #3 Posted March 5, 2009 Worked at Zeiss - after a first view... Andreas Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andit Posted March 6, 2009 Share #4 Posted March 6, 2009 I'm not convinced - a consultant that takes over the running of a company normally never means good news. If he does not have his own personal money invested in the company, he has nothing to loose... My first question to him would be if he owns and actively uses Leica camera's that he paid for out of his own pocket? If not, he has no idea as to what Leica is all about. Sorry, I don't mean to be disrespectful, but looking at what consultants have done with companies in Germany over the last few years, this could spell bad news for Leica. Andreas Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdai Posted March 6, 2009 Share #5 Posted March 6, 2009 Come on ... everybody on this board is a consultant in a sense. LOL Seriously, I think Leica should hire someone who is deeply rooted in the electronics/digital imaging industry. There have been many years of on going dispute on whether Zeiss or Leica is the best in optics, I think most people on this board have already casted their votes with their wallets. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted March 6, 2009 Share #6 Posted March 6, 2009 My first question to him would be if he owns and actively uses Leica camera's that he paid for out of his own pocket? I'm currently working for a tractor manufacturer but drive a Ford Mondeo. Should I tell my employer? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stnami Posted March 6, 2009 Share #7 Posted March 6, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) ..you're safe a Ford Mondeo is a tractor Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andit Posted March 6, 2009 Share #8 Posted March 6, 2009 Hi Steve, Well, I suppose it is a Ford British Company building Tractors, chances are you working for Massey Ferguson - brilliant equipment btw. Unfortunately camera's do not sell as well as, for instance, tractors. I'm pretty certain that it is safe to say that even your business has been seriously hit by the financial crises. Sadly it also looks like Zimbabwe won't be sorted out anytime soon (estimated write off on agricultural equipment stands at approx 62 Billion USD - this stuff does not exist anymore, it has been destroyed...) so there won't be any agricultural equipment going that way just yet. The problem with consultants is that you never know how committed they are towards a company. Does he feel committed towards Leica, or is he just interested in palming it off as soon as possible? It would certainly help if he shared the Leica Passion - otherwise we may just end up with a Lumix M8... I'm not saying that Panasonic is a bad company, but we would all just end up being a number to them and not a customer anymore. I must just emphasize here that I do not know Mr Spiller, and, I do not want to say anything disrespectful about the gentleman. I really wish him the best of luck and I hope that Leica will remain the company with the traditions for a long time to come. Andreas Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted March 6, 2009 Share #9 Posted March 6, 2009 Dr Kauffman has enough passion in Leica so I wouldn't worry! The new guy is his employee after all. He has a photographic/optical background so I would assume he understands the product. Sometimes the worst people to run a company are 'enthusiasts' who will make emotional rather than business decisions. But then Leica is an emotive brand! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted March 6, 2009 Share #10 Posted March 6, 2009 From his Plaxo posts I suspect that Dr. Kauffman may have stepped down for health reasons. Just speculation but I hope that he is in good health. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
elansprint72 Posted March 6, 2009 Share #11 Posted March 6, 2009 I fear that the beginning of the end is in sight. April 2nd might possibly have been a better start date for this important appointment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted March 6, 2009 Share #12 Posted March 6, 2009 From his Plaxo posts I suspect that Dr. Kauffman may have stepped down for health reasons. Just speculation but I hope that he is in good health. Does he have some sort of terminal gum disease problem then? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted March 7, 2009 Share #13 Posted March 7, 2009 Does he have some sort of terminal gum disease problem then? Yuda, yuda. Plaxo is a web site for connections with friends, business and etc. As far as gum disease goes you'll have to ask his dentist but I wouldn't start any viscous rumors at this point you know how things can get carried away on this site the next thing you know he will have swallowed his gum and choked to death. I didn't say that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flatfour Posted March 10, 2009 Share #14 Posted March 10, 2009 Steve - Using a Mondeo sounds like good judgment, they are excellent cars. I used to run a Tractor importer many years ago. Tractors are well made, reliable, and functional tools. A bit like a Leica. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
elansprint72 Posted March 11, 2009 Share #15 Posted March 11, 2009 Yuda, yuda. Plaxo is a web site for connections with friends, business and etc. As far as gum disease goes you'll have to ask his dentist but I wouldn't start any viscous rumors at this point you know how things can get carried away on this site the next thing you know he will have swallowed his gum and choked to death. I didn't say that. Viscous rumors (sic) can lead to a very sticky end. Vicious rumours are a completely different matter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted March 11, 2009 Share #16 Posted March 11, 2009 Viscous rumors (sic) can lead to a very sticky end. Vicious rumours are a completely different matter. If it is truly a gum disease then it is more than likely a viscous problem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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