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“NUGGETS
OF GOLD “– 12 BUSINESS PERSONALITIES |
Anita
Roddick (1942-) |
|
Anita Roddick is often called the world’s first “social
entrepreneur”. Roddick’s multination ‘the body shop’ happen to be a
holistic biend of business smarts, activism and interest in social causes.
Born is Sussex, England, Anita Roddick’s parents ran a diner in Little Hampton, where she often helped out. After attending college she took up dissimilar jobs in different places. She traveled extensively, visiting Africa, the Far East, Australia, and South Africa. Returning to little Hampton, Roddick got married and had two children. The family opened a hotel and restaurant arm. It was about this time that Anita Roodick decided to start a cosmetics business using all natural ingredients. The enterprise was called ‘The Body Shop Roddick began selling environment-friendly and socially responsible products in small packs; the idea was to persuade the customers to try them out. And they did and came back for more. She never advertised her products and simply relied on word-of-mouth. When business began to pick up, Roddick decided to open more shops. She joined forces with a local businessman who took a half-share in the enterprise. The business did exceedingly well. When request for opening more shops in other areas came pouring in; Roddick began franchising the concept and most of then were women-run. The Body Shop was truly a pioneer representing the first retailing opportunity for the public to “ethically” purchase-her product were often ancient curative recipes, not animal tested, with ingredients bought directly from indigenous peoples rather than from a series of intermediaries. She also pioneered leave of absence for staff wishing to become involved in ‘worthy’ cause, as well as giving workers a share of the profit for use in their communities. Mid 1990s, Roddick gave up her CEO post, choosing to remain co-chairman only. |
Aristotle
Onassis (1906-1975) |
|
The flamboyant Greek shipping magnate whose life
is the stuff that dreams are made of, and nightmares that often nearly
bring many great men to their knees.
Aristotle Onassis was born to parents (his father was Greek) settled in Smyrna, Turkey. Never really good at studies, and not wanting to join his father’s business he went off to Argentina where, for some time, he worked as a telephone operator. During this period he began investing/trading in stocks, and often made tidy profits. He soon moved into the tobacco business: manufacturing cigarettes and importing tobacco. During the period of the Great Depression, Onassis bought sex freight ships-thus began his foray into the world of shipping. Onassis’ sharp business acumen often helped overcame most barriers his company came across, and helped himmake good profits. Onassis soon had the biggest shipping company in the world. When shipbuilding became expensive he tool up whaling which also became hugely successful. Onassis’ golden run was to soon end. He ran into rough weather with the authorities form different countries. He was forced to give up the whaling operations. He was also involved in a failed bid to monopolies the shipping of oil from the Middle East. In the process he lost not only a great deal of money buy also a good deal of reputation. Between 1975 and 1974 he owned and operated Olympic Airways, the Greek national airlines. Political events forced him to give up control of the airline. |
Dale
Carnegie (1988-1955) |
If
there is one man who has made a great success of a long-term business
out of the self-help genre, then Dale Carnegie definitely is the man
to beat. His ideas were never really original but they answered the
need of the time. More than 50 Years on Carnegie continues to strike
a chord with managers and aspiring managers, because his techniques
deal with the universal challenge of face-to-face communication. Carnegie
was born in Missouri. In high school and college he was active in debating
clubs. Upon graduating, he was a salesman in Nebraska and an actor in
New York City and finally taught public speaking at the YMCA. His classes
became extremely successful, and Carnegie began lecturing to packed
houses. He compiled his lectures into book forms such as “How to Stop
Worrying and Start Living” and “Public Speaking and influencing Men
in Business”. His best selling book that made him a household name was
“How to Winn Friends and influence People”. This book is, in fact, a
blend of homespun wisdom and commercial know-how, aimed at he insecurities
of ordinary people who know that to succeed one must first sell oneself
effectively. Some of his fundamental techniques for handling and getting
along well with people included, among others, not criticizing. Condemning
or complaining; being a good listener; talking in terms of the other
person’s interests; and, perhaps the easiest of all, smiling. The fact
that his books continue to sell well 50 years after his death, and also
the mushrooming of imitators presenting different tracks of the same
self-help and success them, is testimony to Dale Carnegie’s foresight
and inventiveness. |
David
Packard (1912-1996) |
An
entrepreneur and electrical engineer who co-founded along with Bill
Hewlett-Hewlett Packard corporation, which is one of the most successful
companies in the world. After receiving his B.A. from Stanford University
in 1934, Packard worked for the General Electric Company in Schenectady,
N.Y. in 1938 he returned to Stanford, where he earned the degree of
electrical engineer, and in 1939 he and William R. Hewlett established
their firm in Packard’s garage with capital of $538. Initially they
began developing devices that included a machine that sent electric
shocks through the human body that ostensibly helped people lose weight;
a gadget that triggered automatic urinal flushing; and a device that
helped in making sound recordings better. It did not take them long
taste success and growth. The company in which Packard proved to be
an expert administrator and Hewlett provided many technical innovations,
gradually grew into the world’s largest producer of electronic testing
and measurement devices. It also became a major producer of personal
computers, and laser and inkjet printers. It’s recipe for growth was
simply that its products needed to be leaders in their market segment.
Packard believed in “management by walking around”. This simply meant
that it was important for managers to be constantly on the shop floor,
talking to employees and listening to what they have to say. All conflicts
were to be tackled through communication and consensus. He believed
that an organization must provide an environment that fostered individual
motivation, initiative and creativity. This management style was based
on openness and respect for the individual. Packard served as Hewlett-Packard’s
president from 1917 to 1964, Chief executive officer from 1964 to 1968,
and chairman of the board from 1964 to 1968 and from 1972 to 1993. |
Enzo
Ferrari (1898-1988) |
The
name Ferrari is the best-known brand in the racing circuit, and off
it is a major force in the fast cars segment. The man who created this
billion-dollar brand is Enzo Ferrari, an automobile manufacturer, designer,
racing-car driver and, of course, a racing icon. Born in Modena, Italy,
Enzo as a young boy took up a job in a local workshop; Years later,
in keeping with his passion for racing and everything associated with
it, he joined the Italian car company Alfa Romeo, where he started out
as a test driver, and then as a racing driver for its works team. In
1929 he set up his own company, Scuderia Ferrari, which offered racing
services to its clients. It gradually evolved into a racing team in
its own right. During the Second World War, with the Scuderia factory
relocated to Marinello, the 50 year-old Ferrari set about creating his
own racing car. The first car, the 12-cylinder 1255, emerged in 1947.
Very soon Ferrari cars were winning Grand Prix races in Europe. Ferrari’s
finances, however, were not in very good shape-building racing cars
were an expensive proposition. He soon began making sports cars and
so the Ferrari sports car marque was created. When demand for his cars
increased he had Fiat take a 50% share in the Ferrari company. Following
this Ferrari had great success on the race track, and off it had a good
run in the passenger car market. In 1988 Fiat increased its stake in
Ferrari to 90%. Soon after this he passed away. Enzo displayed a tough
streak that found Ferrari doing well even during economic downturns.
He was known to quickly drop models that did not do well in the market.
He always concentrated on providing expensive performance cars for the
elite, and his cars often were the epitome of quality engineering and
great design. |
George
Eastman (1854-1932) |
An
entrepreneur, inventor, and innovator who revolutionized photography,
making the complex scientific process into a simple process that was
accessible by that common man. Also was responsible for introducing
management practices that were unique for its time. George Eastman was
born in Waterville in upstate New York. When he was just five, his family
moved to Rochester. The untimely death of his father forced Eastman
to take up a job at a young age. When he was 24 years old, and while
working as junior clerk at a bank, a friend introduced him to photography.
Eastman was fascinated with the technical machinery and decided to learn
all aspects of the photography. Having trained himself in it, he began
tinkering with its processes to see if he could improve upon them. His
efforts began paying rich dividends. In 1980 he had finally perfected
a process-dry plate technology; this was in contrast to the wet plate
process of the time. Eastman began seeing commercial possibilities for
his invention. Taking on a partner he formed the Eastman Dry Plate and
Film Company. This company produced dry plated for photographers. In
1988 he introduced the Kodak camera, and with the introduction of the
transparent roll film and roll holder photography was finally within
the reach of the amateur. Success was instant. The company renamed Eastman
Kodak Company soon established itself as one of largest companies of
the time. Eastman’s management style was quite distinct. He introduced
a variant of the wage dividend strategy. He also introduced several
employee schemes including life. Insurance, retirement benefits and
disability benefits. He was truly a pioneer who re-wrote the boundaries
of consumerism by his inventions, and the introduction of forward-thinking
management practices. |
Henry
Ford (1963-1947) |
Born
to a farming family in Dearborn, Michigan, Henry Ford’s early childhood
was quite conventional. At 16 years of age he began working in automotive
workshops. Several years later when working as chief engineer at Detroit
Edison Company he managed to develop his first gasoline engine. In 1899,
he and a few others formed the Detroit Automobile Company. He built
several racing cars during these years and by 1903 he was ready to market
a passenger car. The Ford Motor Company was formed for this purpose.
In 1908 Model T was introduced and it set unprecedented sales records.
The horse-drawn carriage soon disappeared and the automobile became
the main driver of the American economy. New suburbs and housing development
received an impetus not seen before. Ford’s success in making the automobile
a basic necessity turned out to be a precursor to another revolution
– the introduction of mass-production techniques. Ford introduced a
new minimum wage of $5 instead of the industry average of less $2.50.
He also reduced the working hours from 9 hours to 8 hours. Some years
later he moved production facilities to River Rouge where Ford’s vision
of complete self-sufficiency was accomplished-production, assembly,
and took control of several coalmines, timberland areas, a sawmill,
several mines and glassworks. In a latter years he introduced the Model
A when under pressure form G.M. General Motors kept introducing several
new models unlike Ford which limited itself to producing only the Model
T. The Ford Motor Company lost its premier position to GM which went
from strength to strength. In 1918 Ford had made way for his son Edsel
Ford to take over as president but on Edstl’s death he took over the
reins again and later handed the baton to his grandson Henry Ford II. |
Howard
Hughes (1905-1976) |
An
American manufacturer, aviator, hotel and gaming business owner, and
motion-picture maker who was known more for his social profligacy than
for his shrewd business acumen. For the most part, he spent life to
the full but towards the latter part of life shunned public attention,
and became a legendary recluse. Howard Hughes Jr. was born a wealthy
child. His father’s business, Hughes Tool Company, brought in plenty
of money and this helped Hughes maintain life in the fast lane. Upon
his father death Hughes managed to get hold of the ownership of the
Hughes Tool Company. He soon moved to Hollywood and there exhibited
his constant energy-overdrive mode that was to remain with him through
his varied career. He produced a few movies-some made money and some
didn’t. Around this time he also created a drill bit company and purchased
more than 100 cinemas. In 1934, he formed the Hughes Aircraft Company.
In 1939 Hughes helped finance an airline that was later to be renamed
Trans World Airlines (TWA). Some time later he opened a wartime manufacturing
plant to help the US in WWII effort. Never before known for being an
extrovert, Hughes went into complete seclusion in 1950. As the holder
of 78 percent of the stock of TWA, he refused to appear in court to
answer antitrust charges and thus lost control of the organization by
default. The remainder of Hughes’ career was characterized by obsessive-neurotic
behavior and avoiding the IRS, often moving his residence from one place
to another and arriving at each new destination unnoticed. He took elaborate
precautions to ensure absolute privacy, but even during this time he
managed to control his businesses from the end of a phone. He died on
a flight when traveling to Houston, Texas to seek medical treatment. |
John
D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) |
The
American industrialist and philanthropist who was reputed to have created
the modern oil industry. He made the giant leap from being an office
boy to being an oil tycoon worth over $900 million. John D. Rockefeller
was born in Richford, New York to a farming family. In 1855, Rockefeller
began working as an office boy and bookkeeper at Hewitt & Tuttle.
After working there for three years, and having paid particular attention
to how a business is run, Rockefeller started a business dealing in
grain, meats and other goods. In the early 1860s, several refineries
had been opened for the ever expanding oil production, and Rockefeller
sensing the potential of the new business moved into it by 1862. In
1870, Standard Oil Company was incorporated by Rockefeller and a few
associates. When oil supply exceeded demand, price of oil fell and it
became uneconomical for several businesses. Rockefeller sensed an opportunity
and bought out most of the local competition. By 1872 Standard Oil had
acquired all the refining firms in Clevenland and after a prosperous
decade, all the businesses belonging to Standard Oil were brought under
Standard Oil Trust. Perhaps the greatest attribute of Rockefeller was
his skill in hiring brilliant people. Rockefeller remained president
of Standard Oil until 1911 which was when the Standard Oil Trust was
dissolved by the US government which found the company to be in the
firing line of the country’s antitrust laws. The 38 companies that comprised
the oil giant were split into separate entities. The latter years of
Rockefeller’s life were spent carrying out philanthropic work. He gave
over $35 million to the University of Chicago, founded the Rockefeller
Institute for Medical Research the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Rockefeller
Sanitary Commission which eradicated hookworm in the southern areas
of the United States. |
W.
Edwards Deming (1900-1993) |
A
statistician, educator, and perhaps the best-known proponent of quality-control
methods in industrial production. His ideas had the greatest effect
on Japanese industry, helping in its economic recovery post World War
II. The Deming Prize (for quality control) has been named after him.
William Edwards Deming was born in Sioux City, lowa. After acquiring
his PhD in mathematical physics from Yale University in 1928, he began
a career in teaching physics. He later worked as a mathematical physicist
at the United physicist at the United States department of Agriculture
and was also a statistical adviser for the US Census Bureau. It was
in the 1930s that Deming began to widely use statistical analysis for
better quality control in industry. He methods seemed to have impressed
some Japanese business leaders and, in 1950, was invited by them to
teach Japanese executives and engineers quality control methods. In
Japan, his ideas found acceptance, and was adopted by several Japanese
companies. Deming strongly believed in teamwork and taking responsibility
for work one undertakes. He also thought of a company in terms of value
stream, extending all the way from suppliers to customers, and in this
chain he believed that the customer must be mostly focused on, for he
believed the customer to be the most important part of the ‘production
line’. He realized that achieving quality on a permanent basis was difficult
but could be done by following his 14-point philosophy. These included,
among others, introducing training on the job; removing fear; pulling
down all numerical quotas and goals for the workforce and management
respectively; and instituting a program of education and self-improvement
for all employees. Deming’s ideas, surprisingly, were not absorbed by
Americans until 40 years later; since Japan’s adoption of Deming’s ideas
and its remarkable growth to be the world’s leading manufacturing industry.
|
William
Boeing (1881-1956) |
A
timber merchant turned aircraft manufacturer turned property developer
and thoroughbred horse breeder. Bill Boeing brought a zest and fastidiousness
to his work that was truly amazing. William Boeing was born in Detroit,
Michigan in 1881 to a wealthy timber merchant it was in 1908, on a visit
to Settle, that the became interested in aeronautics having with ness
a flying machine for the first time. He began making a study of biplanes
and soon was convinced that it was possible to improve on them. Boeing
and a us Navy office, Westervelt, developed s single-engine, two-set
seaplane, the B & W, in 1917, under the name Boeing Airplane Company,
began building “flying boats” for the Navy during World War I. When
the war ended the orders for his planes dried up. Help was on the way
however. A government that allowed private operators to carry airmail
on select routes. Boeing bid and won some of them; for this he formed
a subsidiary – Boeing Air Transport Corporation. His partner then, Eddie
Hubbard, convinced him that transport of passengers by airline would
be the next big thing, and Boeing began expanding that side of the business.
In 1928 he combined airline and aircraft manufacturing operations under
the aegis of Boeing Airplane and Transport Company (name later changed
to United Aircraft Transport). He soon began buying out some of the
competition and other airline related businesses. In 1934, Roosevelt’s
government charged Boeing with monopolistic practices and had the company
divided into three entities. Boeing was deeply hurt by this action and
at age 50 retired from all operations of the business, save in the capacity
of a consultant for a short duration. Soon after he began concentrating
on property development and on breeding thoroughbred horses. Both warned
out to the successful businesses – a testimony to his shrewd business
skills. |
Willis
Haviland Carrier (1876-1950) |
|
An inventor, leader and founder of the Carrier Corporation,
Willis Haviland Carrier formulated the basic theories of air-conditioning.
Though Carrier invented his air-conditioning machine quite early in
his carrer he would, in his long career, spend the rest of his time
improving it and modifying it for various applications. If air-conditioning
is taken for granted now, the credit for this probably goes to Carrier.
Carrier was born in Angola, New York. As a child he was good at math
and used this to pursue a mechanical engineering degree. In 1901 upon
graduation he was taken into the Buffalo Forge Company where he designed
the frost system to control temperature and humidity. In 1906 he patented
an improved version of the same design, which he named ‘apparatus for
treating air’. When Buffalo Forge Company showed little interest in
his invention which Carrier believed had great commercial value, he
along with other people formed the Carrier Engineering Corporation;
this was in 1915. The company met with success early on. In 1922 the
company introduced the centrifugal refrigeration machine which, economy-wise,
made it possible to introduce air-conditioning into large spaces. Industry,
offices and theatres benefited greatly from this. One area that Carrier
could not capitalize on was the air-conditioning of homes. The Second
World War interrupted his plans-he had to give his facilities for the
war effort. By the 1950s competitors took the lead in this segment.
Willis Haviland Carrier was responsible for making new industrial processes possible, and in the process increasing productivity and making life comfortable for the multitude. |
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