Now that Heidelberg has been set back on course under the captaincy of Gerold Holzbach, will it steer a steady path into the future?
Dr Gerold Linzbach has presided over the most significant reorganisation of Heidelberg in its more than 150-year history. Now he is to step away at the end of his contract in a year’s time. This is not entirely unexpected. He has suffered a debilitating illness which kept him away from the front line for many months.
He does not need Heidelberg and perhaps Heidelberg no longer needs him. He has been the outsider, able to cut away the comforting world view that Heidelberg had of itself in a way no previous CEO has been able to do. The change has been apparent in a new outlook to partnerships, to bringing in expertise where necessary and in an absolute focus on core business essentials. Emotional ties to particular products are not suffered; showrooms are an extravagance compared to inviting prospects to the factory.
Linzbach has also untied the knots binding Heidelberg to litho printing, recognising that Heidelberg has had to commit to digital printing in order to thrive. He will be stepping down as the fruits of that strategy, the Primefire 106 in the first instance, reach early customers. Heidelberg is on a growth path once again to follow the bitter medicine and long recuperation after almost going out of business in 2008. Unfortunately the financial markets are not yet as convinced as LInzbach that Heidelberg is headed in the right direction and its share price remains stubbornly low.
Now Heidelberg’s board must identify, select and appoint a replacement. They have time; and the culture and structures that are now in place allow the business to run if not by itself, then without undue tinkering. The big question is whether the company should select from its own ranks to continue to implement this strategy, or whether it now needs a new type of CEO to take Heidelberg into an era of high automation, Industry 4.0, digital printing and a combined media approach.
Perhaps even a non German leader could be considered. It is now a more attractive job than when Linzbach said yes. As a result when the time comes, Heidelberg’s staff, its stakeholders and its customers alike will have a lot to thank Dr Gerold Linzbach for.
Business, Comment, Management
Gerold Holzbach has been with Heidelberg since 2009 and was appointed CEO in September 2012. Before joining Heidelberg he spent ten years as a global CEO.
Looking back at a legacy
Now that Heidelberg has been set back on course under the captaincy of Gerold Holzbach, will it steer a steady path into the future?
Dr Gerold Linzbach has presided over the most significant reorganisation of Heidelberg in its more than 150-year history. Now he is to step away at the end of his contract in a year’s time. This is not entirely unexpected. He has suffered a debilitating illness which kept him away from the front line for many months.
He does not need Heidelberg and perhaps Heidelberg no longer needs him. He has been the outsider, able to cut away the comforting world view that Heidelberg had of itself in a way no previous CEO has been able to do. The change has been apparent in a new outlook to partnerships, to bringing in expertise where necessary and in an absolute focus on core business essentials. Emotional ties to particular products are not suffered; showrooms are an extravagance compared to inviting prospects to the factory.
Linzbach has also untied the knots binding Heidelberg to litho printing, recognising that Heidelberg has had to commit to digital printing in order to thrive. He will be stepping down as the fruits of that strategy, the Primefire 106 in the first instance, reach early customers. Heidelberg is on a growth path once again to follow the bitter medicine and long recuperation after almost going out of business in 2008. Unfortunately the financial markets are not yet as convinced as LInzbach that Heidelberg is headed in the right direction and its share price remains stubbornly low.
Now Heidelberg’s board must identify, select and appoint a replacement. They have time; and the culture and structures that are now in place allow the business to run if not by itself, then without undue tinkering. The big question is whether the company should select from its own ranks to continue to implement this strategy, or whether it now needs a new type of CEO to take Heidelberg into an era of high automation, Industry 4.0, digital printing and a combined media approach.
Perhaps even a non German leader could be considered. It is now a more attractive job than when Linzbach said yes. As a result when the time comes, Heidelberg’s staff, its stakeholders and its customers alike will have a lot to thank Dr Gerold Linzbach for.
Gerold Holzbach has been with Heidelberg since 2009 and was appointed CEO in September 2012. Before joining Heidelberg he spent ten years as a global CEO.
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