 |
||
|
»I was hunted by a headhunter,« explains Eric Laborde, when asked about his route to the top of the French ingot, wafer, cell, and module manufacturer Photowatt. Laborde, 41, took over as general manager of the company, based in Bourgon-Jallieu, near Lyon, in February. He replaced Mario Cantin, a financial controller at Photowatt's Canadian parent company, ATS Automation Tooling Systems. Cantin had been serving on an interim basis since September, when »management turmoil« forced out Russel Schmit. An internal source says there was also criticism of an »American style [of] leading a French company.« Under Schmit, Photowatt had to shut down its factory for a month in spring 1999, after Shell, one of two big clients at the time, suddenly halted its business relations with the French company. One major reason for being in the red was the »drastic increase of capacity,« but »we want to be profitable in FY 2001 again,« says Laborde, who describes himself as a »specialist in downsizing organizations or companies.« A graduate of the elite Paris technical university Ècole Nationale de Techniques Avancées (ENSTSA) who majored in mechanics, Laborde has worked in different managerial capacities at the large French consumer goods manufacturer Thomson; held various positions, up to CEO, at companies in the Adidas-Salomon group from 1990 to 1998; and served a two-year presidency at a manufacturer of plastic packaging. A further capacity expansion at Photowatt's factory is not planned at the moment. »We have to demonstrate that a company of our size – 15 to 20 MW – can make money; after we do that, we will duplicate it.« The fresh capital Laborde needs might come from the stock market. Asked how he expects to improve on his predecessor, Laborde says: »I don't know him. But maybe the biggest advantage is that I'm French - and know how to work with French employees.« Michael
Schmela
|
||
|
||
