具有百年悠久历史的西屋电气公司(Westinghouse Electric Corporation)，至今依然拥有着如雷贯耳的名声。它是由美国着名的发明家、产业家 —— G．威斯汀豪斯于1886年在宾夕法尼亚州创立的。也许连威斯汀豪斯本人都没有想到，经过近百年的成长，西屋电气已经成为一个的业务领域涉及4000多种产品的大型电气团体，一举跃升为美国乃至世界的产业巨子。
Jordan was tapped to rescue the troubled Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1993. The company was saddled with $6 billion in debt related to its poorly managed Westinghouse Financial Services division which dabbled in commercial real estate leveraged buyouts and junk bonds. As chairman and CEO Jordan was the first outsider to lead the enterprise. Within two years he sold the company's defense-electronics and office-furniture units and cut 7 200 jobs.
Next Jordan completely transformed the struggling enterprise by acquiring CBS Corporation for $5.4 billion in 1995. As Jordan's restructuring plan continued to unfold Westinghouse began focusing more heavily on media properties. This was reflected in the company's June 1996 merger with radio giant Infinity Broadcasting. In December 1997 Westinghouse ceased to exist when Jordan announced the company would completely shed its industrial divisions and become simply CBS. Jordan was praised for exhibiting confidence while big changes and maintaining composure under the scrutiny of investors and the news media.
Jordan has been described as being intellectual analytical contemplative and quiet. Prior to accepting the top post at EDS he finished writing a mystery novel. These traits have been interpreted in different ways. While he was at the helm of CBS Fortune named Jordan one of the nation's least charismatic CEOs and some observers called him unimaginative. Others however described Jordan as being personable and informal as someone who opted for casual dress and enjoyed engaging in deep conversations. In any case many agreed that he was a skilled corporate turnaround artist and a gifted dealmaker.
When the financially troubled EDS fired its chairman and CEO Dick Brown in March 2003 Jordan a Dallas resident who had ties to a number of EDS board members was chosen as his successor. EDS's stock had fallen sharply in the previous six months amid a weak economy reduced corporate spending and poor management decisions. In addition lofty forecasts by Brown had failed to materialize leading to drastic revisions to the company's third-quarter earnings and a subsequent investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Along with former EDS employee Jeff Heller who was rehired as chief operating officer Jordan sought to turn things around. He immediately took the position that EDS was a solid company that lacked strategic focus and said he would concentrate on improving morale as well as identifying the things that set EDS apart from its competitors. In addition Jordan called for a more accurate method of calculating revenue projections. A review of EDS's human-resources policies quickly followed leading to increased funds for salary increases and bonuses as well as an improved severance package.
Jordan then began what he called an "evolutionary process" of rebuilding EDS over the course of several years. This included plans to expand in low-cost nations like India and the Philippines. In 2004 EDS sought to increase its workforce in such countries from 9 000 to 20 000 by the year's end. Jordan also called for cost reductions and EDS shed more than 5 000 workers during his first year with the company. Eventually Jordan declared that EDS had reduced expenses to the point where it could once again compete against the likes of IBM vying for contracts that would have been out of reach a year earlier.
Although Jordan faced further challenges the work was made easier by his appointing trusted colleagues in several key EDS positions and a new management approach that included locating senior executive offices in closer proximity. Commenting on the "new" EDS culture in the Dallas Morning News Jordan said: "I'd say what's interesting now is the intensity and the rapidity with which things happen in the company. You don't screw around studying stuff. You just say: 'OK let's get at it. Let's go after this'" (February 11 2004).
Chairman and chief executive officer Electronic Data Systems; chairman eOriginal
Nationality: American.
Born: June 13 1936 in Kansas City Missouri.
Education: Yale University BS 1957; Princeton University MS 1959; U.S. Navy Westinghouse Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory certificate in nuclear engineering 1960.
Family: Married Kim (maiden name unknown; marriage ended); married Hilary Cecil; children: three.
Career: McKinsey & Company 1964–1974 consultant and principal; PepsiCo 1974–1986 held various positions including director of financial planning executive vice president and chief financial officer president of Frito Lay and president of PepsiCo Foods International; 1986–1990 president and chief executive officer of PepsiCo Worldwide Foods; 1990–1992 chief executive officer; Clayton Dubilier & Rice 1992–1993 partner; Westinghouse Electric Corporation 1993–1998 chairman and chief executive officer; CBS Corporation 1995–1998 chairman and chief executive officer; Luminant Worldwide Corporporation 1999–2001 chairman; eOriginal 1999– chairman; Electronic Data Systems 2003– chairman and chief executive officer.
Address: EDS Headquarters 5400 Legacy Drive Plano Texas 75024-3199; http://www.eds.com.
Trained as a chemical engineer Michael H. Jordan's business career began in consulting. After joining PepsiCo as a planner Jordan continually honed his corporate skills and was named president in 1986. Following 18 years with PepsiCo Jordan demonstrated his strategic prowess at the helm of Westinghouse Electric Corporation where he orchestrated a major corporate transformation that included the acquisition of CBS Corporation. At age 66 Jordan was coaxed out of semiretirement to reinvigorate the computer-services giant Electronic Data Systems (EDS) which had seen its stock fall sharply under previous leadership.
Jordan was raised in a lower-middle-class area of Kansas City Missouri in the wake of the Great Depression. From an early age he desired to have a career in which his talent would be in demand no matter what shape the U.S. economy was in. Following high school Jordan earned an academic scholarship to Yale University where he received a chemical engineering degree in 1957 and developed a passion for science. In the Dallas Morning News he explained: "I love the rigor of science the opportunity to generate hypotheses to figure them out to try to prove or disprove them" (April 10 2003).
Jordan went on to earn a master's degree in chemical engineering from Princeton University in 1959. He considered pursuing a doctorate but ultimately decided that the laboratory life was too isolated and joined the navy. Jordan entered the nuclear submarine program and received a certificate in nuclear engineering in 1960 from the U.S. Navy Westinghouse Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory. Upon discharge Jordan joined McKinsey & Company as a consultant in 1964 where his business career would blossom over the course of 10 years. Jordan felt that McKinsey's approach to problem solving was very much like the one he used as a scientist.
In 1974 Jordan joined PepsiCo as head of corporate planning. His accomplishments at Pepsi included expansion of the company's international snack-food business. Under his leadership sales within the category grew to $1.8 billion in 1991 up from $300 million in 1986.
发表于 2009-4-16 12:40:48