Who wants to be the next CEO of Gibson?

[gtani7]

https://www.musicradar.com/news/gibs...ry-juszkiewicz

Probably good perks like free strings and T shirts. I would apply but I can't understand the requirements)

[HonketyHank]

Hey, my name's Henry. That's good enough, right?

[slimt]

I cant believe he sunk that ship..

[allenhopkins]

You will notice that experience in the music industry is "preferred," but not "required." No mention of "understanding the company's history" or "sensitivity to the long tradition of Gibson crafts-person-ship." None of that fluff; we want a hard-headed business type to ditch all the consumer electronics subsidiaries that G picked up, fire all those guys painstakingly whittling mandolins out of spruce and maple, and start cranking out the Les Pauls in larger numbers.

Henry was given all kinds of credit for "turning Gibson around," and for a while it looked that way. People used to discuss how companies did best if they stuck to their "core competences," but there's lots of appeal, currently, in diversification into sorta related fields. Pianos are like guitars, sorta, and musicians buy home music systems, I guess, and pretty soon you've got a company that's got branches here and there, making products that aren't really similar, except in the most general terms.

Here in Rochester (Henry's home town) we have a company that used to pretty much define the photographic industry -- Kodak -- which is a tiny remnant of its former self, and is making packaging materials, importing Asian photo products and reselling them, and still clinging on to production of movie film. Technology passed them by.

If, as reported, millennials aren't interested in learning to play guitar (let alone banjo or mandolin), Gibson's future is surely problematical. But there's enough status in the Gibson name, IMHO, to ensure that it will survive in some form, even if only a brand for some distributor of Asian instruments to stick on a line of imports. And we will still have the uncounted thousands of Gibson instruments that fill the used/vintage market.

Always sad when an iconic company's threatened with demise. I can't drive my Packard to Radio Shack to buy a Stromberg-Carlson radio, much as I'd like to.

[Doc Ivory]

You notice the the word "referred" is used for experience in the music industry.
Won't Gibson EVER learn?
You can't manage what you don't understand.

[Ivan Kelsall]

It'll be interesting to see what does actually happen. Will Gibson cling on the the non-musical assets aquired by HJ,or will they return to their core business ?. Diversification is fine,IF,there's a market for your products that other Cos. haven't already covered at a lesser cost.

It's easy to see that guitars might still be their main product,& hopefully, because of the ''Bluegrass Association'',maybe mandolin production will be carried on. It would be nice to hear that banjo production was up & running at Gibson again - the name still has a lot going for it.

We'll have to wait & see,
Ivan

[MikeEdgerton]

I'm looking for something to do in my spare time, I like Nashville, and it should be easy as Henry is hanging around as a mentor. I could take that job and drive the final nail I guess. I've been through a few of the qualifications on a smaller scale. Instead I think I'll just enjoy myself.

[Timbofood]

“Not on your tintype!”
Nothing against Nashville but, I’d never be able to deal with all the corporate “Beef Droppings” that business of that scale seems to require for either job security(well, that failed in this case) or just keeping heads above water (seems like there was a flood...twice) in this impersonal business climate which has become pervasive in society.
Look at what just happened at “Heritage”, escort fourteen skilled pairs of hands and trained eyes in deference to CNC machining transition, that’s modernization with no respect for heritage. Sad, Sadder, Saddest! (Maybe almost sadistic?)

[re simmers]

If the current CEO really is staying as a mentor that says a lot about the company. Not good.
They need a business person to guide their investments, but they need someone who can restore the culture....to the public, as well as their employees and the music business partners. Maybe the CEO will hire a President who can do that. I’ll wait for that job to be posted, then apply.
I seriously hope they get good leadership.
Bob

[jesserules]

Gibson is DOOMED!
Doomed, I tells ya!


(cough)Norlin(cough)

[Dave Hanson]

too much of a commute for me.

Dave H

[Bertram Henze]

Shakespeare nailed it: The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils; The motions of his spirit are dull as night, And his affections dark as Erebus. Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.

CEOs and music cannot coexist in the same universe.

[Hudmister]

Can Mr. Juszkiewicz staying on for a couple of years as an "active advisor and mentor" be a good thing? Sounds like training the new CEO to learn how to fail in the same manner as current management. A strong new leader with a clean slate and without the advice of a failed ex company head is what's needed. Requirements for next leader should include: must play guitar and have inherited a Gibson guitar from a relative. If you don't have the passion for the product, understand the history and the strong brand loyalty of so many people you cannot lead Gibson to a positive outcome.

[NursingDaBlues]

I don’t know how much sentimentality a new CEO can afford to have. The priority is to get the company back on stable footing. Regrettably, that can be painful – to employees and to their channels of distribution. Never mind sentimental old fools like us. Areas with the biggest expense will be first to fall victim; those are those lines with the most overhead and minimal return. Whichever line or lines that have the best sales potential AND the best profitability might survive; or they might be the next in line to be sold to finance a line with a more optimistic future – or to satisfy creditors.

Wishful thinking would have a guitar/banjo/mandolin playing CEO bring back the glory days of Gibson. Unfortunately, in a situation like Gibson’s, the creditors won’t let CEO think with his/her heart.

[Mandobar]

The main goal of the individual is going to be getting the company out of bankruptcy. Sentimentality is something to be avoided in this situation. There are CEOs who can grow a business, and CEOs who can get a business out of a ditch (there are very few who can do both). Right now, they need someone to get them out of the ditch. And just to be clear, when you have investors, as a CEO, you have a legal obligation to to safeguard those investments. If you are the sole investor you can think all you want with your heart, because you are the only one that loses if things go bust.

[CarlM]

I don’t know how much sentimentality a new CEO can afford to have. The priority is to get the company back on stable footing. Regrettably, that can be painful – to employees and to their channels of distribution. Never mind sentimental old fools like us. Areas with the biggest expense will be first to fall victim; those are those lines with the most overhead and minimal return. Whichever line or lines that have the best sales potential AND the best profitability might survive; or they might be the next in line to be sold to finance a line with a more optimistic future – or to satisfy creditors.

Wishful thinking would have a guitar/banjo/mandolin playing CEO bring back the glory days of Gibson. Unfortunately, in a situation like Gibson’s, the creditors won’t let CEO think with his/her heart.

Yet leading the company back to a musical footing and using his heart as well as his head is EXACTLY how Chris Martin brought Martin Guitars back to being a viable business. Bob Taylor runs his business as a music business. Yes he makes business decisions but focuses on producing instruments. The whole business first, it doesn't matter whether we are selling computer chips or potato chips mentality is what lead to the Norlin, CBS types of debacles in the 1970s that put the companies in a bad position to begin with.

[manjitsu]

CEOs and music cannot coexist in the same universe.

While I certainly agree with Shakespeare's sentiment, I'm not aware of any aspect of being a CEO which would, in and of itself, preclude a person from appreciating and playing music.

-Chris

[Chris Browne]

I say this calls for a Reality show!

[Mandobar]

Chris is not running Martin. They have a CEO who is in charge, and have had someone other than Chris running things for at least ten years.

[jesserules]

And with all due respect to Martin, there is this -

https://www.guitarplayer.com/frets/m...-dogs-acoustic

[CarlM]

Chris is not running Martin. They have a CEO who is in charge, and have had someone other than Chris running things for at least ten years.

However the key to bringing it back from near failure was focusing on it being a musical instrument business first. Business decisions are necessary but not the whole story or sole purpose despite what the b-schools preach.

[Mandobar]

However the key to bringing it back from near failure was focusing on it being a musical instrument business first. Business decisions are necessary but not the whole story or sole purpose despite what the b-schools preach.

The key was hiring the same person to design their vintage line who helped Santa Cruz cut into their business in the first place. Business is a process with many players, but leadership structure must be designed around a company’s priorities at the time, and the priority now at Gibson is financial success. How they get there is the new CEO’s task/burden/challenge. Companies like a Collings are way out in front of them. I expect that the first in a long line of CEOs to come will be someone with retail/manufacturing experience, but not with musical instrument manufacturing experience. That’s what line managers are for.

[slimt]

Gibson got sloppy in alot of ways. I stopped buying in 2009. The quality was not there for the money spent. I was buying approx. 14 acoustics a year. It came to a halt when there sales tactic name changings on every guitar got worn thin. How many model designations can you place on a j45 or j200. And keeping uping the price each time. Henry is about money and money only. I dont even think he knows what a g string is ...

[re simmers]

I inherited a ‘59 Les Paul Jr. I think I could the greeter at the front door.
The CEO should be the person who has the most Loars.
If George Gruhn became CEO I would consider buying a few Gibson picks!!!!

Bob

[Jeff Hildreth]

I'll accept the position at half Henry J's salary and bonuses.

Day One
1. Fire all the prima donnas to include Henry (who would be first on the list) ..
Go home I'll send you a monthly check for the duration of your contract.
2. Hire guitar/banjo/mandolin/reso people, not suits, to replace all the department heads/staff/managers/directors etc.
3. Get out of every business not absolutely and directly involved in manufacturing instruments.
4. Restructure the menu offerings and adjust pricing to reflect reality, not greed.
5. Hire Competent inspired people
6. Set up a network of dealers, not famous parasites and btttttttttttttttt kissers
7. Hire a field staff .. more on that later.
8. Make a public apology for the Henry Era
9. Start sourcing for American suppliers.
10. Do not follow in the footsteps of CFM IV..think quality not numbers.

That's day one...

Any questions ?