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Franz
Bosshard
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Before
Mr. Bosshard began his globe-spanning career, he pursued an extensive
education in Switzerland, beginning with an Eidgenossisches Diplom
in electronics - equivalent
to a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering - from Brown
Boveri School of Electrical Engineering in Baden, Switzerland in 1964.
After earning his degree, Mr. Bosshard began work as an engineer in
the electronics labs for Swiss TV. From there, Mr. Bosshard decided
to continue
his education at the Handelsschule Juventus in Zurich, where he earned
an Eidgenossisches Diplom in international trade - equivalent to
a bachelor's in business administration - in 1968.
It was during
his time in Zurich as marketing and sales manager for Polaroid that
Mr. Bosshard first used a business practice that would serve him
well throughout his career. He calls it "Going Forward to Basics." Working
in Zurich from 1972-1978, Mr. Bosshard was able to increase annual revenue
and profit growth by 20 percent. "I looked at the market and what
the customers wanted and needed," he explains. "Then I set
programs in place that focused on those priorities."
Mr. Bosshard
used the same method while traveling between London, England and Dubai,
United Arab Emirates as director of Marketing for Polaroid's
European Export Operations, where he accomplished 100-percent revenue
and profit growth over a 3-year period. He also applied this philosophy
while
successfully heading BSH business operations in China.
In addition to
his "Going Forward to Basics" concept, Mr.
Bosshard credits his accomplishments to being pragmatic. "Developing
a business plan and putting the organization in place to implement the
plan is critical
to growth," he says. "Remember that time and strategy are
10 percent of the equation, while implementation is 90 percent." With
his current responsibilities as president and CEO of BSH Home Appliances
Corporation, North America, Mr. Bosshard recalls that he learned the
most valuable lessons of his career while traveling around the globe
on business.
By working with people from different cultures who were educated in
some of the best universities in the world, Mr. Bosshard feels as though
he
has "passed through the halls of the finest universities."
Because
he believes that developing and supporting people is meaningful and
personally enriching, Mr. Bosshard reveals that he encourages teamwork
while conducting the business activities of BSH. "I believe in
team building and capitalizing on the strengths of each culture and
building
on their inherent work ethic," he says.
When he isn't working,
Mr. Bosshard likes to spend his leisure time with his wife, Jung Soon
Kim. His hobbies include reading, golfing, spending
time with friends, and traveling. |
