Struggles, sufferings and successes of the company spiegeln often in the person and the Behavior of the CEO. Rarely is he a hero, more often a bogeyman - as in the case of Josef Ackermann.

Josef Ackermann-
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The example of Josef Ackermann

Josef Ackermann is described by companions as vain. That vanity may also explain in part why his departure from Deutsche Bank was so bumpy. Because Ackermann could live without Executive-Its plain not imagine.

When Josef Ackermann came to Deutsche Bank, he was known internally as the best banker on this planet. Almost 20 years later epitomized his resignation
as chairman of the board of directors of Zurich Insurance came to an end
Career.

Can't stop in time

Like many others, more self-confident and for many years
highly successful manager did not understand Ackermann
stop in time. He had every opportunity to
to say goodbye with sustained standing ovations.

He had recognized many undesirable developments earlier than others and had "late repentance"
shown, as his former head of communications, Stefan Baron, did in his
Book about Ackermann describes. But his departure was enough
not to the credit of the Swiss.

The merit of the communications chief

Josef Ackermann, the man who became synonymous with the
major German banker has always made headlines in various ways
and catered for public debates. Sometimes he got along well with it
gone, bad much more often.

For many years, however, his reputation among the general public was not so bad, which was also thanks to Barons. "Joe", as he is shortened, is
the man with the unspeakable "Victory" sign in the Mannesmann-
Process.

A question of timing

He's also the one from Deutsche Bank in one
humanly abysmal Power struggle didn't want to let go
the manager of the financial crisis who didn't end up with the Chancellor
was more as well-liked as at the beginning.

And he was the supervisory board of Siemens, who had a violent relationship with his old friend,
the Siemens supervisory board chairman Gerhard Cromme, quarreled
Has. There were always good reasons for Ackermann's behavior.
Sometimes he was just unlucky. But in the end it was all one
Timing issue.

Chronicle of a resignation

The World Banker married to a Finnish woman who always feels like that
felt as if he were with all mighty ones Welt on
eye level, can be ascribed numerous roles - because he was active on many stages.

With his resignation from the chairmanship of the board of directors
the curtain fell on Zurich Insurance. Ackermann's most important
The stage, however, was the Deutsche Bank, and that is where his farewell took place
for excruciatingly long years. First of all, Ackermann had his
Resignation at the 2009 Annual General Meeting
Advisory board chairman Clemens Börsig.

When friendships break

Since Ackermann, with reference to the German Stock Corporation Act, does not consider it his
The task of building a successor was on the
Fast no clear favorite. Thereupon Börsig checked
his own move from the supervisory board to the executive board,
which only satisfied a few.

The fact that Ackermann finally extended his contract by three years at the request of the supervisory board did not prevent the rift between Börsig and himself.
And this strained relationship should improve the bank's reputation (and ultimately
also that of Ackermann) in the following years sustained harm.

From the good reputation of the bank

Shortly after the hiccups about Ackermann's contract extension
it came to the so-called spy affair, in which it was about the investigation
of a critical shareholder went. The suspicion that Börsig carried out this research
was set in motion by the investigation of the
Public Prosecutor's Office and the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority
Bafin not confirmed. Nevertheless, deep scratches remained on the image
the Deutsche Bank and also some internal disputes.

The institute's reputation subsequently suffered from further scandals and affairs. the
Most of the associated legal risks are true of the past
investment banking led by Anshu Jain. But when
Ackermann, the chairman of the board at the time, also bears a responsibility.

Especially since he was still at the 2006 Annual General Meeting - completely in
Sense of Otto Scharmer - had said: “No business deal of the
world is worth putting the good reputation of Deutsche Bank at risk. "
In the truth of the daily banking business, however, she saw the world
as we now know, very different.

Without me? Inconceivably!

The relationship between Josef Ackermann and his two successors Anshu Jain and Jürgen Fitschen is still tense today. Ackermann wanted to replace Axel Weber as his successor instead of their already rather the former Federal Bank president.

But Weber preferred the chairmanship of the board of directors of the Swiss UBS.
Learn more about the decision then for the dual leadership of Jain and Fitschen
was hit, the Deutsche Bank remained without him for Ackermann
but still unimaginable.

In the end, only resignation remained

He would have assumed the chairmanship of the supervisory board, which is, however, frowned upon for reasons of good corporate governance, because the predecessor not only controls his successors but also his legacy.

A quarter of the shareholders would have had to agree to a direct change from the Executive Board to the Supervisory Board. This vote, however, became increasingly unlikely, so Ackermann refrained from doing so.

Bad timing

The bank announced the decision on November 14, 2011. On the same day, the
prosecutor related investigations and searches
known with a statement by Ackermann in the process,
the then deceased former media entrepreneur
Leo Kirch led against Deutsche Bank. The timing would have been worse
for the announcement of the farewell to Ackermann
cannot fail.

It should go on like this. Things went up in the weeks before Ackermanns
later resigning from Zurich Insurance also on the supervisory board
from the German flagship company Siemens.

Once the call is ruined ...

There the replacement of the former CEO Peter Löscher was highly controversial. The dissonances in the old board around Löscher also led
to conflicts and intrigues in the supervisory body.

Ackermann rummaged around: As deputy to the chairman of the supervisory board, Gerhard Crommes, he allegedly had ambitions himself, the weakened boss
to replace. Of course everything was denied - both that Objective as a
such as everything else. In any case, Ackermann had his
Reputation afterwards also ruined at Siemens.

Micromanagement is boring

Towards the end of his time at Deutsche Bank, Ackermann vacated
openly that “micromanagement” no longer has it
irritated. Instead, he traveled ceaselessly around the world; his interlocutor
were not only customers the bank, but above all also
Politician.

Ackermann made no secret of his joy either
about this international celebrity. One thing is clear: Ackermann has not
as the first alpha animal in the Economy, the right time to
Missed stopping. He had already announced in 2007, in a few
Years, stop to want to, expressly without switching to the supervisory board of the bank. He wanted to pass on his experiences, he explained
that at the time: “On the Uni or maybe also in the social one
Area."

From Sprinter to Sprinter

In his youth, the Swiss had scientific inclinations
obsessed; Interest in these topics was also in ripe years
still there. He stayed true to this plan for a long time. In January 2009
said Ackermann at a late hour shortly before the end of the one at that time
world economic forum in Davos, his retirement plan is fixed.

He has many plans; the first farewell gifts were already rolling in
a. He reported on a present from the German sprinter Armin
Hary, that moved him. You have to know that Ackermann
an avid athlete himself in his younger years
and certainly followed the career of Hary, who was around eleven years older than him, closely.
In any case, Hary had a book about herself with a meaningful one
Leave a dedication: “From sprinter to sprinter”.

The perfect time for the finish?

Ackermann and his audience knew at the time that Hary was in his
Athlete's life started too often too early. But they knew
not yet that Ackermann found the perfect one in the months that followed
Would miss the point in time to cross the finish line.

He also missed the opportunity to say goodbye with the impression that
Deutsche Bank led through the financial crisis brilliantly
to have. Ackermann didn't get his stoppage time well -
neither in Germany nor in Switzerland.

There Ackermann had to take his hat off as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Zurich Insurance Group after the former CFO Pierre Wauthier committed suicide
had committed. In a suicide note, Wauthier had Ackermann
accused of putting him under pressure.

Self interest and arrgoganz

However, later research has shown that there is no “undue pressure”
was exercised on Wauthier. Ackermann had the reproach anyway
always denied If he now negative reads texts about himself, thinks
maybe sometimes to Armin Hary, once the fastest man
of the world and Olympic champion of Rome:

Even then, Hary experienced what also affects athletes today under the heading of general suspicion. He was met with doubts, distrust and rejection. Selfishness
and Hary was accused of arrogance. Still, Hary is the last German
and the last European to hold the 100 meter world record.

To be a boss is to communicate

If a person is not at the end of his or her career, but instead takes on the role of CEO, they usually no longer have time to slowly grow into their new role. A good head of communications can turn things around, but the CEO, the Strategy and the Communication of a company must be in
fit together in every way - even in the long term.

The question of how a CEO and his environment respond to this challenge
can best adjust, for example, tries the book “Der
CEO Navigator”. The author Jan Hiesserich, Employees the strategic communications consultancy Hering Schuppener, which is quite successful in Germany, tries to give the clearest possible instructions for action, which, as is so often the case with advice books, initially sound like common sense - in the
But practice is anything but trivial.

Because how many CEOs is already in the final analysis clearthat they also have to define themselves in the function of a communicator and this role with
have to align with the strategy of your company?

Failure preprogrammed

The Alternatives are early failure or greater corporate success
and, associated with it, a better return on equity and total equity.
The latter only succeeds if the strategy to become CEO
fits and the strategy is also conclusive
can communicate to all stakeholders.

But if the CEO likes to play the role of a world banker or a technology-loving engineer, he is actually a renovator
is required, the situation will be for both Companys as well as most
unfortunate for the boss.

Requirements for modern CEOs

A chairman of the board of directors must certainly do more than ever before, especially that
socio-political consequences of acting from him
Keeping an eye on leading companies, independently
of whether he as a savior, Innovator or keeper fetched
at a hunt.

In addition, the capital market has enormous demands
developed to the CEO and his communication.
The public perception of the person concerned has immediate
Influence on the valuation of the company: investment decisions
are massively influenced by the image investors have of
the respective chief executive. His profile in the media is from
more decisive Significance. He must succeed through target group-oriented
Communication resistors reduce, scope for action
to open up to the stakeholders in their interests true and serious
to take.