Zhang Ruimin said: The wisdom of China's first CEO

Author: Hu Yong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: The author of the best-selling book "Haier: Made in China," Hu Yong, presents his latest work in 2004, "Zhang Ruimin Speaks." This is the first comprehensive work in China to interpret and explain the management philosophy of Zhang Ruimin, the CEO of Haier. It fully showcases Zhang Ruimin's thought process and actions, and for the first time, exclusively reveals his journey in seeking solutions to the numerous challenges Haier faced. Is Haier a myth? What does Zhang Ruimin fear? What will happen to Haier after Zhang Ruimin? What is Zhang Ruimin's unsolvable puzzle? Was Haier's "expedition to the U.S." a strategic mistake?
Mr. Zhang Ruimin, CEO of Haier, is regarded as the "Jack Welch of Chinese business." Under his leadership, Haier transformed from a small company losing 1.47 million yuan into a multinational corporation with a global revenue of 71.1 billion yuan, ranking fifth in the world for white appliance manufacturing. In just 18 years, Haier has traveled the same path as renowned domestic companies that took over a century to achieve. "Haier—Made in China" has become a benchmark flag for Chinese companies pursuing internationalization. Zhang Ruimin was also called by the U.S. New York Times as a symbol of Chinese business reshaping itself to face global economic challenges. The corporate culture and management ideas he established and proposed, such as the market chain, OEC management model, SBU, etc., have become invaluable learning models for Chinese enterprises.
In "Zhang Ruimin Speaks," the author strives to record Zhang Ruimin's thoughts and explorations on Haier's corporate culture, talent philosophy, marketing strategy, internationalization, and management models in an "authentic" manner, supplemented by compelling background introductions and rational analyses. The book also reveals for the first time Zhang Ruimin's true feelings on sensitive issues such as external doubts and criticisms since 2002, the successor in the "post-Zhang Ruimin era," and Haier's property rights puzzle. This is a comprehensive and objective guide to understanding Haier.