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inaugural interview
By Bjørn Hyldkrog
Photo: Rie Neuchs
Things have changed already. Only geogra- concrete suggestions on how to improve cate their students to meet the demands of to attract extremely smart and industrious
phically, but still. If you are looking for the CBS. The exercise has given me a wonderful tomorrow. In my experience this traditionally employees while maintaining a tight focus on
President’s Office, it’s still on Solbjerg Plads’ body of raw data that I can and will use, says upheld schism does not necessarily always the companies’ customers and being efficient
fourth floor, but now it’s on the other side Johan. apply. The business leaders that I have talked in how they use and leverage resources.
of the building. It’s smaller. And in it, on the Johan. The answering mail-address to his to think much more long term – in the big That means getting involved and getting
desk, there’s a personal computer… sorry, a e-mail was johan@cbs.dk. This did not go picture; megatrends and decades ahead, rather more of CBS’ stakeholders to involve them-
MacBook Air – something closer to heresy unnoticed by the mail’s recipients. But there than just the here and now. selves. This stance comes clearly to expres-
than change. That’s new too. was no intent of having anything read into it. - They are asking us to think long term; sion on the back of the CBS business card,
And of course there’s Johan Roos. CBS’ new - I didn’t even think about it. It makes not on how to improve quarterly earnings but CBS’ new president has had made for himself.
president – a wiry, gesticu- sense. I’m Johan, that’s how to improve society in Gone are the CBS’ presti-
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lating Swede projecting a what I expect people to the long run… and they are gious accreditations and
mixture of approachability (...) I’veuncovered a call me. I consider myself expressing worry that we We invest a lot in memberships: EQUIS, PIM
and sharp focus. Today is whole slew of desires on a first name basis with are too concerned about research, and so we and CEMS, stating the qual-
his first day at work – as and even demands – and everyone at CBS expect on the here and now and too ities others consider CBS
should, but we must
President of CBS. So that’s I’ve especially noted the the most formal occasions, focused on the next accredi- to have. Instead you find
new too. And it leads to Johan comments. tation or ranking. We have
never forget that teaching CBS’ promotional pictures
input from perhaps our is at the very heart of our
the unavoidable but almost to focus on both; of course, of students and employees
unanswerable question:
most central and innovative Going to change it is our task as a univer- commitment as a university. with “JOIN US” writ large
- Why I took the job? I stakeholder, our students. A change in the top man- sity to strike a balance, but I consider the somewhat in the middle. And again
thought it was a unique Now the challenge agement of any organiza- the next Financial Times- artificial distinction we the students are especially
opportunity. I have chosen is to weigh them up tion is something that ranking could reasonably make between research targeted:
to have the broadest pos- against each other. almost by definition spells be claimed to be just our and education a major - Yes, it’s an invi-
sible career in business aca- changes for the organiza- version of the quarterly academic dilemma(...) tation. On behalf of CBS I
demia and once resigned tion; Changes in strategy, in earning focus in corpora- am asking others to join us
a fantastic professorship priorities, in structure. And tions. That’s very important – as students, participants,
to develop and lead a small research organi- all over CBS, management, employees and stu- in a day to day perspective, but it’s not where faculty, support staff, corporate partners,
zation. Opportunities like this do not grow dents are guessing at what those changes will our strategic focus should be. alumni… The invitation comes with a mes-
on trees, especially in this region, they are be and mean; for CBS, for themselves. sage: We treat our stakeholders and our facili-
unique. It just made sense to say yes when - Will there be changes, and does CBS need Joint ventureship ties with respect, and we expect that respect
the headhunter asked me if I was interested. I to change? Of course there will, and of course Regarding possible organizational changes, to be mutual. We will do our utmost to act
am truly excited about this opportunity, Johan it does. And this is not new – as far as I can Johan Roos refers to the views expressed by like a professional service firm, but CBS also
Ross answers. tell CBS has changed substantially over the Alfred D Chandler, Harvard professor of busi- has the right to demand an equivalent profes-
last decade. Change is just about the most ness history, in “Strategy and Structure” as far sional behavior from our beloved students,
Getting ready discussed and studied subject in any larger back as 1962: First Strategy, then Structure! says CBS’ President.
Johan Roos was appointed to the position of organization, be it in business or elsewhere - Many people at CBS tell me that our orga- Johan Roos writes, reads and answers
CBS’ new president on December 1st, 2008. and there is a reason for that, Johan points nization can and should be improved. That e-mails. He is actually a very heavy e-mail
He has spent the last three and a half months out and elaborates: may be the case, but such considerations will user. As a consequence he has already
here at CBS as “incoming president” with the - For me, any future change must be based have to come after we have reviewed and received his first electronic student complaints
Cavalli conference room as his temporary on a coherent understanding of who we are made adjustments to our strategy. You orga- and other individual contacts. No matter how