High-level shakeup: Hasselblad appoints interim CEO, Leica’s CEO leaving in August
posted Friday, February 3, 2017 at 7:00 AM EDT
After helming Hasselblad for the launches of their H6D and new mirrorless medium format X1D cameras, CEO Perry Oosting has stepped down from his role, returning to his previous place on the Swedish company’s Supervisory Board.
The board released the following statement, "We would like to thank Mr. Perry Oosting for his extraordinary efforts. Under his leadership a foundation for future growth is established and the company has extended its customer base substantially.” Oosting himself stated, “In the beginning of 2015 I was asked to take the role as CEO to secure sustainable growth and prepare the business for the next steps in its development. During 2016, we launched several new products and a complete new electronic platform. The market reaction to the strategic direction and its products was overwhelming. I would like to thank all involved and foresee a bright future for the team of Hasselblad.”
As of February 1, the interim CEO of Hasselblad is Paul Bram. He has worked within Hasselblad as an advisor and has spent time in leadership positions at Ericsson and Gambro. His focus as interim CEO is to continue on their current path and strategic direction while increasing their research and development and software development efforts at their Gothenburg, Sweden headquarters.
The Swedish shakeup is not the only one happening at a storied European camera company. Leica Camera AG’s current CEO, Oliver Kaltner, will not have his contract extended when it expires on August 31. A German website, FinanzNachrichten, is reporting that Kaltner would like to pursue other plans. He took over the CEO role in April 2015. FinanzNachrichten reports further that Leica’s Supervisory Board was dissatisfied with Kaltner’s leadership style citing that Kaltner ran the small company too much like a large corporation.
(Seen via Amatuer Photographer and Leica Rumors)