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Nice Article in Mays issue of Worth The 50 Best CEOs.Eric Schmidt # 31. IS HE CRAZY? that was the general SETIMENT AROUND SILICON VALLEY TWO YEARS AGO WHEN eRIC sCHMIDT QUIT HIS JOB AS CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER OF sUN mICROSYSTEMS TO BECOME ceo OF nOVELL. The software firm was struggling to digest its acquisitions of Word Perfect and Unix Systems Labs, which it had bought in the earley 1990s as part of an ill-consieved frontal assalt on Microsoft. Schmidt, who admidts he diden!t realise Novell was in such bad shape when he accepted its offer, has returned Novell to its networking roots. HIS STRATEGY: Build Internet-based network architecture and applications around Novell Directory Services, the backbone,brain and nervous system of the companys software. BISSNESS PHILOSOPHY: Sweat the small stuff. We argue about food in the cafiteria, because it is so important to our employees. HEADACHE Maintaining good relations with Microsoft, his biggestcompetitor.Novellsnetworking software runs along Microsofts, Windows NT operating system. TRUE STORY: Schmidts father was deputy assistant secretary of the Tresury under Richard Nixon. When the teenage Schmidt marched on Washington to protest the Veitnam War, he borrowed the faimly car and drove it into the capitol, and parked it in Dads reserved spot at the Treasury. It was much more convenient than riding the bus. MANAGEMENT STYLE: In a turnaround, you need everybody rowing in the same direction. Whats the quickest way to get them rowing in the same direction? Give them a bonus based on each stroke. PERSONAL STRENGTH: A knak for spotting creativity withen a large corporate structure. WEAK SPOT: No operational experiance prior to joining Novell. HABIT: Most of Schmidts 12 hour workdays take place at Novells San Jose offices, but about once a week he comutes to company headquarters in Provo Utah.RESUME HIGHLIGHT: As his Masters Thesis,Schmidt built the first computer network at the University of California at Berkley. OTHER LOVE: Flying which he took up after joining Novell, whose San Jose campus is hard by the airport. He took it up because a CEO has to be constantly self renewing. People look to you for leadership, so its not ok to be boring. CORPORATE GOAL: Make Novell a major power on the internet. FINANCIAL REWARD: Schmidt was granted 900,000 Novell shares ( worth $7.7 millionat the time ) when he took the CEO post. That stake is now worth$21.6 million.--M.P. END OF ARTICLE> Sorry about the typos |
