Lutz Statement on Being Named CEO of Exide Corp.
17 November 1998
Lutz Statement on Being Named CEO of Exide Corp.
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov. 16 -- Exide Corporation
today announced the election of Robert A. Lutz as Chairman, President and
Chief Executive. He assumes this role December 1.
Lutz issued the following statement on the new position:
"I am very pleased and proud to have been elected CEO of Exide and am
anxiously looking forward to the challenges of this position.
"My first weeks with Exide will be ones of rapid learning. I plan to
spend as much time as possible visiting the Exide facilities in the United
States and Europe, meeting as many Exide staff members as is practical. I
have a lot to learn and will evaluate the situation before making any major
announcements.
"And, since I am a 'product freak,' the engineers should be prepared to
let me know what's new and exciting in battery technology, including some of
the areas we might want to pursue.
"I am on record, both in my speeches and the pages of my book [Guts, The
Seven Laws of Business That Made Chrysler the World's Hottest Car Company],
with specific ideas on how a business should run and should be run," he said.
"I plan to put my principles, concepts, 'Lutz's Laws,' into practice to help
make Exide not only the biggest, best and most profitable battery company in
the world, but also one of the most respected Fortune 500 companies, period!"
Lutz retired June 30, 1998, following more than a decade as a senior
executive at the Chrysler Corporation. "Guts" was published in September and
he has been on a national promotion tour since.
Lutz was a director of Chrysler and focused primarily on the company's
product development activities. As a member of the Office of the Chairman, he
was involved in all major decisions and acted as coach and advisor.
Prior to the Vice Chairmanship, Lutz was President and Chief Operating
Officer responsible for Chrysler's car and truck operations worldwide,
including International Operations. He led all of Chrysler's automotive
activities including Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Manufacturing and
Procurement and Supply.
He had been President of Chrysler since January 14, 1991.
Lutz joined Chrysler on June 3, 1986 as Executive Vice President of
Chrysler Motors Corporation. He was elected to the Chrysler Corporation Board
of Directors on June 12, 1986. He was named President - Operations on
January 25, 1988, and President - Chrysler Motors on November 10, 1988. Prior
to Chrysler, Lutz spent 12 years at Ford Motor Company where he had been
Executive Vice President of Truck Operations. Prior to that, he served as
Chairman for Ford of Europe and Executive Vice President of Ford's
International Operations. He was a member of Ford's Board of Directors from
1982 to 1986.
Lutz started his automotive career at General Motors Corporation, where he
held a variety of senior positions in Europe. Later, he served three years as
Executive Vice President of Sales at BMW and as a member of that company's
Board of Management.
Lutz is a member of the Board of Directors of Northrop Grumman, ASCOM, a
Swiss telecommunications and electronics company, and Silicon Graphics, Inc.
Lutz is also a member (and former Chairman) of the American Highway Users
Alliance. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Walter A. Haas School of
Business at the University of California-Berkeley.
He is a trustee of the Michigan Cancer Foundation and serves as a member
of the executive committee of the National Association of Manufacturers. He
also serves as a member of the board of trustees for the U.S. Marine Corps
University Foundation and the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, TX, and is
a member of the advisory board of Creditanstalt Bank in Vienna, Austria.
Lutz received his B.S. from the University of California-Berkeley in 1961,
and was a Phi Beta Kappa. He received his M.B.A., with highest honors, from
the University of California-Berkeley in 1962.
He served as an aviator in the United States Marine Corps from 1954-1959
and attained the rank of Captain.
Lutz was born February 12, 1932, in Zurich, Switzerland.