Thanks also go to Jill Saletta, Kim Thompson and Jeff Noel, who were always there for us. To Nancy Tennant, who organized a fascinating evening about innovation. To the chairman, Jeff Fettig, who received us and listened to us carefully; he is the “boss”, and the man that has most credit and responsibility for the new trends in Whirlpool. To the various directors and heads of the groups that took part in the various meetings and visits.
And for me personally, a huge thank you goes to Pierre, who translated most of the speeches for me, and who put up with me for three days.
Here is the trailer produced by the corporation for Habitat for Humanity, the charity that Whirlpool is committed to. For decades, the company’s employees have been going, in person, to build houses for those who cannot afford them.
]]>Deep, blue eyes, and the hint of a smile that lasts only a moment. He misses none of what happens in the Executive Dining Room. He observes and listens carefully. It is important for him to have so many journalists from every part of the world. From his behavior, it is clear he understands that the questions are one of the best indicators of how his company is perceived.
Jeff Fettig has been part of the corporation’s top management since 2004. It was not easy to take the place of David Witwam, who had been the chairman for seventeen years, and who went down in history as the man who began a revolution in the company. Then, there was a serious economic crisis, with the cost of raw materials that increased by double figures. However, Fettig demonstrated a strong vision of the future, by encouraging the internationalization of Whirlpool, which proved to be a winning choice. Many of the questions came from journalists from emerging countries. The chairman said he was very satisfied with how the situation is going in India and Brazil. The greater concern, however, is China, where the potential is enormous, but where only a part of the market has been conquered so far.
When he hears Varese mentioned, his face brightens up, because be lived, for some time, in Luvinate, at a stone’s throw from the golf course, which is one of his loves. “Innovation concerns all our employees, whether they are manual workers, involved in production, like those in Cassinetta, office workers or managers in Comerio. We give importance to everyone’s ideas and suggestions, whether they come to us by formal or by informal means.” Against the guiding light of Jeff Fettig’s acts, it makes little difference what the social class or status of the employee is. They can all be important.
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