When Look quit ski racing…

Half a century ago, Look ski bindings had to make a hard decision in drastically cutting its expensive racing ski program that was the pride and joy of its owner, Mr. Jean Beyl. It’s true that the use by top skier of the Look products put it at the top of the world in terms of reputation and consumer awareness. 

In 1975, Look was already struggling with raising costs (it just built a beautiful and costly new factory) and Salomon was beginning its explosive and successful penetration worldwide with products perfectly targeted to skiers’ needs, cutting badly into Look’s market share and profitability. 

One of Beyl’s acquaintances suggested he hire Philippe Blime, a McKinsey’s consultant, to become his general manager and as expected when these type of folks look at a company's numbers, they suggest some large cuts. Look’s racing service stood up like a sore thumb with its one million dollar a year price tag and its indirect effect on sales. 

I suggested that we could shave a significant amount of its cost by reducing its inefficiencies in pooling our needs with say, a ski manufacturer, but the cost-cutting train had already left the station and my job was to fire all of our servicemen and notify the ski federations of our leaving their respective supplier pools, except in Italy where our distributor accepted to shoulder some of the financial burden. 

Still, the large cut didn’t stop the hemorrhaging of cash and just prolonged the company’s long financial agony, I was given the position of product manager, a new post created for the circumstance, and that was the end of my first job at the helm of Look ski racing service!