mham001 From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 3001 posts, RR: 3 Posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 9633 times:
I'm not seeing this talked about but since the BBC is highly regarded in some circles, this report bears some weight. What might be the impact if Leahy is forced out?
A top executive at European plane maker Airbus has been placed under formal investigation for insider trading by French authorities, reports suggest.
Commercial director John Leahy sold shares in parent company EADS before their price fell sharply in 2006, AFP and Reuters news agencies report. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11972660
Stitch From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 26722 posts, RR: 83 Reply 1, posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 9568 times:
Was JL not part of the original insider trading case (against Gallois and a few other executives).
"In March 2006, former EADS Co-Chief Executive Noel Forgeard sold shares worth 5.2 million euros for 2.5 million euros in gains, regulatory filings show. Forgeard resigned July 2, after EADS shares fell 26 percent when it announced June 13 that the plane's delays would cut operating profit by 2 billion euros, or $2.6 billion, by 2010."
I don't know if Leahy was ever used in the case against Forgeard; but from what I've read, it pretty much looks like Forgeard hung himself.
We have clearance, Clarence. Roger, Roger. What's our vector, Victor?
Stitch From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 26722 posts, RR: 83 Reply 5, posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 8947 times:
Quoting mariner (Reply 3): Was Gallois investigated? I knew that Forgeard was, but I thought Gallois came along a little later to replace Forgeard because of this problem.
Quoting Gordomatic (Reply 5): Mariner beat me to it. I thought it was Forgeard replaced by Gallois because Forgeard got busted
May very well be. I admit I didn't really follow it all that closely when it was being hashed out here.
Gordomatic From United States of America, joined Mar 2009, 92 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 8814 times:
Quoting Stitch (Reply 6): I admit I didn't really follow it all that closely
Stitch, I didn't mean to give the impression I did, sorry. I was, however, searching news articles that might say if or how John Leahy was involved in the case that resulted in Forgeard stepping down. I confess - until tonight I couldn't say who Noel Forgeard was if my life depended on it.
We have clearance, Clarence. Roger, Roger. What's our vector, Victor?
Burkhard From Germany, joined Nov 2006, 4249 posts, RR: 2 Reply 7, posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 8550 times:
So BBC got a series of ads by Murdoch or a similar mind.
The reputation of BBC is very low. I was once witness of a 1 hour documentation made by the BBC, and the film contained nothing of what I had seen and was extremely single sided selction of material, which fitted extremely well the advertisements running around it.
If you still assume any news or documentaion in the Western World not to be by intention or bribes, you really have sweet dreams.
This said, I doubt that there are many top managers around in this world that cannot be accused of breaking any law.
trex8 From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 3970 posts, RR: 14 Reply 8, posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 7161 times:
Quoting Burkhard (Reply 8): The reputation of BBC is very low. I was once witness of a 1 hour documentation made by the BBC, and the film contained nothing of what I had seen and was extremely single sided selction of material, which fitted extremely well the advertisements running around it.
When did BBC TV start showing commercial advertisements???
Stitch From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 26722 posts, RR: 83 Reply 10, posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 6708 times:
Quoting Burkhard (Reply 8): So BBC got a series of ads by Murdoch or a similar mind.
At least within the UK, the BBC does not broadcast commercials as their funding is covered by the annual television fee.
Now when it comes to their international channels (BBC America, BBC Prime/BBC Entertainment, etc.) those do have commercials, but they re-broadcast UK shows so those commercials are to fund the fees the cables/satellite companies that carry the channel charge.
glideslope From United States of America, joined May 2004, 1542 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 4804 times:
Quoting mham001 (Reply 14): Legitimacy of the BBC aside, this is fairly bad news for Airbus. What are the potential affects if Leahy is forced out?
He is replaced, and we all have more oxygen to breath?
[Edited 2010-12-11 12:06:03]
"All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved"
BritishWorld From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2010, 16 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 4765 times:
The BBC has commercial operations around the world, as Stitch rightly points out, including the global BBC World News television channel. However, BBC World News, through the BBC's arms-length commercial operation, BBC Worldwide, effectively 'purchases' its news from the licence fee-funded BBC News operation, which is part of the corporation's domestic services. Services funded by the licence fee are commercially unmotivated and politically neutral.
Stories published on the BBC News website are also funded by the licence fee; where these stories are made available on the international 'BBC.com' website, adverts are also included, but the research, investigation, writing and publishing of these stories is primarily an undertaking of the domestic BBC News and bbc.co.uk operations, which are essentially replicated onto the commercially funded BBC.com website outside of the UK.
To put this simply, no commercial funding directly pays for BBC News content.
Furthermore, the BBC is no friend of Murdoch, and Murdoch makes no secret of his utter disregard for the BBC. assertion that an organisation with the extraordinary and globally-envied reputation of BBC News could be so easily swayed by their arch-enemy buying a few ads is, quite frankly, bizarre.
Burkhard's suggestion that the BBC's reputation is at some kind of low is nothing more than his personal opinion - and his justification for that opinion, based upon nothing more than 'that one occasion where I watched some unnamed show that was, um, kind of lame for some vague reason' is pretty weak. The fact remains that BBC News is the largest newsgathering operation in the world, and on the back of its continuing strong reputation, a range of international services have been launched in recent years that capitalise on the strength of audiences' positive impressions of the BBC's impartiality and quality of output, including the BBC World News America bulletins, and BBC Persian and BBC Arabic television channels.
The fact that other media outlets are also following the Airbus/Leahy story, independently of the BBC's article, doesn't really support Burkhard's assessment of the situation either.
BMI727 From United States of America, joined Feb 2009, 14351 posts, RR: 26 Reply 14, posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 4194 times:
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11711 posts, RR: 52 Reply 15, posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 3885 times:
He is a salesman. But he is also an American, and Americans usually don't do well in the French courts.
mdword1959 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 16, posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks 6 hours ago) and read 3479 times:
Quoting mham001 (Reply 11): What are the potential affects if Leahy is forced out?
Perhaps a coherent sales strategy which improves margins and produces sustained earnings growth with less emphasis on the results of the annual order intake derby.
SEPilot From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 6258 posts, RR: 39 Reply 17, posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 3048 times:
Quoting BMI727 (Reply 14): Quoting mham001 (Thread starter):
What might be the impact if Leahy is forced out?
Probably not that much. He's mostly a salesman by trade and I doubt there is much that he can do that can't be replaced.
It may be quite substantial. Like him or hate him, I think it is beyond dispute that Leahy has been an extraordinarily effective salesman for Airbus. Talent like that is not found under every rock; and an effective salesman is vital for any business, and probably even more so for airliners. If you examine the rise of Airbus to surpass Boeing, I think you will find that Leahy had a lot to do with it. If he is forced out Airbus will survive, but Leahy will be missed.
The problem with making things foolproof is that fools are so doggone ingenious...Dan Keebler
Rara From Germany, joined Jan 2007, 1825 posts, RR: 3 Reply 18, posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 2713 times:
Quoting Burkhard (Reply 7):
The reputation of BBC is very low. I was once witness of a 1 hour documentation made by the BBC, and the film contained nothing of what I had seen and was extremely single sided selction of material, which fitted extremely well the advertisements running around it.
You're probably confusing the BBC with some other media outlet. Best read up on the BBC on Wikipedia or something.
Samson was a biblical tough guy, but his dad Samsonite was even more of a hard case.
mdword1959 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 19, posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 2371 times:
Quoting SEPilot (Reply 17): I think it is beyond dispute that Leahy has been an extraordinarily effective salesman for Airbus.
Just about any competent sales force could have done well with the product lineup Forgeard/Leahy inherited from Jean Pierson's group which preceded them. Really, it's the record of product/market development since Forgeard/Leahy took over that's been problematic for Airbus, it certainly hasn't produced increasing margins or growing earnings, at least not yet. Fortuity can always play an important role in these matters, Airbus has benefited from Boeing's poor execution of the 787 program, they'd have booked far fewer A330 orders in the last couple of years if the "Dreamliner" hadn't been plagued by delays.
SEPilot From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 6258 posts, RR: 39 Reply 20, posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 2287 times:
Quoting mdword1959 (Reply 19): Just about any competent sales force could have done well with the product lineup Forgeard/Leahy inherited from Jean Pierson's group which preceded them
I think that is incredibly naive. I know that in the machine tool business a really good salesman can make a world of difference; having a superior product does not always translate into sales. You would think that businesses should be able to look at only the technical details and numbers; but this is not the case at all. People still matter, and good salespeople are vital, especially when you are going up against a behemoth such as Boeing.
The problem with making things foolproof is that fools are so doggone ingenious...Dan Keebler
We'll have to agree to disagree. I think the "Leahy" factor is vastly overrated. The person who really made the critical difference for Airbus circa 1997-2004 when the "tectonic plates" shifted was Steve Udvar-Hazy, Leahy was smart enough to capitalize on what Hazy was doing, but he wasn't the visionary.
BMI727 From United States of America, joined Feb 2009, 14351 posts, RR: 26 Reply 22, posted (2 years 5 months 2 weeks ago) and read 2088 times:
Quoting mdword1959 (Reply 19): Just about any competent sales force could have done well with the product lineup Forgeard/Leahy inherited from Jean Pierson's group which preceded them.
I'm with you on this one. Good engineering sells itself. Most of the planes Airbus has built have been too good to not sell well. This isn't like buying an iPod. Airlines do tons of homework and buy planes based on a lot of research about what is the best product for them at the right time.
Why do Aerospace Engineering students have to turn things in on time?
aircellist From Canada, joined Oct 2004, 1419 posts, RR: 9 Reply 23, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 1973 times:
I'm with SEPilot (among others) on this one.
I do find it incredible, in this site, how many people disregard the human factor in airplane purchasing.
I dare say it is even more, not less, important, due to the sheer value of the good being purchased. One would never buy the "best" plane from someone not trusted, or liked somehow, just because one needs to have confidence in the plane, and the seller is the "face" of the plane.
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