Management Committee meetings — what Management Committee meetings?

I bring to your attention a very candid, entertaining and insightful talk given by watch industry guru and Hublot Chairman Jean-Claude Biver. The event was part of a series of seminars for the Design Management degree offered by European University, which offers flexible business study programs at undergraduate/BBA/Bachelor and graduate/MBA/Master degree levels.

Since stepping back from the CEO role at Hublot, Biver seems to be in the “knowledge transfer” phase of his life — having learned a lot and earned a lot, I see him “returning a lot” to the next generation.  If you have time to watch the entire lecture, you will not be disappointed –invaluable advice from JC Biver — applicable many walks of life.

Here are some of the things that you will get to learn and enjoy by listening to Mr Biver’s lecture:

* To love and be loved in life is to achieve real success

* Attitude matters

* Be FIRST, Be UNIQUE, Be DIFFERENT

* Talk to the customers of today AND tomorrow

* The importance of “talking with your eyes”

* Paying your employees $1,000 for admitting their mistakes

* Management Committee meetings — what Management Committee meetings?

* Riding in Mr. Lavazza’s Maserati — and how Hublot became the first luxury brand to sponsor soccer/football

In addition to the points above, another interesting segment for me was from about the 30-minute mark when Biver recounts the financial performance of Hublot during the years leading up to its acquisition by LVMH in 2008:  In 2005, Hublot did turnover (revenue) of 32 million Swiss Francs, with a loss of 2.6 million Swiss Francs; in 2008, they did 220 million in turnover and 49.6 million in profit.  Now the brand is approximately 400 million in annual revenue, making it the 14th largest Swiss watch brand.