ABSTRACT
Nicolas Hayek was the major founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Swatch Group, the largest manufacturer of fi nished watches in the world. He and his staff engineered one of the most amazing industrial turnarounds in the world and saved the Swiss watch industry from oblivion. He also played a major role in the creation of the Smart Car, a small green European automobile built by Mercedes Benz for city driving. Hayek’s strategic leadership is at odds with contemporary thinking about how companies must compete in the global market place, but his strategic vision and outstanding communication skills resulted in Switzerland retaking the leading role in the global watch industry.
