The success of Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., is legendary. Yet to understand this success, you must go below the surface to see how the hands-off management style of Berkshire Hathaway allows its acquisitions to grow exponentially. The Warren Buffett CEO provides a rare up-close and personal view of nearly twenty operating managers within Berkshire Hathaway-owned companies.
Through interviews with key executives from these companies, Berkshire Hathaway expert Robert Miles offers a fascinating look at how the CEOs of Berkshire Hathaway subsidiaries are managed. Along with candid revelations about their relationships with "the best boss in the world"-these executives shed light on who Buffett might choose to succeed him and how the management structure of Berkshire Hathaway will change once he is gone.
The Warren Buffett CEO begins with the foundation of this powerhouse holding company-the insurers. Ajit Jain shares his experiences as head of the fifteen-member team that is Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group and talks about the management knowledge he has gleaned from Buffett. The two presidents and CEOs of GEICO, Tony Nicely and Lou Simpson, explain how they manage 18,000 employees and the GEICO $2.5 billion equity portfolio, with no interference from Berkshire Hathaway, while setting a management model that will likely be followed after Buffett retires-one CEO manages operations, the other CEO manages investments.
This comprehensive book is as diverse as the holdings of Berkshire Hathaway. The Warren Buffett CEO includes rare interviews with Berkshire Hathaway CEOs . . .
* Al Ueltschi, founder and CEO of FlightSafety International
* Stan Lipsey, publisher and CEO of the Buffalo News
* Chuck Huggins, CEO of See's Candies, Inc.
* Richard Santulli, CEO of ExecutiveJet
. . . that reveal the secrets of Berkshire Hathaway management: a passion for the business-not the money-and a philosophy of succeeding without compromising your principles.
The Warren Buffett CEO explores the history of Berkshire Hathaway subsidiaries and how the different styles of their managers mesh with Buffett's. Miles follows the entire acquisition process and details the excitement of CEOs who see Berkshire Hathaway as being beneficial from both a financial and managerial standpoint. Examples such as Nebraska Furniture Mart, H.H. Brown Shoe Co., Scott Fetzer Companies, and Helzberg Diamonds illustrate how each Berkshire Hathaway company has the characteristics of a classic Buffett investment and how Buffett prefers a wholly owned company with a management team already in place.
To better understand his investment approach, Buffett himself has said, you should look at his operating managers and companies. The Warren Buffett CEO does this and much more. By examining the top CEOs within Berkshire Hathaway subsidiaries, you'll understand how these executives succeed inside Berkshire Hathaway and how, year after year, they produce unparalleled profits under Warren Buffett's guidance.
