Four months ago, with questions and expectations from all sides, Ai Xiaoming took office as president of Whirlpool Co., Ltd. (Whirlpool China). At the beginning of his new career, Whirlpool China was in trouble, its performance declined, its auditing turmoil and personnel Changes, these are the tricky problems that Ai Xiaoming has to face.
In the past four months, the "layman" who is taking off from the airlines is starting to 'surgery' Whirlpool China and changes are taking place. The recent Whirlpool China has given a clear signal that the ship has gradually returned to the right channel .
Ai Xiaoming, president of Whirlpool (China) Co., Ltd.
Air lay down the 'layman' president
On the evening of September 18, 2017, Whirlpool China issued a notice saying that its president, Kim Woo-wah, ceased to serve as president for personal reasons and hired Ai Xiaoming, who has been in China's manufacturing industry for many years, as its president.
For Ai Xiaoming, a former multinational company with experience in Schneider, Osram and Zopa Pars, Whirlpool China is the chief executive of Whirlpool China, a time when Whirlpool China was caught up in public opinion due to declining performance and financial audit turmoil swirl.
Whirlpool (Whirlpool, USA), the world's leading maker of large appliances, has been trying to make a difference in China, the world's largest single market, but Whirlpool has been declining several times in the China market until 2013 In August of this year, Whirlpool of the United States entered the original predecessor of Whirlpool China with S $ 3.4 billion at Hefei Sanyo, expecting a rapid counter-attack on the Chinese home appliance market in such a way.
Whirlpool Group executives collectively Whirlpool China platform
However, after China's regulatory authorities approved the acquisition of Hefei Sanyo by the Chinese regulatory authorities in mid-September 2014, after three years of integration, Whirlpool China did not meet the expectation of the major shareholder Whirlpool in the United States.
Accounting mistakes, changes in management personnel, Whirlpool China executives leaving nearly half a year has been commonplace, it is in this environment, Ai Xiaoming took office, that the outside world on the 'airborne' president challenged: one has never been involved Appliance industry 'layman', how to navigate Whirlpool China this ship?
Remove the historical burden of diagnosis of the cause
For the outside world, Ai Xiaoming is not eager to respond.In order to find out the company's problems as soon as possible, after taking the new Ai Xiaoming daily most of the time and energy are on the company research, and various business unit heads A lot of in-depth exchanges.
'A new company, a new industry, the pressure is great.' 'Ai Xiaoming frankly, his daily sleep time is only five hours he had joked that he is' working with life'. Whirlpool China a high Tube has revealed: Ai Xiaoming sometimes open in the company until 3 am, but still in the morning to the company on time to work.
After a period of time, "Wang Wenwenqie" type of in-depth research and exchange, Ai Xiaoming gradually wondering the pulse of Whirlpool China, to find the cause, but also find out Whirlpool China's family background.For Whirlpool China's problems, Ai Xiaoming is not taboo In his view, Whirlpool China is the most urgent need to solve the strategic focus of the problem.Handhold Whirlpool, Sanyo, Imperial and Rongshida four major brands Whirlpool China Although the positioning of the four brands made a clear distinction, but still Can not avoid the strategic focus is not clear embarrassment.
In addition, the historical issues left by Whirlpool China have to face and solve the problem, the most typical is the brand licensing: Whirlpool in the past out of strategic considerations for the air conditioning and small appliances brand licensed to channel operators, and Rongshidan Brand chaos caused by the licensing situation is even more subject to criticism.The negative impact of brand licensing, Whirlpool China is still difficult to say the pain of China.
However, Ai Xiao-ming believes that while licensing issues pose a constraint on Whirlpool China, so far no quality management has inflicted much on Whirlpool China.
'It is a good thing that accounting (mistakes) find out.' 'Ai Xiaoming showed an optimistic attitude that "we can solve all the problems we have in the past and we can do it lightly."
Talking about the outside world questioned him, Ai Xiaoming responded with a smile and said that his biggest focus is still around the team building, outsiders to find helper, helper is not a layman on it, the talent is there, mobilize the enthusiasm of talent, Then the business will have vitality.
Whirlpool Chairman Jeff Fettig (left) attends Whirlpool China smart factory commissioning ceremony
In fact, Ai Xiaoming is not a full-time home appliance retailer.He joined Whirlpool China before he served as Europe's leading heating element and system supplier Zopeas, managing director of the Asia Pacific region, where the global supply of home appliances manufacturers heating Components of the corporate office, so that Ai Xiaoming has long been on the appliance industry first glance.
In the face of the problem frankly at the same time, Ai Xiaoming also saw Whirlpool China's business heritage and advantages lie in his view, Whirlpool China's own product innovation as much as domestic counterparts, the company's products, technical elements are still R & D With the team still in place, the newly opened production line is also advanced in the industry, Whirlpool China's opportunity is still quite large thanks to the support of major shareholders, the introduction of global resources, a good technology platform and products.
Return Whirlpool brand development prospects can be expected
After finding the crux of the problem, Ai Xiaoming started to prescribe Whirlpool China. He proposed a 20-character guideline of "returning to essence, creating value, implementing strategy, achieving goals and growing together."
First of all, Ai Xiaoming made clear the brand strategy of Whirlpool in order to ensure the continuity of the established strategy. 'Whirlpool brand as the core, and will not overlook Soyo, Imperial and Rongshida, which is Whirlpool China's strategic direction,' he Emphasize: 'The tone of the business needs to be shifted from Eddie to Whirlpool. The tone is that of American children.'
Wholly clarified brand tone, Whirlpool China began to take practical action to the outside world clearly express their own brand line last year, September-October, Whirlpool China Whirlpool in the country's key cities to carry out high-end products, Whirlpool Intelligent Ice Cleaning Products Scene Tour, focusing on promoting the light Touch washing machine, I.Space refrigerator and other high-end refrigerators Product
Whirlpool Ray Touch washing machine
To promote Whirlpool brand, Whirlpool China in the terminal image shop building with user experience as the core joint Suning line stores to create a new showroom image, around the country TOP stores image upgrade, nearly 100 stores to provide imported products, embedded products out Show samples, to achieve rich showroom products, quality, high-end upgrades.
'Return to Whirlpool brand, which is a very important tone, brand positioning and promotion, which is a more important thing, to change a brand's internal operation and operation, from the management style, the internal culture is also an important Drivers, team culture, internal ideas also need to do some improvement and change. "Ai Xiaoming said.
Ai Xiaoming, Whirlpool president of China, took the first public appearance at the ceremony of setting up the Smart Factory at Whirlpool Industrial Park on November 7. Last year, Jeff Fettig, CEO of Whirlpool Group, Marc Bitzer CEO, and later Whirlpool China Chairman of Whirlpool Asia Pacific, Wu Shengbo and others, such a high-profile lineup enough to explain everything.
'The majority shareholder (Whirlpool, USA) has a high expectation on the Chinese market and is very supportive of China.' Ai Xiaoming emphasized that Whirlpool China has complete freedom of decision-making power and is independent at the operational level. The trust and support of Whirlpool in the United States, Let Ai Xiaoming, a professional manager with an international perspective and experience in transnational corporations, can be more calm and free to reform Whirlpool China.
Complementing the product line and expanding export business is also one of Whirlpool's future strategies in China Whirlpool China will further expand its refrigerator and kitchen appliance product line in addition to solidifying and continuing to consolidate its position as a traditional washing machine business.
Ai Xiaoming said the United States Whirlpool has its global refrigerator R & D platform Jupiter into Whirlpool China, and will release the product in 2018. 'This product is not only for the Chinese market, but also for the European and North American markets, production and research and development have been in And the United States headquarters for docking, we are 'Made in China for Global'. "Ai Xiaoming said.
Over the past two years, Whirlpool China's home appliance export business has achieved rapid growth, has become an important value contributor, therefore, Ai Xiaoming made it clear that to enhance the export business, both to develop their own brand exports, but also for Whirlpool's long-term global cooperation Partner to do a certain OEM.
'The system should be established and the culture should be built. Therefore, I have always emphasized that there is a need for a group of people who share the same dedication and devotion to create a culture of this company.' Ai Xiaoming believes in the principle that people are always the number one people. Efforts to create a like-minded, with a strong combat effectiveness of the team.
For the future, Ai Xiaoming is full of confidence. The entire Whirlpool China team behind him is also full of expectations. He hoped that Whirlpool China can become a classic example of MBA and believes that Whirlpool China 's prospects are promising.