This book is an interview that was carried out in the 1990’s between journalists Ivan Levai/Yves Messarovitch and Francois Michelin, then CEO of the Michelin tire company and descendant of the founders. In it Michelin answers various very interesting questions, including:
How the company was founded in the 19th century making rubber parts for horse-drawn carriages and railroad cars
What it is like running such a large multinational corporation
The state of the French economy and government & how the latter’s actions affect the former Contrasting economic conditions in France with those in the U.S.A.
The rigors of competition
The famous Michelin star restaurant rankings
The interdependence of the roles of the people in the company, including himself, the management, the product development team, the workers, the stockholders, and always, foremost in everyone’s minds, the clients—the most important people in any business even though they are often not recognized as a part of it.
What comes through is Mr. Michelin’s faith and how it inspires profound respect for the people who work for and invest in the company and for the customers who patronize it. Interesting read for those who are curious about how at least one CEO goes about his job and about the inner workings of a large corporation. You will also enjoy this book if you are interested in how politics and economics interact with one another. For me the book was hard to put down; I finished it in 2-3 days.
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