Gary Bhojwani, CEO of Alliance Life, Talks About Managing in Crisis While Serving the Customer on the CEO Show with Robert Reiss
Summary
Ridgefield, CT, February 11, 2011 --( One of the principal issues that Bhojwani discusses is the process for turning the 2000 employee, $9 billion company around, beginning in 2007 when he became its CEO.The turnaround process was deliberately not rushed, taking about six to nine months and involving a lot of listening and introspection: Only then was the "vision" created, followed by an umbrella strategy and the re-introduction of products to the market.Bhojwani also discusses with Reiss the difficult management decisions that were made such as not shrinking the Allianz Life sales force during the period of extreme financial instability, i.e. "the downturn in the economy" that developed beginning in 2008.It wasn’t revenue at any cost.” It was a strategy that balanced “what’s good for the consumer as well as the employee.” Other topics addressed in the interview with Bhojwani include setting priorities for employees, e.g. “listening to the customer”, communicating with the sales force, and investing in technology to serve the customer.The turnaround process was deliberately not rushed, taking about six to nine months and involving a lot of listening and introspection: Only then was the "vision" created, followed by an umbrella strategy and the re-introduction of products to the market.Bhojwani also discusses with Reiss the difficult management decisions that were made such as not shrinking the Allianz Life sales force during the period of extreme financial instability, i.e. "the downturn in the economy" that developed beginning in 2008.