Bob Seelert has expertise in executive leadership, corporate turnarounds, and managing creativity in large organizations. With two Harvard degrees and a 40 year career as a “Captain of Industry,” Seelert has amassed a reputation for reviving the fortunes of businesses and brands in the USA and internationally. For the past 12 years Seelert has been the Chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi, one of the world’s leading creative ideas companies. He has been CEO of five companies in three different industries, and a member of the board of directors of nine companies in the United States, England and France. After graduating from Harvard College he went on to Harvard Business School and then a 23 year career with General Foods Corporation, one of the premier companies of its time in America. He held 17 different roles and positions across the organization, initially in sales and marketing and then general management, eventually becoming President and CEO of Worldwide Coffee and International Foods. He closely observed one of the biggest mega-mergers in US corporate history, the acquisition of General Foods by Philip Morris in 1985. In the early nineties Seelert led turnaround operations at Topco, a grocery industry co-operative, and Kayser Roth, a leading U.S. manufacturer of leg wear that operated as a joint venture of the Blackstone Group and Wasserstein-Perella. In 1995 he was recruited as the high-profile CEO to lead Cordiant, the UK-based holding company that had been formed following the dramatic shareholder revolt at the London-based Saatchi & Saatchi. He became Chairman in 1997 after hiring Kevin Roberts as CEO, moved the headquarters to New York, and together they re-built and re-focused the company as a potent ideas company working with many of the world’s leading corporations and brands. In 2000 Seelert concluded a merger of Saatchi & Saatchi with the Publicis Groupe of France at a share price that was 450% higher than the starting level. The company has improved its financial performance every year since, and in 2008 Saatchi & Saatchi had its best year in the history of the company. Seelert is still actively involved in the strategy and management of Saatchi & Saatchi as non-executive Chairman, dispensing “advice, counsel and perspective.” His 2009 re-emergence into the spotlight with his “book of wisdom” Start with the Answer (Wiley) could not have been better timed. In Start with the Answer, a back-to-basics primer for aspiring leaders, he offers transformative insights and practical instruction for men and women determined to succeed in their careers as leaders.

Keynote Speaking

10 Things To Do When Leading in Tough Times

Bob Seelert, Worldwide Chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi, and turnaround CEO gives his tips on how to successfully navigate your company through this unprecedented economic landscape:

1. Get the truth out on the table, don’t pretend things will get better

When things are not going well, until you get the truth out on the table, no matter how ugly, you are not in position to deal with it. One of the things that I try and do as Chairman is to ensure that we start with an open, honest, and candid assessment of the situation, and then go from there.

At Saatchi & Saatchi, as soon as we started feeling the effects of the slowdown last October, we immediately moved into a mode where we realized that we would face a new economic reality. We didn’t know how far down it would go, but we knew it would be negative. So we began to unfold a program for dealing with a down environment (on Oct 1st). And while we haven’t prevented the slowdown, we did put ourselves in position to deal with it proactively and translate it to action plans for our organization.

2. Establish performance standards/expectations for the new economic reality.

How are you going to inspire your organization to perform in an uncertain and unknowing environment? We estimate that worldwide media spend will be down about 7% in 2009, but the reality is that these are still estimates. Nothing is certain even six months into the year.

We are establishing standards for the new reality so that we maximize our probability of success:

A. Part of being a leader of an organization is setting standards. Whatever happens with the market we would like to outperform it by 50%, if the market is down 7% we would wish to be down 3.5%. If the market bounces back and is only down 2% then we wish to be down1%. We have set a high expectation for our people around the globe. Doing 50% better than the market is something impressive regardless of whether revenue is down or not. I don’t know if we will we make it, but that’s what we try to inspire our people to achieve.

B. We try to draw to the line in terms of where our financial performance will be. In a negative revenue environment there are tremendous pressures that will erode our margins. We expect some margin pressure, but we’re trying to resist undue erosion by “controlling the controllables” – both in revenue and cost. This way when the rebound does occur we will have the affordability to invest monies and the profile to take advantage.

3. Think long term; while acting short term.

The reality of the down environment is that it must be managed as a short term phenomenon. You should be thinking concurrently of the long term. Eventually this crisis shall pass, and you want to be a survivor and be in a position to take advantage of the rebound when it occurs.

We want our people to be working counter-intuitively to increase our share of market.

4. Communicate, communicate, communicate with your people.

It’s always important to have great communication within your organization. The three most important words in this new environment are “communicate, communicate, communicate.” This is the time to get in front of your people and have more of a presence than you normally might. To give them a feeling that in these uncertain times you are on top of it, and will lead the organization to be a survivor and, indeed a winner in the new environment.

In the advertising business our assets go up and down the elevators every day. If our revenue is down then we don’t have the same affordability to have as many of these great people as we would in boom times. We have to manage this situation as much as possible through attrition, but we also need to discuss all the possibilities within our organization.

5. Get “All Hands on Deck”

Your team needs to know that you are in this together and you can’t get it done alone. Everyone needs to pitch in and put forth their best effort if you’re going to win.

6. Get out with your customers; listen and learn.

It is important to understand how this environment affects your customers so you can adjust to meet their needs. To be highly valued you will need to deliver against their renewed needs and expectations, and if you can exceed their expectations you are going to be an even more valued partner.

When I was CEO in a turnaround situation at Kayser-Roth (a women’s leg wear company that operated as a joint venture of Blackstone Group and Wasserstein–Perella) one of my first visits was to Wal-Mart, our largest supplier. They told me, “Mr. Seelert, we are concerned about the viability of your company as a supplier.” Two year later, we were named their vendor partner of the quarter. If I had not gone there personally to listen and learn, I doubt this would have happened and, instead we might have lost our biggest customer and distributor.

7. Stay true to what made you great in the first place.

All good companies achieved success because they were doing something that propelled them to new heights prior to the current economic climate. When making adjustments for this new economic environment it is important that you don’t lose sight of the things that made your organization successful in the first place.

Our client Toyota has continually built their business on the principles of Innovation, and continuous Improvement. Currently in the US, car sales are down significantly and it is clearly not an ideal economy for an automaker. By sticking to its fundamental principles Toyota is making the best of a bad situation because they have stayed true to the things that made them great in the first place.

Innovation -Toyota observed there was a gap in their product line and recently released the Venza to remedy this. Sales might not be as high as they might have been in a booming economy, but it will fill the gap and improve their share of market.

Continuous Improvement - This year Toyota has introduced the 3rd generation Prius, it’s a big hit. Many other automakers don’t even have a hybrid in their lineup. By staying true to the things that made Toyota great, they will be able to make the best of the recession and will be in a position to gain market share when the tide turns.

8. Reframe the value of your products for the new environment.

We are helping many of our clients reframe value for the new environment. For example, Tide has always been the leading laundry detergent. In this market they are reminding people that the “color integrity features of Tide keep that new dress looking newer longer.” That’s a message that is more relevant in this environment because people can’t buy as many dresses as they could last year. We are tuning up our clients’ brands for the reality of the environment that we are in.

9. When you think “add”; also think “reduce” When you think “create”; also think “eliminate”.

Per “Blue Ocean” thinking, every time you think of the word “add,” you need simultaneously to think of the word “reduce,” and every time you think of the word “create”, you should think of the word “eliminate.”

The environment is tough, but your business has to go on in a world that is changing, so you will need to add people in some places to create new capabilities. At Saatchi & Saatchi we need to add more people who are digitally savvy to make connections in this new environment, but we also need to think of trade offs. What are some of the things that we need to do without? Tough times force tough trade-offs, but you need to be willing to add and create despite the tough times.

10. Set tight priorities

In a depressed economy you need to be very clear and think of the things that are core to your business. What do you absolutely have to get done in order to be successful?

When I first came to Saatchi & Saatchi after the founding brothers had left the company, there were two things that I had to do in the first months with the company:

A. I had to stabilize clients and staff, and B. refinance the company

I devoted 100% of my time and energy to those two things because without both nothing else would have mattered.

Tough times can bring out the best in organizations and prompt actions that will position your company for future success. Get real, but take advantage. Follow these ten things and you will prosper.

“Seelert’s stories and wisdom demonstrate that the principles and practices leading to winning results in sports are highly transferable to the building of brands, businesses, and organizations. This book tells you how. ”

Jack Twyman, former Chairman and CEO

Super Food Services Inc.

“Seelert’s comprehensive revelation of his leadership wisdom is priceless—especially the management of culture through innovative communications, fueled by rock-solid personal spirit and style. Read and succeed... it’s that actionable. Bob’s the real leadership deal. ”

John W. Luther, President

Luther & Company

“I’ve never been at my best when working for a boss in the traditional sense...Authority is not my favorite cultural tool. I am at my best (maybe like you) when I have a coach and mentor. Bob Seelert has played that role for over a decade, providing me with counsel, guidance, perspective, and unconditional love and support. Oh yes, and wisdom. Lots of it! You’ll find out what I mean when you read this book.”

Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide

Saatchi & Saatchi

“Bob Seelert entered Saatchi & Saatchi in early 1995 when the company was in flux and extremely unstable. In a few short years, he not only stabilized the business, he grew it into an even greater advertising powerhouse than it once was. If anyone is qualified to write about business turnarounds, it’s Seelert. ”

David Herro, Chief Investment Officer-International

Harris Associates LP

“Spencer Stuart placed Bob Seelert into leadership positions at Kayser-Roth and Saatchi & Saatchi at times when success seemed impossible, but failure was not an acceptable option. In both situations, he achieved highly successful turnarounds, and his stories tell you why. ”

Thomas Neff, Chairman

Spencer Stuart USA

“Bob Seelert and I worked together for twenty years, and I saw firsthand how the wisdom in this book enabled him to build businesses and organizations. For MBA students and other aspiring business leaders, this book will become their well-thumbed how-to guide for constructing a successful career. ”

Erv Shames, former President and CEO

General Foods USA and Borden, Inc.

“I wish I had been able to read Bob Seelert’s book when I first became CEO of a $10 billion telecommunications company. It is an absolute top notch leadership bible - in condensed form.”

Theresa Gattung, CEO (2000-2008)

Telecom New Zealand

“I’ve been fortunate throughout my four years at Saatchi & Saatchi to have access to the wisdom and counsel of Bob Seelert-live and in-person. Now everyone can benefit from Bob’s brand of pragmatic, straight talking business and career strategy consulting. I recommend this great read to those entering the business world and seasoned veterans alike. You’ll do well to take Bob’s tips—borne of deep experience—to heart and to the marketplace. This is a business book for those of us who are too action oriented to enjoy the theoretical treatise. You’ll put his wisdom to use, guaranteed.”

Mary Baglivo, Chairman and CEO

Saatchi & Saatchi, The Americas

“Start with the Answer offers fresh insight into the past and present of the Saatchi & Saatchi brand. A story of creativity borne of necessity. How the business got taken to the brink and brought back from it, whilst being respectful to the founding Brothers. It’s important, in a young industry, for everybody to be aware of our history. Start with the Answer offers sage counsel and is a tacit reminder of the importance of humility in business.”

Robert Senior, CEO

Saatchi & Saatchi, London | Fallon, London

“Bob’s book is a timely reminder of classic virtues. These are the virtues of simplicity and clarity in setting goals as a leader; consistency, self discipline, courtesy and sustained effort in his approach to work; care for the organisation as a community, commitment to his team and humility in his relations with others...Bob’s insights are especially valuable in today’s overheated, crisis ridden world...An inspiration for those feeling dwarfed by the size of contemporary challenges.”

Dominic Houlder, Adjunct Professor of Strategic and International Management

London Business School

Email: bseelert@liminalgroup.com

Phone: (212) 546-4625