The CEO Diary with Fexingo · 2026-05-31 · 9 min
Episode 22 of The CEO Diary with Fexingo dives into the remarkable turnaround of Leica Camera AG - the storied German optics maker that nearly collapsed in the early 2000s but refused to surrender to digital disruption. Lucas and Luna trace how CEO Andreas Kaufmann, a private-equity investor with no camera background, bought Leica out of insolvency in 2004 and rebuilt it by refusing to compete on specs. Instead, Leica doubled down on heritage, premium pricing, and a unique strategy: making digital cameras that felt analog. By 2025, Leica posted record revenue of over 500 million euros and operating margins above 20 percent. This episode explores the counterintuitive logic of competing on 'experience' rather than technology - and why Leica's survival hinges on not trying to win the megapixel war. #Leica #AndreasKaufmann #Turnaround #BusinessStrategy #PremiumBranding #DigitalDisruption #GermanEngineering #Optics #LuxuryGoods #NicheStrategy #Photography #BrandHeritage #OperationalTurnaround #Business #Leadership #CEO #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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