World’s Most Intelligence-Savvy CEO™ Chosen
World’s Most Intelligence-Savvy CEO™ Chosen
“David among corporate Goliaths,” Lars von Kantzow, Pergo CEO, Receives the Second Annual Fuld “Intelligence” Award
Cambridge, MA – April 23, 2001 – Lars von Kantzow, CEO of Pergo Inc., has been chosen to receive the 2000 Intelligence-Savvy CEOä Award for Leadership in Competitive Intelligence. In making the announcement, Leonard Fuld, president of Fuld & Co., said, “This competitive intelligence award – the only one of its kind – validates the critical role that this business tool plays in the global marketplace today.”
After a year-long selection process, spearheaded by Fuld, president of the leading competitive intelligence research and consulting firm Fuld & Co., in conjunction with The Academy of Competitive Intelligence, von Kantzow was the “David” among the corporate “Goliaths” chosen to receive the award based upon his open support of competitive intelligence practices within Pergo, his encouragement of the establishment of “intelligence standards” such as staff training and ethical guidelines establishment, and his ear-marking of monies for speeding the flow of critical competitive information.
Pergo is one of the world’s largest producers of laminate flooring, and its product was rated first by Consumer Reports in the February 2001 issue. A Swedish-based corporation, Pergo was almost unknown in the mid-1990s, rising to become a leader in the flooring products market. Lars von Kantzow’s efforts in applying competitive intelligence to Pergo’s business process contributed a large measure towards its market victory.
“If you don’t know what is going on in the marketplace, you are going to be outdone and outsmarted, and you might lose business,” von Kantzow said. “We had to be at the forefront of competitor intelligence, with so much competition growing from outside the flooring industry. It’s always been a high priority.”
According to Fuld, the interest in competitive intelligence, especially within the ranks of the Fortune 500, is growing. He predicts, “Now considered a hot trend in Corporate America, competitive intelligence is quickly becoming a required component of savvy management, taking its place alongside other key management initiatives on an increasingly global level. While every corporate executive typically states a need to understand the competition, few act on such statements. Tomorrow’s successful corporations will maintain competitive advantage by taking action based on relevant information that has been strategically analyzed.”
An Intelligence Savvy CEOä Award Advisory Board conducted a comprehensive and in-depth review of more than a dozen candidates assembled from around the world. In addition to Leonard Fuld, the Board is lead by other competitive intelligence “gurus”, including the Academy of Competitive Intelligence (ACI) founder and president Benjamin Gilad, and ACI co-founder Jan Herring. The board leaders were joined by 14 other competitive intelligence experts and board members, representing a wide variety of industries. Selection for the next Intelligence Savvy CEOä is now underway.
Last year’s Intelligence Savvy CEOä Award was given to Christopher Galvin, Chairman and CEO of Motorola.
Based in Cambridge, Mass., with offices in London, England, and Geneva Switzerland, Fuld & Company has a staff of more than 60 providing research and analysis to financial services, utility/energy, manufacturing, high technology, telecommunications, healthcare and consumer product sectors. Leonard Fuld is a worldwide recognized expert and author in the field of competitive intelligence. Additional information can be found at www.fuld.com.
