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It’s not easy keeping positive when all around the world is tumbling down. But this is the turmoil which surrounds many people at the moment and it’s all to do with austerity, that over-rated word which screams out from newspaper headlines from around the world. Politically, there are ups and downs in almost every country around Europe: France has just appointed its new President but there were few celebrations as he slipped into office a few days ago. Hollande’s victory set the EU on course for turmoil. Germany’s Chancellor is facing growing criticism and Germans are voting with their feet and heading towards the rival party – all because they are tired of ‘austerity’. In Greece, there’s a hung parliament, due to the uncertainty of the Eurozone. In Italy, with its coalition government, a snap general election could be held this year, again amidst the European debt crisis. There is 20 per cent unemployment in Spain which is on the brink of bankruptcy: austerity measures are resulting in social disruptions. Portugal is no better – although, again using that dreadful word ‘austerity’, people voted the previous government out in favour of the opposition last year – in the hope that a new regime might ease the financial pressure on the Greek people. And, in Russia, there are demonstrations challenging the election victory of Putin - was it fraudulent or not...? You may wonder where I’m coming from here: me, an ageing motoring journalist, talking about the political crises, which surround our European brothers and sisters? I’ll tell you what this is leading to. It’s not just the politicians who head up a very shaky Europe; it’s also the people behind some of the region’s leading companies who are coming under fire. They, like the politicians, are trying their best to keep positive – buoyant – amidst growing criticisms of their ability to efficiently run their respective operations. It seems that everyone, everywhere, is levelling doubt at the captains of our industries. You just have to recall the ‘not fit to lead a major international company’ conclusion by UK MPs following the parliamentary enquiry into Rupert Murdoch a few days ago. That was quite a damning statement and it can’t be easy for Mr Murdoch to keep his head high when he knows the whole world has read that statement and is sniggering behind his back. There are similar comments doing the rounds against other CEOs at the moment – is it a case of when the going gets bad, the bad mouthing gets going? I fear so. One certain gentleman who has had his fair share of criticism of late, especially via social networking sites and even certain facets of the media, is Dany Bahar, the enigmatic CEO of Group Lotus who, through no fault of his own, has been caught in the cross fire following the surprise take-over of Group Lotus’s parent company, Malaysia’s Proton. This has left the Hethel plant in a difficult state of uncertainty – and the media is speculating that the future looks bleak. And yet, I know that was pure conjecture by some of the motor media’s more aggressive but not very knowledgeable journalists. Some of the articles, which have been written, are complete supposition. Take the one, which said that a Chinese company was buying Group Lotus. No. Or, that at the time when Proton was taken over, Dany was ‘on leave’. Again an emphatic ‘no’. He was actually out of the country on a very lucrative and hectic business trip which took him to the Middle and Far East. Dany came back from that trip and had to face his critics, many of whom, if truth be out, have never liked him very much from the outset. They have queried his credentials and voiced opinion about his ability to bring the Lotus Group out of years of making a loss into a profitable organization. Dany had cards up his sleeve and a five year game plan to turn the tide at Hethel and he was well on course when this whole debacle began. I genuinely feel for the man: he does not deserve the persistent negativity and at times downright lies which have been thrown at him since he took over as CEO at Group Lotus in 2009. As I pondered over the predicament he’s currently in, I wondered how he managed to remain buoyant while the world around him was going pretty flat. How does he manage to keep a smile on his face and remain positive when he’s at the receiving end of vicious rumors started, I’m sad to say, by some of my contemporaries in the motoring press? I remembered a conversation I had with Dany when he arrived at Group Lotus in late 2009. I was interviewing him for a story on the new Lotus cars being developed at Hethel and conversation moved around to opinions and opportunities during an economic downturn. He was quite candid in his reply, I recall and while I treated that particular segment of our interview as being ‘off the record’, I think it’s important to tell you now what he said, in view of the current situation. This may also serve as an effort to silence the critics of this sincere and very clever man. “I think you have to respect a general opinion, feeling or situation such as the economic downturn,” Dany told me all those months ago. “I don’t believe however that you should be sucked into thinking in only one way. “I try hard to spot the opportunities in every situation and, believe me, there are always opportunities, not necessarily the obvious ones either and sometimes you just have to try things.” Dany admitted that he’s not afraid of taking risks or of failure: “I see the chances to succeed – or learning something from giving it a good go – far outweighing the negatives. “This is especially true during the economic downturn and I think it’s important to take an anti-cyclic approach, to look forward to the future and to invest in preparing for the return of the good times.” It is this approach which has allowed Dany to achieve throughout his career and to have a proven track record of success. And talking of success, it’s warming to see that the much strengthened Lotus Renault’s F1 bid this year is paying off. They’re sitting in third position in the Constructor’s Standing with that cool Finn Kimi Räikkönen fourth in the drivers’ table. Now that’s something which will make not just Dany buoyant – I’m sure everyone connected with the Lotus brand will feel pretty pleased with themselves at the moment, even though their world is looking just a little flat…
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Dany Bahar, Lotus group, Being Buoyant, positive, The World Is Going Flat,
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