Lion's share C tir ri n g , times at
Siemens, the great electrical engineers, where they have taken to farming out their superfluous bright ideas, backing Siemens people to set up new companies and exploit them. The thinking is that life in a big, strong, safe company like Siemens might have become too comfortable for everyone's good. All, what nostalgic worries. . . Other signs of change are greater openness, more liberal dividends (from the Siemens cash pile; which makes GEC's look like an overdraft) and a re-rating of the shares. Some Sie- mens watchers attribute all this to the lion which, so the Munich story goes, escaped from the local zoo. The poliCe at once cordoned off the area — no sign of the lion; cordoned off the city — no lion; scoured the Bavarian countryside — aril; no lion. For three months, it was assumed to be roaming the mountains. Then it was discovered, in Siemens' head office, in the boardroom. It had eaten 60 directors and no one had noticed. I can think of British companies — like one faltering High Street bank — which could do with that lion.
Christopher Fildes
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