Chong - Life on planet WWF : from archbishops to belly dancers -- my time at WWF

Did I hear you right? You want me to fire you? said Werner Oppliger, my manager. Werner is Swiss German and like many Swiss Germans I have met, he is efficient and disciplined. He possesses a strong authoritarian voice.

What did you have for lunch? Too much wine? he said.

Yes, I said, but that was not in response to the wine question.

At that time I was employed by DEC, Digital Equipment Corporation, a major US global company. It was a prosperous firm, that ranked then as the second largest computer manufacturer in the world, after IBM. The multinational had been enjoying years of phenomenal growth. From the proverbial small garage, DEC, as we used to fondly call the company, had expanded across the globe. Geneva was the seat of the corporations European headquarters. Worldwide annual revenues of the multinational were considerable. European sales alone during the early 1990s exceeded six billion US dollars annually.

I was one of the senior finance managers located at the European headquarters where I had occupied various job positions. At one time I was the European Software Services Controller. At another time I was the European Marketing Finance Manager; whilst at other times I headed different units within European Finance, which had a total headcount in excess of a thousand professionals.

After many years of heady growth, annual turnover of the company eventually slowed. Previously, the company had enjoyed consistent double-digit income increases. However, over the years, as the computer industry matured, prices had begun to crash, leading to increasingly noticeable slower sales growth.

Accustomed to good times for far too long, the corporation had become large and unwieldy. The headcount had become bloated, surpassing a hundred thousand employees worldwide. To adapt to the changing times, DEC had already begun retrenching staff for some years. It was under these circumstances that I had my somewhat unusual conversation with my boss. My motivation was simple. Given that the ship was slowly sinking, I decided I might as well quit. Better quit before it was too late and collect a handshake payment on my way out.

Weve only been firing lower level personnel assistants, secretaries, I said.

So? What have you in mind? Werner asked.

We should also fire some executives.

Why?

To show that when we tighten the ship, all levels share the pain.

And who are you thinking of?

Me.

*

A year later, on a Friday afternoon, whilst I was sitting in my office in Geneva, I received an unexpected telephone call. It was from Werner.

Listen, you remember our discussions. When you asked to be fired? he said.

Yes.

Were running out of lower level employees. Do you still want it?

Yes.

You sure?

Absolutely not but give it to me.

My departure was thus confirmed, but had I made the right choice? At that moment I didnt know. What I did know was that my fate was sealed. I was to leave the comfortable and well-paid world of Fortune 500 multinationals.