Harvard Business Review Showcases Chief Executive Network Member Zildjian Company

The Chief Executive Network (CEN) announced that the Harvard Business Review published an article by member Craigie Zildjian, CEO of Zildjian Company, in its July 2007 issue.

The Zildjian Company is the largest manufacturer of cymbals in the world and the oldest family owned company operating in the United States. Craigie Zildjian has been a member of CEN since 2001.

Zildjian co-authored the article on maintaining innovation in a nearly 400 year old company, “A Formula for the Future: Cymbal Company CEO Craigie Zildjian on Leading for the Long Term,” with Gardiner Morse, Senior Editor of the Harvard Business Review.

“We’re guided by our core values – a focus on continuous quality improvement, innovation, craftsmanship, customer collaboration, empowering employees, avoiding complacency, and reinvesting in the company,” said Craigie Zildjian in the article.

“Many companies make have the ability to make a ‘fast growth list,’ but then go into a downward spiral when something changes. Far fewer companies can sustain growth over the long haul let alone for nearly 4 centuries! To do that you have to have many of the characteristics in place that people like Jim Collins talk about. We are very proud to have Zildjian in our Manufacturing Sector CEO Group, ” said Bob Grabill, President and CEO of Chief Executive Network.

About Zildjian Company (www.zildjian.com)
Founded in Constantinople in 1623 and moved to the United States in 1927, Zildjian Company is the largest manufacturer of cymbals in the world and the oldest family owned company operating in the United States. The Zildjian brand stands for more than expertise and a rich heritage of high quality craftsmanship. From the beginning, the leaders of the company have stayed close to the working musicians in order to understand their experiences and needs. By sustaining these close bonds and looking to them for insight into the design and manufacturing of innovative and extraordinarily sounding cymbals, Zildjian has maintained its position as the world’s leading cymbal manufacturer.

About Chief Executive Network (www.chiefexecutivenetwork.com)
Chief Executive Network (CEN) is the premier industry specific organization for chief and senior business executives, serving manufacturing, distribution, service sector firms, etc. CEN supports its membership with current information on best practices, recent trends, and technological advances. Through meetings and peer connection programs, members receive critical guidance on key decisions that significantly shortcut their learning curve.

Contact: Kevin Smith, Program Manager, Chief Executive Network, 785-832-0303, kevin@chiefexec.com
###