Leica boss Oliver Kaltner is a man with a clear vision

Oliver Kaltner, CEO of Leica Cameras, is a man who looks at time from a holistic point of view. “Time should become your friend rather than an enemy sitting on your shoulder. If I turn 90 years old, I want to assume I have reached half time, and think, ‘Wow, another half to go’. This is a fantastic outlook, isn’t it?”

Time is important to Kaltner. It is crucial to him to be able to find moments to reflect on the events of each day. He is also a big collector of music of all genres, whether on vinyl, CD or in digital format. A part from music, Leica’s top man admires fine craftsmanship, especially in premium cameras and timepieces. Meticulous manufacturing, attention to detail, precision, quality and lifetime value are some of the terms he uses to describe such things.

“If you walk on the street with a Leica camera, people will look at you and they get in touch with you because they want to know more about it.”

Kaltner practises “quality over quantity” when it comes to his experiences, and does not believe in restricting himself. “Step out of the comfort zone and do something new that might bring you to your own limits. Only from there can you raise the personal bar.”

Meticulous planning is equally important to Kaltner, at a time when the world is becoming increasingly complex, globalised and digitalised. With the smartphone now serving as the main communications device, people’s professional lives can easily merge into their private lives. “If you run a business you should have a clear vision and mission that you translate into a plan. This plan is the fundament for the team and therefore you can make decisions on who is doing what and until when. If you don’t structure your time, you will get into trouble soon. And so will your company.”