Yet another black Friday - Eli Granit, RIP

I was informed just over an hour ago that the CEO of the company for which I work, Eli Granit, had died. I knew that his health had been getting progressively worse and worse, but I didn't realise that his condition was so serious. My last communication with him was just over a month ago, when he underwent a few medical procedures. I wished him (via WhatsApp) good health and he thanked me back. He even answered a few emails in the past week so I thought that his condition was improving, but obviously not.

We first met way back in 2003 when he was brought in to be the manager of the kibbutz factory that manufactured chairs. Our relationship didn't start well: he would call into his office the various managers and talk with them, but he never said a word to me. I felt an intense pressure building up and eventually went to talk to him, asking why he had ignored me. His answer was not that he ignored me, but rather he could see that I was doing my work well and that there was no need to interfere.

He ran the factory for four years before we were merged with another company who had the same owner. He became the CEO of the combined company and devoted his time to learning about the other company with all its problems. As a result, the chair division rarely saw him during the first year of our merger. For various reasons, I was sidelined for a while, but later returned to what might be considered my natural place, namely a 'staff officer', and since then we have worked together, for 20 years! (That number surprises me)

Eli was possibly the sharpest person that I have ever met: both a chartered accountant and an MBA (?), he operated on the strategic level whereas I normally operate on the tactical level. As such, I would like to think that I complemented him, although I don't know whether he had the same opinion of me. He was a true leader, pushing and enthusing his troops (he was also a brigade leader in the army), always thinking of how to improve the company's results; frequently he used the Socratic method of asking questions in order to allow the employees to find the answers themselves. I admit that he had a tendency to dominate meetings and not allow others to speak (he would metaphorically tread on my toes in certain meetings) but he can be forgiven for this.

Despite our frequent work conversations, we very rarely had any personal conversation. I don't know whether this is solely because of me (a well-known reticent person) or because he too was not a very social person, although he did talk football with one employee (in breaks during a certain division's monthly meetings). He did come to my house, accompanied by his wife, during my period of grieving, after my father died two years ago, but mainly it was his wife talking to my wife.

Some time ago, I considered that I would not work under another CEO should Eli leave, whatever the reason. Obviously that was before I reached nominal retiring age. But now that Eli has left and I have reached 67, I'm not sure whether my previous thought is still relevant. Of course, it depends greatly on who replaces Eli, and there is no natural successor. Someone was brought in a year and a half ago who was intended to be his replacement, but he lasted only a few months. I was told that he didn't fit in, but that's probably only part of the story.

I have only scratched the surface of what I could write about Eli. Although this is a great loss for the company, let us not forget that it is a greater loss for his family - wife, three children and several grandchildren. It could be that his father is still alive. Eli would have been 65 years old at the end of December.

יהי זכרונו ברוך

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This day in history:

Blog #	Date	Title	Tags
46	11/08/2006	Bruford live DVD from 1979	Canterbury sound
100	11/08/2007	Cropredy festival	Richard Thompson, Fairport Convention, Music festivals
190	11/08/2009	Moving office	Personal
1064	11/08/2017	One second of fame	Personal, Kibbutz