Kodak Announces Eric-Yves Mahe as New President of Consumer and Film Division

[markjwyatt]

Commenting on his new role, [Eric-Yves]Mahe said: “Kodak’s CFD [Consumer Film Division] division has great potential for growth, and I’m eager to continue our work to drive important priorities to further expand our brand licensing and film businesses.”



https://www.businesswire.com/news/h...nounces-Eric-Yves-Mahe-New-President-Consumer

 

[faberryman]

Who knows what impact he will have. I am more interested who is heading up the get cash to buy out the preferred shareholders in 2019 division.

 

[flavio81]

Profile:

https://www.kodak.com/corp/executive_profile/eric_yves_mahe/default.htm

An IT salesman. Good grief.

And for the record, i'm an IT guy as well. But I was hoping him to be somebody with some past experience related to film things.

 

[cmacd123]

Still film is still in Alaris territory.

 

[Kino]

His profile is not particularly encouraging, but at least he comes from Europe where innovation doesn't necessarily mean destroy everything from the past as a means to the future.

Most USA managers are lazy beyond belief and will destroy an organization the first hint they get of a problem, because they know nothing of problem solving and a lot about how to tear something down...

 

[AgX]

Still film is still in Alaris territory.

Exactly, this is about Kodak not Kodak Alaris.

However as we still do not know how things are situated practically between both firms, whether Kodak is only toll-coater for Kodak Alaris, or if Kodak Alaris is merely an outlet for consumer films from Kodak, the person in this position may be of importance concerning still film market strategy.

 

[MattKing]

Exactly, this is about Kodak not Kodak Alaris.

However as we still do not know how things are situated practically between both firms, whether Kodak is only toll-coater for Kodak Alaris, or if Kodak Alaris is merely an outlet for consumer films from Kodak, the person in this position may be of importance concerning still film market strategy.

Kodak Alaris owns all the marketing business for Kodak branded still film, Kodak photographic chemicals, and Kodak colour photographic paper.
The Eastman Kodak "Consumer and Film Division" is the one that deals with non-film consumer products, motion picture film, and manufacture (For Kodak Alaris) of the still films that they market.ff
Their is no uncertainty about how little Eastman Kodak has to do with the sale of Kodak branded still film.

 

[mshchem]

Who did they get rid of? (Who was in this role before ?)

 

[AgX]

Kodak Alaris owns all the marketing business for Kodak branded still film, Kodak photographic chemicals, and Kodak colour photographic paper.
The Eastman Kodak "Consumer and Film Division" is the one that deals with non-film consumer products, motion picture film, and manufacture (For Kodak Alaris) of the still films that they market.ff
Their is no uncertainty about how little Eastman Kodak has to do with the sale of Kodak branded still film.

Obviously at least the mere prodcution of still film falls under him too.
If you see that differently, please name the appropriate director.

 

[AgX]

Their is no uncertainty about how little Eastman Kodak has to do with the sale of Kodak branded still film.

As I hinted at before I see a lot of uncertainty there. Kodak Alaris can only sell what Kodak produces. We do not know how great the influence of Kodak is in deciding what to produce, where the incentive is. Started as company with no expertise at all (in contrast for instance to Maco) it is hard to believe for Kodak Alaris to approach Kodak to produce a certain film for them.

 

[RattyMouse]

Exactly, this is about Kodak not Kodak Alaris.

However as we still do not know how things are situated practically between both firms, whether Kodak is only toll-coater for Kodak Alaris, or if Kodak Alaris is merely an outlet for consumer films from Kodak, the person in this position may be of importance concerning still film market strategy.

EK cannot possibly toll coat for KA because KA has no films whatsoever. They have no chemists, no formulations, etc. KA sells what EK makes. It's that simple.

 

[RattyMouse]

Profile:

https://www.kodak.com/corp/executive_profile/eric_yves_mahe/default.htm

An IT salesman. Good grief.

And for the record, i'm an IT guy as well. But I was hoping him to be somebody with some past experience related to film things.

What's worse, he's only been with Kodak for all of 3 and a half years. They couldnt find someone with film legacy to run the business?

 

[AgX]

EK cannot possibly toll coat for KA because KA has no films whatsoever. They have no chemists, no formulations, etc. KA sells what EK makes. It's that simple.

If you prefer the term tollmanufacturing, then read this instead of my tollcoating.
However the term tollcoating in the past has been used within the Kodak-world for making a product customized for a certain client by fomulas and with materials of the manufacturer.

 

[removed account4]

doesn't really matter much who the head of EK is
film production and selling isn't a priority, their
priority is actually making a profit
and sadly not many people
here .. get it...

 

[AgX]

I think we all understand in what world we are living, that it is about profit.
However the people in charge decide which way a company goes to try to make profit.

A manager with a long background in film making may be (I say "may") more inclined to think of ways to keep this technology and the company's assets in brains and machinery for a niche market or a new to develop market, than a person from a completely different field, maybe even digital native, who considers halide technolgy as something 19th century and absolutely obsolete.

 

[RattyMouse]

If you prefer the term tollmanufacturing, then read this instead of my tollcoating.
However the term tollcoating in the past has been used within the Kodak-world for making a product customized for a certain client by fomulas and with materials of the manufacturer.

My point was is that it is impossible for KA to order up the tolling of any product since they are unable to formulate a product. With regards to film, they are a marketing company and nothing more.

 

[AgX]

I agree, and already hinted at that above. Thus we cannot, or ar least could not, see Kodak Alaris on its own, but even knowledgewise related to Eastman Kodak.

And at least as long as Kodak Alaris is bound to Eastman Kodak in obtaining still film, it is economically questionable whether it makes sense for them to build up much expertise on that matter.

 

[removed account4]

I think we all understand in what world we are living, that it is about profit.
However the people in charge decide which way a company goes to try to make profit.

A manager with a long background in film making may be (I say "may") more inclined to think of ways to keep this technology and the company's assets in brains and machinery for a niche market or a new to develop market, than a person from a completely different field, maybe even digital native, who considers halide technolgy as something 19th century and absolutely obsolete.

maybe the re-release of tmz and the eventual release of ektachrome are
signs that the the new head of company will keep traditional camera users
in the mix, but i seriously think that a lot of people who populate photography
messageboards like this one and other similar atmospheres don't realize
that if a company is losing $$ making something, they aren't going to keep making it
that they ( the small # of people that use traditional products ) are a drop in the bucket
and reality is reality and the reality of EK is that photo "stuff" probably isn't a profit machine
like it was in the days of yore and it might be kind of a money LOSING operation ( or neutral )
and while they are trying to keep us happy, they have shareholders and banks they have to keep happier.
we have seen endless posts and endless EK/KA hate/diatribe threads about how people take
the fact that their favorite paper or film emulsion was discontinued and people took it personally.
business is business and sometimes businesses have to stay alive, and not keep the 1% of their customers happy
while they lose $$
YUMMV

 

[AgX]

Just think back of Eastman Kodak the years before the insolvency. The still film department was doing no marketing at all. But the the cine film department published magazines and approached young filmmakers,(at least in the USA). So, there was different attitude even within one company and about very similar products.

 

[Wallendo]

EK and KA are separate companies, but I doubt there is a great chasm between the two. The hopeful return of Ektachrome appears to represent sales by both companies. The actual return of Kodak P3200 most likely was a cooperative effort between both companies - I doubt KA cold-called EK and ordered a batch of P3200 (and if they did, I hope they order a batch of Panatomic-X next week). Most likely higher-ups at EK and the US division of KA got together and made a mutually beneficial deal.

 

[Ian Grant]

Kodak Alaris owns all the marketing business for Kodak branded still film, Kodak photographic chemicals, and Kodak colour photographic paper.
The Eastman Kodak "Consumer and Film Division" is the one that deals with non-film consumer products, motion picture film, and manufacture (For Kodak Alaris) of the still films that they market.ff
Their is no uncertainty about how little Eastman Kodak has to do with the sale of Kodak branded still film.

Add consumer cine film to Kodak Alaris portfolio of products.

EK and KA are separate companies, but I doubt there is a great chasm between the two. The hopeful return of Ektachrome appears to represent sales by both companies. The actual return of Kodak P3200 most likely was a cooperative effort between both companies - I doubt KA cold-called EK and ordered a batch of P3200 (and if they did, I hope they order a batch of Panatomic-X next week). Most likely higher-ups at EK and the US division of KA got together and made a mutually beneficial deal.

Kodak Alaris is owned by the Kodak Ltd (UK) Pension Fund so has very close links with Eastman Kodak going back over a 100 years, and also access to UK based Kodak personnel whose Pensions they administer, current as well as ex employees. Both sides need to see profits and there's an unpredicted faster rise in film sales compared to when Kodak decided to re-introduce Ektachrome and Tmax P3200.

I've been surprised recently at young people, I took a lens (120mm f6,8 Angulon) to show a friend (now totally digital) in my local pub, and a youngish girl (21/22) said what's that can I have a look. She then surprised me and said I hope you're going to use it, I've since met her partner and they are both into using film but so far just use labs. The next step is they are coming to do their own C41 and B&W film processing in my darkroom.

There's another lad in the same pub (a bit older) who's bought Olympus slrs and a Bronica ETR? and one or two other film cameras, he's yet to actually finish and process films and that's in 4 or 5 months. I think it's far more daunting today to begin film photography compared to when many of us older members started, at that time it was the norm. That's the uphill battle all film and paper manufacturers have to face.

It would be good to see all the film and paper manufacturers come together in some way to promote Analog photography, it would be benificial to them all, they do (or did) in the UK when it came to effluent disposal, airport X-ray screening, and and at ISO meetings.

Ian

 

[AgX]

Add consumer cine film to Kodak Alaris portfolio of products.

All cine film is part of Eastman Kodak.

But at their site they give S-8 a low profile, you find it in the data sheets and the catalog.

 

[mgb74]

I would assume that film production is constrained by demand, not by production capacity. So, in effect, EK can only produce (consumer films) what KA sells.

 

[Europan]

Who did they get rid of? (Who was in this role before ?)

John O’Grady

 

[RattyMouse]

I would assume that film production is constrained by demand, not by production capacity. So, in effect, EK can only produce (consumer films) what KA sells.

Very true. With demand down 96% from it's high, there is an awfully large amount of capacity going unused.

I can't imagine what my company would do if we had to idle 96% of our capacity. We'd probably just shut down.