Odebrecht: Dreaming The Client's Dreams Case Solution And Analysis, HBR Case Study Solution & Analysis of Harvard Case Studies

When Marcelo Odebrecht took over executive control of Odebrecht in 2009, he knew that he would have to light his own beacon for the firm. The firm, established in 1944 and still family-managed, displayed a strong entrepreneurial empowerment culture rooted in the life and business philosophy of the founder Marcelo's grandfather, Norberto. This meant he could involve and rely on the support of major entrepreneur-partners of the firm in defining challenging yet reachable goals for the company. Vision 2020 aimed to attain yearly earnings in excess of $200 billion by offering innovative integrated solutions to leading global challenges such as the access to infrastructure, energy and water.

Odebrecht Dreaming The Client's Dreams Case Study Solution

To "dream the customer's wishes," the plan required over 200,000 new employees worldwide, united by a common entrepreneurial bond. Such projections would have seemed extravagant for any other firm; for Odebrecht, these were simple linear extrapolations of the business's performance over the last 10 years, during which the firm grew its revenues at an annualized rate of over 21%... Odebrecht also aspired to become a model of sustainable development and socio-environmental responsibility. For this, it could already rely on its massive investments in "green" plastics and ethanol production facilities. Additionally, it rallied behind a colossal hydroelectric project, pioneering CSR practices and new turbine and dam technology to decrease the impact of such facilities on Amazon ecosystems that were sensitive. These investments set the tune in the second decade of the century for the firm. For Marcelo, the problem was how to translate the vision into "a dream using a deadline."

Could he depend on the old recipes for development? Were historical customers the appropriate ones going? Would culture and the powers that had created the opportunities in the past support the future? Was Odebrecht ready to handle another huge bout of increase? As sole executive leadership was assumed by Marcelo for the $23 billion family business at the age of 42, he was aware of his duty and challenges. He understood he was anticipated to build on his forefathers' successes, and they had set an extremely high bar for him, however he also knew he could rely on the entrepreneur-partners he inherited. Learning objectives: Managing growth, family business administration, series, CSR, sustainable development, renewable energy, managing the value chain.

PUBLICATION DATE: September 12, 2011 PRODUCT #: IMD586-HCB-ENG

This is just an excerpt. This case is about LEADERSHIP & MANAGING PEOPLE