Robert Louis-Dreyfus, ex-CEO Saatchi, dies

Former Saatchi, Adidas CEO Robert Louis-Dreyfus passes away

Robert Louis-Dreyfus, best known in the ad industry as the man who brought Saatchi & Saatchi back from the brink of financial ruin during his run as London-based CEO of the holding company from 1989 to 1993, died of leukemia on 4 July. He was 63.

In 1990, Maurice Saatchi had approached him about taking the new CEO post at the Saatchi & Saatchi Co. holding company, which at the time comprised the Saatchi network, Bates Worldwide and a vast number of agencies and other businesses Maurice and Charles Saatchi had acquired.

He briefly retired to his beloved Swiss ski slopes before taking up the Saatchi challenge. At Saatchi, he negotiated with creditor banks to defuse a debt bomb that many feared would bankrupt the company, and restructured Saatchi's management and holdings to drastically cut costs.

Up to February 2001, he was also the chief executive officer and and major shareholder of Adidas-Salomon, the German-based sporting goods maker and turned the company around by revamping its management, marketing and product line.

He also worked in investment banking and telecommunications - he was chairman of Neuf Telecom  until 2004 and served on the board of directors of Neuf Cegetel, before becoming chairman of his family company, Louis-Dreyfus Group, where he was named chairman of the commodities firm Louis-Dreyfus Commodities.

Born into wealth, Louis-Dreyfus had a formidable impact on European business during his lifetime and is best remembered for his ownership of the the football club Olympique Marseilles.