‘Gift From God’ Von Der Heyden, Counselor to CEOs: Interview
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It’s tempting to think of Karl von der Heyden as the Zelig of 20th century business. He served as chief financial officer of three large consumer products companies -- PepsiCo Inc., RJR Nabisco, and H.J. Heinz Co. -- and sat on 10 boards including the New York Stock Exchange, DreamWorks Animation SKG, and Macy’s Inc. Along the way he worked for Tony O’Reilly, Lou Gerstner, Roger Enrico, and Henry Kravis, to name a few.
The only problem with the Zelig comparison is that von der Heyden was no bystander. He was a strategist and counselor making crucial decisions at crucial moments. Or, as Enrico puts it, “Karl was my gift from God.”