Every chief executive in Europe should heed the lessons of Telecom Italia's defeat. No company is beyond attack and the art of how to fight a hostile raider must be learned, or relearned, urgently. Olivetti's was a daring stroke, inspired by Roberto Colaninno's ambition and by a group of advisers each believing their improbable target was attainable. But its assault was as blunt and simple as a battering ram.
July 01, 1999