.png)
.webp)
© History Oasis / Created via Midjourney
1888-1925, President; 1925-1932, Chairman
George Eastman founded Eastman Kodak in 1888 and served as Chairman until his death in 1932. Eastman started Kodak by partnering with Henry A. Strong to develop a film roll camera. The company would become one of the world’s largest film and camera manufacturers. He revolutionized photography by making it accessible to the masses with the slogan, “You press the button, we do the rest.” In 1900, he introduced the first “Brownie Camera” for $1, making photography accessible to the masses. On March 14th, 1932, he left a suicide note reading, “My work is done - why wait?”
1925-1934, President
William Stuber was hired as a film emulsion expert in 1894. He then went on to manage daily operations with Frank Lovejoy during Eastman’s wind-down period. When he became President, he oversaw the company’s growth during the late 1920s and early Depression. He saw the introduction of the 16mm color movie film in 1929.
1934-1941, President
Frank Lovejoy started as superintendent of the film department in 1897 before moving up the ranks to become President of Kodak. Lovejoy had the great misfortune of guiding the company through the Great Depression. But the innovation didn’t stop. Kodak launched the KODACHROME color film in 1935, the first commercially successful amateur color film. Kodak also partnered with General Mills and started joint research into molecular distillation for vitamin concentrates.
1941-1952, President; 1952-1962, Chairman
Thomas Hargrave headed the company’s legal department before leading Kodak. After the American entry into World War II, Kodak ceased producing amateur film and began supplying the American war effort. Kodak produced film, cameras, microfilm, pontoons, synthetic fibers, RDX, variable-time fuses, and hand grenades for the military.
1952-1960, President; 1962, Chairman
Albert Chapman led Kodak when the economy was booming during the post-war expansion. He saw film usage expand across amateur, commercial, and government sectors. Chapman also saw Kodak venture into new products like superglue in 1958. Annual sales for Kodak surpassed $1 billion in 1962, and Kodak film recorded astronaut John Glenn’s orbit around the Earth.
1960-1967, President; 1967-1970, Chairman
William Scott Vaughn started his career in Kodak’s development department in 1928. When he became President, he hired African Americans and expanded the company globally. Vaughn oversaw major releases, such as the one in 1963 with the first Instamatic cameras (the cheapest cameras to date). The new cameras made loading film easy for amateurs. And sold 50 million Instamatic cameras in their first seven years. By 1966, annual sales reached past $2 billion.
1969-1972, President and CEO
Louis Eilers joined Kodak in 1934. During his tenure as CEO, Kodak expanded its photography market share and developed products such as petrochemicals, plastics, and synthetic fibers. The company saw Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon. Who carried a custom-made Kodak camera and film.
1972-1983, CEO
Walter A. Fallon, a chemist, joined Kodak in 1941 and gradually ascended the ranks. He oversaw a tripling of sales while at the helm, taking the organization from $3.48 billion in 1972 to $10.8 billion in 1982. Fallon oversaw Kodak, introducing Ektaprint office copiers, Ektachem blood analyzers, and disk cameras. In 1975, Kodak employee Steven Sasson developed the first handheld digital camera. But under his tenure, Kodak was sued by Polaroid Corp., which claimed its patents for instant photography had been infringed. It forced Kodak to pay its rival $925 million in 1991.
1983-1990, CEO
Colby H. Chandler joined the company in 1951 and was responsible for the instant camera and the Ektaprint copier. Upon becoming President, Chandler faced a challenge to Kodak’s dominance from Japanese competitors. Chandler made the bold choice of eliminating 7,000 jobs worldwide. He also saw the release of the world’s first-megapixel sensor, entering the consumer battery market and branching into healthcare.
1990-1993, CEO
Kay Whitmore presided over a period of declining sales and missed digital opportunities. His traditional mindset prevented adaptation to newer technologies. But he did oversee Kodak’s rolled out of its Photo CD system for playing images on television screens. Whitmore oversaw a couple of environmental scandals. In April 1990, the company admitted it had violated New York’s environmental regulations and was fined $1 million. The company received a $2.15 million fine from New York state for illegally disposing of silver-contaminated soil in 1990. All of this contributed to his firing by the board of directors.
1993-2000, CEO
George M.C. Fisher saw Kodak’s annual revenue peak at $16 billion in 1996, with profits at $2.5 billion in 1999. But Fisher made the same mistake as Whitmore, failing to position the company for the digital age. Perhaps he was too busy with a price war between Kodak and Fuji, which began in 1997, eating into Kodaks’s profits.
2001-2005, CEO
Daniel Carp attempted to lead Kodak’s transition to digital photography but struggled with the transition. Carp launched the Kodak EasyShare line of digital cameras and docking systems and acquired Ofoto Inc., a leading online photography service.
2005-2014, CEO
Antonio Manuel Pérez came from Hewlett-Packard, where he spent 25 years. Under Pérez, the company tried reinventing itself by focusing on printers, packaging, and workforce software. He had Kodak mine its patent portfolio, which generated nearly $2 billion in fees over three years. Sadly, on January 19, 2012, Kodak officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In a video message, Pérez said, “What everyone should expect from Kodak is business as usual.” Under his leadership, Kodak’s share price decreased to less than $1 by September 2011.
2014-2019, CEO
Jeff Clarke joined Kodak six months after the group emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. He focused on commercial printing and packaging while divesting non-core assets. At the end of 2016, Kodak reported its first annual profit since bankruptcy. Clarke oversaw the Flexographic Packaging division acquisition to London-based Montagu Private Equity for up to $390 million.
2019-Present, Executive Chairman/CEO
Jim Continenza was named chair of Kodak’s board in 2013. He is known as a turnaround artist with commercial printer roots. He was brought on because of his experience guiding dozens of technology companies through transformations. Continenza focuses on commercial print, advanced materials, and chemicals. He recently said: “We might not get back to what we used to be, and we don’t have to. We will get to where we’re supposed to be and continue to grow.”
.webp)
.webp)