Thomas Riedel, who last week announced the acquisition of ARRI, has outlined his plans for the company going forward.
Riedel spoke to reporters at a special press conference alongside ARRI managing directors David Bermbach and Christian Richter.
Asked by TVBEurope how involved he plans to be with the company, Riedel said while he won’t be active on a day-to-day basis, he will be working with Bermbach and Richter “every couple of weeks.”
He added that he expects to be a visible presence for the company in the future. “I want to be involved in the creation side of the business,” he explained.
“Then there is the whole outgoing part, projects with clients, especially things which have not been done before. I love those challenges, and I love to be close to that.”
Riedel revealed that as soon as the acquisition was announced, he “jumped on a plane to Los Angeles to visit the largest ARRI client. I want to be there. I want to be visible and approachable.”
ARRI and Riedel will continue to operate side by side, rather than integrating one into the other. “If the company gets too big, then the corporate part takes over the creative side,” stated Riedel, “and we wanted to make sure that the creative process and the relationships with the clients and all of that stay at the top of our list, and we’re not thinking about how to run a corporate organisation.
“I can already say I’ve met so many ARRI people now, and there was not a single moment where I felt that there’s a cultural gap or challenges [between the two companies], it already feels home.”
