The information is flowing thick and fast, in the wake of the Sasol fine shock. Handelsblatt, the German financial weekly, just reported that Shell walked away scot free, because it had earlier turned state witness. [Read on]

Just in time is back as a management tool! If the well-timed sale by Shell of its share in the German-based joint venture Merkur to South African chemical company Sasol (the other partner in the joint venture) at the end of last year is anything to go by. [Read on]

The EU commission has fined a so-called wax cartel, of which Sasol was a member, a massive €676 million (about R8 billion) for fixing prices, a Georg von Holtzbrinck publication reported today. Sasol was ordered to pay the single biggest part of the fine, namely €318 million (about R3,8 billion), because it “played the leading role in the cartel”. [Read on]

First published on my old blog on 2/2/2007. 

The siding of Chancellor Angela Merkel and her government this week with the German car manufacturers against an EU commission trying to force EU car manufacturers to produce “cleaner cars” (more environment friendly) was disappointing, to put it mildly.  [Read on]

First published on my old blog on 23/1/2007.

Porsche is Germany’s most successful car builder. It’s boss, Wendelin Wiedeking, is Germany’s highest paid executive and acknowledged by many as Germany’s best manager. Which makes it all the more remarkable how out of touch he can be with underlying currents in the community – particularly those which might threaten the Porsche share price.  [Read on]