Reckitt Benckiser: Successful without bureaucracy

A lack of bureaucracy is one of the reasons behind Reckitt Benckiser’s success, an expert has asserted.

Julian Hardwick, a consumer goods analyst at investment bank ABN AMRO, made his comments to the Economist, saying that the firm has more than just good brands and high market exposure.

He suggested that the way in which it rewards performance and shuns red tape for its staff is one of the things which set it apart from other companies.

The publication noted that Bart Becht, chief executive of Reckitt Benckiser, is one of the “best-paid bosses in Britain”, achieving growth in sales and profits over the last year.

Mr Brecht told the magazine staff are encouraged to adopt entrepreneurial attitudes and that the firm’s innovation is driven by consumer habits rather than costly research.

The company recently announced full revenue growth of seven per cent during 2007, reporting profits of £1,233 million.