back to article Plink: Lego swaps CEO for newer piece

Lego has swapped out its CEO of just eight months after finding a younger man to fill the role. Bali Padda, 61, took over the top job at the toymaker in January this year, but has now been replaced with Niels B Christiansen, who is 10 years his junior. In an interview with the Financial Times, Lego chairman Jørgen Vig …

  1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

    ditched?

    Well, thats a slightly/very different take on it than the BBC

    To quote

    Toymaker Lego has replaced its 61-year-old chief executive, Bali Padda, after just eight months in the job, saying he was never expected to remain in the post long-term because of his age.

    When Mr Padda took over last December Lego said the search would begin immediately for a successor.

    As he was looking for a successor from Day 1, I hardly think he was 'ditched'....

  2. Your alien overlord - fear me

    Age discrimination?

    If Bali was a woman or coloured, people would be up in arms about this.

    1. Colabroad

      Re: Age discrimination?

      He's Indian...

    2. Sampler

      Re: Age discrimination?

      http://imgur.com/Zr8zeiI

    3. Miss Lincolnshire

      Re: Age discrimination?

      "Coloured" ? Tut. Have you not read the memo?

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    A spokesperson for Lego claimed that Bali Padda simply wasn't a good fit.

    1. Francis Boyle Silver badge

      Well then, it just serves them right

      I mean how difficult would it have been to check the bottom of his feet before offering him the job.

    2. chivo243 Silver badge
      Coat

      You mean like a six peg lego fitting into an eight peg lego?

      Adding icon for effect... yes, it's mine with some lego manuals in the pocket ;-}

  4. Alister
    Coat

    A spokesman for Lego said, "He's been an absolute brick, he fitted right in, but now he's in his dotage".

  5. Ol'Peculier

    With that churn rate, I the new guy must be bricking it...

    1. Colabroad

      Hopefully he'll make the right connections!

    2. choleric

      It'll be a bumpy ride, but I'm sure things will click if he pushes hard enough. He needs to listen to his Creator types, leave the Technic stuff to the experts, get the right results in to the City (no Minifigures!), and if there are any mergers make sure he does his Duplo diligence.

      Everything will be fine ... until the Pirates turn up.

  6. chivo243 Silver badge

    Corporate Checkers

    He now gets a special 'Advisory Position' within the company. Not many CEOs stay with the company after getting thrown from the throne, right? Seems like he won't have to worry about retirement.

    I would love to land a special advisory position at age 61!

  7. Anonymous Coward
    IT Angle

    Sales slowed down...

    ... because they didn't make enough Saturn V. I'm still waiting for it to become available again, they sold like hot cakes in June, I was too late to order one.

    1. Dave 15

      Re: Sales slowed down...

      Then go and buy a shed load of white and black bricks and do it yourself. Really, the idea that Lego have to box just the write parts and give you piece by piece instructions is not what it was all about. The idea was to take the bricks, some imagination and go build. Best of that had to be James Mays Lego house (how the hell they failed to sell that I have no idea).

      1. phuzz Silver badge

        Re: Sales slowed down...

        It's cheaper to buy the Saturn kit, than to buy the pieces individually. In fact, the Saturn V kit is one of the best value ways of buying Lego, it's down to just over 6p per brick. For most kits it's closer to 10p/brick.

        It's a bloody amazing kit though, I'd never seen most of the techniques they used to create an almost perfectly circular rocket, complete with (quite) accurate antennae and ullage motors etc.

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