Hal F. Rosenbluth

Described by one observer as "a future visionary for American management," Hal F. Rosenbluth has written two books to outline his business philosophy of "putting people first." Rosenbluth's great-grandfather, Marcus Rosenbluth, founded Rosenbluth Travel in 1892 in Philadelphia to provide steamship show more transportation for European immigrants to the United States. When Hal Rosenbluth entered the still-thriving family business in 1977, he saw "powerful individual efforts thwarted by a lack of teamwork." He joined some mavericks in the firm who were developing its corporate travel department in response to airline deregulation. There Rosenbluth found "a spirit of cooperation, friendship, fierce dedication, and hard work." To extend those qualities to the rest of the company, Rosenbluth invented a highly successful formula for businesses. It outlines clear routes that will lead to advancement or demotion, rewards for those that help others, encouragement for employees who offer ideas, limited bureaucracy, and measurable goals. The results for Rosenbluth Travel were annual bookings in the $1.3 billion range and inclusion in The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America. Rosenbluth discusses his formula for success in The Customer Comes Second and Other Secrets of Exceptional Service (1992) and Good Company: Caring as Fiercely as You Compete (1998), co-authored with Diane McFerrin Peters. (Bowker Author Biography) show less