Too many unknowns for me to have THAT much of an opinion at this point. However, the backstory is something we may never learn. Having spent too much time as an executive level management consultant behind those closed doors, trying to help clients wend their way through internal squabbles, I can say that it is never easy, nor clean.
I do not know either of these gentlemen (Lee and Kaufmann), but things have been set into motion (M8 upgrade program, Web site, etc.) with more than complicit knowledge and planning on the part of all. Mr. Lee may have had the final say, and maybe even the suggested direction, provided support, etc., but that is what he was chosen for in the first place, so all the other board members had a pretty good idea what they were getting when they installed him as CEO.
The "rebellion" and uprising by dealers and employees, as reported by a few folks in the LUF (do not know the validity of those comments), suggests his direction and management style were at odds with "established" ways. Surprise? It seems as though Leica had made a deliberate attempt to shake things up and change its future by selecting Mr. Lee from the start. He helped achieve that, but obviously it came with some other costs and possible repercussions.
How this will impact customers remains to be seen. Leica has benefited enormously from the recent resurgence due to the M8, and has regained a bit more "profile" than it had only a few short years ago. The stresses on a company making such dramatic changes, especially shackled with older ways is commendable, and I would doubt they are wanting to sustain, or abandon that at this point. They need their dealer network and loyal employees. They also need a more aggressive market focus and an ability to support the increasing volumes they are now selling (mostly lenses). They have some serious problems there, as many of us have experienced with delays, poor communication, less than stellar repair and service work/turnaround, etc.
The comments about how much damage all of the high level turnover recently will create is a concern, but only if Leica fails to execute approved plans and directions. If they have an M9 or R10 in the pipeline, that will continue, hopefully not getting delayed, as they are already a bit behind the curve there. My personal opinion is that because Leica is dependent upon relationships with other suppliers for sensors, shutters, electronics, etc., they are always going to be in a bit of a precarious position.
Sorry for the ramble. It just seems that until more is known about why Mr. Lee was dismissed/fired/sacked/booted (or whatever politically correct/incorrect term one cares to use), it is a speculation game at best, and most of us will be very wrong. The Web site is an attempt to reach out to a newer generation of users, but it still had to play to an older, more conservative audience that may not have "gotten it" when first viewed. That hurts both ways....failing to reach the new target, while also upsetting the existing customers. Tough call, but again, I think a lot more folks were behind this than just Mr. Lee, but he has to be the guy that takes the blame....that is what he got paid the big bucks for ;-)
Personally, I think things will work out. I just hope Leica does not lose what little momentum and market presence they have right now. The M8 upgrade program sounds great, but right now does not really appear to offer all that much for the cost, both internally and externally. All of the other efforts still seem "behind" with respect to getting things out the door and working as flawlessly as Leica has had a reputation for. It could be that Leica, as it is designed and running as a company today, really cannot keep pace with the customer demand. If that is the case, they need to retool, and the CEO is only one slot.
LJ