불가능, 그것은 정말 아무것도 아니었다. - 리차드 브랜슨

(원제는 Screw it, Let's do it. 인데, 한국어로 오면서 조금 거만한(?) 뉘앙스가 담긴 제목으로 변모하였습니다)

(모 조직의 게시판에 썼다가, 기록을 위하여 살짝 편집해서 담아옵니다)
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얼마전에 지인이 선물해준 책입니다.

세계 최고의 PT 쟁이 2명을 꼽으라면 스티브잡스와 앨고어를 꼽겠는데, 가장 좋아하는 경영자 2명을 꼽으라면 역시나 스티브잡스이지만, 두번째라면 서러운 것이 리차드 브랜슨입니다.

그전에는 수 많은 일화들과 기업 광고들을 통해서만 접해오다가, 이번에 그의 자서전이 리뉴얼(?)되면서 나온 책입니다.

한 마디로 표현하자면,

"불가능, 그것은 아무것도 아니다"라는 말은 세상에서 이 사람보다 더 잘어울리는 사람이 없습니다.

그는 한 사람이 한 평생 하나라도 하기 힘든 것들을 수도 없이 해오면서, 한명의 모험가로서, 그리고 경영자로서 많은 업적을 이루어왔습니다. 그런데도 아직도 할일이 많은지 계속해서 새로운 것들에 도전을 하고 있습니다.

무엇보다 그의 도전정신 - 어마어마한 실천력과 끊임없는 혁신은 상상, 그 이상의 것입니다. 아마, 그의 막무가내성 성격과 즉흥적이기 까지한 경영 방식은 기존의 'formal'한 비즈니스를 접해오던 경영학도들에게는 위화감과 동시에 불안감을 자아낼정도인데, 결국 그 수 많은 사업의 대부분을 성공시킨다는 점에서 더욱 놀랍습니다.

자신이 무언가 할 수 없다거나, 위험을 피해가면서 사실 머리속으로 몰래 합리화를 하고 있다는 자각이 드실때, 재빨리 펼쳐보시면 회초리로 신나게 구타당하는 기분을 만끽할 수 있습니다.

버진이라는 회사는 개인회사로 매출 20조원 정도의 회사입니다. (한때 상장했다가, 도로 주식을 다 사들여서 개인으로 복귀(?)했답니다)

아래는 버진 그룹이 시작한(현재 일부는 소유권이 바뀐) 기업들의 목록입니다. 목록에 포함되어있지 않은 것을 포함해서 200개가 넘는 사업체를 운영하고 있습니다.

음반사, 음악공연사업, 철도, 항공, 우주 정거장, 웨딩샵, 와인 양조자, TV쇼, 이동통신사, 화장품 및 보석, 자동차, 영화사, 만화책, 콜라, 보드카, 전기전자, 이벤트 기획, 비디오게임, 스키장, 라디오, 헬스클럽, 스파, 신용카드, 여행사, 꽃집... 아아 셀 수 없습니다.

진정한 문어발식경영의 진수. 이건 머리카락식 경영이라고 불러야할까요.. 이길 수 없습니다.

AirAsia X — long-haul budget airline operating from Malaysia (20% owned by Virgin Group)
Oüı FM — rock radio station in France and Asia
TheTrainLine — train booking service in the United Kingdom
V Festival — two-day music festival held in two separate locations in the United Kingdom
V Festival (Australia) — an Australian version of the V Festival, begun in 2007
Virgin Festival — a North American variant of the V Festival, begun in 2006
Virgin Active — a health club chain in South Africa, Spain, Portugal, Italy and the UK
Virgin America — a budget airline based at San Francisco International Airport, catering for domestic US flights
Virgin Atlantic Airways — an international carrier based at Heathrow Airport, London
Virgin Balloon Flights — a hot air balloon operator
Virgin Blue — a budget airline in Australia and the South Pacific based in Australia
Blue Holidays — Holiday program of Virgin Blue, now a joint venture between Virgin Blue and Zuji
Pacific Blue — a subsidiary based in New Zealand
Polynesian Blue — a subsidiary based in Samoa
V Australia — a planned international subsidiary set to offer flights between Australia and the USA
Virgin Books — publisher, retailer and distributor of books
Virgin Brides — bridal wear shop in Manchester, UK
Virgin Charter — a private jet online marketplace
Virgin Cars — a budget car dealership and superstore in the UK (now defunct)
Virgin Cinemas — sold to UGC, now Cineworld
Virgin Comics — comic book producer
Virgin Vie At Home — retailer of cosmetics, jewellery and homeware through internet, direct selling and Virgin Vie stores
Virgin Digital — online digital music retailer that closed in October 2007
Virgin Drinks — drink manufacturer
Virgin Cola — carbonated cola soft drink
Virgin Vodka — alcoholic beverage
Virgin Electronics — formerly Virgin Pulse, consumer electronics
Virgin Experience Days — corporate and consumer experience events
Virgin Express — a low-cost European airline, now merged with SN Brussels Airlines to become Brussels Airlines
Virgin Films (also known as Virgin Pictures) — a short-lived film production company
Virgin Flowers — retailer of flowers through internet
Virgin Galactic — a venture to market and operate commercial space flights, using spacecraft designed by Scaled Composites.
Virgin Games [2] — online games and gambling
Virgin Green Fund (originally known as Virgin Fuels) — venture capital firm for investing in petroleum alternatives
Virgin Health Bank [3] — a new business from Branson enabling parents—to—be to store their baby's stem cells
Virgin Holidays — UK travel agency and tour operator for worldwide destinations served by Virgin Atlantic and its partner companies, including Singapore Airlines
Virgin Interactive (originally known as Virgin Games) — games distributor now owned by Titus Interactive
Virgin Limited Edition — exclusive hotels
Kasbah Tamadot — exclusive Moroccan holiday destination
Lady B — luxurious Catamaran available for Caribbean charters
The Lodge — ski lodge
Natirar — private spa located in Somerset County, New Jersey
Necker Island — exclusive island in British Virgin Islands for private hire
The Roof Gardens and Babylon — 1.5 acres open air gardens, venue, nightclub and restaurant in Kensington, London
Ulusaba — exclusive game reserve in South Africa
Virgin Limobike — passenger bike service in London
Virgin Limousines — chauffeured limousine service in San Francisco and Northern California
Virgin Media — Provides home telephony, cable television, broadband and mobile to the United Kingdom
Virgin Media Television — a British television network, made up of Virgin 1, Trouble, Bravo, Living TV & 50% stake in UKTV. Formerly known as Flextech.
Virgin 1 — a general entertainment channel on Freeview and Virgin Media.
Virgin Mobile — brand used by several companies providing mobile phone service around the world
Virgin Mobile UK — provides mobile phone service in the United Kingdom, now part of Virgin Media
Virgin Mobile Australia — provides mobile phone service in Australia
Virgin Mobile Canada — provides mobile phone service in Canada
Virgin Mobile South Africa — provides mobile phone service in South Africa
Virgin Mobile USA — provides mobile phone service in the United States
Virgin Mobile France — provides mobile phone service in France
Virgin Megastores — CD, DVD and games retailer chain with high—street and online stores
Virgin XS — Factory Outlet—orientated format of Virgin Megastores
Virgin Money — providers of financial services
Virgin Credit Card
Virgin Nigeria — international, regional and domestic Nigerian airline
Virgin Play — a video game promoter, distributor and marketer in Spain
Virgin Radio — (now owned by SMG plc) British commercial radio station broadcast on AM, FM (London only), DAB, internet, Digital TV. Other Virgin radio brands include:
Virgin Radio Classic Rock — (SMG plc) classic rock station broadcast on DAB, internet and Satellite TV
Virgin Radio Groove — (SMG plc) soul, motown and disco music station broadcast on DAB, internet and Satellite TV
Virgin Radio Xtreme — (SMG plc) rock station aimed at teenage males broadcast on DAB, internet and Satellite TV
Virgin Radio Asia — collection of station operating in India and Thailand including Virgin Soft, Hitz, Easy FM and Oui
Virgin Radio Italy — A new Italian radio station property of Finelco Group, started in July 2007
Virgin Records — record label now owned by EMI
Virgin Spa — shop chain retailing Virgin Cosmetics product
Virgin Sun — a UK based charter airline sold to Air 2000
Virgin Trains — a railway operator in the United Kingdom
Virgin Unite — charitable foundation
Virgin Vacations — U.S. travel agency
Virgin Vines — A Californian—based company, created in 2005 and producer of Red and White wines
Virgin Voucher — staff incentive scheme
Virgin Ware — clothes brand and retailer
Virgin Wines — internet wine retailer sold to Direct Wines in 2005
V2 Records — an independent music label sold in to EMI in 2006