§16§§Real profit after taxes is the most important management target. Profits are the cost of survival and the creators of new value. In this book, celebrated management thinker Hermann Simon brings clarity to the jungle of profit concepts and balance sheets. He sheds light on the performance of numerous companies and industries in international comparison and looks at the key profit drivers: price, sales and costs. Hermann Simon derives practical consequences from his astute analysis and offers a convincing guide to profit-oriented and sustainable corporate management! §16§d entrepreneurs. §04§Chapter 1. Profit: What Is It?- §02§Hermann Simon is the Founder and Honorary Chairman of Simon-Kucher 〓Simon has published over 35 books, translated in 27 languages, including the worldwide bestsellers Hidden Champions, Confessions of the Pricing Man, Power Pricing, and Manage for Profit, Not for Market Share. He has advised many of the world's leading companies, and has served as a board member of foundations and corporations.§Before committing himself entirely to management consulting, Simon was a professor of business administration and marketing at the University of Mainz, Germany (1989-1995) and the University of Bielefeld, Germany (1979-1989). His visiting professorships include Harvard Business School (Massachusetts, USA), Stanford University (California, USA), §02§ London Business School (UK), INSEAD (France), Keio University in Tokyo, and MIT (Massachusetts, USA).