Yannick Schilly book argues industrial transformation fails without fitness training

Yannick Schilly’s new book, THE SUPERFIT COMPANY, launched Oct. 30 and was presented to about 160 industrial leaders at the Global Leaders Forum in Mason, Ohio. The book argues companies should treat transformation as a repeatable capability, not a one-time project, and says the winners build that muscle before crisis hits.

Why it matters: - Industrial transformation still fails about 70% of the time, even after decades of programs, consultants and technology upgrades. - The book argues the gap is not mainly technological. It is organizational. - Schilly’s message is aimed at CEOs, boards and industrial leaders facing constant pressure to adapt faster.

What happened: - ALTIX Press released THE SUPERFIT COMPANY: Why Industrial Winners Never Stop Transforming on Oct. 30 in English. - Yannick Schilly presented the book on Oct. 29 at the Global Leaders Forum & Industrial Excellence Honors 2026 in Mason, Ohio. - About 160 industrial executives attended the event at the Cincinnati Open Event Center. - The forum closed with 14 industrial companies receiving the Industrial Excellence Honors 2026. - Serge Joris, president and CEO of the Frigoglass Group and author of the foreword, delivered the keynote after traveling from Athens.

The details: - Schilly’s central argument is that most companies treat transformation as a project with an end date, while winning companies train change capability as a core skill. - The book lays out seven principles organized as the “Superfit Wheel.” - It introduces “Four Clocks” as a measure of organizational fitness. - It proposes a Rapid-Reset operating model designed to deliver results in 12- to 24-week windows. - It includes a “crisis vaccination” concept meant to build resilience before disruption arrives. - The book also addresses industrial AI and argues that organizational intelligence must come before artificial intelligence. - Schilly built the book from 30 years in industry across Europe, Asia and the Americas. - His career includes 15 years with a major German industrial technology company, five years in China leading a plant turnaround from worst to best, and four years as chief operating officer for the NAFTA region. - Schilly is president and CEO of ALTIX CONSULTING, a Cincinnati-based management consultancy serving industrial companies in North America, Europe and Asia. - The book is available as a hardcover, paperback and e-book through Amazon, other online booksellers and bookstores via IngramSpark. - The ISBNs are 979-8-9970398-0-6 for hardcover and 979-8-9970398-1-3 for paperback. - Readers can find the book, the Superfit-Score diagnosis and the companion toolkit on superfitcompany.com. - An audiobook is in production.

Between the lines: - The book’s framing reflects a broader shift in industrial leadership: transformation is being treated less like a single initiative and more like a permanent operating discipline. - Joris’ foreword and the forum launch position the book as both a leadership message and a practical management guide. - Early endorsements from industry and academia suggest the book is being pitched as both a strategic wake-up call and a hands-on playbook.

What's next: - ALTIX says it will continue promoting the book through executive audiences, interviews and review copies. - The audiobook release will add another format later. - The companion materials on the website suggest the book is meant to be used as a diagnostic and implementation tool, not just read as a narrative.

The bottom line: - Schilly’s thesis is simple: industrial winners do not wait for a crisis to get fit. They train for transformation before they need it.