Acer tablet takes chunk out of Apple’s iPad

There is a war waiting to happen, reputations to be trumped, brands to be tarnished and consumers to be rewarded....with some choice!

After a six month monopoly, there looks like there’s going to be some proper competition for the supposedly all conquering iPad; the tablet PC which has completely monopolised the hand held tablet market. Like most people, we love Apple, we love the iPad; the way it looks; the way it feels. However, we haven’t had the chance to fall in love with anything else... until now. The majority of the red-blooded public like change, and with competition growing there’s no harm in a bit of window shopping.

So after the heralded release of Apple’s iPad in April, Acer and several other manufacturers are circling the tablet PC landscape like rapid predators, ready to unleash their own bespoke interpretations.

Even before iPad’s launch, head of Acer’s IT products division Jim Wong confirmed that the company would be expanding its portfolio to include a tablet PC, in line with similar launches from HP, Toshiba and Sony. The iPad may stand alone on the market now, but it needs to be wary; it has a bullseye on its 10 inch touchscreen (speaking figuratively of course, although don’t count out a bullseye app).

Acer may seem combative, but that attitude comes with the territory. Acer is among the top three biggest PC manufacturers in the world, and stepping up is an important move to maintain a dominant market position.

Acer CEO Gianfranco Lanci has been vocal in promoting the new Acer tablet, unveiling various
models throughout Q2 and Q3, including a five inch, seven inch and nine inch prototype. Originally
Acer announced a seven inch model, which would be a direct competitor to the iPad (although
slightly smaller), running Google Android OS. “We are not convinced that 10 inches is the right size
for this type of device: it becomes too close to a netbook in size, and why should it not be a
netbook with full PC capability?" Lanci told APC in relation to the size of the iPad screen.

For functionality and aesthetics the new Acer tablet will sport a QWERTY keypad and embedded
3G, which will likely get it mentioned under the same breath as the Kindle. Either way, Lanci
believes the release of the Acer tablet will take a huge bite out of Apple’s market share, from their
current 100 percent position to something closer to 25 percent. Like the iPad, the as yet unnamed
Acer device will make primary use of “books, music and videos, browsing the Internet, email and
chatting.”

“I think people [are] start[ing] to recognize Acer as one of the first companies to come up with new
innovation or new implementation in terms of technology,” Lanci told MeetTheBoss.TV last week.
“The tablet [is] a big opportunity [for Acer].”

So ring the bell, let the slugfest commence, let the noses be bloodied and may the best tablet win.
To watch the full interview click here at MeetTheBoss.tv

Battle of the sexes - Most Powerful woman in Television puts the pressure on

New research shows the earning power of women is on the rise – something that, the Most Powerful Woman in Television, Disney’s Anne Sweeney knows all about.

There’s good news for female workers this week with the news that the earning power of young women has now surpassed that of their male counterparts.

News of the shift, driven by the growing number of women attending college and moving into high-earning jobs, comes in the same week that MeetTheBoss.tv broadcasts an exclusive interview with Anne Sweeney, Co-Chair and President, Disney ABC TV Group: the so-called Most Powerful Woman in Entertainment.

According to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), the magazine who gave her that title, Sweeney presides over an “unrivalled magic kingdom of properties and more than 19,000 employees.”

In fact, according to THR’s 2009 Power List, Sweeney “remains an island of calm at the center of the entertainment industry storm.” And Sweeney exclusively told MeetTheBoss.tv the key to her success herself: “Don’t put barriers in front of you.”

While times have certainly changed for female workers in terms of pay equality, the concept of the glass ceiling hasn’t totally been eradicated. Yet, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by Reach Advisors, a consumer-research firm from Slingerlands, NY, 2008 saw single, childless women between 22 and 30 earning more than their male counterparts in most US cities.

The survey goes on to suggest that women are succeeding for several reasons, including the fact they are more likely to attend college and therefore raise their earning potential.

Sweeney, meanwhile, who earned a BA degree from the College of New Rochelle and an Ed. M. degree from Harvard University, explains that “too many people fail because they think that have to look like they know it all,” before noting how she is always learning, every single day.

“I am so excited about my work,” says Sweeney, “and I tend to disregard all titles, even my formal titles, an just try to figure out what's next. I never bought into, nor do I acknowledge the whole glass-ceiling thing.”

To learn more about how to succeed from one of Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business, head to MeetTheBoss.tv now.

PayPal Action Fraud

With the online retail sector set to grow, security experts PayPal are leading the charge against the fraudsters.


A new report released today has revealed that more than 15,000 people have become victims of fraud in the first six months of 2010. The report, which focuses on UK consumers, was compiled by Action Fraud – the national fraud reporting centre – and reveals that the amount of money people had been tricked out of ranged from just GBP£6 to more than GBP£1m.

However, the issue of just how secure online shopping is has long been debated.
In the US, for instance, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently sent out a warning to car shoppers to be aware of websites offering ‘too good to be true’ deals on repossessed cars. The warning came after the BBB said it had been contacted by thousands of people across the nation who thought they were buying from a reputable dealer online but were actually sending money to scammers posing as legitimate, already-established community dealerships.

Now though, new technologies and pioneering innovations are working to ensure that standards are met and consumers can shop online securely and safely.

At the heart of such innovation is PayPal, the secure online payment method that allows users to pay or get paid quickly and easily without sharing any financial information. “Payments is a very complicated business,” explains Scott Thompson, President of PayPal in a recent interview with executive channel MeetTheBoss.tv. “As a consumer you probably look at it and say ‘Wow, this is easy; it works all the time; it works exactly as I expect it to,’ but when you’re down inside the business and trying to understand how you build products, how you move transactions around, how you clear and settle things around the world, it’s very, very complicated.”

What’s more, with all signs indicating that the online retail is expected grow exponentially for the retail sector, at least according to the second annual PayPal Online Retail Report released last month, PayPal’s innovate technology is set to become even more critical in the fight against fraud.

“The last two and a half years have indicated to me that the opportunities for PayPal are enormous,” adds Thompson. “So as president, as general manager for this business, what you have to do is to take a step back and ask the question: ‘what do our customers need? What do they want from us? What do they expect from us and then how are we going allocate our capital to best serve those customers?’”

To find out more about how PayPal is securing the online retailer sector, please go to MeetTheBoss.tv

McEducation, McEducation, McEducation

How the ‘McJob’ became the newest way to get schooled


Two years ago, McDonald’s began its fight back against the dictionary definition of the so-called ‘McJob’, launching an aggressive campaign to redefine preconceptions about working life at the burger-flipping conglomerate. At the time, a McJob was defined as an “unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects”, but head honchos at the firm argued that this was not only insulting, but grossly out of date.

“Our research shows how 87 percent of people who work for McDonald’s get their first choice university place, which is way above that of the national average,” claims David Fairhurst, senior-vice-president and chief people officer at McDonald’s, when talking to executive business channel MeetTheBoss.tv about McDonald’s recent accreditation as a governing body.

In fact, some two years since the McJob assault, Fairhurst is keen to explain how change has impacted the business, highlighting just why the fast food chain is concentrating on developing its employees and giving them the best possible opportunities.

“What HR should be talking about is, ‘How do you truly understand what it is that your business needs? What’s the engine around people that drives your business performance? How can you get more sales and profitability you’re your people?’” he explained.

“Then secondly HR needs to be thinking about, ‘What is it that your people truly value about working for you organization? What is it that differentiates you as an employer?’ And then you need to bring those two things together to create that energy that can be released around people in an organization.”

So just what are McDonald’s doing? Well, in a move largely spearheaded by Fairhurst himself, the fast food giant has become an accredited educational body in UK, having last year provided Apprenticeships for up to 6000 of its 72,000 UK workforce.

“Our research shows how 87 percent of people who work for McDonald’s get their first choice university place, which is way above that of the national average.

“We’re clearly making a significant contribution towards people’s future and it’s also paying off in terms of how they perceive the company and in terms of how their peers perceive working for an organization like McDonald’s.

“And the reality is the more you give people transferrable skills, the less likely they are to transfer. The intrinsic value lies for me in understanding that what you should be focusing on is engagement, not turnover.”
Surely a lesson in engagement worth learning? To find out more about the way McDonald’s teaches it staff to grow at www.meettheboss.tv

MeetTheBoss TV : Battle for World Cup exposure

Adidas CEO speaks out exclusively for MeetTheBoss.TV about the World Cup and competition off the field against Nike


In an exclusive interview for MeetTheBoss.tv, Herbert Heiner, CEO Adidas, speaks openly and honestly about his efforts to knock Nike off the Top Spot in 2010 by leveraging the firm’s $200 million World Cup sponsorship push to its full advantage.

Currently within spitting distance of Nike’s 2007 €11.1 billion revenue, Herbert explains how the World Cup equates to big wins for brands like Adidas in terms of sponsorship, advertising and exposure. “The World Cup is definitely the biggest event for us,” he admits, adding that football is in the DNA of the sporting giant.

A global presence

Already it is widely known that Adidas will have the greatest sanctioned presence during this month’s FIFA World Cup. Not only is the brand an official top-tier partner of the tournament, but it also sponsors the highest number of teams competing in the finals – boasting the likes of Argentina, France, Spain, Germany, and host nation South Africa among those teams that will be brandishing the famous three-stripe logo. As such, Herbert promises to capitalise on such marketing investment with new and exciting products to market.

“In my opinion this industry is clearly product-driven and the product is innovation. Innovation, in my opinion, is the key to success.” Herbert continues, “we have to bring out one complete new innovative product every season, and so far we have even exceeded this promise. We are bringing permanently new, innovative products to the market, and I think this is one of the key success factors for us.”

Such innovative thinking does not go unnoticed. For the 11th year in succession, for instance, Adidas has earned the right to field their version of a world-class official ball. The "Jabulani" ball, which means "to celebrate" in Bantu, will be used by the world’s biggest sports stars this summer as a result.

The innovation of the Adidas ball, is mind-blowing. Featuring completely new, ground-breaking technology, the ball is constructed of eight 3-D spherically formed EVA and TPU panels that are moulded together, resulting in an energetic unit combined with perfect roundness. In addition, it seems the number 11 adds further symbolism to the ball, not only signifying the 11th year that Adidas have created the official World Cup ball, but also highlighting other heavy cultural references: the 11 tribes of South Africa; and the number of players in a football team. And, in honour of this, 11 colours are used on the official design.

Nike, meanwhile, are fighting back. Adidas’ biggest rivals recently released an advertising video that when viral in just 10 days, with over 8.5 million plays on YouTube. The question now is, as competition heats up on the field, how will these sporting giants face the music off the pitch as well?

To see the full video, and learn more about Herbert Heiner’s approach to global leadership, click here:

Is a local supply model the future for energy distribution? MeetTheBoss.tv finds out

Recent analysis of Texas utility Austin Energy’s annual report indicates that despite relatively modest gas prices, renewable energy is still a cheaper option for most. What’s more, Austin saved $50 million for its customers over the past two years using alternative energy sources.

Now, in an exclusive interview with MeetTheBoss.tv, Karl Popham, Austin’s CIO, speaks directly about the energy company’s plans to provide a fairer energy independent system, giving their customers a unique opportunity to not be as affected by market prices.

Austin Energy’s customers have enjoyed over 17 years of a fixed rate price, unaffected by global market trends owing to the companies obligation to there “community”, putting profits back into the pockets of the consumer (but in turn reducing the obvious tax bill). Such a unique business model cannot be sustainable in the long-term, so Austin Energy is looking at other options to further reduce inefficiency’s and thus secure pricing.

“By 2020, 35 percent of our power will come from renewable energy. We’ve had the largest sales in renewable energy of any utility in the US for eight years in a row now, and that is mostly from wind farms in Texas,” Karl explains.

Reducing reliance on foreign energy is clearly the way forward for all suppliers, but the responsibility does not just lie with generation? Austin Energy has given a strong focus to the consumer as it is them making the real savings after all. The obvious answer is with smart grids, allowing customers to apply real-time metrics to energy consumption and evaluate usage independently, but such trust presents a new challenges.

Karl Popham continues, “Some might be very attracted to smart grid software, what Google has been able to offer as a power dashboard and as a power meter, but my grandmother, for example, might not be interested in that at all, but still interested in the benefits of lower cost, so we are now looking at this so everyone can benefit.”

Such efforts are clearly commendable, but in a gas guzzling state, will renewable energy provide a sustainable business model?

To see the interview in full go to MeetTheBoss.TV

Prudential Financial: running the risk

For Tom Doughty, CISO for Prudential Financial, a financial services leader with approximately $693 billion of assets under management, security – and risk management – are key.

Yet, in a recent presentation, Doughty admitted that “the security manager [i.e.: him] isn’t accountable for security, rather, he is accountable for making sure everyone else in the company is accountable for security.” Now, in an exclusive, candid interview with the executive business channel, MeetTheBoss.tv, Doughty explains this thinking further – and just how it translates into helping make Prudential a leading financial services firm.

“Typically speaking, what’s important to someone's boss is important to them,” Doughty explained to MeetTheBoss.tv’s editor-in-chief Adam Burns. “And in each one of those areas they probably don't think of information security deliverables as the things that are in the forefront of their mind.

“What they tend to think of is their P&L, their operational efficiency. So tying the impacts or implications of security measures, or lack thereof, to something they already think they own is, in my mind, what it is all about.”

Following the global financial meltdown over the last two years, risk management remains a huge issue for legislators, consumers and financial services professionals alike.

Just this week, in fact, reports about the recently Senate-passed overhaul-bill say that the new legislation weakens banks’ risk-taking and profitability. What’s more, if the final bill – currently being negotiated between the House and Senate – shares certain characteristics with this draft-bill, then ratings companies, such as Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s, will almost certainly lower credit ratings for some of the biggest banks.

Doughty agrees that risk has to be micro-managed. “What we really want to do is provide the information, options and a framework within which those risk owners can make good informed residual risk decisions. It’s not about telling somebody what to do; it’s about facilitating options around how.”

In the exclusive interview with MeetTheBoss.tv, Doughty discusses how initial business strategies have to start with the security manager. Speaking about security focus in general, he explains that the security manager has to be the one who is focused on making sure everyone else in the company is accountable for the security of data; and that everything else has to fall in line after that.

“80 percent of the time you are dealing with default expectation to risk,” he adds, “which is the basic everyday business getting done with a ‘controlled amount of risk’. The other 20 percent of the time you are dealing with a non-standard business risk and to handle that 20 percent, there needs to be interactive programs for stakeholders to get involved in protecting the company.”

In the end though, it is the secrets about taking risks that Doughty reveals that seem to be most enlightening. “If it were not for taking risks we wouldn’t be generating any revenue, we wouldn't be taking care of our shareholders, and we wouldn't be taking care of our customers. That's how we deliver, by taking prudent risks.”

Barca: Beating Real on the pitch is only stage one...

Why F.C. Barcelona are taking the battle to the boardroom, and beating Real Madrid (and Manchester United, and Chelsea) all over again.


These are good times for F.C. Barcelona. The world’s favourite team* has just won Spain’s La Liga title, and an incredible six pieces of silverware from the last two seasons alone.

Fans and critics alike are lauding Pep Guardiola’s team as the best ever, with its breathtaking blend of sexy football, individual and team brilliance, and a hunger that is second to none.

But it’s not just on the pitch where Guardiola’s men are triumphant. Off the pitch, the Messi’s and Ineista’s of the corporate box are weaving their own quick-footed blend of business artistry: taking on the likes of Man United, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich – and winning all over again.

MeetTheBoss.TV has secured a rare interview with Lander Unzueta, Chief Marketing Officer, F.C. Barcelona: the man charged with making reality of Barça’s strapline, ‘més que un club’ (more than a club).

Lander has plans to make this the most recognizable sporting brand on earth. And he’s not far off.

He believes the sports industry has evolved “too much” over the last ten years, and that it is indigestion, not starvation, that poses the biggest threat. Too many opportunities, too many sponsors, and players’ wages going through the roof. F.C. Barcelona have adapted well, with a strong and clear direction, and invested in strong assets.

“Stadium development has been key. A stadium is no longer a place where teams play, or athletes run, they are venues to hold big concerts and social, cultural activities,” says Lander. “This has been a big revenue growth for us. F.C. Barcelona is more than just a football club. It’s a theme park, we have an arena, several pitches and a stadium; we even have an ice hockey rink.”

What about the cult of the player? With obscene wages still being paid in a global recession, and players’ antics filling the tabloids, how can Lander – or anyone – protect a football club’s brand?

Lander believes passion is key – and to always keep an eye on the long-term goal: to become “more than a club around the world”. Unlike most clubs, Barça have no lucrative shirt sponsor. Instead, it spends US$2 million a year to have UNICEF’s logo grace the beloved shirt, believing this creates a culture of responsibility and obligation to those less fortunate.

With giants such as Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Real Madrid sure to up the stakes on the pitch next season, F.C. Barcelona’s clear identity and altruistic ideals hold the secret to its success.

“We are at the top, without using our jersey sponsor and without putting a sponsor’s name in writing on our stadium,” says Lander. Which means there’s plenty more money to come…

To see this interview in full, visit www.meettheboss.tv. Registration is fast and free.

*According to a recent survey by www.sportundmarkt.de.

Intel inside? Who cares?

Six billion PC-buyers ‘processor unaware’ says AMD’s Nigel Dessau, despite Intel spending ‘billions’ on advertising. “It’s time marketing executives stop hiding behind meaningless metrics and deliver clear ROI instead…”

“Our biggest competitor has spent billions of dollars trying to market to those [who don’t understand these kinds of technologies]. But you know what? I bet if you did the research ten years later you would find the same numbers of people are processor unaware as they were before.”

In an exclusive interview with the executive business channel MeetTheBoss.tv, AMD’s Chief Marketing Officer Nigel Dessau explains how marketing trends are changing; and how AMD is rising to the challenge this presents.

“I think in marketing you have to be careful, we’ve got to a place where we have introduced so many metrics that tell us everything, that actually help us to do nothing,” he explains. “At the end of the day it’s really about what are we going to do to generate profit of the company.”

But is it really that simple? In an age where processes such as social media and viral marketing are becoming just as critical to an organization’s marketing strategies as more traditional forms of messaging, CMOs run a real risk of becoming saturated by marketing options.

Dessau agrees, suggesting that too many marketing strategists are caught up with media channels that fail to really provide any real ROI. “It’s really about simplifying the message,” offers Dessau. “For everything [a consumer] buys there’s a good, better and best option.

“The question is how do [we] help a consumer understand whether the good, better or best is the right thing for them? Because otherwise what they default to is buying the cheapest option, which may not actually solve their problems: we have to get to a point where we are giving consumers a tool to work out whether they actually need anything higher on the scale.”

Of course, AMD has long been dedicated to collaborating with customers and technology partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions both at work, at home and at play; and now, as the company looks to 2010 as a key opportunity to build on the strategic changes the company has already made, the way AMD is marketing itself has to play a part in that.

“It’s simple to say, it’s not so simple to do necessarily. We’re all under resourced currently and under budget, and we need to work out how we argue for more? How do we argue that the company invests in marketing and in go-to-market versus traditional engineering or sales? The answer lies in demonstrating that for every dollar we give, we give and we give back more.”
What’s more, says Dessau, marketing has to lead the way, has to inspire, and has to create excitement about a brand. “There are two things we do here,” says Dessau. “One is that we try and put the best leadership team in place and then we give people the chance to be promoted to that leadership team.

“You have to create a proper marketing career structure. There are some very basic things you have to do when you are creating any role in a company, but knowing that you’re there and supporting them and backing them and helping them solve their problems when they need you is the most important thing.”

Perhaps this is why Dessau believes AMD has been so successful, not least because the company has a track record of supporting consumers as much as there staff. “So that’s actually the thing I think AMD has done really interestingly in the last 200 days. Last September we stood up and we said, ‘You know what? We’re going to stop trying to convince the ‘processor unaware’ that they need to be aware.’

“At the end of the day, the market knows the answer. We have been doing research into areas of our business in the market, and everybody’s got an opinion, but the market knows the answer, and you just have to go and listen. If you listen, the market will give you the answer.”

To find out more about what AMD is doing to streamline their marketing ROI, please go to www.meettheboss.tv, where you can watch the interview in full. Registration is free.

Body-slamming strategies with WWE

It’s a big week for WWE, who have not only confirmed that next week’s guest host for Monday Night Raw will be none other than second-man-to-walk-on-the-moon Buzz Aldrin, but that the show will also mark the final appearance of Hall of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart.

In the same week, MeetTheBoss.tv, the executive business channel, is broadcasting an exclusive interview with WWE’s EVP International, Andrew Whitaker. In the interview, which sees the experienced business leader talk about just why the company is one of the most popular global brands in the entertainment industry, Whitaker reveals the processes involved in reaching a diverse and intensely loyal fan base all across the globe.

“In essence, we are storytellers,” Whitaker explains to MeetTheBoss.tv’s Jonathan Spragg. “We are producing a television programme that introduces compelling characters, strong storylines and, in return, delivers an action soap opera to audiences now in 145 countries around the world.”

Speaking candidly about corporate strategy at WWE, Whitaker explains how the global domination of the brand continues to flourish. “In the beginning, the challenge was one of education […] But one of the best lessons [we’ve learned] is that doggedness and being slightly relentless is a very much a positive.”

Whitaker also talks about creating WWE superstars (“You either have charisma, or you don’t”), and what impact technology is having on strategizing for a global brand (“There is always an aspect to the corporate world that means you are ‘always on’ and there are times when you just have to push those [technology] devices away from you so that can get a chance to take a step back and think”).

To suggest Whitaker is the man behind the push for WWE’s global domination, is something of an understatement. Having joined WWE in 1987 as part of the team delivering television syndication and developing WWE’s pay-per-view business, he later moved to WWE’s international division in 1991, working in live events, international television and the pay-per-view business from WWE’s London office. It was here that Whitaker negotiated the largest international television contracts in the company's history.

Of course, Whitaker is more humble about his approach: “By having good people and building relationships with those people and encouraging them and giving them accountability and sharing your goals with them, you can create a situation where you really are able to multiply the force capability of what it is you are able to accomplish.

“And it really wasn’t any business school that really taught me this. It has been something that I learned from doing and then realizing that you just can’t do it all by yourself.”

To watch the interview in full, please log in to MeetTheBoss.tv. Sign up is free.

Skype growing to eBay’s initial valuation

In the week that online retailer eBay has reported that their turnover is up by nine percent to $2.2bn, Skype’s Chief Strategy Officer Christopher S. Dean speaks candidly for MeetTheBoss.TV on how their recent break up was clearly the best thing for both parties.

eBay, which also owns the PayPal payments system, is in the second year of a three-year restructuring, part of which involves making its site easier and cheaper to use. Last year saw the online auctioneer sell its telephony business, Skype, at a $1.1billion loss, having acquired Skype four years earlier for $3.1 billion. At the time, this had massive ramifications for both companies, including a drawn out legal battle over just who had the rights to Skype’s innovative technology. What’s more, investors sparked rumours that Skype was not the ‘big money spinner’ that eBay had once lauded them as.

Christopher, however, in his interview for MeetTheBoss TV, soon put these concerns to rest: “I do think that the amount of money that eBay paid for Skype was very dear when they bought it, but Skype is on its growth trajectory today and is very much growing into the valuation that was ultimately paid for the company.”

Nonetheless with eBay sticking to revenue forecasts for the full year of $9bn, and with turnover growing by 18% since relinquishing Skype, its easy to see why the critics would come down hard on the Skype model.

“Actually Skype has been an incredibly successful business since we cut ties with eBay,” offers Christopher. “We have 560 million users globally at this stage. We did $713 million of revenue last year, which marks a 30 percent increase year-to-year, and the company's been profitable for the last 12 quarters.”

In the end, the split has been to the benefit of both parties, suggesting that maybe they just weren’t meant to be: But now, with Skype’s much publicised move into browser-based communication, perhaps the future relationship between such giants could get competitive.

To watch the interview with Christopher S. Dean in full, please go to www.meettheboss.tv

Why Men’s Wearhouse is a business for the people

Charles Bresler discusses why people matter.

US retailer Men’s Wearhouse is a business that prides itself on being about its most valuable asset: its people. In an exclusive interview with MeetTheBoss.TV, the company’s EVP of Human Resources, Charles Bresler, details why people are so important to the company and how this vision impacts everything the retailer does.

Already on record as saying that Men’s Wearhouse is firmly in the “people’s business”, not the “men’s clothing business”, Bresler is the perfect example of someone at a well-run company with a very clear value proposition. In short, the company has a decidedly different sales point of view, where, according to Charlie employee happiness is the priority.

While the interview with MeetTheBoss.TV’s Editor-in-Chief Adam Burns digs deep into the nitty-gritty of what drives Men’s Wearhouse in terms of metrics and motivation, it is that “staff-first” mantra at the company that really sets Men’s Wearhouse apart.

“We put a lot of energy into the training of the men and women who work in our stores and we’ve seen tremendous results as a function of the type of training we do,” Bresler explained to Adam.

“The practice involves treating people really decently, listening to them, being compassionate when they have problems in their personal life or when their performance dips, trying to understand what's really going on in their life rather than just simply trying to manage them to absolute key performance indexes,” details Charles.

The company also aims to manage according to something Bresler calls “personal best” –something that Bresler equates to how athletes work within sports: “When you're training a swimmer, for example, they don’t look at the world record, they don’t look at the best time in the US for their age group; instead they look at their own best time, and then they try to beat that. After they beat that time, they try to set a new goal and so on and so forth.”

The underlying theory for personal best to build people's confidence, which assumes that if you manage people to some absolute number, they may not be able to hit that goal.

Ultimately Men’s Wearhouse aims to build an environment that not only nurtures creativity, empowerment, responsibility and trust. Cultural connectedness is also a key component to how Men’s Wearhouse operates: “We always have senior executives, including our CEO, present at your meetings because we want people to hear directly from the people that are making the business decisions and also the HR decisions that are affecting their lives.”

Men’s Wearhouse is all about being connected, both through culture and through engagement with its people to build energy. “I think it's hard to train the people working in the stores on a day-to-day basis to be energetic. In sports they have this saying, you can't coach speed. And energy is a little bit like that. Energy is a product of feeling cared for but also hiring somebody who is coachable and has the potential to have that energy,” notes Bresler.

“There's all kinds of things you can look for among people you hire, so I think the first part of connectedness and energy is hiring the right person. And the next part, instead of focusing on the trainee, you focus on yourself and how you're connected to them. It's really all about the energy you bring to them.”

To watch the interview in full, please go to MeetTheBoss TV

Corporate Services Drive Competition

IBM is a company so broad and diverse, that it comes as no surprise a commitment to corporate social responsibility has taken such a precedent for the firm.

IBM’s Corporate Service Corps (CSC), created through their corporate social responsibility division, aims to expose high performance IBM employees to the 21st century context for doing business – emerging markets, global teaming, diverse cultures, working outside the traditional office, and increased societal expectations for more responsible and sustainable business practices.

In an exclusive interview with Meettheboss.tv, Stan Litow, IBM’s vice president for corporate citizenship and corporate affairs and president of the IBM International Foundation, explained the benefits that the CSC brings to IBM.

“The CSC really marked the beginning of a transformation for IBM,” he explains. “We went from what I would characterize as ‘checkbook philanthropy’, which is writing checks to solve problems, into a more substantive and meaningful contribution, which is helping people solve their problems.

“The result in the community, and the result for the company, is much more fundamental and much more connected to your business strategy and your mission.” He also commented that an engaged and connected social contribution is more likely to survive during difficult times compared to a ‘spare change’ approach: “If you don’t have spare change, you can’t give it away,” explained Litow.

IBM’s version of The Peace Corps

The project brings together 500 people working in groups of eight to 10 from countries all over the world to help developing areas with social issues. “I see the CSC as not only being a model in how IBM develops its next generation of global leaders, but we’re increasingly seeing other companies wanting to emulate that model.”

Stan describes the Corporate Service Corps as a corporate version of the Peace Corps, saying the entire program is “fundamentally about leadership and leadership development.”

Because employees taking part in this program spend time preparing, living, and then following up with the people they work with, there are three main benefits that are experienced from this process, says Litow: the individual benefits, the benefits in the community and the benefits to the company.

But how does smarter planet initiative shape the future of learning? Stan believes that a smarter planet is directly connected to the corporate citizenship and corporate social responsibility and that as the planet becomes smarter through the use of technology to influence transportation, energy, healthcare and education, we need to be aware of other factors that influence a smarter planet.

“The planet isn’t going to be smarter just on the basis of technology or innovation,” Stan told Meettheboss.tv’s Editor-in-Chief Adam Burns. “What it is going to involve local action and local activity and the CSC brings these to the local level and translates the need to local leaders, giving them the tools to manage these issues once the IBMers leave.”

Because there is such a large number of IBM employees applying for this, the criteria for who gets accepted is quite high and Stanley compares it to being more difficult than getting accepted to some of the best schools in the US.

“Due to the critical skills that are required to do the jobs, top performers in every job position and skill provided by IBM compete for these positions,” he explains.
“An independent evaluation is done by the Harvard Business School, and 100 percent of the participants in the CSC indicated that participation in this program increased their likelihood of completing their career at IBM, so obviously the benefits to the business are huge.”

From an HR standpoint, the ability to retain top performers who have been with the company for 10 or so years is highly beneficial from a corporate standpoint. “It’s not only been a way of training your best leaders but retaining your best too.”

To see the interview in full go to MeetTheBoss.tv

ITC’s hold on powerful leadership

Currently the Midwest’s leading electric transmission company, ITC Holdings serves an area of nearly 80,000 square miles in five states. According to the statistics, the company’s service area has a population of more than 13 million people and the firm operates approximately 15,000 circuit miles of overhead and underground transmission lines, carrying more than 25,000 megawatts (or 25 billion watts) of electric power. In other words, ITC Holdings knows a thing or two about energy.

And none more so, it seems, than Joseph L. Welch, the company’s CEO, who reveals exclusively to MeetTheBoss.tv

his passion for the energy industry. Beginning his career in 1971 at Detroit Edison, Welch made a bold and impressive move in 2003 when, along with just 38 others, he parted ways with Detroit and started ITC Holdings.

Speaking from ITC Holdings’ new headquarters in Novi, Michigan, Welch explains to Adam Burns, Editor-in-Chief at MeetTheBoss.tv, his vision of the utility system in the US and how this led him to start-up ITC. He also details how being named as one of Ernst & Young’s US Entrepreneurs of the Year back in 2007, just two years after the company went public and Welch himself proudly rang the New York Stock Exchange bell, was a “humbling” experience.

“I said it then and I say it today,” he explains, “I got the award but the people who worked in the company, they deserve the award. The fact is that you can set the vision and you can set the tone, but it really does take a true team to have those kinds of successes in that amount of time.”

Speaking specifically about the state of the US utility system, Welch defines it as the “Achilles’ heel of the 21 Century”. He tells Adam, “I don’t think the utility business is hallmarked by people of passion. I think it’s hallmarked by people of ‘this is the way it is’. Everything is viewed as truly evolutionary. If you were to measure this as a one mile run, the people in the utility business look at one millimeter a year as being success. We need to make a change there.”

Welch is also a revered and well-respected business leader. At a time when he knew making a difference was imperative, he managed to persuade 38 people to leave their jobs and join him at ITC. That was 39 years ago, and Welch believes he still has around 30 of those people with him: which certainly goes a long way to defining the skill of his leadership style.

It hasn’t always been an easy ride though. He hasn’t always been steeped in praise. At one point Welch explains, “When I worked at another company I was told I didn’t have any leadership capability. That was a key moment in my life. That’s when I thought my career wasn’t going anywhere.”

Of course, when Adam later asks Welch if he knew this presumption of his leadership ability was wrong, he simply responds: “Yeah.”


To see the interview in full visit MeetTheBoss.tv

LEGO’S - ‘LETS-GO’ Attitude.

Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO of Lego has redefined the Danish toymaker. This is how he built the foundations for better leadership.

The Lego Group began its life in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund in Denmark, who began making wooden toys in 1932. By 1934 the company was known as Lego – from the Danish phrase leg godt, meaning “play well”. While the introduction of plastic moulding mechanisms breathed new life into Lego, giving us the now infamous multi-coloured plastic bricks of our childhood, over time the company found it was spreading itself too thin. As the world around Lego moved into an increasingly more digital era, the Lego Group appeared to be on its way out. A traditional family business had always been at the heart of Lego; but by the time current CEO Jørgen Vig Knudstorp – the first man outside of the founding family to head the company – came onto the scene, the model was no longer working.

In an exclusive interview for MeetTheBoss.tv - CEO Jørgen Vig Knudstorp shares his radical rethinking of the Lego Group and how he not only breathed new life into the company, but also saved it from near-destruction. Make no bones about it: Jørgen Vig Knudstorp is the man who rescued Lego.

Speaking exclusively to Adam Burns, Editor-in-Chief at MeetTheBoss.tv, Knudstorp explains some of his truly “out the box” ideas that helped make a critical difference at Lego. And, now that the brand is up and running again and is doing incredibly well once more, Lego is now facing a multitude of options for future opportunities.

“I think it is a golden rule in business that most companies don’t die of starvation, but die of indigestion,” jokes Knudstorp. “There is so much opportunity if you open your eyes to it. One of the rules I stick to is that you can really only build an adjacency to your core business every three to five years, because it’s such a major undertaking in terms of culture and in terms of capability.”

And Knudstorp knows what he is talking about. Not only is he responsible for the reimagining of culture at Lego, which has helped the construction toy maker to redefine its business model, but he also admits that “indigestion” is where Lego struggled before – and that the group won’t be making those mistakes again. “You run the risk that people will lose their focus on their core business as they pursue these new adjacencies that have become the ‘new and sexy thing’ to do.

“So for me, a major paradigm shift is that the core business is the most exciting and what we need to continue to do is reinvent every year and make sure we build our business on this in the future.”

Lego remains a staple of the childhood toy box. Currently approximately seven Lego sets are sold each second, and the world’s children reportedly spend 5 billion hours a year playing with Lego bricks. Children can buy Lego products in more than 130 countries, and the company has theme parks in four countries across the globe.

To see the video visit MeettheBoss.tv

Tesco’s Billionaire lifestyle for ‘Value’ Air miles

On the same day Tesco announces monster profits, they have played down any threat that may be caused as a result of the flight ban across Northern Europe because of their early adoption of green strategies. Tesco pride itself on having only one percent of their UK goods arrive by air, owing to an internal policy set up in 2008. In an exclusive interview with MeetTheBossTV, Tesco’s Global Technology and Architecture Director, Mike Yorwerth, reveals the secrets behind supermarket success in 2010.

“It all started with Sir Terry Leahy,” Yorwerth explains. “He sat down with 500 people and said, ‘I want to talk to you about climate change,’ and we all went, ‘Okay’.” What followed was the restructuring of Tesco’s green IT strategies, which has in turn led to soaring profits of GBP£3.4 billion and countless incarnations of Tesco – from Metro stores, to Express stores, to the Fresh and Easy brand – popping up across the world’s high streets. However, such growth has not led to a greater carbon footprint from the retailer, as Tesco has gone to huge lengths to reduce its emissions by 50 percent (on target by 2020).

"Tesco will be carbon neutral by 2050,” Mike confidently told MeetTheBossTV. But does it take yearly profits of GBP£3.4billion to achieve carbon neutrality, or can smaller businesses follow the example of the UK’s favourite supermarket?

“Going green is more about the attitude, and that’s where we [Tesco] started.” Mike offers. “For example, before this our Information Technology backbone was terribly inefficient; primarily because the IT department had no real understanding of its energy use, so if you start by talking about that, and people get their heads around it and actively reduce consumptions, there’s a massive savings opportunity.”

Carbon neutrality appears to be a detailed and meticulous method then, but one that all businesses can achieve. Mike believes it is wholly necessary process, and with the retail giant once again announcing huge profits, we are hard pushed to disagree.

BMW DesignworksUSA – Driving to Success

The presentation of the red dot award 2010 once again provides impressive confirmation of the outstanding quality of BMW Group design. Laurenz Schaffer (President BMW DesignWworks) talks to Meettheboss.tv on the company’s innovative approach to design and ‘out of the box thinking’ which repeatedly sees them beating the competition and driving ‘new thinking’ to design.

“A driven-ness to design, which ultimately speaks to the passion of design, the driving aspect, the essence of what we are about.”

The art of innovation is key for every business savvy company in the world, but it seems that few can claim to be quite so innovative as BMW Group DesignworksUSA. Last month crowned as the “#1 Most Innovative Company in Design” by Fast Company magazine and even more recently receiving further awards from Red Dot, the company simply brings a unique approach to design.

Red Dot accredited the unique quality of BMW Group design. This is based on a design philosophy which runs across all brands, enabling the character of each brand and each model to be accurately gauged so that the individual qualities of each are precisely reflected in its design. BMW DesignWorks explains to Meettheboss.TV the importance of receiving such awards.

“It’s a great reward for designers, because ultimately that’s proof, immediate proof, for success in the design community. Usually, design awards are done by expert circles, designers themselves, and a pretty high calibre of people. So having them select our designs is a big reward for us.”

Essentially a ‘mash up’ of Californian car culture and German precision and engineering, the company has let the thriving result loose on everything from yachts to mobile phones, to electric shavers to aircraft interiors, with exceptional results. Laurenz Schaffer, the group’s President, is leading the way, and in the exclusive interview with MeetTheBoss.tv, he explains how the organization’s overtly innovative culture is helping to redefine the very essence of design.

Laurenz continues to explain how the main asset of the company is not the materials being created, but the creative people behind the designs. He also explained how the “true differentiator” of the company is a “cross-fertilization” of ideas – a “basic belief that working across differing disciplines is what really makes up good ideas”, he said.

DesignworksUSA has already enjoyed over 30 years as a leading, award winning strategic design consultancy, and an enduring creativity seems to be bringing the firm enduring value. The future? Well, its design – at least – is in safe hands.

France Telecom faces trial as former deputy CEO speaks out

In the week that a French court has launched an investigation into whether France Télécom SA should face trial over the suicide of its workers, Louis Pierre Wennes (former deputy CEO of the group) gives his first public interview since his resignation exclusively to MeetTheBoss.tv. Louis resigned from France Telecom in October last year after twenty-four of his staff commit suicide.

Louis was blamed for causing widespread stress in the company owing to his brutal cost-cutting measures. Union leaders pointed the finger at Louis for the suicides owing to a vicious, target-obsessed company culture in which, they say, well-qualified employees (most in their 40s) were pushed to "breaking" point.
An astonishing 22,000 staff have resigned in the last four years. But many remain and have been shifted into high-pressure call centres where individuals compete for monthly results-based bonuses. Mr Wennes, 60, had been overseeing a programme called "Next" to modernise the firm.

Throughout the interview Wennes maintained a professional approach “All I asked from my people was do the best you can, I can’t expect more than your best, but not less because we need it.” When asked about the 24 suicides in 18 months he replied “I do not want to underestimate the issue, but it’s a biased view of the situation, if we look at the facts the suicide rate at France Telecom did not increase during that period, it was more in the year 2000 and similar to the overall French corresponding population.”

This week an investigative judge will decide whether there is enough evidence to open a court case accusing France Télécom and some of its managers of involuntary homicide, which can lead to three years in jail and a substantial fine.
The first public interview with Louis Pierre Wennes (former deputy of France Telecom) will go live this week on MeetTheBoss.TV

Saatchi and Saatchi give a personal approach to the recovery

Bob Seelert, chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi, speaks candidly for MeetTheBoss.TV on how he was intent on taking the helm of what was a sinking ship and steering it into a course of thirteen years of concessive growth. What is his secret? The personal approach!

Saatchi & Saatchi are a truly world-wide communications network having 135 offices in eighty-five countries. From the first day of his arduous voyage Bob achieved incredible feats, and within six months he had built face-to-face connections with staff accounting for over 60% of the company’s revenues.

“From my first day at Saatchi & Saatchi, I met with as many people as I possibly could, There is no substitute for a personal presence, I went to four companies in London and then got on a concord and did the same in New York before meeting with the Chairman of our biggest client Proctor and Gamble”.

Bob wanted to break barriers, and he had to be seen as an approachable rock for the company, sharing his vision and hope for the future. Bob wanted everyone to know this and did the same exercise with client’s, bringing both his charisma and long term outlook to meetings and building faith in the brand and in his strategies.

“To be revered as the hothouse for world-changing ideas is what create sustainable growth for our clients.”

Bob Seelert’s uncanny ability to talk about his leadership is one of his many talents, which has lead him to make strong relationships with his clients, earn respect from his staff and attract new business relationships.


To see the full interview with Bob Seelert and learn about the skills that made him successful at Saatchi & Saatchi, visit MeetTheBoss.tv

From Regional to Global: how Pfizer reworked the pharmaceutical business model

Jorge Puente, Regional President of WW Pfizer gives MeetTheBoss.tv an inside look into how Pfizer became global.

Jorge Puente explained to Adam Burns, Editor in Chief of meettheboss.tv, that the fact he did not know there was a Pfizer international office until they invited him to do a lecture, really became a telltale sign that change needed to take place at the pharmaceutical giant.
Jorge goes onto develop the example by supplying the underlying corporate culture that lead Pfizer International to generate more revenues then Pfizer US. The ability to “have this customer oriented philosophy where we are there for the customer first” was the basis for change.

When Pfizer looks globally at providing medication the need to look at the needs of patients in regions becomes a much greater challenge then looking at providing a blanket of solutions. Jorge cites the example of diabetes in the US, as opposed to Asia, to show why going global needed to be though about differently.

“If you look at diabetics in the West, your typical type two diabetic tends to be overweight, and hyperinsulinemic. In many Asian countries, diabetics are very different and tend to be hypoinsulinemic”. This means that the same medication cannot be provided across multiple regions based on same diagnosis.

“Sometimes for one patient there is a benefit/risk ratio that may be different for another patient. Obviously that changes with geography because conditions are also very geographically determined.” This is one of the very basic concepts that Jorge describes as translating from medical to corporate management.

To manage many different geographical medical solutions Pfizer became “a collection of small units”, each one of those completely focused on a specific area. So one unit in Asia would focus primarily on oncology and be “100 percent accountable within that unit for all decisions that are being made in the cancer space” and this is done in conjunction with global executives in Pfizer as well as governmental executives in the specific region, in this case Asia.

These corporate changes have allowed Pfizer the flexibility to reach any region globally, as well as the speed in which to make changes and implement programs: but does that translate to the patient trusting Pfizer? Possibly not, given that Jorge agreed only 42 percent of people trust the healthcare industry to do the right thing, a drop of 16 percent from last year.

But once the structure was been available for regional units to take responsibility for the needs of the patients in that unit then programs to rebuild that trust, such as the Maintain Program – Jorge’s innovative program to help eligible unemployed Americans and their families maintain access to their Pfizer medicines for free – could be created.