2013 World Business Forum Luncheon Program with Sam Palmisano
On October 2, Hitachi hosted a private luncheon featuring a dialogue between Sam Palmisano, former chairman, president and CEO of IBM, and Brian Householder, COO, Hitachi Data Systems, as part of its sponsorship of the 2013 World Business Forum. As a leader in the Social Innovation Business, Hitachi and its employees are dedicated to integrating IT with social infrastructure to help solve some of society’s greatest challenges.
During their luncheon dialogue, Mr. Palmisano and Mr. Householder talked about the importance of innovation, particularly as it relates to IT companies, the challenges inherent in any major corporate transformation and the qualities that great leaders need to possess in order to build profitable, successful IT companies and bring out the best in the talented people who work for them.
Leading IT giants Hitachi and IBM have both been in business for over 100 years. Both companies attribute their longevity and success to anticipating the changing needs of their customers and society. Hear how Hitachi and IBM succeeded in staying ahead of the curve in the rapidly changing IT industry.
Getting employees to embrace change and “buy in” to transformation is one of the most difficult challenges corporate leaders face. Yet it is critical for success. Hear how Hitachi Data Systems and IBM effectively managed the change process with their employees to increase productivity and profitability.
Both Hitachi and IBM have invested substantial resources in R&D in both good times and bad and place a high value on the need to be innovative. Hear Sam Palmisano and Brian Householder share their views on the importance of innovation in the ever-changing IT landscape.
“The CEO is not the brand,” Sam Palmisano wisely observes. Listen to Sam Palmisano and Brian Householder talk about the qualities that constitute great leadership, how a CEO can help make or break the company he leads and what the market expects from leading companies like Hitachi and IBM.