IdeaConnection :: Interviews

It's a Good Time to Be an Innovator

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:20:31 -0800

The economic downturn is not negatively impacting the innovation climate at IBM. Long a proponent of innovation and a case study in successfully reinventing itself, IBM has turned in recent years to the use of "Jams" for everything from setting company values to identifying the next best thing. Mike Wing was there from the beginning with the Jams, and explains the philosophy and process behind them in this interview.

Innovating Our Way to a Greener World

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:06:05 -0800

Last year, Americans threw over 2.2 million tons of electronic waste into landfills. Alfred Hambsch believes we need to find a more responsible way to dispose of all that e-waste. Hambsch is CEO of Barrie Metals, one of Canada's largest recycling companies, and he's arguably the best man for a task that requires sustained innovation. The company has been described as a "factory in reverse,” dismantling components instead of assembling them, then finding new uses for the remaining plastic, aluminum, copper and precious metals.

Philosophy and Innovation make good Bedfellows

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:30:24 -0800

John Del Monaco is a practical innovator. His work at Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc. (PSEG) is to transfer technology to use within company operations and as part of the services offered to customers to improve costs, services, or both. Before he implements an idea, he wants scientific proof and an ability to make a common-sense application. In this interview, he describes a collaborative innovation model from an industry-wide perspective, and discusses how he keeps his mind open to new ideas through the writings of great philosophers and thought-leaders.

Saying 'Yes' to Open Networks

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:56:57 -0800

With a background in engineering, information technology and business, Arv Malhotra began working with Boeing in the 1990s, which was facing down one of its biggest challenges yet: In light of reduced support from the government and increasing competition, how would it go forward to create new products? Boeing's solution was to form virtual teams across the organization, pairing people of diverse backgrounds together. In the '90s, this kind of cross-collaboration was radical.

Trailblazing Innovation for Fuel Diversification

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 20:50:48 -0800

Andrew Littlefair founded Clean Energy Fuels with T. Boone Pickens eleven years ago. Since then, the company has been at the forefront of innovation in bringing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to large truck fleets. This has required close coordination and cooperation with trucking companies, industry associations, government agencies, truck manufacturers, and vendors. What comes across in a conversation with Littlefair is that this is a company dedicated to forward thinking and innovation. In this interview, Littlefair sheds light on the innovations that led to Clean Energy Fuels, Inc.'s success so far, and those that will be necessary for continued future success.

Innovation in Plastics

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:46:16 -0800

In the 1967 film "The Graduate," Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) is offered one word of advice, “plastics.” Some 40 years later, “plastics” has become synonymous with another word, Borealis.

Sustainability and Innovation go Hand in Hand

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:05:18 -0800

If you want a good case study of how to use innovation and sustainability to cut costs and improve customer service, talk to Faith Taylor. As Vice President of Sustainability and Innovation at Wyndham Worldwide, Taylor is responsible for Wyndham's green and sustainable initiatives for environmental, social, and economic programs. Her responsibilities span the breadth of Wyndham's substantial company, including twelve hotel brands, Worldmark Timeshares and RCI Vacation Exchange Group. Among the innovative technologies she is working to bring to Wyndham locations are solar panels, ozone, clear air allergy-free rooms, and uniforms made of 100% recycled materials.

Employees are the Difference

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:31:21 -0800

Progress Energy Carolinas is at the forefront of innovation. Its recent installation of state-of-the-art LED Street Lights in Raleigh, North Carolina is one example. The installation is a part of a test to determine whether the LED lights are more cost and energy efficient for cities. If the test is successful, it could result in potential cost savings of 50 percent over traditional street lights for municipalities throughout the Carolinas and Florida.

Connect + Develop with Procter & Gamble

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:17:13 -0800

In the United States, 99 percent of all households purchase and use at least one Procter & Gamble product. P&G owns some of the world’s most recognizable brands including American favorites Head & Shoulders, Gillette, Pampers, Ivory, CoverGirl, Tampax, Old Spice, Tide and Crest and has significant stakes in a swath of other markets from Pringles chips to Duracell batteries.

Embed Innovation in Corporate Culture for Best Results

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 14:14:50 -0800

Charlie Prather has been in the innovation arena for a quarter century, having shaped the DuPont Center for Innovation from its inception, and working with Fortune 100 companies to help them develop innovation as a core competency. His view is that innovation is even more important today for companies to survive in the current economic environment.

Royal Bank's Innovation Challenge

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:00:11 -0800

As Head, Applied Innovation at Royal Bank of Canada Financial Group—the country's largest financial institution and the fifth largest bank in North America—Avi Pollock leads a team with an enterprise-wide mandate to stimulate innovative activity. With a view to "what's next," "what's new" and "what's different," Applied Innovation identifies and validates emerging technologies and opportunities that have the potential to drive client value and differentiate RBC from its competitors.

Don't Say No Until I Finish Talking

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:45:52 -0800

Michael Rogers is an innovator's innovator. As Vice President of The Washington Post's New Media Division, he ushered The Washington Post and Newsweek into the age of multimedia. Rogers is an expert on the impact of technology in the marketplace and on day-to-day life. He is well known as MSNBC's "The Practical Futurist," and for making technical concepts easily understood. In addition to his work with The New York Times Company and MSNBC, Rogers is a dynamic speaker, consultant and facilitator.

Innovation Consulting at Booz & Company

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:43:24 -0800

"At its simplest level, innovation is embodied by a product or service offering that contains a significant element of newness," according to Alexander Kandybin, a Partner and Vice President at global management consulting firm Booz & Company. However, he points out, "new" does not have to mean entirely new to the world line. "Line extensions of existing brands—i.e. Colgate Whitening toothpaste or White Chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter Cups—are a frequently profitable form of innovation. True innovation can take the form of a new product, technology, process, content, or even the presentation and marketing of an existing product or service."

Success Drives Adoption of Changes

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:04:35 -0800

Esther Baldwin is truly a global innovator. As Intel’s chief of Research Proliferation, she has led innovation efforts in the United States and in China. She established a culture of innovation while starting the Intel Innovation Center in Shanghai, working closely with the Chinese to embrace the “innovation mentality”. She considers the Chinese to be very innovative and adaptable and has found her work in China to be among the most rewarding of her career.

Design for Delight

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:21:11 -0700

Roy Rosin believes in taking the long view when it comes to company innovation at Intuit. Somehow he has managed to make that long view work in an industry in which new and rapid advances in product creation are necessary for survival. As the Vice President of Product Management and Innovation at Intuit, Inc., a leading software company known for products such as Quicken, QuickBooks, and TurboTax, Roy manages Intuit’s R&D Labs and advises and guides investments in new products and services across the company.

Fostering Innovation at Kraft Foods

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:10:50 -0700

Innovation does not always lead to solving the world's most complex dilemmas such as reducing CO2 emissions through hydrogen technology or ending world hunger through hardier, genetically-engineered crops. Innovation more often occurs right under our very noses, whether we are aware of it or not, and in the most unlikely of places such as your local supermarket.

Innovation requires enormous Energy, Excitement, and Commitment

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:04:29 -0700

Mitchell Baker is passionate about open sourcing, about the mission of Mozilla, and about the value of the freedom to innovate. Baker, as the Chairman and Chief Lizard Wrangler at Mozilla, organizes and motivates a huge collaborative group of employees and volunteers throughout the world who are working together to breathe new life into the Internet through the development and improvement of the Firefox Web browser and Thunderbird e-mail client.

Innovation and Tobacco at R.J. Reynolds

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:09:06 -0700

While Research & Development has always played a pivotal role in the success and longevity of tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds, parent company Reynolds American Inc. (RAI), has recently synergized all of its units with the creation of the Growth and Innovation Group, anointed with the objective of expanding RAI’s tobacco business model into a more diverse and competitive portfolio for consumers. R.J. Reynolds is America’s second-largest tobacco company and currently claims approximately 28 percent of all U.S. cigarette sales, including six of the top 10 brands: Camel, Pall Mall, Kool, Winston, Salem and Doral.

Collaboration and Co-creation – The Key to Unlocking Value

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:25:48 -0700

"In today's global economic environment, innovation is more important than ever. The dynamics are changing rapidly, and we must innovate and adjust our offerings based on those changes, while still providing products that are more functional and affordable." Mehmood Khan

Monterey Gourmet Foods VP discusses Innovation

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:04:04 -0700

Erika Cottrell was named Vice President of Innovation in June 2008 at Monterey Gourmet Foods, a manufacturer and marketer of fresh gourmet refrigerated food products with corporate headquarters, distribution, and manufacturing facilities in Salinas (Monterey County), CA; Seattle, WA; and Eugene, OR.