What is behind your acquisition of AMX?
Bank of America worldwide, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, IBM, Boeing and a lot of the three-letter government agencies are using Harman enterprise automation. And no, it’s not like ERP (enterprise resource planning) software. We leave that to SAP. It is basically data and video management. If the CEO of Deutsche Bank wants to communicate to all employees worldwide, he will want to do WebEx, video and audio conferencing. We will manage that. We’re the engine. We supply the network hub and the switching of audio and video. And we do the security encryption—the digital signage. That’s a big deal.
For example, when you go into any Apple store, when you see the digital signage, (the numbering)—each store has probably 50 terminals—[we manage] what is shown on the televisions in one store versus the rest of the stores worldwide through our hub and our network.
So you’ve become a software company.
In many ways. There’s no change to strategy, but directionally, Harman is going to be a leader in all three connected spaces: the connected home, the connected car and the connected enterprise. We’re also heavily invested in [the] cloud and cybersecurity. Cars were never designed to be used as computers, so they don’t have any safety layers to protect from the bad guys, the hackers. With more and more devices on cars and greater computer power, there are risks and vulnerabilities that we hadn’t considered until now.
So we have designed the software and have shared it with many car companies, and it’s based on very similar structure of what banks do—in fact, what I used to do in my former company. When you supply a nuclear power plant or a pharmaceutical plant, you build in safety layers to keep the bad guys out.
What’s the biggest challenge you face going forward?
My biggest challenge is the bench; it’s the people. We’ve grown very fast in the last couple of years. Do we have enough people who can manage this fast, breakneck speed of growth? Hiring people from outside takes time to indoctrinate them in our culture. How do we pull more people from the machine we have, and how much risk can we take? That’s a challenge. I’m not saying I have an answer for that. But it’s something I think about a lot these days.
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
