Frans van Houten Quotes

An awful lot of successful technology companies ended up being in a slightly different market than they started out in. Microsoft started with programming tools, but came out with an operating system. Oracle started doing contracts for the CIA. AOL started out as an online video gaming network.

An awful lot of successful technology companies ended up being in a slightly different market than they started out in.

No other technology company other than Apple has successfully transitioned their platform. It's almost never done, and it's way harder than you realise. This transition is where tech companies go to die.

I think there are certain business matters which we must now conduct differently than we used to.

When I became CEO, I was really worried that we were in commoditized segments that were mature and no longer growing. So we made a radical pivot into health technology because that is one of the world's unmet needs.

Change is a process which has to be managed.

I spent some time studying Toyota, because how could a loom maker - they made looms. That was their business for 50 years, 35 years - and then they decided to go into the car business after everyone else was in the car business.

The transition to clean energy should not be viewed as a burden to be overcome but, rather, an extraordinary job creation opportunity for the United States.

To me, I think I've always carried that type of WWE style with me throughout my career, even before I got here, so the transition hasn't been that difficult. I've been enjoying the transition, to be honest with you, because in my opinion, this business evolves all the time, and it changes all the time.

The sofa is a really important investment for anybody, and I don't mean financially. You need to find a really great sofa that can transition with you, and you can build from there.

In the mid-'80s when the business took a big change, everybody was living their character.

Technological advances are changing what clients need, the services we provide, and how we interact with them.

Traditionally, in the technology industry, companies need to re-invent themselves every 3-7 years to survive. If the company misses one transition, it can still recover, but if it misses two, it is usually fatal.

A company can set off in one direction, figures out that it's not the right way to go, and then go in an entirely new direction. Over time, the product or service improves, and the company gets better at executing and delivering.

For every company that sees the value of their capital go up, there's another company that has been disrupted, and the value of their capital gets marked down because it's not going to compete in the same way.

I don't see any new coal.

We have transformed Philips into a focused leader in health technology, delivering innovation to help people manage their health.

I am pleased with the response of investors towards Philips Lighting and the successful pricing of the I.P.O. This strategic milestone will allow Royal Philips to focus on the fast-growing health technology market.

Artificial intelligence, machine learning... cell therapy, immunotherapy. There's just a constant stream of investment ideas we could pursue better in that fashion.

Artificial intelligence is here and being rapidly commercialized, with new applications being created not just for manufacturing but also for energy, healthcare, and oil and gas. This will change how we all do business.

You never really own a diamond. You just get to keep it for a while before it begins a new journey with someone else.

The pace of change in marketing and the marketplace continues to accelerate. Unicorn companies are challenging long-established brands, and categories are being re-imagined.

Even though we live in a fast-changing world with short term-ism all around, it requires years of determination to transform a company and structurally reap the rewards. Innovation companies need to set their sights on solving unmet needs - but this approach requires focus and long-term tenacity.

Seoul promises to make a big investment in the transition of ecology and civilization that will transform the green crisis into a green opportunity.

After seven extraordinary and fulfilling years, during which we have transformed TalkTalk's customer experience and laid the foundations for long-term growth, I've decided it's time for me to start handing over the reins at TalkTalk and focus more on my activities in public service.