Zebra has been on a roll of late and, as you’ll hear, that success results from a series of good decisions made by leadership with a clear vision and good communication skills. Their success in pivoting from primarily a hardware manufacturer to a vertically integrated solutions provider is a masterclass in business transformation and working your way up the value chain.

In this engaging discussion we explored Doug’s background, the market obstacles he faces prophesizing alternative energy solutions, and discovered how value creation, value capture, and coopetition coexist to benefit all of White Harvest Energy’s stakeholders.

She discusses her unique academic and professional journey and how, in her current strategically focused role, she helps Cardinal use vertical strategies to offer both value to their customers & provide safe harbor from a highly competitive core business.

He speaks with us about how insurance markets develop and how we are currently dealing some highly correlated risks that may defy our standard mechanisms of insurance and de-risking. Strap in for an engaging conversation about how insurance markets are responding to the pandemic, climate change, and cyber security!

What we loved about this conversation was that we didn’t focus on any particular technology, industry insight, or strategy implementation, but rather how Erik considers what resources are available and what might be the best strategy that is going to maximize the success of those resources. This is called consonance. There are a number of definitions, but Aaron is partial to the musical one: a combination of notes which are in harmony with each other due to the relationship between their frequencies. 

We really lucked out in this episode, because Jennifer not only sits in a position that has a 30,000 ft view of a highly competitive industry within one of its most powerful established firms, but she also has over 15 years of experience within AT&T that ranges from front line store operations to product development. The main focus of our conversation is related to the human component of value creation, strategy development, and innovation.

We’ve talked about steel on this podcast before, so you might remember that the industry is a part of well developed supply chain and is highly competitive, which hints at the importance of maintaining relationships and the possibility of price competition. John speaks with me about how his firm creates  value for its customers without falling into the price competition trap. Surprisingly, one of those value adds is an award winning website!

Employee mobility conjures a pretty clear image of employees moving from place to place. You might think of this as simply a firm that coordinates logistics of employee relocation or manages flights and hotels for business trips. This might have been an accurate description at the beginning of this industry, but now that barely scratches the surface. 

Jeff is the Managing Director at Casappa Corporation, which is a firm that specializes in hydraulic systems. Hydraulics are a very old technology that is inside almost all machinery with moving mechanical parts.

Prior to joining Esri, Lauren served as a top advisor for economic affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce where she worked with a team of fellow open data enthusiasts to create the department’s first data strategic plan and establish the Commerce Data Advisory Council. Her 10 years of experience spans across strategic planning, policymaking, and business development in government, NGO, and software industries. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and industry news on the topics of international trade, government data, and innovation.