Beyond Digital

 

2

Reimagine Your Company’s Place in the World

There is no passion to be found playing small and settling for a life that’s less than the one you’re capable of living.

—Nelson Mandela

Ten years ago, the Amsterdam-headquartered multinational Philips was a conglomerate with a sprawling portfolio of businesses that ranged from audio and video consumer electronics to lighting and medical equipment. Philips had a distinguished history. Founded as a light bulb manufacturer in 1891, it pioneered electric shavers in the mid-twentieth century, invented the audio cassettes that were ubiquitous from the 1970s into the 1990s, and codeveloped (with Sony) the compact disc in 1982. The company also made medical devices, starting with pioneering X-ray technology ...