Cool Person of the Day

Networking within a big business is becoming a pretty huge business in its own right.  The companies that are aiding big businesses with their internal communications have found a niche that they are very effectively filling.  The business networking companies continue to grow, despite the rapidly changing corporate and economic landscapes worldwide.  One of the most dynamic networking companies is Yammer.  Yammer continues to grow, in part, because of Dee Anna McPherson. Read more »

No matter how the tech sector skyrockets and falls based on consumer electronics and computer sales, the medical technology field is one that is constantly innovating and growing.  While one might be able to live without the latest iPhone or tablet computer offering, medical professionals need the latest scanning and imaging devices and computer-driven gadgets in order to save the lives of their patients.  Medical technology is essential to longevity and living a good life.  Few people know that as Dale Johnson does! Read more »

In the tech sector, companies grow and adapt to the challenges of the marketplace, or the company fails.  Few major tech companies have had as rocky a road to success as Acer.  While Acer manufactured personal computers that were very popular in China and Taiwan, it took quite a bit of time before Acer managed to successfully gain a significant market share of the U.S. and European pc market.  To become competitive on a global scale, Acer had to reorganize and change the way it did business.  In addition to designing computers that were subcontracted out for manufacture, Acer shuffled much of its management team.  As part of the many changes at the company, J.T. Wang gained prominence and a better position at Acer. Read more »

In the tech sector, businesses evolve or they die.  Given the rapid pace of technological development since the Internet became a mainstream communications platform, companies founded on the Internet seem to have even greater volatility; there are very few sites that remain cool and well-trafficked year after year.  YouTube.com is one the sites that has worked very hard to maintain its strong presence in the minds of Internet users.  Best known as a library of viral videos and videos that never achieved such renown, YouTube is working to reinvent itself by creating original programming in the form of regular web-based series’.  Working to make that vision a reality is Ivana Kirkbride. Read more »

Samsung Electronics, in addition to making very reliable computers, is one of the largest, most effective, multinational corporations on Earth.  With strong products in the personal computer, smartphone, and tablet computer markets, Samsung seems to have its fingers in all of the most profitable pies in the tech sector!  The success of the company is no accident, though; it comes from having a strong management team, both in Korea and the United States.  Dale Sohn is an integral part of Samsung’s leadership in the United States. Read more »

In the tech sector, major fields can change with alarming speed.  A few years ago, for example, the idea of streaming movies and music from the Cloud was a far-fetched notion and even the leaders of big businesses in the tech sector were unsure how to capitalize on such an idea.  Now, there are several companies and services that offer streaming video and it is a huge business.  Given the rapidly-changing nature of technology, human resources personnel for media technology companies, like Netflix and Hulu, have their work cut out for them.  When they make a hire, they have to evaluate how the candidate will work for the company as it is now and how it might radically change in the future.  In the case of Netflix, managing the personnel is made much easier thanks to Tawni Cranz. Read more »

Some say that a real leader is one who knows when to lead and when to follow.  In the case of the tech sector, executives in leadership roles have a tendency to be deposed (usually for failing to meet a financial goal the company set), retire, or quite to move on to their next big project or company.  It is a rare leader who is willing to give up the lion’s share of control for the benefit of their company and yet continue to work under their successor.  Samuel J. Palmisano, former CEO of IBM, is one such impressive leader. Read more »

With so many companies making Bluetooth headsets, it can be very hard for some of the innovative manufacturers of such devices to get noticed by the potential customer base.  Many of the smaller companies have discovered that having a cool device that fills the needs of a specific niche is not enough.  Like many tech sector companies, the makers of Bluetooth-compatible devices are rapidly finding that they need superstar-style public relations teams to promote their product and generate the buzz that makes for a successful product release.  Jawbone has that type Public Relations Manager in Katie Boysen. Read more »

The tech sector is, in many ways, the final frontier for driven individuals who have innate talent and simply need an outlet for it.  On the production end, having a great idea and learning to program it can make you the next Mark Zuckerberg or Martin Kleppmann.  On the business side of the tech sector, many companies reward experience and success over formal education.  Tom Jones is an executive who is proof that experience, charisma, and consistent success may be more of a commodity in the tech sector than a formal degree. Read more »

Following the rise of consumer and privacy activists to defeat the Stop Online Piracy Act earlier this year, the reaction to the defeat both online and in the tech sector has been interesting to watch.  Many of the leaders who organized the fight against SOPA have formed organizations, like the Internet Defense League, to create watchdog positions and communications networks to prevent future SOPA-like legislation from passing.  Many businesses decided to beef up their legal department so they could better understand the potential consequences of such legislation to their specific business.  Amazon.com hired Jamie Gorelick to its Board of Directors. Read more »