Well, twenty years certainly went by very quickly... I made a tough decision to retire from Corning Incorporated at the end of March after a journey that started back in 2000. At the time, the company was experiencing amazing growth from its leadership position in Fiber optic telecommunications networking technology. The party didn't last very long as the bottom dropped out the market in 2002 and the company almost became a memory. Fortunately, Corning is an innovation driven entity with more than 8% of revenues reinvested back into research. This dedication led to inventions like fiber optic networking, ultra tough Gorilla glass, optically pure thin glass for LCD screens, and ceramic substrates for catalytic converters just to name a few. Fortunately, the market for LCD TVs took off in 2004 and our glass dominated the market. What truly inspired me to stay with Corning through that difficult period and for two decades, were the values the company lived by. The same was true for GE. They both companies valued their employees, invested in them, gave them challenging assignments, and rewarded employees for their efforts. My thirty-five year journey through these two companies ultimately led to becoming Chief Information Officer at Corning for the past five years during the beginning of the digital revolution. I enjoyed the wild ride and for ever will be thankful to so many leaders, partners, peers, and employees that helped me along the way. As many have said before me, I won't miss the stresses of work, but I will very much miss the people I worked with.
So, you might ask, why leave and start Pivot IT? Well, there are many reasons. First, I have spent my entire career working in two large Fortune 500 companies and want to explore something new. Second, I love to help solve business problems and deliver value through digital technologies which I would like to experience with a broader array of companies. And, third, I'm looking to control my calendar (for better work/life balance) a little better which is hard to do in a leadership role of a large entity. In summary, it's simply time for a change and I'm excited about what the future holds.
I want to end this blog by thanking a few key people in my life for helping navigate through this next step in my journey. My wife and kids have been extremely supportive. Kurt Fischer, former head of Corning HR and at the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, showed me what early retirement meant. Otto Kumbar, a close friend from my start at GE, for his guidance and cheerleading throughout my career. Finally, Don Ruse, Partner at Axiom Consulting, for guiding me into the world of consulting. Thanks to each of you.