1 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: You're listening to Math and Magic, a production of I 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:18,799 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hi. I'm Bob Pittman, and welcome to this 3 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 1: special episode of Math and Magic. Stories from the Frontiers 4 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: and Marketing. When we name this podcast, we never dreamed 5 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: that frontiers might be something like this, or the definition 6 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: of marketing could be stretched so much. Today, we're gonna 7 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,240 Speaker 1: explore both with someone who is on the front lines 8 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: of keeping America functioning during this work from home and 9 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:41,239 Speaker 1: shelter in place time. He's the chairman and CEO Verizon, 10 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:51,199 Speaker 1: Hans Festberg. Before we dig into who Hans is, let 11 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: me tell you a little about what his company is doing. 12 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: It starts with meeting the extraordinary demand that's being put 13 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: on the company. Think about these numbers. As of March 14 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: twenty seven, which was the last numbers I could find, 15 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: the Verizon network is seeing some eight hundred million calls 16 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 1: a day. That's double what is usually the busiest day 17 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: of the year, Mother's Day. Double nine billion texts today. 18 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 1: That's equivalent to New Year's Eve, except now it's every day. 19 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: And increase in gaining by a hundred and seven percent 20 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: and even a fifty increasing VPN access. That's for people 21 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: working from home who are accessing their company's servers. In 22 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: addition to keeping up with the extraordinary demand, Verizon has 23 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: also added special and much needed services like technology and 24 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:42,479 Speaker 1: connectivity solutions for those people serving us during this pandemic. 25 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: Those are first responders, public health officials and professionals, and federal, 26 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: state and local governments. They're giving these folks priority access 27 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: to its network. The Verizon Response Team is set up 28 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: mobile cell sites, WiFi hotspots, free charging stations, and other 29 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: solutions to boost performs and meet these unusual needs. Verizon 30 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: has even provided connectivity for the U. S n s. 31 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: Comfort that's the thousand bed Navy hospital ship docked in 32 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: New York Harbor. They've done so much more to waving 33 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: late fees until May thirteenth, important moves with their own workforce, 34 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:19,839 Speaker 1: and some really high profile programs that set the right 35 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: tone in this time of need. We're gonna dig into 36 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: all this impressive response as well and how they managed 37 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: to do it and how their culture and strategies had 38 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:34,359 Speaker 1: them so well prepared. But first, hi Hans, and welcome Hans. 39 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: Let me tell folks a little bit about you before 40 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: we get started. Hans grew up in a small city 41 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: in Sweden's east coast. His dad was a police officer, 42 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:44,640 Speaker 1: his mom worked at the Swedish tax agency. His older 43 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 1: brother even became a police officer as well. In Stockholm, 44 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: Hans has been collecting watches, began that as a teenager 45 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: and was a serious handball player. He even took time 46 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 1: off from college to pay the handball full time. He 47 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: worked as a nightclub janitor and eventually managed the club. 48 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: He started as an accountant, but moved into management at 49 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: Ericson literally around the world. China, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico 50 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: were among the stops. He rose to be the CEO 51 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: of Ericson. He joined Verizon is CTO and became CEO 52 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,520 Speaker 1: in two thousand eighteen. He is a man who makes 53 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: it a point to do good. In between Ericsson and Verizon, 54 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,640 Speaker 1: he worked for the UN and other nonprofit efforts, and 55 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: today he makes sure his company has a higher purpose 56 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: than just its profits. We're doing this interview not in 57 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: our studios, but from home via our phones and in 58 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: my case Verizon, Hans. We always get started a math 59 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: and magic with a U in sixty seconds opening, So 60 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 1: here we go. You ready, do you prefer early Riser 61 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: or night Owl, Stockholm or New York, Sonna Lucia or 62 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: Midsummer Sure, fantastic running or skiing? Oh that's so hard? 63 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: Beat your mountains, mountain handball or business hand Instagram or Twitter, 64 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: Apple or Android both call or text? Cool coffee or tea, 65 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: pizza or tacos, tackles, Volvo or sob, cats or dogs, 66 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: Lady Gaga or rock set. It's about to get harder. 67 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: You're ready, smartest person you know a lot of people 68 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: who working or extreme as mark, childhood hero, favorite dish 69 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: to cook, favorite place you've lived, favorite food from your childhood, 70 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: favorite beverage, non alcoholic deal. Finally, which language do you 71 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 1: dream in? Okay, let's jump in. The first time I 72 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: was introduced to you was at the Global Citizen Festival 73 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:58,919 Speaker 1: in Central Park. You just come off stage and I 74 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: remember thinking of mysel of this is not who I 75 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 1: would expect to be the CEO of Horizon. You were 76 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: the opposite of Stagy, and to that point, you've begun 77 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: this dramatic transformation of Horizon, certainly making it not stodgy. 78 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: Was that a defining plan or was that a reflection 79 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: of who you are? I think it was both as 80 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:21,159 Speaker 1: I can in to Horiz and I spent a lot 81 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,719 Speaker 1: of time to meet the managers, autory, customers. I actually 82 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 1: did almost two on the sixty introduce one on one 83 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:31,599 Speaker 1: with the key directors at the company. One of the 84 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 1: thoughts I had, of course, was to see that we 85 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: introduced the fur stakeholder in all our strategy, meaning employees, shareholders, 86 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:42,479 Speaker 1: customers and society and everything we do. That was not 87 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,479 Speaker 1: a difficult introductional best tractory in many of the managers 88 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:48,840 Speaker 1: and leaders over ries and thought that was absolutely the 89 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: right way to do with it. So it was a 90 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 1: plan that I had from the beginning, but I bounced 91 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 1: around the hundreds of people to see that I had 92 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: the support for doing it. What are your key corporate 93 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: values and have you you them to create this new 94 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: vital entrepreneurial culture Verizon. When you come into a company 95 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: where you've never worked before and no history, you need 96 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 1: to create a framework. So the framework I created was 97 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,159 Speaker 1: what do you want to preserve, what do you want 98 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:17,039 Speaker 1: to strengthen, and what you want to excel and fortify. 99 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: So of course there was a lot of things. We 100 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,479 Speaker 1: want to preserve a lot of our core values in 101 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:25,280 Speaker 1: the company, revirise the vocational crisis. We think of each other, 102 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: respected each other, and also operational excellence. All those fantastic 103 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 1: things we want to preshare in our culture, but there 104 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: were things we want to be changed because times are changing. 105 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: So that was the framework I set up for the 106 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 1: organization to work through in order to create the new 107 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: factory and the new purpose and where we're going. So 108 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:47,279 Speaker 1: how did these values and this new culture prepare the 109 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: company to respond as COVID nineteen pandemic horizon. Unfortunately, have 110 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: a lot of the crisis management the last three years 111 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 1: I've been in the company. I'm not sure how many 112 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 1: natural disasters we've already had with the hurricanes, with tornadoes 113 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 1: and the devastation, and we always need the right of 114 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:08,279 Speaker 1: education because the network has to come up. So we 115 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: have already a set model for how we're working crisis. 116 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: Right now on COVID nineteen, we're on the highest level 117 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 1: of the crisis, meaning that we need every morning between 118 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: eight and nine with the crisis management team. We take 119 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: all the decisions on the crisis based on the lost 120 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:26,119 Speaker 1: twenty four hours, on facts we get some more around 121 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 1: the world and on different constituencies. So that's how we 122 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 1: work for the lost five weeks. Here are you getting 123 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: to sleep at all? As I get sleep? You know, 124 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: even I need to recover. My work, of course, is 125 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: to give energy and brings warrants to customers, employees and 126 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 1: the financial market. Ultimately, my job is to give that 127 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 1: empowerment and that energy to an organization that are working 128 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 1: extremely hall in these times. What percentage your workforce is 129 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 1: working from home? Now? The hundred thirty five thousand empolies, 130 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: hundred fifteen thousand people are working from home and we 131 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: have converted almost thirty thousand employees work that they were 132 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: doing in the field to do it from home. So 133 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 1: we have retrained them for other tasks. So an enormous 134 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 1: transformation of a company. But we also need to understand 135 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: the balance here because we still have some twenty thousand 136 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: people being in the field and maintaining network, upgrading networks 137 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 1: as well as we have to the central storesh open 138 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 1: to critical maintenance of equipment or supply because this country 139 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:33,439 Speaker 1: relies on the connectivity. Without connectivity, a lot of those 140 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:35,560 Speaker 1: things which are the most critical in the country wouldn't 141 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: work today. Let me jump to sort of you and 142 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 1: how you did this. You didn't grow up a Verizon, 143 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: and more important, you didn't grow up in the US 144 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:47,319 Speaker 1: and English was not even your first language. So how 145 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:50,560 Speaker 1: has it played to your favor to be an outsider. 146 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: I have lived in six or seven different countries that 147 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: have learned to operate in more five different languages. I 148 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: have worked on a leadership style which is called adoptive leadership, 149 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: meaning that I still have my core values, but I 150 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 1: also need to adapt on the environment around me. But ultimately, 151 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:11,720 Speaker 1: with my position today, I need to spend time on 152 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 1: the future, how to move the company forward and doing 153 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 1: that every day. Leadership is a profession. You can be 154 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: an excellent accountant or engineer, or technician or a market 155 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 1: here and you spend times to fortify every day. You 156 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 1: need to be the same as a leader. So in 157 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:32,079 Speaker 1: addition to the leadership, you had a successful career Ericson 158 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 1: before Horizon, and you were the CTO of Horizon before 159 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: becoming CEO. How do you think about technology and where 160 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: it fits in the hierarchy of needs and priorities at Verizon. 161 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 1: I spent also a lot of time with the United 162 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 1: Nations some ten fifteen years back. I learned very early 163 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:52,480 Speaker 1: on that if you get connected, you're actually part of 164 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 1: our society. And and then I engage in the millennium 165 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:58,680 Speaker 1: development goals. I learned that the mobilit with the broad 166 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: and addictional or all important to see that every one 167 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 1: on these planet had the same chance. So Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, 168 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: all stress technology. How is your use of technology different 169 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: from theirs? We are in different places. I would be 170 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 1: in mobility in road bent and they would be in 171 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 1: the cloud. That combination can actually make remote healthcare pifficut information. 172 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:25,680 Speaker 1: I think that combination is the twenty one centers infrastructure 173 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: on people can actually access it to price or efficient 174 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 1: cost point. So three big telcos in the US, but 175 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 1: all with a different plan. How would you articulate the 176 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:39,599 Speaker 1: differences in your strategy from the others? Our start that 177 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 1: is based on a networking service. We believe we have 178 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:46,680 Speaker 1: the best network from by many third parties measurements. Not 179 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: only that, we think we have the best distribution. You 180 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:52,719 Speaker 1: have the multi consumers who have the n on the 181 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:55,719 Speaker 1: Fortune five enterprises that were served. We have small and 182 00:10:55,760 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: needium enterprise for government and federal organizations. So I would 183 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 1: a distribution network and our ground and on top of that, 184 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:06,719 Speaker 1: we've been portorships so we will supportorship. For example, well 185 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:09,559 Speaker 1: have exclusive with this class which is very well known, 186 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 1: with the music which is exclusive. We just made one 187 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:16,280 Speaker 1: to where we do five G mobile edge cloud computing 188 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 1: with Amazon, which is exclusive. So we see that we 189 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 1: come with our assets and we really double down on 190 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: those assets and then we together with partners, deliver new 191 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 1: experience and new solutions. That has been our threatening and 192 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,440 Speaker 1: that's very defense on our competitors. So this podcast looks 193 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:35,959 Speaker 1: at the world and business to the prison of marketing. 194 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 1: You've got a team of amazing marketers and Hoverizon, and 195 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 1: you talked about the size of the organization. For an 196 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: organization of your size, it's pretty amazing. You seem to 197 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 1: be able to get everyone pulling together in the same direction. 198 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 1: How do you get product advertising, customer service, retail stores 199 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 1: all aligne so well. So we've created something called cultural operatings. 200 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 1: You sum very early on when I can, and the 201 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 1: culture operating system has four different killers. One is the 202 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 1: purpose of the company, one is the external values, the 203 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 1: third one is the internal values are called values, and 204 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:16,079 Speaker 1: then our leadership philosophies. We decided that everyone inside the 205 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 1: Rising is operating under that operating culture system. Regardless if 206 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: there is my great technicians actually work in the streets 207 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 1: of New York, or my journalists that having them posts. 208 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:30,320 Speaker 1: All are operating on these core beliefs. When you see 209 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 1: our marketing, our sternal values is trust and innovation, and 210 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 1: that doesn't matter where you work in organization, which country, 211 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 1: on which product. We have many brands and many different products, 212 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: but we decided we need the same look and feel 213 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 1: regardless how you touch the right on as an enterprise customer, 214 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 1: consumer or international customer in Europe, or if it's an 215 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 1: Internet customer touching you, who shouldn't be a different for us, 216 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:00,680 Speaker 1: that operating culture system was a very important piece. Lastly, 217 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 1: were trained over twenty five thousand leaders and employes in 218 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: this model, and this year we're planning to train all 219 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:09,199 Speaker 1: the emplice of the company in this system. So what 220 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: kind of pushback did you get from trying to pull 221 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 1: the organization together like that? You always get pushed back. 222 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 1: The tostest thing is that when you have such a 223 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:20,079 Speaker 1: law organization, when hundred thirty five thousand and please as 224 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:21,959 Speaker 1: we have and and spread a post the globe. This 225 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:25,520 Speaker 1: of course we reached each and every one in the organization. 226 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,679 Speaker 1: So what we did very early on. We started unsure 227 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:32,840 Speaker 1: the pause in the organization quarterly. The first poll server 228 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 1: we main in or in station fifty then please responded 229 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: and the reason was that not that to believe that 230 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:39,839 Speaker 1: would do something with it. The last one we did. 231 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: Whether we're almost ninety per cent of our last responding 232 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 1: to the eight percenter thing. So we see that we 233 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: get a response from it. Because it's a two way 234 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: street with the employees and the leaders. The leaders need 235 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 1: take the responsibility, but the emplease need to get feedback. 236 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:58,440 Speaker 1: As you are entering this work from home environment, have 237 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:02,560 Speaker 1: you seen productivity go down so far? I think that 238 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: the first week will lost a little bit because many 239 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:07,400 Speaker 1: people employees tried to set up the home office. A 240 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:09,559 Speaker 1: lot of things are happening at home, and if you're 241 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: a parent, you know the scene and we're home and said, 242 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:13,840 Speaker 1: but of course in the beginning it was a little 243 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 1: bit dunker. But I would say, right now we see 244 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 1: a really good output from our organization. In some cases 245 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: actually increased our efficiency. We have innovated these services right now. 246 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: For example, our feed technicians are not going into homes 247 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: to installed the broad man, but we innovated right now. 248 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 1: So we can actually do. It's not going into the home. 249 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 1: We have done and told a new way in our 250 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:38,200 Speaker 1: retail stores how we can serve with sources of distancing. 251 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 1: So you also see innovation that is creating more productivity. 252 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:45,160 Speaker 1: And on top of that, Beast is such an unheard 253 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:48,960 Speaker 1: time as we decided that every noon at twelve o'clock 254 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 1: we have webcasts for all our employees for thirty minutes. 255 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:56,200 Speaker 1: We talked about everything somewhere between from what the sixty 256 00:14:56,360 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 1: thousand our employees attending that webcast. Do you think it's 257 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: going to change the way you work when you come 258 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 1: out of this. Have you learned something about working that 259 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 1: will become permanent? Yes? I think so whatever we can 260 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 1: call a new normal, it will be something different. It 261 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 1: depends how long and how deep this impact will be, 262 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:19,760 Speaker 1: but it clearly we want to see new patterns. We 263 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 1: have divided into three steps. You have one step, which 264 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: is the needest crisis that we're facing right now. Then 265 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 1: you have a facing between when you start coming back, 266 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: and then you have the new normal. I think the 267 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 1: longer we're gonna hang on phase one and two, the 268 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 1: more impacts you want to have on phase three. But 269 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 1: I think that more online ordering. Things like have being 270 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 1: convenience right now that wasn't convenient before. Those types of 271 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 1: things will change forever. I also think that the workforce 272 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 1: wee think different working from home. We as employers need 273 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 1: to think about how do we be with that in 274 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:57,120 Speaker 1: the future. Before COVID nineteen, Verizon, through its marketing, it 275 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,800 Speaker 1: already done a great job of highlighting its tie to 276 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 1: first responders, and then this big thing hits. How did 277 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: you deliver that promise? We had already commitments, as I said, 278 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 1: to the first responders and seeing that they have priority network. 279 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: We have been in so many of these crisis because 280 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: of natural disasters. So for astro ramp is up quickly 281 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 1: and to see that we support the multi vulnerable in 282 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:25,680 Speaker 1: our society. We took positions not only for first responders 283 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 1: and hospitals, but small and medium businesses and the residential 284 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: rule band users. We increase the data for the meter, 285 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:39,239 Speaker 1: the wireless customers. So all came fairly naturally in the process. 286 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:42,080 Speaker 1: As you have prepared yourself for this type of things, 287 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: as long as you're have an agenda where you think 288 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:47,880 Speaker 1: about the customers and the network, you think about our emplaes, 289 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 1: and you think what you do in society, you see 290 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 1: that you get the balance in your decision making every day. 291 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 1: It's a time when you don't have a playbook. Many 292 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:58,560 Speaker 1: people say that the crisis before your telecom crisis or 293 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:01,840 Speaker 1: banking crisis, but you can have compared to this, this 294 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 1: is a personal health which nobody ever has been chasing before. 295 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 1: So it's so many new decisions and so many new 296 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:11,040 Speaker 1: things you need to think about every day. So you 297 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: don't have a taybook. You really need to have a 298 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:16,199 Speaker 1: great team with a look of diversity or thoughts in 299 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:18,480 Speaker 1: it even want to take the right decisions every day. 300 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 1: You know, in our business we respond to disasters, were 301 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 1: on the front lines getting communications to people, but it's 302 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:29,439 Speaker 1: almost always a tornado hits a town, flood, hurricane. But 303 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:32,439 Speaker 1: to have it all across the country at one time, 304 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 1: would your response strategy and your team set up so 305 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:38,399 Speaker 1: that you could do it everywhere or was it an 306 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 1: idea that you were really going to be hitting different 307 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:42,639 Speaker 1: parts at different times, that you were never going to 308 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 1: have this kind of load nationwide. So it was planned 309 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:49,280 Speaker 1: like that, even though it those enormous numbers that you 310 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:52,399 Speaker 1: alluded to in the beginning, with growth and basically every 311 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 1: application and in different places. The network was built for that. 312 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 1: It was built the best. We spent the keen seventeen 313 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:02,640 Speaker 1: to eighteen billion uars dollars a year on the network 314 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 1: beginning of the Corona virus. When that's started, we decided 315 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 1: to increase our capital expended church but this year seventeen 316 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:12,920 Speaker 1: point five billion uars dollar to eighteen point five billion 317 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 1: US told us because we wanted to be sure that 318 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 1: we continue to have a super about network, because this 319 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: has to work. But we also thought it was a 320 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,399 Speaker 1: good idea. I must stay as an outsider looking in. 321 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 1: It's very impressive. You've got a great marketing team and 322 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 1: a great CMO, and you've always been on top of 323 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:33,480 Speaker 1: issues of importance to your consumer base, and now you've 324 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 1: got one pay it forward designed to raise money in 325 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:38,680 Speaker 1: this time of need and create a strong sense of community. 326 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:40,879 Speaker 1: How did that come about? And how did that happen 327 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 1: so quickly? When we sit down every morning then and 328 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 1: think about what we stand for, how we keep up 329 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:49,400 Speaker 1: the network. Very early on we talked about the small 330 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 1: and medium businesses that work shout down the course of 331 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 1: the pandemic and how I'm gonna support that of course, 332 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:57,199 Speaker 1: the first one we thought about, let's wave aar our 333 00:18:57,240 --> 00:18:59,960 Speaker 1: fees and don't disconnect anyone. But we said that why 334 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:02,680 Speaker 1: don't do around even more? And then our marketing team 335 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:05,640 Speaker 1: together where a business team, decided to something called pay 336 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:08,320 Speaker 1: it forward, paying for the three of your small and 337 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:11,359 Speaker 1: local businesses that you like and see that you're supporting 338 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:13,679 Speaker 1: them with a gift card or your order home or 339 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 1: something like that. And we did that by having some 340 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 1: short of entertainment every Tuesday and Thursday. The last none 341 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: we had was viewed by four point three million people live. 342 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:28,480 Speaker 1: The amountain small businesses being included in it and being 343 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:30,960 Speaker 1: paid forward is just in Women's We do it on 344 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,679 Speaker 1: every platform we can think about, and now we're getting 345 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 1: more partners saying hey, we want to join. We bring 346 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:38,480 Speaker 1: our stand base, so we bring our customer base to 347 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:41,240 Speaker 1: it as well. So this is growing. But again it's 348 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:44,199 Speaker 1: based on our core values. It's based on our operating 349 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:47,399 Speaker 1: culture system. Do you build these through some kind of 350 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:51,560 Speaker 1: regular brainstorming sessions during a crisis like this? I said, 351 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:54,320 Speaker 1: we meet every morning between eight and nine and we 352 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:57,159 Speaker 1: talk through these type of things, and we take several 353 00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:59,879 Speaker 1: decisions every morning on how to do this, but it's 354 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,920 Speaker 1: not only on doing right for societies, also setting up 355 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:05,040 Speaker 1: on the new safety ruts. How do we work from home? 356 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 1: What do we do for our customers? What network issues 357 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:11,399 Speaker 1: do we have? Then our crisis management team basically go 358 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,120 Speaker 1: away and work without and the rest of my leadership 359 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:16,719 Speaker 1: team they work. This is USU. We don't know how 360 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:19,560 Speaker 1: long this will go and an extreme important these times 361 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:22,720 Speaker 1: that you continue to have this as users and drive 362 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:27,680 Speaker 1: the company forward. Just hold on a second because we've 363 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 1: got so much more to talk about. We'll be back 364 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 1: after a quick break. Welcome back to Math and Magic 365 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:41,720 Speaker 1: plus jump to five G. You've called it the fourth 366 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:45,040 Speaker 1: Industrial Revolution. Can you talk about what you talk about? 367 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 1: The two currencies of four G and the eight currencies 368 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 1: of five G. I've been part of the five evolutions 369 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 1: since two thousand and nine where the sharest thoughts were 370 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:58,640 Speaker 1: coming out, and the first took was that, hey, all 371 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:02,879 Speaker 1: wireless technologies have been then to put as a two currencies, 372 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:05,200 Speaker 1: meaning you took your phone and you spoken it and 373 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:08,920 Speaker 1: ultimately today for your phone you can actually stream Netflix 374 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,359 Speaker 1: or anything on it. When the thoughts came up on 375 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,119 Speaker 1: five G was that, hey, how do we do this 376 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:18,280 Speaker 1: as a huge impact for our society for industries that 377 00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: they can use the wine has to transform their businesses. 378 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:24,560 Speaker 1: And thereby we came up with eight capabilities. We call 379 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 1: them the eight currencies, so that's much more than two. 380 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:31,919 Speaker 1: Put the speed, there's also extremely low latency. It's better lifetime. 381 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 1: It's how quickly you can have a new service, or 382 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:37,920 Speaker 1: it could actually be at what speed can you keep 383 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,679 Speaker 1: the signing up? Just an example one of the currencies 384 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:44,360 Speaker 1: is that in five D you can carry the mobile 385 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 1: signal up to five kilometers per hour. There's no car 386 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:51,240 Speaker 1: that we're gonna run five higher tax per hour, but 387 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:54,280 Speaker 1: it's gonna be grounds going like that high speed trains. 388 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:56,440 Speaker 1: And if you want the signal to keep up, you 389 00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:58,520 Speaker 1: need the five designate because the FOD to sign that 390 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:02,000 Speaker 1: would probably only cover you up to two limits per hour. 391 00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:05,199 Speaker 1: After that you have more connections. So a lot of 392 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 1: the things thought through are for that. And of course 393 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:11,239 Speaker 1: latency is one of the most critical when you use 394 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: cloud the infrastructure, meaning how long it takes the pin 395 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 1: to database or to the Internet and combat and we 396 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:20,920 Speaker 1: are not designing our five the network fively mobile edge 397 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,960 Speaker 1: compute with ladies and down to ten fifty millia seconds 398 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:28,720 Speaker 1: and in the FOD network is handling maybe, so suddenly 399 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:31,679 Speaker 1: you can actually be processing things at the edge of 400 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: the network which you could never have done before. So 401 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:39,040 Speaker 1: that's the eight currencies compared to previous gs. As we said, 402 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 1: you've been early, as you pointed out on five G, 403 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:44,199 Speaker 1: and you invest a lot of money, how are you 404 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:48,119 Speaker 1: reordering the priorities of horizon to drive five G hard 405 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:52,240 Speaker 1: and fast. One of the earliest decisions we did together 406 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: when I can be with did one network. So we 407 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:58,959 Speaker 1: have one network called the Varion Intelligent Edge Network. You 408 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:01,639 Speaker 1: can think about the same. From the datasember to the 409 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: edge of the network, everything is common, all the equipment 410 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:08,120 Speaker 1: is common. Then at the edge you decide what type 411 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 1: of access you have. You can have a fiber to 412 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:13,040 Speaker 1: the home, you can four G, you can five you 413 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:17,919 Speaker 1: three D or any other connectivity. That was fundamental because 414 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:21,400 Speaker 1: that means that we can actually build a network, and 415 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 1: then we do the decisions at the edge on the 416 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:28,119 Speaker 1: different top of use cases were creating for five Y 417 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 1: for example. So that's how we're organized, and then we 418 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:35,360 Speaker 1: have also organized all our governors according to that. So 419 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:37,879 Speaker 1: let me take a little pause from today and go 420 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:40,479 Speaker 1: back in time to get a context on you. You 421 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:43,240 Speaker 1: grew up on the east coast of Sweden, and that's 422 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:46,359 Speaker 1: pretty far from cosmopolitan Stockholm. How would you paint the 423 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:50,800 Speaker 1: picture of life then when you're growing up very small city, 424 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:54,560 Speaker 1: everybody knew each other. I saw there was police officer. 425 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:58,280 Speaker 1: My grandfather was a police officer. My mother has worked 426 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:02,359 Speaker 1: at i RS all my life. I had only one goal, 427 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 1: and that was to be great in sports. My father 428 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:09,199 Speaker 1: supported me. He was my team handle coach from I 429 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 1: was five years old until I was twenty two. He 430 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: followed me in that way. So I spent all my 431 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:17,800 Speaker 1: time thinking about how to be vetter in sports. But 432 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:20,880 Speaker 1: then I saw that somewhat the more dright to call 433 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:24,480 Speaker 1: here in business than in sports. Your parents both worked 434 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:26,920 Speaker 1: for the government, and here you are making your mark 435 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:29,600 Speaker 1: in private business, obviously in a big way as a capitalist. 436 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: How did your path diverge so much from your parents? 437 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:35,200 Speaker 1: And how are you so comfortable in this new life. 438 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 1: Of course I had my ideas to be a police 439 00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:41,119 Speaker 1: officer as well. My brother was a police officer, but 440 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:44,440 Speaker 1: his whole family as well, So the whole family we 441 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:48,040 Speaker 1: have been public sergents. It just was coincidents, and I 442 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:50,840 Speaker 1: actually took a gap year in the middle of my university. 443 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:54,320 Speaker 1: Saw this because I wanted to really go hard for 444 00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 1: a team handle, but as I had so much energy, 445 00:24:57,480 --> 00:24:59,880 Speaker 1: I asked the team, maybe you can fix a job 446 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,399 Speaker 1: in the morning from this has something to do and 447 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:04,400 Speaker 1: they asked me where do you want to work? I said, 448 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 1: I want to work at Orion. They helped to get 449 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 1: some sort of internship in the morning, said Erickson, I'd 450 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: like to be around in these type of environments. And 451 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:16,119 Speaker 1: one thing led to another, and some years later I 452 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:19,639 Speaker 1: went to China and my first international assignment, and I 453 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 1: basically I had never left Sweden without my parents the 454 00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:25,439 Speaker 1: first time I went to China. How old were you 455 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:29,720 Speaker 1: when you went to China? Twenty five? Because I played 456 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:31,960 Speaker 1: handle as long as I could that then when I 457 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,280 Speaker 1: saw that I could really make it, I was probably 458 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 1: twenty five twenty six and I went to China. I 459 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 1: stayed there for six to nine months in the early nineties, 460 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 1: and then came back and then I went to Argentine 461 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:47,359 Speaker 1: and then up to Besta nextel. So it was a 462 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 1: long journey with many different counties over ten sixty years. 463 00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:53,399 Speaker 1: Did you know the languages before you went to the 464 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:55,080 Speaker 1: countries or do you just have an ear for picking 465 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 1: up languages. I didn't know the languages when I came there, 466 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:00,560 Speaker 1: and I don't have any ear for when I picked 467 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: him up. I operated in Spanish countries and I operated 468 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,120 Speaker 1: in Portuguese when I lived in the c I never 469 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 1: picked up Chinese. I tried, actually, but I didn't, but 470 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:12,920 Speaker 1: the public and Spanish would be fluent. So if you 471 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 1: got in the business, what do you think handball taught 472 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:19,440 Speaker 1: you about business? And all is the European now a 473 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:22,720 Speaker 1: globals war. And as a team sports, I learned that 474 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 1: I was an important team player. I could be captain 475 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:28,919 Speaker 1: for the team. I could support the team members in 476 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:32,600 Speaker 1: different times if it was a tough game or something 477 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 1: I knew the guys left on me. If I screened 478 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:37,919 Speaker 1: a lot of on him, he would play better. The 479 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,120 Speaker 1: guy to the right of a screamed the bottle on him, 480 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:42,160 Speaker 1: he would played worse. You know. So it was more 481 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: about me stop learning, And I think that's where I 482 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:48,440 Speaker 1: grew up adactive leadership team my thinking. When I became 483 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 1: a leader, you had this long career ericson, you were 484 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:54,960 Speaker 1: working your way up at what point did you begin 485 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 1: to think you might have a shot at being the CEO. 486 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:01,359 Speaker 1: I worked and eight years, so there is so I 487 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:04,199 Speaker 1: was in the Excite the board in thousand and three. 488 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:06,040 Speaker 1: I was a little bit a wit for what I 489 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:09,399 Speaker 1: guess was. I was around in the executive environment and 490 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:12,159 Speaker 1: the board for quite a long time. So but it 491 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 1: was never a land or a dog. And I wanted 492 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 1: to do more. I like to do more and embrace 493 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: more things. And when it came naturally that one day 494 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:21,880 Speaker 1: they asked it to be the CEO. When I left, 495 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:24,240 Speaker 1: there is something I said also that I've done everything 496 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:26,680 Speaker 1: I granted. Now I want to work with the U 497 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:29,440 Speaker 1: n Offer Shaman of the Swedish or Lived To Committee, 498 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:31,760 Speaker 1: and I wanted to give back to those two nonprofit 499 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:35,520 Speaker 1: or unizations. But when Rison came and asked, and I 500 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 1: knew that five D was now came on the door 501 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 1: and actually be able to be part of the journey 502 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:43,640 Speaker 1: to launch five V. We were first in the world 503 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:46,560 Speaker 1: with the ID home, which is one solution. We were 504 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 1: the first in the US with a five D mobility 505 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:52,399 Speaker 1: and a smartphone on f D, and we mos first 506 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:55,320 Speaker 1: in the world beside the mobile edge compute. So for me. 507 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:58,040 Speaker 1: That has been a journey to the portal that was 508 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: too big to me. A at Ericson your market again. 509 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:04,560 Speaker 1: With transformation, you moved the company from handsets to network 510 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:08,359 Speaker 1: infrastructure and jumped into five G I think, and the 511 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:11,400 Speaker 1: company now provides about a third of the world's infrastructure 512 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:14,119 Speaker 1: for two G, three G, four G. So it worked. 513 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,240 Speaker 1: That's pretty bold step to transform a company that much. 514 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:20,199 Speaker 1: Why did you do it? What did you see? I 515 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:23,400 Speaker 1: come into work every day and I think about, okay today, 516 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 1: I finally going to do something great, and I have 517 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 1: that Comican sports your constant, you pushing yourself, and I 518 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:32,359 Speaker 1: think it comes from that that you want to do 519 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:35,679 Speaker 1: better for all the stakeholders every day and that you 520 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:37,399 Speaker 1: need to push yourself. And I think that was the 521 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:39,600 Speaker 1: same in Ericson and the same arising for me. It's 522 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,480 Speaker 1: all different. It's just how I was brought up. I 523 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:44,880 Speaker 1: don't think I can do it in another way. Before 524 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 1: we leave Ericson, one more question. I think you were 525 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:50,680 Speaker 1: the first person to have the company was not an engineer. 526 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 1: How did that give you a different focus as CEO? 527 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:58,400 Speaker 1: Everyone has different competencies. I was an accountant and I 528 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,760 Speaker 1: wanted of course, then have good technicians around me. If 529 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 1: you know yourself good enough, you know what you're good 530 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:06,120 Speaker 1: at and what you're bad at, and then you formulate 531 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:08,600 Speaker 1: a team around it and don't support you. So it's 532 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 1: no different than I'm more for their first non American 533 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 1: rounding Verizon. I don't think it's a big issue. We 534 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 1: should be confidable in us having people that are diverse 535 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:19,440 Speaker 1: at you, that is better and smarter than you, and 536 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 1: then your your best to lead them and empower them. 537 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 1: You have an incredibly stressful, long hour job. How do 538 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:30,720 Speaker 1: you think about balancing the family needs with the pressures 539 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:34,520 Speaker 1: of your work schedule, life family balance. I have spread 540 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 1: seat how I spend every working hour in order to 541 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:39,680 Speaker 1: see that I spend my time on the right things. 542 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 1: When I do this this and do with forecasting advance, 543 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:44,960 Speaker 1: I actually see that I spend off time that I 544 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:47,120 Speaker 1: know that I'm going to be with my family. The 545 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:50,640 Speaker 1: same goes for my own life balance and tailing measure 546 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 1: every time and exercising because I need to keep that 547 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:58,040 Speaker 1: up because that's my way to getting energy. So for me, 548 00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:00,640 Speaker 1: it's all about structure. If I have start trying, know 549 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 1: that I'm going to add the right time for the 550 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:06,719 Speaker 1: different individuals for my business, for my family, and myself development. 551 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 1: And that's how I do it. If you could, what 552 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:12,120 Speaker 1: advice would you give your twenty one year old self 553 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:16,480 Speaker 1: that was so ambitious when I was at that age, 554 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:19,440 Speaker 1: so I didn't see people around me. Probably I would 555 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:22,520 Speaker 1: give an advice to take a little bit slower listening 556 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:24,960 Speaker 1: to people around you. You've done a lot of good 557 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:27,479 Speaker 1: right now through this crisis, and you're still doing it. 558 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 1: We're not through it, and as you point out, we're 559 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:32,200 Speaker 1: not sure what the lasting impact of it's going to be. 560 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:35,280 Speaker 1: But what have you learned about your company and it's 561 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:38,360 Speaker 1: people as a result of this crisis. I learned that 562 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:42,120 Speaker 1: the company has a very strong culture, a very big 563 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:46,240 Speaker 1: desire to do good and actually go the extra to 564 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 1: support customers and ready to pain the hours and the 565 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:53,080 Speaker 1: resources and the efforts to do it. And I knew 566 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:56,120 Speaker 1: it before, but when you see this type of crisis, 567 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,560 Speaker 1: you see people an organization. Rice, and I have to say, 568 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,880 Speaker 1: I'm really proud of the place of Verizon raising in 569 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:05,560 Speaker 1: this occasion and doing the right things that you're supposed 570 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 1: to do when you're a company of our size and 571 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:10,160 Speaker 1: the importance that we are playing in the society. How 572 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:13,480 Speaker 1: do you see the Verizon brand, what it should mean 573 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,160 Speaker 1: to the consumer and how far along you are in 574 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:18,240 Speaker 1: that journey of making sure it's where you want it 575 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:21,240 Speaker 1: to be. People have come some way, but we're not fitness. 576 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:24,280 Speaker 1: We won't, of course, be known as being a trust 577 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:26,840 Speaker 1: departments to trust our networks, to trust what we're doing. 578 00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:30,320 Speaker 1: You should trust us. That's so important in today's work, 579 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:33,240 Speaker 1: and others were innovative. We're coming in new solutions that 580 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: you can live when work differently if you're an enterprise 581 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:38,920 Speaker 1: or if you're an Internet customer to us, or if 582 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:41,240 Speaker 1: you're consumer. We are an a journey on that. We 583 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: have come quite far because we have been very consistent 584 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:46,120 Speaker 1: what we want to do, what we are more to do, 585 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:48,960 Speaker 1: and I think that when five de comes it would 586 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 1: be another opportunity for us to prove the trust and 587 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 1: innovation really matters to our customers. We end each episode 588 00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:58,640 Speaker 1: a Mathew Magic with a shout out to both court 589 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:02,080 Speaker 1: disciplines of marketing and business is the analytics and the creativity. 590 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:04,400 Speaker 1: You've seen a lot, You've seen it around the world. 591 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:06,960 Speaker 1: Who would you give the nod to as the best 592 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,520 Speaker 1: person you know of on the analytic side, the math 593 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:15,720 Speaker 1: person meeting and local technicians that have been forward the fire, 594 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:19,640 Speaker 1: stretching the surface and understand how complex it is that 595 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 1: you can have the mobile phone in your hand and 596 00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:27,080 Speaker 1: sending in the air ways. They that's the real heroes 597 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:29,880 Speaker 1: in my word, that they were able to transform this 598 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:33,880 Speaker 1: to wireless industry. And there's no names that are hundreds 599 00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:37,080 Speaker 1: of people that have done enormous work will take the category. 600 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:40,880 Speaker 1: So on the creative side, who's the magician? But my 601 00:32:41,040 --> 00:32:43,560 Speaker 1: marking seems they have shown many things that I didn't 602 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 1: know about. Nothing that the motoring team overris and has 603 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:49,360 Speaker 1: done a great hens. The work you're doing today to 604 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:51,800 Speaker 1: help us all through this crisis is inspiring and I 605 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:54,840 Speaker 1: must say appreciated by us all. And the work you're 606 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:59,200 Speaker 1: doing the transformed Verizon is nothing short of brilliant. Congratulations 607 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:01,880 Speaker 1: and thanks for Joe in us today. Thank you very much. 608 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:05,560 Speaker 1: Here are a few things I've picked up in my 609 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:09,480 Speaker 1: conversation with Hans One. As Hans says, leadership is a 610 00:33:09,520 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: profession just like engineers are marketers. Good leaders need training 611 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:17,160 Speaker 1: and support to excel at their jobs to be ready 612 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:20,960 Speaker 1: for a crisis. Even though this pandemic is unprecedented. Verizon 613 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:23,440 Speaker 1: has been able to handle the extreme pressure on its 614 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:26,680 Speaker 1: network because it had a flexible plan and an experienced 615 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:32,040 Speaker 1: crisis management team. Three. Maintain your assets and invest in innovation. 616 00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:35,320 Speaker 1: Verizon puts a tremendous amount of effort into supporting its 617 00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:39,080 Speaker 1: existing network, but with five G Verizon is also investing 618 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:42,680 Speaker 1: in the company's future. This two pronged strategy gives a 619 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:47,880 Speaker 1: Verizon an impressive competitive advantage. For Listen to your employees. 620 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:50,880 Speaker 1: When you have an organization as large as Verizon, you 621 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:53,840 Speaker 1: need consistent ways to hear from your employees and what's 622 00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 1: working and what's not working. For Hans, it helps to 623 00:33:57,360 --> 00:34:01,160 Speaker 1: maintain the best parts of Verizon's culture while continuing to 624 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:06,080 Speaker 1: push the company forward. Thanks for listening. I'm Bob Pittman. 625 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:18,440 Speaker 1: That's it for today's episode. Thanks so much for listening 626 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:20,960 Speaker 1: to Math and Magic, a production of I Heart Radio. 627 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:24,120 Speaker 1: This show is hosted by Bob Pittman. Special thanks to 628 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:27,200 Speaker 1: Sue Schillinger for booking and wrangling our wonderful talent, which 629 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:31,120 Speaker 1: is no small feat Nikkiatre for pulling research bill plaques, 630 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:34,560 Speaker 1: and Michael Asar for their recording help, our editor Ryan Murdoch, 631 00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:38,279 Speaker 1: and of course Gayle Raoul, Eric Angel, Noel Mango, and 632 00:34:38,360 --> 00:34:41,400 Speaker 1: everyone who helped bring this show to your ears. Until 633 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:41,919 Speaker 1: next time,