Creating a culture of innovation

Mark Hetherington (Market Development Manager, Leyton UK) In an ever-evolving sector such as broadcast and media technology, innovation is key to creating first mover advantage and developing a strong market position. Leyton as an innovation consultancy was set-up over 20 years ago, and over that time has gained experience in most sectors of science, technology, engineering and software. As a business, Leyton was originally French based but now has a presence in 10 countries throughout Europe as well as USA and Canada. The culture in the different business locations may be different, but the underlying need to create a culture of innovation and an openness to change and transformation within a business is a recurring theme. Creating a culture of innovation amongst the workforce and developing new, innovative solutions enables businesses to identify opportunities in their markets, exploit niches, find more effective and efficient ways of operating or simply create business improvements. This means being in a position to be a step ahead of other companies and more able to adapt to your clients’ needs. The problem with harbouring an innovation culture and progressive environment is that it can tie up extensive amounts of company resources in people, time and...

Being Sold to

Richard Friedel, executive vice president of Fox Networks Engineering & Operations, Richard Friedel discusses how he keeps up with emerging technologies and shares his tips for getting through his door and making a successful sales pitch. Many of the innovations to come from the IT side today – as increasingly do competitors such as Amazon, Google and Netflix. Richard Friedel, executive vice president and general manager of Fox Networks Engineering & Operations, joined Fox more than 20 years ago following a stint at ABC and prior to that, at Washington NBC affiliate, WRC-TV - his first professional television job. Over those years, he has seen remarkable advances in technology – and been on the receiving end of countless sales pitches from hopeful vendors. We caught up with Richard in mid-March to discover how he keeps abreast of emerging technologies and get his tips for getting through his door and making a successful sales pitch. How do sales people get through to you? If they’re clever, they’ll find a way! Just as when, say, you’re looking for a new job, you send out a slew of resumes in the hope that at least one person will open it and read it, if...