BrackenDarrell
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Logitech's CEO says you can innovate and be humble
Logitech is a rare technology company. It's been around for 35 years, all the while finding different ways to thrive as an independent accessory maker. But despite being a well-known brand, it's never been considered "hip" like Apple or Beats. Instead of betting big on showy new products, Logitech has always focused on finding successful niches in which it can build a small-but-loyal following. And according to the company's CEO, Bracken Darrell, he wouldn't have it any other way. At SXSW last week, I sat down with Darrell to chat about the road ahead for Logitech.
Logitech president celebrates end-of-year earnings with management cull
Logitech's Q4 and full-year report makes for uncomfortable reading. Despite profits increasing by a factor of nine in the last quarter of the year, overall annual profit fell 44 percent from $143 million to $71 million. The company has already parachuted in former Whirlpool exec. Bracken P. Darrel to turn things around and recover the losses made when the company went big on Google TV. His first action has been to kick-start a restructuring operation that will save $80 million in costs, starting by cutting a whole management layer -- demoting current product VP Junien Labrousse and firing sales VP Werner Heid. Mr. Darrell is now working directly with his team on a new lineup of "stronger" products to be unveiled later this quarter, with an emphasis on Windows 8 peripherals and LifeSize video conferencing gear. [Image credit: Wikimedia Commons]
Logitech selects Bracken Darrell as president right now, next CEO in 2013
When current CEO Guerrino De Luca took the reins at Logitech following huge losses on Google TV and its business in the EMEA region, we knew it was only temporary and now Logitech has appointed a successor. Bracken P. Darrell is coming over from Whirlpool (where he lead its efforts in, you guessed it, Europe, Middle East and Africa) to be its new president effective April 9th. The plan is for him to take over for De Luca on January 1st, 2013 (who will return to his former role as Chairman), while leading an improved, slimmed down product roadmap -- the theme is said to be quality over quantity -- for the second half of the 2013 fiscal year. On the conference call De Luca indicated more would be revealed during an upcoming earnings announcement in April which, combined with a hint at a Harmony remote refresh during the last call in January, has us marking our calendars already.
