Speaking of Signify

In this episode of Speaking of Signify, Ryan Millar has a chat with Imaan Faruqui, External Communications Intern at Signify. The episode focuses on innovations and patents, and incorporates valuable input from Marc de Samber, Research Fellow at Signify, Jean-Paul Linnartz, Research Fellow at Signify and Professor at Eindhoven University of Technology, Nathan Millen, Intellectual Property Counsel at Signify, and Stephen Cumpson, Senior IP Counsel at Signify.  

WeeShirl Ng, Head of Internal Audit at Signify opens up about what an exciting team and job she leads within the company, where she’s been for the past seven years. 

In this episode, WeeShirl goes on to explain what exactly internal auditing is within a company, as well as explaining the processes it’s made up of. Surprisingly, this is not as “by-the-book” as one would think. At the heart of auditing is risk assessment, yet risks can be many and diverse. 

As Signify operates in 74 countries, they must obey different national regulations, so the risks are also different around the globe. They can vary from corruption to revenue recognition, and everything else in between, so picture it a bit like police work. Like any good detective, the work isn’t just done by a checklist, but a lot more thought gets put into it. To make the processes a leaner and simpler one, the auditing team also goes in to investigate if the elements on the checklist make sense, and how it is possible to make it more efficient. 

Ryan and WeeShirl also discuss the changes she’s experienced in her seven years of working in auditing for Signify, which was Philips Lighting when she started. WeeShirl explains some of the changes her job and team went through, as well as growing with the company itself. 

Following the conversation of this reimagined police work, Ryan dives into the five alternative questions section of the episode. Here you’ll learn about WeeShirl’s coffee preferences, favorite comfort food and even her hidden talent! Of course, this has nothing on the pure love felt by both Ryan and WeeShirl for the Frozen soundtrack -- and one song in particular. So, if you simply can’t hold it back anymore, just (Let it) go, and listen! 

Marjolein’s role as Chief Privacy Officer consists of advising Signify on its compliance programs, assisting in negotiations and doing risk assessments. She supports her team of privacy officers who assess each initiative on the potential impact of the initiative towards the privacy rights of individuals.

To ensure that the company has a robust privacy structure in shape, there are three keys questions to keep in mind:

1. What is the impact of this initiative on privacy?

2. If there is an impact, what do I need to consider?

3. How do I build in design principles on security, privacy compliance, and guide them?

But why is privacy important? As a company, respecting human rights and basic principles such as protecting your individual rights, your freedom is important. Acting with integrity is part of our DNA, protecting of personal data becomes more and more relevant in our digitalized world.

If we look at how Signify is developing, if it's digitalizing, consumer and customer interfaces, our own internal ways of working with digitalization, you come across the fact that you need to log into something you need to administrate it, and with that Signify gets the data. If that data then also holds that connection to personal data, it becomes relevant. That is what's coloring the importance of the privacy program in lines of our compliance progress.

When it comes to data ethics, we need to start thinking about the protection of data as a whole.

Every great journey has a beginning. In the case of Philips hue, this was a humble remote-control device – at least that’s what the project that eventually became Philips Hue started out as, George explains.  That idea, of using a smartphone to control the lights, seemed small-scale. Keep in mind that we’re in the (now, seemingly ancient) year of 2008. The groundbreaking iPhone just came out, and how we understood apps were really different. George and his team built up the prototype for Philips Hue during the dawn of third-party smartphone applications – and they soon recognized the potential in this. 

 Philips Hue was pitched as an “internal startup” – a consumer-centered lighting app. This approach led them on a new, and exciting route, where they could explore not only the product, but market entry points as well. Putting it on the map was a different undertaking than selling traditional lightbulbs. George admits that it was a bit of a gamble – after all, people may think that it was just a gimmick, and that the increased price tag was a bit too steep (even though all test audiences absolutely loved the product).  

They had to show that they really made a splash with Hue – so they turned to one of the trailblazers of innovation: Apple, who saw the potential in this new way of lighting. Thus, brand new smart lightbulbs were beginning to sell alongside brand-new smartphones – and boy did they sell well. When George saw that Philips Hue sold out upon launch, he knew that something big was about to begin. 

Philips Hue has a passionately engaged community. And they are active parts of its development cycle. George is amazed at some creations that Hue users have uploaded on its subreddit. Hue has a roadmap, which is influenced by customer feedback. Its development is partially steered by what users say, what do they like and dislike. However, the roadmap also holds quite a few surprises – after all its novelty is what made Philips Hue special.  

Among future plans, you can find ambiance creation and decoration – after all, changing your light is easier than repainting your walls or changing your curtains. In addition, Hue’s making great strides in the field of entertainment, and last, but not least, it is aiming to heighten its focus on wellbeing. 

Creating Hue was a learning experience, and George sure has some insights to share. Firstly, widen your horizons. You can’t do a breakthrough from solely a technological/innovation perspective. To really leave your mark, you have to think in parallels and consider many perspectives: marketing, sales, and long-term strategies alongside technology. Secondly, embrace the power of platforms, and take your customers on a journey with you as you develop the product. It may be scary to launch something without knowing what it’ll be in the future but keeping up with innovations of platforms can multiply your product’s value. It’s a leap of faith, really – but it sure did work with Hue. 

Finally, George mentions how the lighting industry in general does not get the exposure it deserves. After all, it is an industry, the products of which are around us almost 24/7. So let’s leverage this, he argues. It’s a fertile ground for innovations, such as Philips Hue, but its also our challenge to let people know how impactful what we’re doing here at Signify. 

But the episode is not only about Hue – it’s also about the mastermind behind it, its co-creator, George. So Ryan’s Five Alternative Questions (FAQs) will let us get to know him a bit: how he built a custom Settlers of Catan set, his fascination with superheroes, some of his favorite meals, and many more – but it’s better to hear all this from George himself!  

Ryan Millar interviews Maria Letizia Mariani, Chief Commercial Officer at Signify.  

To kick off this episode, Ryan and Maria Letizia discuss the true importance of customer focus and centricity. Customer focus doesn’t fall back on a single person, but it is the job of every employee, every day. This can be illustrated in many ways, either by quoting Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown Netflix series like Maria Letizia, or the football coach of The Netherlands from years ago like Ryan, but it comes down to a simple formula. To achieve great things, you need discipline. Greatness is made of the small daily duties that we need to perform with reliability, and this stands at the core of customer-centricity. 

Behind every success story, there needs to be a solid base – and that’s no different at Signify! Maria Letizia goes to explain what are considered the ‘right’ processes and tools that lead to an empowered organization. In the end, things are made possible by people, and that’s where the emphasis lies within Signify. Everything comes down to the employees, they need to be engaged to make a difference. This is at the base of Signify’s strategy. The 5 frontiers strategy has at its center, in the middle ring, the customer and the last ring are the employees. So to serve the customer, and all the rings that fall in the middle, they need to be embraced by the employees (Talk about peeling the layers of an onion…).

Now that we got you all excited about peeling, Maria Letizia illustrates how customer feedback is really the centerpiece of Signify’s operations. This was brought on by consistent feedback and building upon it, which then led to the launch of a project to facilitate user navigation on the company website. Not only has this made the information clearer, but also more accessible. 

After learning about how to satisfy your customer needs, it’s time to focus on your hardworking elves, the employees. Maria Letizia elaborates on what really makes Signify a great place to work. This includes topics such as engagement, commitment, and ensuring your employees see a personal value in what you do so that they can channel it into their work. It’s important to increase diversity, inclusivity and creating an environment where people feel they can learn and grow. And of course, regular check-ups also don’t hurt.

But how were one to do this in crazy times like today? With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most people were forced to switch to working from home. Well, it went in stages, and the realities of remote working looked different for everyone. Whether some were alone, others trying to desperately juggle homeschooling their kids, one thing was common: a high level of solidarity. Maria Letizia goes to explain that employees were very supportive, flexible and the creativity was flowing. From a work perspective, they’ve proven they can manage well. 

Although we can safely say we’re all superheroes for coping through this, there’s still something missing those online meetings can’t replace. As Maria Letizia mentions, when you meet your colleagues face-to-face, you unleash a unique level of creativity with unexpected and unplanned ideas. This shows the importance of being physically together, to give and receive energy. But, improvise, adapt, overcome… In the words of Maria Letizia, we have to be kind, and grateful. 

Now to finish off with some quality entertainment, we’ll Segway into the alternative questions section of the podcast, where we finally talk about all things NOT work-related! The discussion ranges from favorite memories such as authentic Italian cuisine enjoyed with family, to people Maria Letizia would invite to a fantastic dinner party. By staying tuned, you also get some book recommendations that may or may not include Harry Potter. You’ll also receive some great advice regarding your career, and being yourself, but we don’t want to give everything away, so just go listen.

Harsh Chitale, Signify's Leader of Digital Solutions opens up on a whole host of topics, from sustainability, Signify's growth platforms and how being a great place to work is part of Signify's core strategy. They also talk about how light points create value beyond illumination, through data and more diverse value propositions. Ryan also gets a couple of book recommendations and finds out a couple of Harsh's dream dinner party guests.

Have you heard of Poseidon? The king of the deep, the protector of the seas? He’s quite an example to live up to – however, it is the goal of the project Signify named after him. Robert Sloten, explains that plastic waste is a huge issue, as only 10% of the plastics we use get recycled. The rest is burned, left on landfills, or ends up in the ocean. To protect the great deep, we should step up against excess plastic waste production – or better yet, eliminate it completely. 

We get a bit of an insight into how the plastic-free strategy of Signify came to be from Rowina Lee. She explains that making the decision to ditch plastics was a no-brainer. It’s good for the planet and people want it too. Elina Vives from the US expands on this: she describes sustainability as the “new cultural zeitgeist”. This means that current generations seek out brands that are environmentally conscious since people want their children to inherit a planet that’s livable.

Of course, no one says that going plastic-free is a simple undertaking – quite the opposite. Robert talks about the practical considerations of coordinating many departments towards this goal, and he mentions his newfound respect towards the packaging industry, before passing the metaphorical mic to Valentia Ericson, our packaging expert.

Valentina leads us behind the scenes of what we see as a simple package. She explains that the packaging process is not as simple as putting something in a box. There are 3 distinct areas. First, there is structural engineering of a package where the concept design is decided on, as well as quality assurance and testing is done. Second, there is the graphic design section, where colors, artworks, and product photographs are done. And finally, there is source selection, and contacting vendors.

To do all this without plastics, is indeed a challenge, explains Robert. Being plastic-free is a disruptive change, and such changes always encounter resistance. Other departments sometimes have differences in prioritization, and, though, Robert emphasizes that everyone is passionate about being sustainable, aligning all the priorities together can be a management challenge.

We also have to keep in mind the customer, and the consumer, he reminds us. We strive to keep the same pleasant unpacking experience and it is of utmost importance to keep our products safe, however, without plastics, it is not always straightforward. If the product is large or fragile, we may face extra challenges – but we’re on track to complete these without plastics.

Robert leaves us with 3 gems of knowledge about packaging: to know our customers and consumers, to prioritize beforehand, and to prepare generic packaging as well – packages that are not tailored to a single product, but used on many, have to be plastic-free too.

Finally, Rovina talks about the future beyond plastic-free packaging. She tells us that sustainability is more than an agenda – it is a responsibility. To make sure we are responsible, we have to keep our eyes open, and embrace a mindset -as well as make sure that costumers embrace it too- to position ourselves in a sustainable way.

To begin, Ryan and Astrid will discuss how technology is, in essence, a way to enhance people’s lives. Astrid’s experiences in her previous workplace, Microsoft demonstrate her involvement with the topic, and its ‘people aspect’. Costumer-focused technology, as she explains, can make Signify a gamechanger not only in the field of lighting, but also, in digital. 

Every journey needs a map – and Signify’s digital journey is no different. While talking about what is Signify doing, to stay in the lead of digitalization, Astrid will introduce our roadmap. Considering customer needs and generated values, this document decides on prioritized areas of development – for example, interfaces, e-commerce, internal processes and even A.I, and many more. Having such a plan can help us accelerate our dive into digital. 

Just to get you excited about our destination, a digital future, Astrid will also let you know about something really cool we’re working on: LightFinder! LightFinder is an app that allows AI to recognize your customer needs, helps you to get to the bulb that’s right for you, and on top of that, provides a way to augment your reality, and experience how our products would look like in your home. It’s development was a challenge, but a valuable collaborative learning experience on our path towards digitalization. The key, as Astrid explains, is trying new things.

By doing this, we’re picking up speed. Ryan and Astrid discuss how an external factor – the elephant in the house, really: the COVID-19 pandemic - has forced us to do so, by turning online meetings, and digital working commonplace. However, Astrid believes that we can always develop faster to stay in the lead – hence the roadmap discussed above. 

Astrid also has some insightful comments on the general trends in the digitalization arena. Augmented reality, Big Data, robotics, and data ethics are just a few examples of what defines the ever-changing path of digitalization. However, she knows that it’s not a cakewalk, so she’ll also discuss potential challenges, which stem from the immense speed technology develops – so immense, that humans sometimes struggle to catch up. She finds it important to keep the digital journey an inclusive one. Nobody should be left behind, despite the generation gap. To bridge this, we must provide everyone with the necessary skills.

To finish up such a great talk, in the final section, you can get to know Astrid herself, through her answers to Ryan’s ‘5 alternative questions’. Here, you will hear about a lot of things, from double shot espresso and book recommendations to superpowers and polar bears – I don’t want to spoil everything though, so go ahead, and give it a listen.

Mark van Bijsterveld is the Chief HR Officer at Signify, he’s been with the company for over 14 years. His answer on the role as the Chief HR Officer can depend on a day to day or a responsibility question. But overall, Mark’s responsible for the people at Signify making sure that there’s a right infrastructure for employees to bring their best qualities to work, excel in what they do, be recognized, rewarded, have a strong sense of belonging. The HR team has a great responsibility, taking care of around 37,000 employees worldwide, with a team of around 400-450 HR people.

One of Signify’s 5 frontier strategy is to be a great place to work and when talking about this we focus on three key priorities; excelling at building talent, creating a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace and finally ensuring that we have the right skills for the future, both in terms of the commercial excellence, and as well as in terms of our digital excellence.

The world is digital nowadays and that was one of the core drivers behind the growth strategy, looking at digitizing our production services, our customer interfaces, and our internal processes. The HR function should have the right skills for now, and for the future in terms of driving data transformation. So, all in all, that makes the pillar of being a great place to work.

The lighting industry is going through a huge transformation going from conventional lighting, into digital lighting, and now into connected lighting. And as the global market leader in lighting, we're driving and shaping the markets, we're answering the needs of our customers. By showing what you can do with light beyond illumination. 

According to Mark a company that drives and has an impact in the lives of people and in the society is very energizing. The other elements that keep Mark and his team energized is to make sure that all our employees are unique individuals, they have unique personalities, unique skills, unique backgrounds, and to blend that together and make sure that everybody actually can bring their best self to work. 

From the beginning of the pandemic, the health and safety of our employees and their families has been priority number one, whether they work from home, or whether they work in our distribution centers, or R&D laboratories, or in our factories, we're taking all the possible measures to make sure that people are safe and stay safe. The HR team is putting a lot of effort in making sure that employees stay connected in teams along with the leadership team, and colleagues across the world, but also from a commercial side with our customers.

It's not always easy, it's tough. It's from a mental health perspective, we hear that people find it difficult to be a bit more in isolation. And we talk about a great place to work. Of course, belonging is an important element of that right? feeling that you belong somewhere that you belong at a company that you have a deeper relationship with a company than only a contract. But as your relationship with the company is also about the values and the purpose that you share. And of course, being isolated at home makes it more difficult.

Mark van Bijsterveld’s concluding statement covered that it’s the employees who have created an amazing company. That's something that we do together. When we talk about Signify being a great place to work, to grow together, it’s really creating a workplace where people belong, have impact, and where you enjoy having impact. We take pride together in a company that we're building and the results that we're delivering. And pride is for me always a collective feeling. It's not something individualistic, but I think we take we take even more enjoyment when we do things together. 

The first season of Speaking of Signify is a set of fascinating conversations with key players, including Astrid Simonsen Joos, Signify’s Chief Digital Officer, George Yianni, Head of Technology for Philips Hue, and Maria-Letizia Mariani, Signify’s Chief Commercial Officer. 

The episodes explore topics like lighting’s role in unlocking the power of data, the importance of sustainability in futureproofing your business, and managing a global workforce through a pandemic.