"Take time to understand what it is that the customer actually cares about. What one group of people may value or prioritize, others may not and as the technology provider, we can’t expect that just because a product offers a specific benefit that every consumer will choose it."
In recent years, Big Tech has gotten a bad rep. But of course many tech companies are doing important work making monumental positive changes to society, health, and the environment. To highlight these, we started a new interview series about “Technology Making An Important Positive Social Impact”. We are interviewing leaders of tech companies who are creating or have created a tech product that is helping to make a positive change in people’s lives or the environment. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Stefan Engel.
Stefan Engel has more than 25 years of experience in the IT industry, specializing across different hardware product lines including desktops, laptops, tablets, monitors and more. Stefan is Vice President and General Manager of Lenovo’s Visuals Business, in the Intelligent Devices Group. He oversees the creation, sales and marketing of the company’s monitor product lines. Before taking on this global role in 2018, Stefan was Regional General Manager for the entire Lenovo business in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. He was also responsible for managing the business in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory and how you grew up?
I grew up in a small village near Frankfurt, Germany in the Rheinhessen (Rhine-Hesse) area which is well known for its wine. I could literally step out of our family’s garden and be standing in a vineyard, and it is there and in the nearby farms that my friends and I would play. Several of them would go on to take up their families’ trades, becoming winemakers or farmers. However, my plans for the future were a bit different. So, after high school, I traveled to Switzerland to study business administration at the University of St. Gallen (HSG). It was there that I was introduced to the tech industry, securing a part-time job teaching software usage in private education. I trained students in how to use MS-DOS — the first Microsoft operating system before Windows — as well as Multiplan (the predecessor to Excel), and Word 1.0. Looking back, it truly was the dawn of an era, it seemed, and I was fascinated by what could be accomplished with IT. I’ve been hooked ever since.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
There are so many stories I could share and the one that comes to mind may not be the most interesting one in my entire career, but it was certainly something new to me at the time and offers an interesting view into the lengths technology providers will go for the sake of quality. When I first started leading the Lenovo Visuals business, I was challenged by our sales team to reevaluate our production costs. I started to look for ways to cut costs and make improvements and one area that I zeroed in on was the “cold drop test.” New to this business, it was not something I was familiar with since, at least at the time, Lenovo was the only monitor manufacturer to conduct it. Essentially, once the product has been manufactured, we freeze it and then drop it on the floor to see how it holds up.
Since we were the only manufacturer to conduct this test, it seemed like a place where we could cut costs by eliminating it. However, what I quickly learned from our Quality department was that in cold temperatures the materials used in the monitors, especially the plastic, contract and are more susceptible to breakage if the package is dropped. During transit from production to the customer, our shipments can be subjected to very cold (and sometimes hot) temperatures, and this is also where the biggest risk of a product being dropped occurs. Needless to say, we didn’t cut this critical step. The cold drop test, which we still conduct today, is one way that helps to ensure we are providing a durable product, regardless of different environmental scenarios, because quality is a priority for Lenovo.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
The first would be a team mentality. I don’t think it’s as important what one thinks of themselves in a management or business leader role, but much more important of what others think of you because that defines how they work with you. No one can be successful without the help of others which is why a team mentality is so important. The strengths of each person can be leveraged by all toward meeting a goal and can help to compensate for what may be missing. One mistake that I’ve seen managers make is trying to hire a copycat version of themselves because they think that the traits that made them successful would make others successful too. But I believe that having diverse viewpoints, backgrounds and experiences is what contributes to success.
In the spirit of listening and learning from others, I actually posed the question to the broader Lenovo Visuals team, asking them which of my leadership characteristics they value. The one that stood out to them was how direct I am because they don’t have to guess what I mean and can act on it specifically and with purpose. When I give feedback, it is usually immediate and to the point, and while I give credit and praise where it’s due, I find it efficient and less misleading if we can pinpoint the areas of improvement or if I can share my opinion honestly and directly.
Finally, I’d say being detail-oriented. As a leader, you’re responsible for understanding the bigger picture and flying high, so to speak, so as to guide with the endpoint in view. However, it’s imperative that you also have a solid understanding of the details and what goes into the higher-level decisions, and the reasoning behind them. Not only will that help to ensure you haven’t missed something critical to the decision-making process, but it also shows those who follow you that you value the work they’re putting in and that you know the business in and out.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about the tech tools that you are helping to create that can make a positive impact on the planet and the environment. To begin, which particular problems are you aiming to solve?
A monumental concern of the 21st century is the environment and the fate of our planet, which is largely affected by rising energy consumption and the increasing carbon footprint of companies and individuals alike. In order to build a brighter, more sustainable future for us, our children, and our communities, positive and lasting change is vital. It’s incredibly important to me that I be a part of that change and I’m proud to know that it’s an initiative that is important to Lenovo, as well.
In line with the Paris Agreement’s mission to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, businesses across all industries have announced new initiatives to pursue more sustainable products, methods, and operations to incrementally cut their carbon footprint. Lenovo is one of those companies because as a global technology provider, but more importantly a global corporate citizen, we recognize the impact that technology can have on our planet and environment, and we want to do what we can to minimize that impact in whatever ways we can. To help us get there, Lenovo is focusing on reducing our carbon emissions through supply chain sustainability, sustainable product design, and packaging sustainability.
Specifically in Lenovo’s Visuals business, we have been particularly focused on driving energy efficiency improvements and integrating recycled materials into both our product designs and packaging in order to help reduce the carbon footprint of our monitor products and preserve natural resources. By doing so, we’re able to help our customers reduce emissions and minimize the use of virgin materials which ultimately reduces waste throughout the product lifecycle, which can have a profound impact in the long run.
How do you think your technology can address this?
As the technology sector increasingly understands the need to find more sustainable ways of operating, Lenovo continues to innovate to provide smarter technology solutions that are more energy efficient and human centered. Thinking smarter for us means transitioning to a circular economy — one that maximizes value throughout a product’s lifecycle in order to minimize raw materials use and waste generation. One of the ways the Lenovo Visuals team supports this circular economy is by expanding the use of post-consumer recycled content (PCC) in our designs. In our packaging, we’re using bio-based materials like pulp cushion and we’re reducing the size of our packaging, implementing the use of detachable and flexible designs for more efficient transportation.
In addition to being intentional about the materials used, we’re designing our monitors with a sense of purpose in other areas, as well, offering smart energy and brightness tuning options for energy savings. One of our newest product lines serves as a great example of the direction we’re moving in as a business line. Introduced at CES 2023 this year, the ThinkVision Mini LED P32pz-30 and P27pz-30 monitors are built with the environment in mind, incorporating the use of recycled aluminum, as well as bio-based plastic in various parts of its design. They are also the first Lenovo monitors with completely plastic-free packaging where the box, envelope, cushion, cable tie and even the bag are all made of fiber-based paper materials. Further, we’ve incorporated innovative, energy-saving features like human detection and light sensors that automatically dim the screen when the user steps away and can adjust screen brightness to match the amount of ambient light detected. These monitors also include a low halogen power supply in the boards and signal cables, and a new multi-setting Eco-mode that allows the user to reduce power consumption in specific scenarios that don’t require as much power. We’re all very proud of this product because with it we’ve really been able to push the boundaries of what eco-conscious features are possible on a monitor.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
Growing up in a village that was so dependent on wine and other agriculture, at a young age I learned — or rather felt — the significance of a healthy and thriving ecosystem. I was able to experience and see firsthand that while nature and the environment provide us with food, it is also responsible for so much more — the air we breathe, the soil that sustains us, and even the climate that enables us to live at all. When I went to university, this concept was compounded even further by the focus that was placed on “connected thinking” and how the impact of one action can trigger something else entirely. The university offered a Business Ethics course (which was not as common of a course offering as it is today) that focused on developing managers that were sensitive to the environment around them as well as the cultural and social challenges they’d encounter. My upbringing combined with the related lessons I was consuming in that course, and the discoveries I was making about what’s possible with the use of IT all resonated with me in a profound way. I found myself often thinking about what I can do and what the IT industry can do to have a positive impact on my hometown, and yes, even the world.
How do you think this might change the world”
It all comes down to choice. There are some actions that harm the environment more than others just as there are those that help it more than others. It can all be very relative. But I believe that we all have a “basket of actions” that we can select from in our day to day. For example, some people may choose to become vegetarians because cattle breeding results in lots of CO2 emissions, but those people may prefer a gas-powered vehicle over an electric car.
Ultimately it comes down to need and choice. In order for a difference to be made people have to (1) understand what needs to be done and the consequence of doing nothing, and (2) feel like they have options (in many cases, options that don’t cost them too much — and not just financially).To help in this regard, I believe companies must give people as many options we can for them to choose from that can make a difference wherever possible. My colleague Daryl Cromer recently posed the question “to what extent are people willing to be inconvenienced for more sustainable features?”, alluding to this very fact that, as a technology company, we have to do what we can to make it easier for people to make sustainable choices. I want Lenovo Visuals to offer options that people can add to their individual baskets that don’t feel like a sacrifice. The “price” for doing so is relatively low when you consider the cost to our future if nothing is done.
Here is the main question for our discussion. Based on your experience and success, can you please share “Five things you need to know to successfully create technology that can make a positive social impact”?
- Take time to understand what it is that the customer actually cares about. What one group of people may value or prioritize, others may not and as the technology provider, we can’t expect that just because a product offers a specific benefit that every consumer will choose it. For example, at Lenovo we equip most of our monitors with eye safe technology, that significantly reduces the amount of harmful blue light that is emitted from the screen, helping to reduce eye strain. However, regardless of this benefit, some people may not choose that monitor. For it to even be considered for purchase, we not only have to communicate that the feature exists, but we also need to make sure it doesn’t negatively impact the user experience by affecting color exactness, and that the price isn’t a deterring factor.
- Consider the user experience in everything because that is what drives the purchase decision for consumers. In order to be successful at developing technology that can make a positive social impact, we have to make the experience a pleasant one and integrate the sustainable features in a way that’s easy for consumers to recognize and consume.
- Remember that it’s all relative. We can’t ignore the fact that some products can negatively affect the environment, but the aim must be to limit that impact as much as possible through other actions that elevate the positive. Ultimately though, the environment will get back what we put in, and as a technology provider, it’s our responsibility to offer products and services that are more environmentally-conscious so that the choice, at the very least, exists for people to make.
- Consider the big picture. Rather than just focusing on a small subset of actions that can help achieve a specific goal, or making a single product line sustainable, Lenovo, for example, is thinking more broadly. We’re transitioning to a circular economy characterized by a model of “design, use, return” to design out waste and pollution, optimize the use of products, and facilitate the recapture of resources to keep products and parts in circulation longer. It’s a holistic effort that will have resonating implications that go beyond what Lenovo does on its own, stretching to both partners and customers that we’re able to support in reaching their own sustainability goals.
- Set aggressive goals and take action towards meeting them every single day. In the case of Lenovo’s emissions reduction goals, yes we have a longer vision to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, but we’ve also set achievable milestones along the way, and we have to make sound decisions routinely in order to meet them, as well as our longer-term goal, because it won’t happen overnight
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
I chuckle at the reference to “other young people” because though I am young at heart, I am hardly young in age unfortunately. Anyhow, I find that it is often the young that are more willing to make positive changes for our environment and society as a whole. But to offer some advice, I would say if we want this world to be a place worth living for centuries more to come, we have no other choice and no better chance than right now to change parts of our behavior. Yes, as a technologist, I believe that with the help of technology and our own intelligence that we will always find ways to be able to live on earth, but we need to ensure that that life is an enjoyable one.
A very easy way to start is by thinking about the actions you take and the consequences of those actions. These are the decisions in our personal “baskets” that can make a difference if we just stop to truly think about the choice and the impact it can have. Another way is to get active in your local government because it is there that many have the opportunity to influence public policies that not only establish such environmental changes, but also enable them and provide the support that will make them successful. Encouraging the use of bikes over cars in an urban city, for example, only works if the government designates protective bike lanes.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 😊
Greta Thunberg. I admire her commitment to climate change and her uninhibited voice on the subject. From the start of her environmental activism journey she chose to aim high and because of that she has managed to accomplish so much at such a young age, often without the aid of any financial or organizational backing. She has displayed such passion for environmental issues while championing them with persistence and elevating the importance of using science-based facts as a guidepost for decisions and guidance. While she’s been such an inspiration to so many young people, I think people of all ages can learn a lot from her passion and persistence even if they don’t agree on her specific positions.
I’d also like to add one more person to this wish list and that would be Gianfranco Lanci, Lenovo’s former corporate president and COO of Lenovo. I recently attended his funeral and with it being so close in proximity to this interview, I would be remiss if I didn’t express how much it would mean to have one more dinner with him. Some people may not know this, but he owned several vineyards where he could enjoy his own wines, something that is near and dear to my heart considering my childhood. Wine is the product of one of the most natural processes on earth and it takes ages to achieve the first harvest which only happens when the environment allows it. Gianfranco and I once talked about this very topic, discussing climate change and the potential effect it could have on his wine. To be able to revisit this conversation and hear more about what he learned of this process, all over a bowl of pasta paired with a glass of his wine would mean the world.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can follow me on LinkedIn and Xing in Germany.
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
This article was originally featured on Authority Magazine.
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