Back in 1999, I worked for the Dutch IT company Getronics. We tried one of the first internet broadcasts of an annual general shareholder meeting.
Convinced by the head of IT, the board decided to do it all ourselves—because who needs outside experts when you have an overly confident IT department? Unfortunately, this turned out to be a classic case of "famous last words." 😉
On the day of the AGM, many of us, including myself from the Investor Relations team, eagerly awaited the live stream. It started, but within just 2 seconds, our CEO froze on the screen. Just like that, it was over.
This memory came back today when I saw an invite to join the #DHL live stream of their annual shareholder meeting. Curious about what it would look like, I joined. This time, the CEO moved and talk, without turning into a statue. As expected, it was a smooth experience. Technology has improved a lot!
I'm proud to have been part of those pioneering and often (!) awkward, early days. Digital transformation has been around for a long time, as my experience with Getronics shows.
Especially today, it's a whirlwind journey and can be quite overwhelming at times. I'm sure we'll keep making mistakes. But that's all part of the adventure.
I’m curious about other awkward digital transformation stories. I’m sure there are many stories around!
#DigitalTransformation #VirtualEvents #AGM #ThrowBackFriday
Great opportunity to Viasat’s extended family members. Kudos to all who took time and effort to engage at the event.