WORLD CLASS

We normally fill this section of Challenge with a brief summary of the articles contained in the issue but, at the time of writing, football’s World Cup is taking place in Japan and Korea, which provides us with a golden opportunity to reflect on the changing nature of the world and the challenges that face all business enterprises today.

This issue will go to press before the winner is known but already there have been some interesting results. For example, several of the established football “giants” have suffered unexpected defeats in the first round. The football world is changing rapidly and some of the traditional world leaders are being reminded that past success does not guarantee future victories.

Another interesting phenomenon is that some of the best performances to date have come from teams whose members may play their club football in several different countries but they are all united in the common cause of playing for their nation.

Which brings us to ST, which we believe is as fine an example of a world-class team as you could find anywhere. We are proud of our achievement in building an organization that operates across four continents, one that embraces many different cultures and provides a framework in which they can all contribute to an enterprise that is exciting, honest, responsible and successful.

We have a formidable defence in our manufacturing machine, which spares no effort to ensure that we will not be beaten in terms of price/performance. Our midfield is composed of managers with flair and vision, who can respond immediately to tactical changes without ever losing sight of the underlying strategies. Our forward line is made up of brilliant innovators who can turn a moment of insight into a winning advantage. If there was a World Cup for semiconductor manufacturers ...

As we go to press, many ST people around the world will be following the progress of “their team”. More importantly, when the World Cup is over, those same people will be doing what they do every day, which is making sure that “our team” is world class and winning.