In striving for a better future, it is sometimes enlightening to reflect on past triumphs. For the most creative imaginations can often be fuelled by memories of our proudest achievements.
Anniversaries present the perfect opportunity to do so and today, to celebrate our 123rdbirthday, we at Philips have decided to look back at some of our company’s most important innovations. Innovations that revolutionized the world, lit its darkest corners, brought communication to the masses, enriched our lives and transformed our health.
What links all of these astonishing moments in time is a simple philosophy that continues to guide all of us at Philips – let us create something that makes people’s lives better, that makes society stronger and the planet safer.
History shows us how far we have come, which is precisely what this birthday ‘scrapbook’ is designed to do. It also encourages us to develop ideas that will inspire generations to come, in the same way that I’m constantly inspired by Anton Philips and the great men and women who were his successors.
So here’s to our history – and to our future. Happy birthday Philips.
Dutch-born Frans van Houten started his career at Phillips in 1986 in marketing and sales. He became CEO of Airvision, an in-flight entertainment startup in the United States in 1992, and was appointed Vice President of international sales and operations of Philips’ Kommunikations Industrie in Germany in 1993. In 1996, Frans joined Philips’ Consumer Electronics division, leading the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region from Singapore.
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