The Winds of Change
The winds of change are blowing again in the world of the The Larks.
The news is now out that I am fulfilling a long-standing goal to give Sophia, Zach and Kristen the experience of living down-under. We were literally packing to make this move almost four years ago when I got a call to see if I would be interested in coming back to Dell as Michael embarked on our transformation journey.
As I said to our team today, it has been an exciting four years and I leave enormously proud of all we have achieved together. Dell has an incredible marketing team and the marketing engine is firing on all cylinders. Most importantly, we are back in growth mode, have momentum and are taking share. It’s an awesome thing to see and be part of.
I am passionate about defining what you want from life and going for it – searching out opportunities where you can make a difference and create. And it’s that same view that has guided me in this decision. I love Dell and started working with Michael and the team almost 19 years ago. So know that as excited as I am about the journey we are about to embark on as a family and in our careers, I’ll do so continuing to support Dell as a raving fan and customer.
In July I’ll be joining Commonwealth Bank as their chief marketing officer. Helping lead one of the most important brands down-under is both exciting and a privilege. Commonwealth is one of the largest and most profitable banks in the world, the largest down-under and like us, growing nicely. They have more satisfied customers (see, you can’t escape NPS) than their two largest competitors combined. Their marketing team is strong having launched a terrific brand campaign. And best of all they are a Dell customer.
We will based out of Sydney, clearly much closer to our family in New Zealand.
I’ve learned an amazing amount from the team here at Dell along with the customers and partners – both vendors and our agencies — with whom I’ve worked.
I feel blessed to have had the privilege of working with so many great people – and know that an equal dose await me in Sydney.
Kia Kaha! Andy
New Rules for the New Economy
New Rules for the New Economy. This thought is right on the money:
“We need to shift away from the notion of technology managing information and toward the idea of technology as a medium of relationships,” writes Michael Schrage in Shared Minds, a book about the new technologies of collaboration. Despite the billions of bits that information hardware can process in a second, the only matter of consequence silicon produces are relationships.
Of course reputation and trust have been essential in all economies of the past, so what’s new? Only two things:
- With the decreased importance of productivity, relationships and their allies become the main economic event.
- Telecommunications and globalism are intensifying, increasing, and transforming the ordinary state of relationships into an excited state of hyperrelations–over long distances, all the time, all places, all ways. It’s not Kansas anymore; it’s Oz.
Jet Pack Flys High
A really exciting investment made by the N0.8 Ventures team flys to new heights. Now poised for IPO and mainstream production. Very exciting to see Kiwi innovations like this making it to market.
The Tea Pot
One of my indulgences is collecting tea pots – especially from Artisan potters and Chinese tea shops. I saw Brian’s stuff on Cool Hunting and ordered one. It just arrived and I am really astounded with the work. Amazing proportions and raw surface. Brian was a delight to work with and get to know through the process.
Here’s a shot.
Tea Pot: Brian Grossnickle
Why We Ride
This one reminded me why we ride – and that it was time to get off the trainer and onto the road…
Rapha Continental – The Movie from RAPHA on Vimeo.
