Sir Robin Saxby, Chairman of ARM and a pioneer of the silicon and semiconductor industry, has found his experience means he's a man in demand
What does your role as chairman of ARM involve?
The key thing about the Chairman is that he's a bit like the shrink for the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive runs the company, but the Chairman is there to help out at the CEOs request. Warren East and I schedule a phone call at least once a week, which is in the diary. In practice, though, we're communicating with each other all the time.
If Warren has an issue with his executive team, I am one of the people he can talk to. Or if a more junior employee is a bit 'stuck' and wants a chat, I can be an 'unblocker' and I'll probably do that over a breakfast meeting.
What other activities are you involved in through your work at ARM?
I care about wealth creation from technology, and since becoming Chairman, the thing that's changed for me personally is that I've been able to diversify into other areas that I care about, such as some government committees, like the China task force. I'll become President of the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE) next year, and I'm also doing projects with my old university, Liverpool.
How do you get the best out of your senior executives?
We encourage them to try and get the work-life balance right, and we suggest they get a board seat elsewhere. It gives you a different perspective on your own environment, putting yourself in the eyes of the other person you're talking to, how they see you, not how you see you. When the Japanese say "Yes" to you, it doesn't mean, "Yes, I agree with you", but "Yes, I hear what you say". Understanding cultural differences is very valuable.
Through your time at ES2, Motorola Semiconductors, Henderson and ARM, what lessons have you learned from a recruitment perspective?
Cultural fit is quite important. You need people with an attitude that fits with the rest of the team. So personality and the ability to work in teams and interact with others are as important characteristics as how good your exam results are. If somebody comes in here for an interview, we ensure that they meet several people. Engineering is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration. You don't get anywhere without a lot of hard work, but if you want to be creative, you need to enjoy some of the things you do. If you're not enjoying it, you probably won't get the best result.
What have been your biggest successes, and if you had the opportunity, is there anything you'd have done differently?
The good news is that I'm pretty happy with what I've done. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and one of the most difficult things we had to do at ARM was get agreement from the shareholders on how to take the company public. And there was a huge difference of opinion of what we should do. So, with hindsight, I'd have been faster, more aggressive sooner, to get a better result. Getting that agreement was probably the hardest thing I ever did.
Looking back on your time in business, what have you learned along the way?
Follow your passions, and don't give up. Get the work-life balance right: do some sport, or play an instrument to help you be better at your job. Try and divide your work time and personal time, and reserve some prime time for you and your family.
I've also learned that management is more about enabling people to deliver rather than simply managing and controlling. Don't try and impose your will and standards on somebody else. Try and understand where they're coming from, and recognise what you have to do to make it work.
Sir Robin Saxby's Profile
2002: Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering
2002: Awarded 2002 IEE Faraday Medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the electronic engineering industry
2002: Awarded knighthood for services to the IT industry
2001: Chairman, ARM and NED, Glotel plc
2001: Awarded honorary Doctorate, Loughborough University
1991: Awarded honorary Doctorate and appointed visiting professor, Liverpool University
1986: President and CEO, ARM
1984: VP Northern Europe, MD European Silicon Structures and President, US2
Previously: CEO, Henderson Security Systems in a Variety of sales, marketing and engineering management roles
|