On Thursday, April 18, Dean Anuj Mehrotra hosted a talk with Barbara Humpton, President and CEO of Siemens USA, at the Historic Academy of Medicine. Humpton, who joined Siemens USA in 2011, oversees a workforce of around 45,000 people across all 50 states and Puerto Rico that generated $19.9 billion in revenue in FY23.
In this lively Q&A with Dean Mehrotra, Humpton described how innovation starts with people exchanging ideas.
"Any new idea starts with two people having a conversation," she said.
Siemens is innovating where the real and digital worlds meet. This means incorporating the Internet of Things (IoT) into manufacturing. Humpton shared Siemens’ view that being able to connect physical assets into a digital framework is a core building block of the Industrial Metaverse. She cites AI working well in industrial operations and provided an example of how technological advancements have improved agricultural production.
Humpton also discussed the importance of multigenerational teams in creating a healthy organization. Manufacturing can change, she mentioned, when a digital native works alongside a seasoned mechanical expert, and the two begin to see new opportunities from the lens of the other’s experiences.
She highlighted the importance of collaboration with Georgia Tech and the Atlanta tech community as Siemens continues using technology to advance its global initiatives and partnerships.
When taking questions from the audience, Humpton relayed excitement for the future where technology provides positive change and said Siemens was ready.
"Keep innovating,” she noted. “We live in a world that's moving fast, and you want to move the fastest of all.”
Watch the full event in the video below.