88 | theceomagazine.comAfter spending three years at another
company, he returned to ST in 2006, where
he was promoted to executive vice-president
for Asia–Pacific in July 2017.
ST’s other main area of strategic focus is
what it calls Smart Driving – the process
towards “safer, greener and more connected
vehicles”. As the automotive industry is
transformed by the shift from mechanical
systems to digital systems and electric vehicles
are on the rise, innovation is being brought
to new car platforms mostly through
semiconductors and software.
“In this faster-paced environment, we
are supporting automotive suppliers and car
makers with key technology for vehicles to
progress from assisted to autonomous driving,
as well as enabling major performance
improvements for electric vehicles. For
instance, electric vehicles are very successful
in Hong Kong,” Jerome continues,
highlighting that in some premium vehicles
ST provides as much as US$1,000 worth of
silicon per vehicle.
ST invests heavily in research and
development and has more than 7,500
employees working in R&D. “In our industry,
R&D investment is key to being able to
supply our customers with the very latest
innovations,” Jerome says. “To deliver new
technology, we also need to adapt our
manufacturing tools to keep pace with
innovation in semiconductor processes.”
To broaden the ecosystem around its
products and make development easier for its
customers, ST launched its Partner Program
in 2017 to enhance collaboration with
third-party companies. The program allows
customers to find partners in technical,
marketing or business arenas to support their
product design projects. “This was done in
particular with small- and medium-sized
enterprises in mind to make more skills
available to them in the development of their
products and services,” Jerome explains.
He also talks about how the companyanticipates change and adapts to the market.
“To do this, you have to partner with the
market leaders as well as the potential
disrupters,” he says. “We have to collaborate
with start-ups as well as larger companies.
This gives us a good idea of the trends
driving the markets and the core technologies
that are likely to emerge in the near future.”
Another important point is the local
ecosystem. “We have to work closely with
the regional ecosystem, including distributors,
authorities and universities,” Jerome continues.
“This brings in all the information we need
to be able to anticipate customer needs with
new or improved products.”
The final point Jerome emphasises is
enabling companies to bring out solutions
fast. “Our approach is to make it easier for
our customers to start developing with our
products, and then support them from the
first prototype to the delivery of the end
commercial product,” he concludes.JEROME ROUX’S TOP TIPS FOR
A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS STRATEGY:- Vision: “You have to set a vision, and it needs
to be supported by clear, achievable and
measurable goals.” - Relationship drives performance: “Proximity
to customers and business partners is key. You
cannot only look at what is happening from
10,000 miles away. You have to meet with your
customers and suppliers at their site to better
understand and build stronger relationships.” - Building a well-organised team: “Once the
vision is defined and the goals are set, you need
a team. The team should be committed to the
goals, able to think out of the box, and trained to
excel in execution.”
“ You have to partner with the market leaders
as well as the potential disrupters.”
INNOVATE | Interview