Taking Risks (wsg Gary Shapiro) – EP 146
TAKING RISKS | Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, joins host Gregg Garrett to discuss the consumer electronics industry, CTA and the Consumer Electronics Show, and broader societal change. Of course, Gary speaks about his Top 3: his wife, industry advisors and advocates like Robert Ford who help him reflect on how to drive the industry forward, and his entire CTA management team as well as members of the Board. And you have to hear what he has to say about keeping balance in life.
ABOUT GARY SHAPIRO
Gary Shapiro is an acclaimed author, lobbyist, and president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® which represents over 1,500 consumer technology companies and owns and produces the Consumer Electronics Show (CES)® — The Global Stage for Innovation.
A Georgetown Law graduate, Shapiro began his career as an associate at the Squire Sanders law firm. After an extended tenure in law, he began working on Capitol Hill as an assistant to a prominent member of the U.S. Congress. Later in his life, Gary would use this combined law and legal experience to be named one of The Hill’s top lobbyists numerous times throughout his career (2015-2021). As his experience in law and politics progressed, he became more aligned with the world of technology, which eventually brought him into the fold of the Consumer Technology Association in 1982.
Taking the role of President and CEO, Shapiro evolved the idea of the workplace over his 40-year long tenure leading the organization. Directing a staff of 150 employees alongside thousands of industry volunteers, he built a forward-thinking successful business focused on the further development and integration of technology in all industries of the world. Under his leadership CTA has won numerous awards for its healthy workplace, family friendly employment practices, and environmentally friendly exhibition practices. In 2019, CTA earned its sixth consecutive selection as a Washington Post Top Workplace.
Shapiro has written New York Times bestsellers including “Ninja Innovation: The Ten Killer Strategies of the World’s Most Successful Businesses” (HarperCollins, 2013) and “The Comeback: How Innovation will Restore the American Dream” (Beaufort, 2011). He also wrote USA Today bestseller “Ninja Future: Secrets to Success in the New World of Innovation” (William Morrow, 2018) Through these books, numerous television appearances, and as a columnist whose more than 1,200 opinion pieces have appeared in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Washington Post, Shapiro has helped direct policymakers and business leaders on the importance of innovation and technology in the U.S. economy.
Shapiro consistently stays active in policy, thought leadership, government, and community development alongside his position at CTA. He currently serves as a member of the CTA Executive Board, NAM Board of Directors of the Council of Manufacturing Associations, the Board of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, the Board of Directors of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, and the Trade Show Executive Editorial Board. A subject of regular praise, Shapiro was once called a “mastermind” for his initiative in helping to create the Industry Cooperative for Ozone Layer Protection. His mind for an evolving workplace and consumer while staying environmentally conscious has paved a roadmap for bipartisan law and policy makers to follow in making a more innovative world.
Gary Shapiro is happily married and lives in Michigan.
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
During this episode:
Introduction [0:00]
How the World is Connecting through Consumer Touch [1:05]
Introduction to Gary Shapiro [9:27]
The “Top Three”
Gary’s Wife [13:52]
Industry advisors and advocates like Robert Ford who help him reflect on how to drive the industry forward [14:39]
His entire CTA management team as well as members of the Board [15:24]
The Consumer Technology Industry
Learning from a Failure [18:55]
Keep Things Simple [21:56]
Disruptors to the Industry [23:00]
AI Changing the Business Model [26:41]
Advice to Business Leaders [31:58]
What to Expect from CES in 2023? – World Academy of Arts & Science (WAAS) Partnerships, Awards, and More [36:45]
You have to hear this…
Balance in Life Hack [43:12]
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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