Nickname: the_besst

Review: Business Week, you should have called this article "Mistresses of Innovation" as the majority are female. This women are awesome. And to, kiniflame, kudos to your mom and to mine for being awesome working moms!

Date reviewed: Aug 5, 2009 6:48 PM

Nickname: jt

Review: I am suprised that minorities are not featured!!!!!

Date reviewed: Nov 29, 2008 5:39 AM

Nickname: MG10

Review: In contrast to the vituperative remarks that seem to characterize these comments, I find it interesting that about 60% of the champions have non-brown eyes and that over 50% of the women have non-brown hair.

Date reviewed: Dec 12, 2007 2:38 PM

Nickname: kiniflame

Review: To the person who was coming down on women for not being involved with their family, what do you know? I happen to be a daughter of a woman on that list and I have never seen anyone balance work and home so efficiently and I could not have asked for a better environment to grow up in. Just because all of the women did not mention their families, let's not forget that they weren't being asked about them. My mom is an amazing woman (she would have to be with three kids and a high profile career) and I would put her domestic and maternal abilities up against any others.

Date reviewed: Sep 19, 2006 5:52 PM

Nickname: sonic boom

Review: I recently ran across the article highlighting the '25 Innovation Champions and was surprised to see Nancy Snyder listed as one of the top 25. I was a member of the original Whirlpool innovation organization and had a chance to work directly for Nancy and watched with an insider's perspective as the "innovation focus" unfolded. My conclusions: 1) the real innovation hero at Whirlpool is Strategos and Gary Hammel, who developed all of the tools which were deployed within the Whirlpool organization and, 2) Nancy Snyder's genius has been artfully taking credit for work she did not do, while those in the organization continue to be overlooked as the ones delivering the true value regarding innovation. Being 'Snydered' had become a verb at Whirlpool--and not a positive one at that--and for this process to truly take root Whirlpool needs to move beyond Ms. Snyder and her machinations to unlock the potential in the broader organization.

Date reviewed: Aug 2, 2006 1:18 AM

Nickname: Longhorn

Review: How can you leave someone like Chevron's Ray Buschmann off your list?

Date reviewed: Jul 26, 2006 12:07 AM

Nickname: Former Soaper

Review: If I see one more article extolling the virtues of Claudia Kotchka I am going to scream! Yes, the design team at P&G has done and is doing some great work, but this is more a testament of their hard work vs anything Claudia has brought to the table. Our innovation efforts are starting to lose steam, design is as fragmented as ever, and Claudia has done nothing to improve the roles or respect for design at P&G. How about a feature on the true champions of innovation at P&G--the design managers, engineers, and marketing folks who are really doing the great work!

Date reviewed: Jul 18, 2006 10:55 PM

Nickname: motorolagal

Review: Bruce, not to turn this into a public debate, let me just respond to your two questions: 1) As to who I would select for this list (without naming names) let's just say that I would aim for more clarity around 'innovators' vs. 'design innovators' vs. 'business innovators'. This is a theme mentioned several times in the responses, so it would appear I'm not the only one picking up on this. This lack of 'framing' makes it all the more difficult to objectively assess the success/failure of those on your list. 2) As to your question of is the first article aimed 'too high' or 'too low', I suspect your asking the question is part of the problem. One of the key tenets of great design-connect with the expert (1st priority) but don't leave the novice behind (2nd priority). Sorry you took my earlier feedback as an attack. That was not the intent. Lastly, I'm a gal. Greetings from Chi-town!

Date reviewed: Jun 29, 2006 9:41 PM

Nickname: ML in Danville, VA

Review: Innovation in organizations is a function of the culture of that organization. I have seen (and worked for) many stodgy, conservative organizations that take creative/innovative people and destroy their passion to create something different and better than what currently exists.. There is a symbiotic relationship between innovative people and innovative organizations. It is impossible to have one without the other and changing a culture from stodgy to innovative takes a strong presence at the top - just look at what P&G did after A. G. Laflet took over as CEO.

Date reviewed: Jun 27, 2006 12:48 AM

Nickname: ML in Danville, VA

Review: I read with great interest about the current wave of visionaries who are integrating art, design, creativity, engineering, technology, management and business. I originally studied photography and design as an undergrad and got my first job in industrial design for a manufacturing firm and then moved on to an advanced degree in industrial and management engineering and now currently work as a management consultant, so I find the current trend amusing. When I first got out of school with an already diverse education in both creative and technical pursuits and experience that became more diverse as time went on, companies had no idea how to use my skills and consequently pigeon-holed me. It looks like I was ahead of my time as I have always believed that a broad background in art, design, business and engineering would make for the most robust and innovate products, processes and businesses. I am glad to see others are now starting to believe in the concept of "mental diversity".

Date reviewed: Jun 27, 2006 12:39 AM