Intermediate Business Reading

CEO Interview

"Success Isn't Just About Profits"

In a recent interview at TechWave's headquarters in Boston, CEO Michael Grant spoke openly about his company's journey and future plans. Sitting in his surprisingly modest office, with just a few family photos and a whiteboard covered in notes, Grant shared the story of his five years at the company.

"When I started here in 2019, TechWave was struggling. We had good products but were losing customers to bigger companies," Grant explained, sipping his coffee from a company-branded mug. "I remember one night, I was working late, looking at our numbers, and I realized we needed to completely change direction."

That change came in the form of two major decisions. First, TechWave launched CloudConnect, a service that helps small businesses manage their data storage. "We noticed that many small companies couldn't afford the big cloud providers, so we created something specifically for them," Grant said. The service now supports over 15,000 businesses worldwide.

The second decision was more controversial. TechWave spent $50 million - nearly half its savings - on developing new cybersecurity software. "My board thought I was crazy," Grant laughed. "But we saw that cyber attacks were becoming a huge problem for our clients. Now our cybersecurity division brings in 60% of our revenue."

However, Grant's proudest achievement isn't about money. Under his leadership, TechWave started its "Green Tech" program, which has already reduced the company's energy use by 35%. "We're installing solar panels on all our offices, and we've told our suppliers they need to cut their carbon emissions if they want to keep working with us," he explained. "My teenage daughter kept asking me what our company was doing about climate change. I realized I needed to have a good answer for her."

Looking to the future, Grant remains optimistic but realistic. "Technology is changing faster than ever. Last week, I tested a new AI system that could write computer code better than many programmers. It's exciting but also scary." He believes companies need to focus on both innovation and responsibility. "It's not enough to just make new things - we need to make sure these new technologies help people and don't harm our planet."