Technology Leader Provides Insights In Management, Marketing
Technology leaders adapt to the shifting landscape that led from personal computers to the internet to mobile devices to the cloud, big data, wearables and beyond. For millennials, entrepreneurship is largely synonymous with leadership. In a global survey of nearly 2,500 millennials sponsored by Deloitte, 70 percent of respondents said they want to launch their own ventures, while 20 percent wanted to hold leadership positions at large companies. In a career spanning three decades, Barak Berkowitz has done it all -- from leading teams at high-tech behemoths, like Apple, to co-founding startups.
Millennials seeking leadership roles can learn much from Berkowitz. After working in various marketing roles in the U.S. and Japan, transitioning to a manager at Apple's Japanese organization in 1995, he served as Logitech vice president and general manager, American region. "I was responsible for all aspects of a $150 million business, spanning the U.S., Latin America, Australia, Canada and Japan," said Berkowitz. The experience led to a senior vice president and general manager role at Infoseek, which partnered with Disney to create the GO Network.
He then helped launch OmniSky, serving as president. "I co-founded this groundbreaking consumer wireless startup," Berkowitz said. "I was in charge of all aspects of sales, marketing and product development, built the team from four to over 300 in 12 months, managed relationships with key partners including AT&T, Palm, AOL, Sony, and many others. As the product visionary, I helped redefine what a wireless computing experience could be like and inspire the development team to make this vision real," Berkowitz said. The company went public and was acquired by Earthlink in late 2001.
The success at OmniSky enabled Berkowitz to then move on to leadership roles at many technology organizations. As MIT Media Lab director of operations and strategy and lecturer at UCLA Anderson School of Management, he now imparts his knowledge to millennials who are tomorrow's tech leaders. His lectures are loved by MBA candidates and provide insights into marketing, strategy, distribution, pricing, business planning, product line strategy, promotion, channels and negotiation.
Residing in the San Francisco Bay Area, Greg is a patented inventor, technology enthusiast and intrepid journalist. He finds inspiration in diverse experiences, organizations, people and places -- from restaurants to politics, movies, music and, most of all, his daughter.
