Reflections on a New World

Nine months ago following a very successful first quarter to our fiscal year 19/20, I shared my first LinkedIn article which concluded, “And I can’t help but feel the best is yet to come.”

How dramatically life can change in one short year; from then to now is simply staggering. In some ways, though, it’s familiar. Lenovo announced corporate earnings for our fourth quarter and fiscal year Tuesday evening. Humbly but proudly speaking: we’ve retained the number one position in PC worldwide with record results in North America. Our people and partners have delivered despite some of the most daunting challenges in this industry’s long history. To our dear loyal customers: we’re beyond grateful and will continue to move mountains every day to get the best technology to you when you need it the most. For those that aren’t yet using Lenovo – know that we take nothing for granted and are eager to earn your business. It all starts with product – and we have the best. But our secret sauce is our people and partners that are here to serve you each day even in difficult times.

Despite record results, we aren’t celebrating. We’re more focused on the future than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the world, in our personal lives and at Lenovo, as a Fortune 500 company. Like most tech companies, Lenovo has focused on supporting new work from home requirements for many of our corporate customers, distance learning in education and technology solutions for healthcare providers on the front lines. With so many businesses confronting unprecedented disruptions, we’ve created programs to support our partners and customers.

Lenovo has also sought to make a difference by joining the global response to COVID-19. To date, total contributions are close to $15 million in value, and include financial, hardware and software donations. In North America, we’ve:

· Supported distance learning with $2 million in PC donations to K-12 schools, community colleges and universities, and more than $1+ million in LanSchool Air licenses for schools in the U.S. and Canada.

· Donated Motorola phones to help with connectivity and access to technology for the disconnected across the U.S.

· Contributed more than $500,000 worth of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to hospitals in Chicago and North Carolina’s Triangle region, home to one of our two worldwide headquarters.

· Teamed up with nationally-renowned chef, restaurateur, community leader, and friend, Scott Crawford to provide meals for families being served by a nonprofit partner in Raleigh.

· Finally, we’ve empowered our people to make a difference, with close to $1 million in matching grants for employee donations to charitable organizations that matter to them.

Lenovo and the tech sector will continue to lead through COVID-19 related community outreach, and with innovative solutions. As we navigate evolving circumstances, look for more offerings like our Smart Office line geared toward a new way of work. In particular, collaboration devices like the ThinkSmart View that launched in late April and is now my ultimate work from home companion. Trust me, this relatively simple device is a GAME CHANGER and there’s no doubt we will continue to account for and create solutions that support a new work world. 

We WILL overcome the challenges before us and come out stronger in the end. Lenovo WILL remain engaged in the battle against COVID-19 – for our employees, customers and our communities worldwide. This year we WILL show the world what Lenovo is truly made of. #WeAreLenovo