I suppose you won't have 2 hours with him, so we trust you to do the relevant filtering and prioritisation in your questions.

Well, this is a great opportunity, but as Lee and others have said I believe the questions should be kept to future business strategy and any technical questions put in very general terms and at a high level, he is the CEO, not the product designer.

If I was to come up with one question which is both important to customers and B&O it would relate to the technical support it provides to its dealers and subsequently to the customer. How many times has a customer been referred to a dealer about a question put directly to B&O and the dealer was unable to answer the question or get an answer from their B&O technical support department. There appears to be real frustration at the dealerships about getting quality and timely responses to issues raised by the dealer. I myself have a technical question outstanding which I put directly to the B&O service department and I am still awaiting a response or an update and that was over a month ago.

Taking the above into consideration I would put the following question to Torben:-

• One area of considerable concern to your dealers and many customers is the poor level of technical support provide when a technical problem is discovered or a question raised. The response tends to be either a) I'll get back to you after we research the problem/question, but never come back or give an update b) We do not have an answer to the problem or they think something may or may not work, but cannot give a certain answer.
• So, you can have some first hand experience of this frustration, can I suggest you log into your weekly one hour customer service Q/A hosted by B&O Customer Service every Wednesday

I have kept to just one question, because no matter what my wish list for new products may be, if I (we) cannot get quality technical support we may not buy those future products.

Lee,

9 LEE:

Do bear in mind that he is the CEO and not an engineer. He will of course have a good working knowledge of B&O products...

Hi Lee, 

Of course I'm aware that Mr Torben Ballegaard Sørensen probably is not an engineer, as Peter, Philippe, Keith and others have stated before.

But I've been also already invited to some enterprise interviews ( Rolex, Nestlé, UBS, Merck-Serono...) and in all of those interviews CEO were NEVER alone, so there were also present some collaborators like, public relationship and publicity executives, technical department chief, project managers, investment department person in charge...etc.
In that cases (maybe yours...who knows) to get ready some generic technical and practical questions are also really welcome to switch among different guests and give some little breaths to Mr.Sørensen during the interview.

Best regards. 

On a lighter note, I would probably end the conversation with : "What is your best souvenir or memorable anecdote related to B&O? (and that you haven't told yet.. Beoworld exclusive scoop!)"

Philippe

Lee, nice opportunity! Enjoy it. Here are my thoughts: 

Since he is the CEO I think it would be best to start of with the top level questions like:

- What is the mission of B&O?

- What identity does B&O have/want to have? How does he think this is seen from the public/costumers? 

- What are the B&O values? What recent products express those best?

After that I would try to link this to some concerns:

- B&O television used to be 'best in the market' for performance and user friendliness for which you had to pay a premium price (but there was also a very slow value decline over time). In the current 'flat screen market' B&O can not continue to maintain this; yet their price strategy (annual increase, never a drop even though their starting materials most become cheaper over time) does not change. How can he explain this?

- There seems to be a direction B&O is aiming that only focusses at top end costumers (only A-stores, complete home installations, high investments). This seems to create a distance to the 'small' costumers while these are (in my opinion) very essential to secure the future. How are his thoughts about this?

- Some of the recent products do not seem to express the B&O values as we used to know them (for instance Beosound 6?). Is this a sample of what we can expect in the near future?

Looking forward to your 'meeting minutes'! 

Regards,

Bieele 

  

Santiago:

9 LEE:

Do bear in mind that he is the CEO and not an engineer. He will of course have a good working knowledge of B&O products...

Hi Lee, 

Of course I'm aware that Mr Torben Ballegaard Sørensen probably is not an engineer, as Peter, Philippe, Keith and others have stated before.

But I've been also already invited to some enterprise interviews ( Rolex, Nestlé, UBS, Merck-Serono...) and in all of those interviews CEO were NEVER alone, so there were also present some collaborators like, public relationship and publicity executives, technical department chief, project managers, investment department person in charge...etc.
In that cases (maybe yours...who knows) to get ready some generic technical and practical questions are also really welcome to switch among different guests and give some little breaths to Mr.Sørensen during the interview.

Best regards. 

It would be interesting to have question that are specific to the relationship between Beoworld and B&O, as these are questions no other journalists will ask...

I agree with someone before, it would be nice to be questionned on products at an early stage. We would have to be under NDA of course, and there could be a forum section reserved for those under NDA.

P.

From what i have heard from people that have met him, i would say he is perfectly capable of facing people alone!

If you have understood that I was talking about the meeting capabilities of any CEO in general or about Mr Sørensen in particular, it's clear that I have not explained me well at all... a classic issue when I try to use a foreign language.

I only tried to explain which is the usual procedure used by some enterprises for interviews with some guest external to the firm, and of course I don't know if that is the B&O procedure in general, or if it will be in this particular case, but I think that it's good to be always prepared for any contingency.

Regards. 

 

Santiago:

From what i have heard from people that have met him, i would say he is perfectly capable of facing people alone!

If you have understood that I was talking about the meeting capabilities of any CEO in general or about Mr Sørensen in particular, it's clear that I have not explained me well at all... a classic issue when I try to use a foreign language.

I only tried to explain which is the usual procedure used by some enterprises for interviews with some guest external to the firm, and of course I don't know if that is the B&O procedure in general, or if this will be your case in particular, but I think that it's good to be always prepared for any contingency.

Regards. 

 

 

You could ask him how he did in the quiz and why he doesn't join in on Wednesdays!

Seriously it would be nice to try and get something remotely specific rather than the top level CEO "wiffle" that graces most press releases etc. One that springs to mind -

As analogue TV and, arguably, B&O's lead in TV performance comes to an end where does he see B&O's future position in the TV market when the panels become commodity items in both design and performance and the feature set is determined largely via software rather than hardware. What else can B&O offer to maintain their premium market position.

BeoNut1:

Lee,

I have long considered sending a personal letter to Mr. Sørensen.  In fact, I penned a letter a couple of years ago that I never sent as I felt it too presumptive of me to actually send a note to the CEO of a company (particularly being as that I'm no engineer - merely a consumer).  However, in light of you meeting the boss, I was wondering if you would consider showing the following letter to Mr. Sørensen.  If you feel uncomfortable doing so, I'd completely understand.  Likewise, if you think this letter worthwhile and wouldn't mind giving it to Mr. Sørensen, I could email you a Word file of it or Fed Ex a hardcopy to you so that you could give Mr. Sørensen an actual "letter".

Thank you,

Mark Douglas

Mobile, AL

USA

mark.douglas@mac.com

Here's the letter (it's a couple of years old):

Mr. Torben Ballegaard Sørensen                                                                      January 4, 2006

Bang & Olufsen a/s       

Peter Bangs VEJ15

DK 7600, Struer

Dear Mr. Sørensen,

I am writing in hopes that you might briefly indulge the thoughts of one of your company’s most adamant supporters.

I am a loyal Bang & Olufsen user and have been for the past several years.  I love your company, your company’s history, and, of course, your products.  I literally daydream about B&O equipment.  I am also a loyal Apple computer user having switched from Windows powered machines about five years ago.  Over the past several years, I have sold many of my friends on the virtues of both B&O and Apple products.  In my humble opinion, B&O and Apple share many similar corporate ideals and, therefore, B&O and Apple subsequently share similar customers.  Both companies design simple, ergonomic, and integrated products that appeal to individuals who appreciate technology working “invisibly” in the background to make for a cleaner user experience.  And, both companies value ergonomics and design more so than their respective competitors.

Though B&O and Apple certainly make a few similar products, I likewise see these two companies as more complementary to each other rather than outright competitors.  B&O is primarily an audio / video equipment manufacturer, and Apple is primarily a computer software / hardware manufacturer (and soon to be media distributer).  In my opinion, B&O makes the best A/V equipment and Apple makes the best A/V software.  I foresee Apple’s software becoming increasingly important in the arena of consumer media consumption.  I would therefore very much like to see B&O work more closely with Apple; in fact, I see any union of these two companies’ products as a way of solidifying and guaranteeing B&O’s future presence in the rapidly changing marketplace that is consumer media.

For the past couple of years, I have actually contemplated writing you and enclosing a piece of Apple equipment (a wireless Apple Airport Express WiFi hub) as I would love to somehow convince someone within your company of the elegance of Apple’s software and what I see as Apple’s plan to change the way consumers acquire music and video.  I keep hesitating to do so as I realize that this would seem incredibly audacious on my part - I am not an engineer or audio / video specialist (I am actually a retinal surgeon).  Also, I realize that B&O has it’s own audio / visual software, it’s own “media hub”, and it’s own mp3 player.  Yet, I believe in my heart that Apple is about to change things in a very fundamental way, and I want B&O to be a part of this change.

Just to briefly outline what I see happening to the A/V market from the perspective of a well-informed consumer:  I see Apple’s iTunes software and Apple’s wireless audio and video hubs as revolutionizing the way music and video are acquired and played.  These integrated pieces of software and hardware have changed the way we listen to music in my house - we now send it wirelessly to our B&O stereos from our Apple computers.  These integrated solutions are driven by a magnificently clean user interface that incorporates constantly updating software that also allows for music and videos to be purchased.  And, Apple’s software allows me to do this for either Apple or Windows based computers.  I have also set up this same type of home audio system for many of my friends (using a combination of B&O and Apple equipment), and I have been able to experience first-hand how much people enjoy this particular confluence of technology.  Soon, we will be able to do this with video, too, when Apple releases their “iTV” product (name subject to change).  I fully expect to wirelessly send movies to my B&O television in the very near future.

I believe that Apple’s market share in terms of computer users will start to significantly rise over the next few years, but (more importantly) I believe that Apple’s software and their wireless hubs will find their way in to consumers’ living rooms (regardless of which type of computer, stereo, or TV the consumer owns).  I also believe that Apple will soon introduce some sort of computer based audio-video “server” that will become the proverbial and oft-promised “digital hub” that consumers have anticipated for so long.  And, I believe that this digital hub will (like the iPod and iTunes) be designed for Windows and Apple machines, and (like the iPod and iTunes) become the de facto standard.

My humble suggestion is that B&O find a way to partner with Apple and start using Apple’s software (which runs on Windows and Apple machines) to power your hardware.  I realize that this would represent a fundamental shift in philosophy for B&O away from “in house” software design.  However, if Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs, were to demo B&O televisions and audio systems utilizing Apple’s forthcoming “media hub” and software, I believe it would be a boom to your company that would actually make it difficult for B&O to keep up with demand.  Likewise, and with all due respect, I see Apple’s software design teams as better than those of any other company (including Microsoft and B&O) as Apple is simply so committed to this vision and so good at designing the “end user experience”.

In talking with some B&O employees, I get the impression that B&O does not contemplate the Apple market much (if I am wrong, please excuse my ignorance).  Part of this may be based on Apple’s seemingly meager market share, but, as I pointed out, I see this as a mute point as Apple’s audio / video software will be independent of computer type.  As an aside, because B&O and Apple attract the same type of consumer, I believe that the percentage of B&O users who also use Apple computers is much higher than the percentage of Apple computer users in the general market place.

Thank you for taking the time to read my overly lengthy letter.  For the record, I do realize how truly ridiculous it must sound having someone like me write someone like you and offer advice about future corporate trends.  I am very passionate about both B&O and Apple, and I so desperately want these two companies’ products to better integrate.  Plus, I obviously feel that some sort of union like the one I am proposing would offer future dividends for B&O as well as secure B&O’s place in an increasingly volatile marketplace.  Please also know that it is not my intention to in any way denigrate B&O’s software, wireless efforts, or the Beomedia product.  On the contrary, my sole impetus in writing this letter was to offer my admittedly amateurish outlook on a topic that I feel has the potential to strongly effect a company that I love very much  - Bang & Olufsen.

Sincerely,

Mark J. Douglas, MD

P.S.  I would love to send you an Apple Airport Express or Apple’s upcoming “iTV” product (when it comes out in a few months) if these are things you might like to personally try.  I only hesitated in doing so out of fear that a package being sent from a consumer to the president of a company might not actually make it in to your hands.  Please do not hesitate to contact me about sending you one of these devices - it would be my honor to do so.

I have written to him a couple of times and have received answers. If appropriate, my letters have been passed to a more relevant person, something I have always requested.. In my view he is extremely approachable and clearly knows what happens on Beoworld. He has been most kind in his correspondence to me  and I found it amazing that a CEO should take the time to write to a normal customer. I have the highest regard and respect for him and I am sure Lee will have a most enjoyable interview.

We are an enthusiasts site and I hope the questions will reflect that and the hope that closer links can be forged between B&O and its enthusiast wing!  

Mark, As a fellow doctor,(Radiologist), that has to be the most humble letter I have ever read from a surgeon!!  It is quite obvious you are not an orthopaedic surgeon!!  I had the opportunity to speak to a director of B & O, I think it might have been this person, when he visited Australia a few years ago.  I earbashed him about the seeming indifference of B & O to Apple users and he raised his eyes heavenwards and said, "oh no, not another Mac user" as though we were a nuisance!! I told him in no uncertain terms that we were a force to be reckoned with as far as B & O users were concerned and that we had, on average , more disposable income than the average Windows user.  Still B & O refuse to poll their user database and see the percentage of Mac users that I know will be higher than the average.  I suspect that there is a Mac-hater in a senior position that is pushing Windows to a board that is not particulaly computer savvy.  Why else is the board not seeing what Blind Freddy can see about the similarities between Apple and B & O. With Apples products being software agnostic, it seems to be a no-brainer!!  Mark, your letter says so much to B & O that I wanted to say that I had to add this reply.  B & O should stop trying to re-invent a Better Wheel in computing and stick to designing top quality products that utilise the best in computing.  That increasingly comes from Apple who are supplying a platform that works for Mac users and those poor devils who are still wasting their time battling with Windows on a daily basis. Clifft

I cannot believe I missed this thread!!

Q...

1: What is the 10 year plan for B&O? i.e. where in 10 years do the company see themselves? still as a small niche/lifestyle type or a bigger player in the industry?

2: If the latter to Q1 is the case, does this mean the partnership between Samsung & B&O will continue to develop?

3: Will B&O concentrate on an audio source which is on a par with the lab5s?

4: Will furniture be reintroduced? i.e. along the lines of attyca?

5: Will there be an increase in the product portfolio? more lower end items? or an increase in high end items?

 

Please, please, please stop going on about Mac and Apple. Like most voiciferous minorities you are getting boring and the interview is likely to be terminated before it gets started.

I've got a PC, you won't be surprised to learn. I am happy with the PC and Windows and rarely if ever have any trouble. Please pass this message on to Mr Sorensen!!!

joeyboygolf:

Please, please, please stop going on about Mac and Apple. Like most voiciferous minorities you are getting boring and the interview is likely to be terminated before it gets started.

I would expect a more courteous behavior on this forum.

Don't forget that we are all part of the minority of B&O users, and you would not appreciate if someone said about us: "Like most voiciferous minorities..."

Moby's question 3 raises a paradox - the BL5's, B&O's flagship speakers, because of their digital input can give max. quality reproduction from a whole host of sources incl. 3rd parties (certainly any CD/DVD player that has a digital output) while within the B&O range some older product (CD5500 - CD7000) are capable of driving the digital input along with current products BS9000 and BC2 whilst, suprisingly, newer product such as the BS4 or BS3200 etc., are not.

 Lesser speakers in the range (BL9, BL3) do not have a digital input.

It would therefore seem that to obtain better performance from the BL9's for example we need the best possible high quality analogue source while to achieve the best possible performance (BL5's) almost any old player with a digital output will do!

The point being there doesn't seem to be much of a "road map" within the audio product range. (I think in a recent thread we arrived at the conclusion that the best B&O source to drive the BL5's was the CD5500)!

wtlc2zpx:

joeyboygolf:

Please, please, please stop going on about Mac and Apple. Like most voiciferous minorities you are getting boring and the interview is likely to be terminated before it gets started.

I would expect a more courteous behavior on this forum.

Don't forget that we are all part of the minority of B&O users, and you would not appreciate if someone said about us: "Like most voiciferous minorities..."

As a B&O user, I've been part of a minority for years. However, I don't go on about it all the time and I certainly don't feel the need to "change the world" to my way of thinking as far as audio and video products are concerned and certainly not where computers are concerned.

As for this thread, I would not want the CEO to get the impression that all Beoworld members would be happy to see B&O "get into bed" with Apple.

If that is being discourteous then I'm guilty as charged!

Apple vs. Windows.

This is a no-brainer, and probably not even worth spending question time on. Any Consumer Electronics provider in A/V who does not align product functionality with Apple's user friendly GUI and OS will find itself hopelessly behind those who do. The graphics, music and film industries are applying Mac-technology and interfaces throughout their activities.
A work such as Lord of the Rings was post-produced entirely on Macs - video and audio.

Anyone who has tried Windows Media Centre solutions and compared them to Apple's will know where this will end up -- and I'm totally agnostic on the issue, if Windows was better I would toss out all my Mac computers. 

===

I agree that questions concerning full-resolution, uncompressed playback through B&O equipment, to utilise the full potential of B&O's speakers, is very appropriate. 

 

Graham,

Don't want to act like a moderator, but the original question is step by step diluting in this Apple vs Microsoft battle... (I have Macs and I have PCs : both have their pros and cons. Nobody's white, nobody's black)

But incidently that would bring a really interesting question as B&O more and more faces the necessity to develop advanced software in its products (BeoSystem 3 - with a thread of its own here on the forum, ...) :

"our topics, even if they just are the reflection of a minority of users (but what minority!), have echoed a quite unexpected number of software bugs. In the light of the feedbacks on the matter reported to Torben, are these bugs (and this consequent situation) due to a challenging complexity that B&O has now to face and cope with in order to maintain its level of quality? Is it due to a complex variety of situations that B&O can't humanly manage to test thorougly? (BeoSystem 3 with different 3rd party panels for instance..) Are there any decisions in the pipeline for B&O to get better on the software field? (beefing up B&O software team or partnerships with external software specialists?).."

 

Philippe

Philippe:

Don't want to act like a moderator, but the original question is step by step diluting in this Apple vs Microsoft battle...

(I have Macs and I have PCs : both have their pros and cons. Nobody's white, nobody's black. Period)

Philippe

Philippe, I agree that there are many more issues to explore, but we are dealing with products designed to display audio/visual content, where such content will be made available over the internet and through storage media to a much greater extent than through broadcast. Which means that asking how B&O will relate to that is highly topical, given that one operating system is a lot more user friendly and content efficient than the other. Or haven't you tried The Zune?

 

I have been listening to these same arguements for 30-40 years. Give it another 30-40 years and the same arguements will still be trotted out.

Money and market share is power and Bill Gates has both I'm afraid.

Clifft,

soundproof:

Philippe, I agree that there are many more issues to explore, but we are dealing with products designed to display audio/visual content, where such content will be made available over the internet and through storage media to a much greater extent than through broadcast. Which means that asking how B&O will relate to that is highly topical, given that one operating system is a lot more user friendly and content efficient than the other. Or haven't you tried The Zune?

Nope I haven't Soundproof! I have iPods which I'm delighted with, cause they fulfill my needs (good musical quality, simple user interface, neat design... Oh that reminds me of a danish brand.. ).

I'm completely with you Soundproof on the software theme (I was editing my post while you were replying to my original one), but I don't think we, as B&O users, should really envisage or hope a B&O / Apple partnership (even if apparently some of us would dream so).

As I see it, B&O is just willing to keep strategic control on the software embedded in its products (but I admit it's sometimes really far from our expectations, particularly in the last products rehearsals : BeoSound 3, BeoSystem 3, ..). I could add too that B&O actually haven't showed a single sign to think the contrary (or otherwise they would react, such as teaming up with Samsung for mobile phones).

Hence my question about what Torben thinks it should be done at B&O to get better on this crucial field (software), field on which they now really need to focus and strengthen..

Philippe