HP’s CEO on how the pandemic is accelerating change in technology and business

“We are witnessing the dawn of a new age,” HP CEO Enrique Lores said at the company’s Reinvent conference this year. Many of the changes that business leaders planned to transition into over the next few years are here now, and they’re being accepted seamlessly due to the pandemic from constant video conferencing to working from home. 

On the latest episode of “Leadership Next,” the Fortune podcast about the changing roles of business leadership, Lores tells cohosts Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt that the fast pace of change has affected not only business and technology, but also the personal lives of employees and managers alike. That, he says, necessitates the development of a more approachable style of leadership across the company at this time when so many lives are more complicated and more stressful than ever. 

And prioritizing those changes, along with the employees that they will serve, does not mean that profit takes a back seat, Lores said, adding that leaders should not feel the need to choose between short-term results and long-term contributions to the world. “I firmly believe you can do both, and we are proving that you can do both.”

And though HP’s stock is down since the pandemic started, Lores assures Murray and McGirt that the business remains strong, with opportunities in areas like education and 3D printing on the horizon. 

To learn more about what HP is doing to negate its environmental impact and Lores’ approach to diversity and inclusion within the company, tune into the latest episode of “Leadership Next” at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts. 

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