Jim McCluney calls his company a survivor.
That’s putting it lightly.
Emulex Corp. (NYSE: ELX) has done more than merely survive. In fact, it’s grown by leaps and bounds — more specifically, by acquisitions, partnerships and diversifications.
McCluney came on board through the acquisition of his company, Vixel Corp., in November 2003. He was named president and CEO in September 2006, and since then, he has continued expanding the offerings of storage networking convergence solutions.
“The company’s been around for 30 years, so it’s been through a number of economic and technology transitions,” McCluney says, clarifying his definition of survivor. “It’s had the flexibility and determination to move into new directions many times over its life.” But none of those transitions are haphazard, no new directions unplanned. Everything ties to a strategic vision.
“If you don’t know where you’re going, any direction’s fine,” McCluney says. “You really need to understand where you want the company to be three to five years down the road. And to do that, you need a good understanding of where the technologies and markets and customer pain points are, and then have a very clear understanding of what capabilities and intellectual property exists within your own company.”
Setting that path ahead of time helps McCluney make decisions about new opportunities and challenges — like when, in April 2009, Broadcom Corp. made an unsolicited takeover bid to acquire Emulex.
“That was incredibly challenging because we had to not only stay on plan and deliver what we needed to deliver for this new market and a growth trajectory, but at the same time, defend the company,” McCluney says. “I spent a lot of time out on the road with investors, articulating our strategy and convincing them that there was a better future for Emulex than what the hostile bid was offering.”
