Company leadership needs to ensure that it attracts and motivates millennials, he says.
“We have put programs in place that expose young, high potential employees to diverse business situations and allow them to be bold, innovative and engaged. We mentor and are reverse-mentored by them. We strive to keep our workforce flexible, and enable them with our best training programs,” Cardenuto says.
Millennials, with their understanding of and comfort with technology, will be an important part of teams leading innovation and shaping the future of companies.
“Above all, we try to listen and learn from their ideas, beliefs and contributions — how they use technology, push to crowdsource ideas, and expect it all to run faster, smarter and more sustainably,” Cardenuto says. ●
Takeaways:
- Transform information to insights.
- Understand customers so you can provide solutions.
- Adapt your business model to address millennials.
The Cardenuto File:
Name: Rodolpho Cardenuto
Title: President
Company: SAP Americas
Born: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Education: He received a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering from Centro Universitário da FEI (Faculdade de Engenharia Industrial) in Sao Paulo, Brazil, an executive MBA from the Business School Sao Paulo (BSP) and a master’s in international business from the University of Toronto.
What was your first job and what did you learn from it? About 25 years ago I was a systems analyst at a bank in Sao Paulo, working the night shift —11 p.m. to 7 a.m. I worked at night and went to school during the day; my first class started at 7:30 a.m. Getting to class on time was a challenge, so I saved up to buy my first motorcycle. Aside from developing a longstanding passion for riding motorcycles and learning to get by on very little sleep, my first job taught me the importance of hard work, perseverance and disciplined time management.
