{"id":33278,"date":"2019-02-22T07:21:11","date_gmt":"2019-02-22T15:21:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=33278"},"modified":"2019-02-24T01:23:09","modified_gmt":"2019-02-24T09:23:09","slug":"passing-of-the-crown-at-efi-has-manufacturer-optimistic-for-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/channel-insight\/2019\/02\/passing-of-the-crown-at-efi-has-manufacturer-optimistic-for-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Passing of the Crown at EFI has Manufacturer Optimistic for the Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the course of nearly 20 years, Guy Gecht has been the face of Silicon Valley technology heavyweight Electronics for Imaging (EFI). He has transformed and transmogrified the company from a single product line and OEM business model to a multifaceted digital provider. Along the way, he ushered in the expansion of productivity software and industrial inkjet technologies to skyrocket EFI\u2019s annual revenues to north of $1 billion.<\/p>\n

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Bill Muir, CEO of EFI<\/p><\/div>\n

The annual Connect users\u2019 conference was indeed Gecht\u2019s baby. The man knew (and knows) how to work a room in Las Vegas. He would take center stage for his annual keynote address and delight the crowd with his humorous anecdotes and sometimes self-deprecating humor. All the while, he would outline EFI\u2019s progress while providing perspective of its role alongside the many other game-changing technologies that have dominated the business and consumer landscapes. Gecht\u2019s keynotes had a way of truly setting the tone for the balance of Connect, and the confidence he inspired in EFI\u2019s client base was palpable.<\/p>\n

Last summer, Gecht shocked the imaging sector with the announcement that he was stepping down after 19 years at the helm of EFI. Two months later, Bill Muir\u2014a longtime executive with product solutions provider Jabil\u2014was tabbed as his replacement. So new to the world of EFI is Muir that his 99th day on the job was spent on stage at the Wynn Hotel, delivering the Connect 2019 keynote address. While Muir has big shoes to fill, his predecessor was not far away. Gecht, who is still a member of EFI\u2019s board of directors and an advisor to the CEO, was in attendance.<\/p>\n

Extensive Background<\/strong><\/p>\n

Muir is hardly a neophyte when it comes to quarterbacking the fortunes of a billion-dollar concern. Jabil is a $22 billion product-solutions company with 100-plus facilities and 170,000 employees globally. Muir served as Jabil\u2019s CFO, and prior to that was CEO of its Global Manufacturing Services, then a $14 billion division. He also tripled the business of Jabil Asia in a stint that lasted less than four years. Muir is also credited with helping launch Jabil\u2019s Blue Sky Innovation Center, and boasts an extensive background in complex engineering and manufacturing.<\/p>\n

So while Muir lacked the flair and stage presence of a Guy Gecht, he clearly boasts the credentials and trailing results to bring EFI into its next phase of growth. \u201cThe onus for us is making sure we\u2019re doing an exceptionally good job at making sure the folks in this audience and the people who continue to bet on EFI, are the winners in this industry as the industry continues to develop,\u201d he said during the keynote. \u201cMy responsibility as CEO is to keep EFI\u2019s innovation machine going, and help enable your business to thrive in this new, digital age.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was the company\u2019s managerial courage that attracted Muir to EFI. He admired EFI for its foresight and journey from the Fiery business to productivity software and industrial inkjet equipment. However, he did cite areas in which the business needs to step up its game in order to evolve and prosper.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do think we need to do a better job of innovation and execution,\u201d he added. \u201cWe need to keep that innovation engine alive and well, while at the same time doing a better job of helping (customers) execute for the needs of your end customers. That\u2019s how we\u2019ll evolve the company.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making Adjustments<\/strong><\/p>\n

During the fourth-quarter conference call with investors in January, Muir provided more detailed information on some of the adjustments EFI is undertaking to ratchet up its performance for both customers and investors. He noted EFI\u2019s success with its mid-market software suite, which integrates with its display graphics systems, is a reflection on how its customers value the EFI ecosystem. EFI\u2019s Fiery digital front ends have long been known as the out pitch in the company portfolio. During the four-day user conference, Muir said he spoke with more than 50 customers, and came away with the impression that the strategy EFI is employing aids in the enhanced execution level he is seeking.<\/p>\n

Muir also outlined the series of initiatives to help drive value for the company and its client base. Some of the moves are currently in process and will extend through 2019. They include:<\/p>\n