Neil I. Patel

In 2021, after years of consumer complaints, Philips was made to recall millions of its breathing machines, including home-use CPAP machines and hospital ventilators. because the foam used in them was deteriorating and being breathed in by users, causing serious health issues. These ventilators were eventually tied to more than 500 deaths.

In 2021, after years of consumer complaints, Philips was made to recall millions of its breathing machines, including home-use CPAP machines and hospital ventilators. because the foam used in them was deteriorating and being breathed in by users, causing serious health issues. These ventilators were eventually tied to more than 500 deaths.

Roy's predecessor stepped down in 2022 amid the scandal, that's when Roy became the CEO, and he immediately started a massive restructuring plan to rescue a company in crisis. including several waves of planned layoffs. But although Roy wasn't in the top job, he was with Phillips throughout the entire decade the faulty machines were being sold.

Roy's predecessor stepped down in 2022 amid the scandal, that's when Roy became the CEO, and he immediately started a massive restructuring plan to rescue a company in crisis. including several waves of planned layoffs. But although Roy wasn't in the top job, he was with Phillips throughout the entire decade the faulty machines were being sold.

Roy's predecessor stepped down in 2022 amid the scandal, that's when Roy became the CEO, and he immediately started a massive restructuring plan to rescue a company in crisis. including several waves of planned layoffs. But although Roy wasn't in the top job, he was with Phillips throughout the entire decade the faulty machines were being sold.

There's reporting and court filings showing that Roy himself was involved in the decision to keep selling the defective machines, even though Phillips had received at least 3,700 consumer complaints during the 11-year period leading up to the recall. That's a pretty big decision with literal life or death consequences, and you'll hear us talk about it in detail.

There's reporting and court filings showing that Roy himself was involved in the decision to keep selling the defective machines, even though Phillips had received at least 3,700 consumer complaints during the 11-year period leading up to the recall. That's a pretty big decision with literal life or death consequences, and you'll hear us talk about it in detail.

There's reporting and court filings showing that Roy himself was involved in the decision to keep selling the defective machines, even though Phillips had received at least 3,700 consumer complaints during the 11-year period leading up to the recall. That's a pretty big decision with literal life or death consequences, and you'll hear us talk about it in detail.

It was not a comfortable topic, and Roy and I went back and forth on the nuances of how he made the choices he did, as well as whether the resulting scrutiny by the FDA and DOJ has changed how he makes decisions. This was a fascinating and at times tense conversation, and I'm glad we had the opportunity to talk about this part of Phillips' history in depth.

It was not a comfortable topic, and Roy and I went back and forth on the nuances of how he made the choices he did, as well as whether the resulting scrutiny by the FDA and DOJ has changed how he makes decisions. This was a fascinating and at times tense conversation, and I'm glad we had the opportunity to talk about this part of Phillips' history in depth.

It was not a comfortable topic, and Roy and I went back and forth on the nuances of how he made the choices he did, as well as whether the resulting scrutiny by the FDA and DOJ has changed how he makes decisions. This was a fascinating and at times tense conversation, and I'm glad we had the opportunity to talk about this part of Phillips' history in depth.

All right, Royal Phillips CEO Roy Jacobs, here we go. Roy Jacobs, you are the CEO of Royal Philips. Welcome to Decoder. Great to be here. Thank you for having me. Yeah, I'm very excited to talk to you. You have made a lot of very complicated, very high-stakes decisions as you've begun the process of changing Philips over the past few years. I want to ask about a lot of them.

All right, Royal Phillips CEO Roy Jacobs, here we go. Roy Jacobs, you are the CEO of Royal Philips. Welcome to Decoder. Great to be here. Thank you for having me. Yeah, I'm very excited to talk to you. You have made a lot of very complicated, very high-stakes decisions as you've begun the process of changing Philips over the past few years. I want to ask about a lot of them.

All right, Royal Phillips CEO Roy Jacobs, here we go. Roy Jacobs, you are the CEO of Royal Philips. Welcome to Decoder. Great to be here. Thank you for having me. Yeah, I'm very excited to talk to you. You have made a lot of very complicated, very high-stakes decisions as you've begun the process of changing Philips over the past few years. I want to ask about a lot of them.

Let's start at the very start, though. Philips is a very old company. It's had multiple identities. It has had multiple lines of business. It's spun out some very famous businesses. You're trying to change it, refocus it. What would you say Philips is today?

Let's start at the very start, though. Philips is a very old company. It's had multiple identities. It has had multiple lines of business. It's spun out some very famous businesses. You're trying to change it, refocus it. What would you say Philips is today?

Let's start at the very start, though. Philips is a very old company. It's had multiple identities. It has had multiple lines of business. It's spun out some very famous businesses. You're trying to change it, refocus it. What would you say Philips is today?

That is the opportunity you've identified. There is a lot of opportunity there. There's a lot of reason to innovate there. One of the things that strikes me about Philips in particular is that it used to be a giant conglomerate, like a 1980s-style conglomerate that was innovating across multiple lines of business. You've been there a long time. You've watched the company kind of restructure.

That is the opportunity you've identified. There is a lot of opportunity there. There's a lot of reason to innovate there. One of the things that strikes me about Philips in particular is that it used to be a giant conglomerate, like a 1980s-style conglomerate that was innovating across multiple lines of business. You've been there a long time. You've watched the company kind of restructure.

That is the opportunity you've identified. There is a lot of opportunity there. There's a lot of reason to innovate there. One of the things that strikes me about Philips in particular is that it used to be a giant conglomerate, like a 1980s-style conglomerate that was innovating across multiple lines of business. You've been there a long time. You've watched the company kind of restructure.