When Bracken Darrell joined Logitech in April 2012, things weren’t looking so hot for the computer peripheral manufacturer. The PC sales decline was hitting the company hard, and Logitech was reporting erratic sales results.
Darrell was named CEO in January 2013, taking the helm of the company and its much-needed turnaround. While very transparent regarding the necessity of a turnaround for Logitech, Darrell, who was previously executive VP of Whirlpool Corporation and president of Whirlpool EMEA, persistently reminded investors and the media it was a three-year plan, not a quick fix.
Under Darrell’s leadership, Logitech zeroed in on what it considered to be its three growth areas: keyboards and cases for tablets; high-end prosumer gaming peripherals; and the wireless speaker market.
By shifting its focus from computer keyboards to tablet keyboards, and from desktop speakers to Bluetooth speakers, Logitech has announced sales gains, albeit small ones, in every reporting period in 2014. Its “growth category” trio of PC gaming, mobile speakers and tablet accessories, saw an increase of 27 percent in fiscal Q2, reported in October. Mobile speakers alone saw sales improve 143 percent, driven by Logitech’s flagship UE Boom portable Bluetooth speaker.
Noted Darrell at the time: “This is our strategy of delivering fewer and bigger products in action.”
