Angela Baker:
thank you for having me Simon. [00:02:15]

Simon Mainwaring:
Now you are fascinating. I’m just gonna get that out there right out of the gate. And I’ll tell everyone why. [00:02:21] You’ve had this incredibly curious background where you’ve worked with like one campaign care international, the gates foundation, the labor department under secretary Clinton. I wanna understand where did this sort of drive this through line of making a difference in the world? Come from? Why is that informed your career through all these different sort of expressions of it? [00:02:42]

Angela Baker:
Yeah, well, I mean, that’s a great way to start to, with a compliment. So I appreciate that. Thank you. , so I am from Detroit, Michigan, and I have always been inspired, you know, my background’s in politics and, and, , international relations and I’ve always been inspired to sort of work. It sounds so cliche to sort of work for these things that are bigger than just me. [00:02:59] So I got at a very young age, got involved in politics, [00:03:03]

Simon Mainwaring:
really? That’s the way you wanted to do something bigger than new politics. That’s it? That’s fascinating. [00:03:08]

Angela Baker:
Well, it was a different time, but yes. Um, I am a political nerd and I love politics. And so I got involved in politics in high school and college, and I worked at the time, my first job out of college, , after bartending was working for the governor of Michigan, who at the time was a woman named Jennifer Grant home. [00:03:24] Now she’s the energy secretary. Right. And, , was working on behalf of teachers and labor unions. Right. It’s Michigan, , and really looking at those issues. And so I took that and rode that through, and that got me to DC and I started working, , in the 2008 presidential campaign. On secretary Clinton’s campaign at the time, and really just wanted to work and do something that I thought was making a difference that I felt was making a difference. [00:03:51] And we really did believe that right on the 2008 campaign. , and so I think that’s really carried me through that took me then to the us state department working for then secretary Clinton at the time, which then brought me to Qualcomm about nine years ago. , so it was kind of a, a roundabout path, but got me there in the. [00:04:06]

Simon Mainwaring:
And, you know, I was only just being cheeky about politics. Cause it’s so important as a process. But even before that, like why did you wanna work towards something bigger than yourself? Because I, I would say personally in my career, I didn’t come to that until I was in my mid forties. I really didn’t. So was it just an instinct you had, was it something you’d been sort of role modeled through parents? [00:04:26] Where did that come? . Yeah, [00:04:28]

Angela Baker:
it’s probably a big combination of things. You know, my mother was a school teacher for 43 years. Both my grandfathers were coal miners. I mean, really just working in these jobs that were very hands on that had lots of labor representation that I think really just were sort of the fabric of society. [00:04:45] And I don’t know, we just always was sort of instilled with the sense I don’t wanna make it seem like I. Totally selfless person or anything, but, you know, I think it’s just really been part of, , I think when I, I wanna really like what I’m doing and I wanna feel passionate about it. I spend a lot of time at work, like most people. [00:05:01] And so I really wanna feel like it’s making a difference in the world. Like I’m feeling good about the effort I’m putting in every day. And so. I’ve been very fortunate to work for really inspiring people and for really inspiring causes. So, yeah. [00:05:13]

Simon Mainwaring:
Yeah. I mean, maybe it’s because obviously I’m an older generation than you, perhaps that was more in the air as you were going into your careers at that time. [00:05:20] But I just find, it’s such a powerful experience for anyone when they get that alignment between who they are and the difference, you know, they wanna make in the world and that informs their career. It’s so, so powerful. So it was this roundabout way into Qualcomm. Now that’s gotta be a big shift going from, you know, the government sector and so on to the private sector as a sort of motive for change. [00:05:39] How would you characterize the difference between the two? Because there’s there’s pluses and minus minuses on both sides. . [00:05:45]

Angela Baker:
Yeah, absolutely. I’m a big fan of government. I mean, I worked in government for a long time. I think it really can be a, a big agent for change. I remember when I was looking at a job in the private sector was sort of my first foray in and everyone said, you know, the great thing about the private sector is there’s no bureaucracy, right. [00:06:01] Which is not true. Of course not true at all [00:06:02]

Simon Mainwaring:
huge company. Right. It’s much more efficiently done. It really is bureaucracy. [00:06:07]

Angela Baker:
Yeah. Yeah. I would definitely agree with, but you know, it’s still, we’re like a, what? 45,000 person company still. And of course there needs to be checks and balances. Otherwise, if people would just be off doing things. [00:06:16] So working for a company like Qualcomm, that’s so innovative, got really bright people working at it. You know, I think it’s. One of the things that I love is that there is a lot of flexibility and freedom. And if you come in with a good idea, everybody’s really open to exploring that. And I think government, there’s lots of good ideas in government, but there is, there are more stop gaps in place to sort of, that makes it harder. [00:06:37] Just to sort of change as quickly. Certainly there’s lots of innovative things happening there, but, , I think that’s probably one of the biggest things. And of course, in the private sector, you have more funds to put towards these types of efforts than you might in a government setting where taxpayers are funding you. [00:06:50] Right. Those would probably be the two biggest, but I’ve worked both, both have really great people, really smart people working, , and that are passionate about the things they’re working on. [00:06:57]

Simon Mainwaring:
So, and before we dive into Qualcomm, I wanna ask you, you know, A big part of the whole lead with we kind of idea is that we’re all collaborating, not just within a company or within a sort of brand community, but across sector. [00:07:10] If you said there was one thing that you would love to waver wand that would, , help facilitate better sort of government and private sector collaboration, one thing that had to change, what would you say that would be. wow. That is a really big question. It’s a big question. And it’s all on you right now, and you’ve got no time to think about it, right? [00:07:28] I know. [00:07:29]

Angela Baker:
I mean, I think it’s just so hard to even co to find common ground a lot of the time, because everybody comes to the table with their own needs. And issues and challenges and thoughts and ideas, and even building. I think everybody right now is talking about public private partnerships. Obviously you guys are goal seven. [00:07:46] You know, you’re working with goal 17 on this, of course the SDGs. I think none of these things are gonna be achieved without sort of that collaboration, but it is hard to sort of get all of these really big organizations together. And, , And to get them focused. And then of course, there’s all these different organizations that are looking at the same thing, right? [00:08:03] You’ve got UN or let’s say the world economic forum or the it, or all these organizations are all looking at very similar things. When probably we could just have like one effort, right. I know that brings everyone together. [00:08:13]

Simon Mainwaring:
So to integrate those efforts would be so much more effective. And I think there’s an inherent tension in the private sector with. [00:08:18] The tenure of a CEO or a CMO because there’s a shelf life to that. And then also the election cycle, you know, that periodically transition. So it’s hard to have that long term horizon when you’ve got all this sort of short term motives. , but let, let’s turn to Qualcomm. I’m gonna put my hand up and say, I know who Cole Qualcomm is. [00:08:35] I’ve known about it for years. I’ve been in the states for 20 years, but I don’t know it as well as I might know some other companies, because it’s one of the leading B2B companies out there. But I think so tell us what CalCom does and you know, how it shows up through the B2B lens in companies or, you know, technologies that people might know. [00:08:53] Yeah, [00:08:54]

Angela Baker:
absolutely. I think some people always say, you know, we’re the biggest technology company you’ve never heard of. Right, right, right. In the introduction, you know, I think you expressed it perfectly, you know, we’re creating a world where everything and everyone can be intelligently connected. So what does that mean? [00:09:06] We’re building tech. That’s enabling your phones, your smart health, your smart agriculture programs. We’re one of the leading companies that’s been working. Building 5g and designing six G so all of these things, and we did that for CDMA and 3g and 4g as well. Right? Right. So all of these that let your phone connect to the internet or in the future, let your fridge connect to the internet or whatever it might be. [00:09:28] Right. So we are building we’re the guts, right. We build the inside or the brain. Maybe that’s a better analogy. . The inside of what makes your devices work and what makes them work efficiently and effectively for you in the way you wanna use them. Right? So that could be drones. It could be your phone, it could be TVs. [00:09:45] I mean, there’s lots of things that could be enabled by that are enabled by Qualcomm technology. [00:09:49]

Simon Mainwaring:
And I think people inherently understand that if we’re more connected and we’re better informed, we can do more good, more effectively. I mean, that’s sort of self-evident at the same, same time. There’s so much dialogue around things like 5g and. [00:10:00] We’re still arguing over 5g and you’re already onto six G. It’s kind of like, wait a second. We still haven’t start finished. Naing our teeth over here. So help us understand what 5g is. And also there’s a huge debate. That’s played out nationwide and around the world around this. Why has there been such a debate around whether it’s positive or negative and, and where did that come from? [00:10:20] Yeah, [00:10:20]

Angela Baker:
look, I think, uh, I think. People it’s hard to adapt to new things. Right. And I think when we had 3g, people didn’t necessarily know that we needed 4g. Right. And there’s this great example that’s used internally. It’s like before 4g came along. There was no Uber, there was no Lyft, there was no ride sharing. [00:10:38] It wasn’t even an idea yet. Right. But then 4g happened and then other people were able to build technologies off of that technology. And now ride sharings in most places. Right. I’d say I use it at least many times a week. I use it. Right? Yeah. That’s one example. Right. So. Qualcomm invests in research and development. [00:10:55] Right. We spend billions of dollars a year on R and D. That’s why we’re already working on six G these have like a 10 year lifespan, these GS, right. So while 5g has been out for a few years and it’s really just starting to roll out, , I think more wides. Spread. There’s lots of parts of the world that don’t have it. [00:11:10] Lots of parts of the us that still don’t have it. And right now it’s making your phone a little faster, but really the power of 5g, it’s got fiber lake speed. It’s got ultra low latency, massive capacity for data, right. High reliability. It’s gonna enable so many other things that haven’t even been thought of yet. [00:11:27] , and that’s really the power of 5g, right? So it’s gonna enable ways for smart healthcare. Like right now you can do a video call , On 4g or I, I do it all the time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We’re doing one right now, right? Yeah. Yeah. But with 5g, it will be even clearer, even better, even more instantaneous. [00:11:44] And the problem is if we don’t continue to advance and moving the GS forward, if you will, then thing, like if you still had 3g or if you have 3g in 10 years, you won’t be able to download AAC video, you know, it would take you like an hour to download. Right. That’s a very social thing. That’s obviously not, uh, make or break life threatening, but there’s really is a lot. [00:12:04] Power in information and power in access. And now people are getting access to government schemes on their phone. Right. They’re getting access to their healthcare information. They’re talking to their doctors, kids are going to school. I mean, we saw this with the pandemic, right. Everybody was home. You had kids at home that were streaming videos while others were going to school while you were doing work, while, you know, maybe you have an elder person that lives in your house that had to do a telehealth visit. [00:12:26] Right. Right. And so you have to be able to have that massive capacity for information and for data. And that’s really the promise of 5g and what that will deliver. [00:12:35]

Simon Mainwaring:
So I can imagine it’s kind of like, we all take it for granted out here as consumers, right. And we just sort of expect it all to happen and we keep loading up all the expectations we have. [00:12:43] We don’t realize that technology’s gotta keep pace with it. Yeah, [00:12:46]

Angela Baker:
there’s all these functionalities. And as we connect more and more things. So as your car has, you know, I don’t know, hundreds of semiconductors in it, or as your, as we get things like connected vehicles or as your fridge is talking to your microwave is talking to your phone, right? [00:12:59] All of these, or you might have a, a smart thermostat in your house. Right? All of these things, those require data. They require spectrum. They require all of these very technical things that Qualcomm is looking at amongst. [00:13:10]

Simon Mainwaring:
Absolutely. My appliances have a bigger social life than I do during COVID. They’re talking to many more people than I am. [00:13:16] So let’s talk about 5g and some practical examples, not just in terms of the functionality of our lives, but in terms of how we solve for some of these really pressing issues like sustainable agriculture or water usage, or energy to support like eight, nine, 10 billion people. . [00:13:31]

Angela Baker:
Yeah, absolutely. So, and I think that’s a really good point. [00:13:34] So as the, as the population of the earth grows, the need for data and access is going to grow, right? Imagine like all the energies. I think they’re saying like by 2050, we’re gonna be using 80% more natural resources and energy use than we use right now because of 5g G’s capabilities. , massive capacity for data in ultra low latency, right? [00:13:55] It’s gonna allow for us to get all that data in real time. So it could be something in terms of healthcare, right? Where you, something happens to you get picked up by an ambulance. All of your information is seamlessly uploaded. So the EMTs know what you need when you get in, right. It could be like a digital health card or something, any care they offer you in the ambulance. [00:14:13] All of that information is what. Is, uh, transmitted to the hospital. So when you arrive the doctor, she knows exactly what you need. She’s already got all of that information, right at her fingertips in the entire care unit can take care of you without having to stop and get a debrief from the EMTs. And what happened on the way, same with smart agriculture, right? [00:14:31] Drones and machine learning and AI. All enabled by 5g are gonna allow us to have more precision agriculture. So that will allow us to use fewer pesticides cuz you can think of like monitoring large scale farms, much easier, right. Also can stop from overwatering so it can save on that natural resource. [00:14:49] You could think of water optimization in your home. So you’ve got meters leak detectors and other sensors within a utilities network that can be securely connected for real time access and really be pumping data. So the water company can see. If there’s a leak, they can notify you. They can send somebody out and stop it in real time, as opposed to letting it leak wasting water. [00:15:09] And also obviously could rec havoc on your home or something like that. That could be extrapolated. If you think of smart manufacturing. I mean, really there are so many use cases that we already have, and there are so many use cases that we don’t even know about because the technology hasn’t been built yet on sort of on the back of 5g. [00:15:25]

Simon Mainwaring:
No, it’s just amazing to me. I mean, it’s not surprising. We’ve got so much sort of depletion of the Earth’s resources. When we haven’t been monitoring these things up till now, we’ve just been using them just recklessly without monitoring them. , With so many positives around 5g, I have to ask you, where is that negative sentiment around it? [00:15:42] Is it a lack of understanding, , or is it a lack of storytelling and what do you do to sort of mitigate a dialogue when you’re doing something really purposeful, but then there’s that narrative out there that’s working against you getting that done. What do you do to course correct that. [00:15:57]

Angela Baker:
Yeah. I mean, look, I think every time something new is released there is there’s people on both sides that say whether or not it’s a good or a bad thing. Right. And so, you know, like when microwaves were released and people were saying like, don’t stand in front of your microwave, cuz you’ll get radiation. [00:16:11] Right. I think we work across industry groups and trade organizations. A lot of them like C, T I a and others have put out research. Showcasing the positive benefits of 5g. There’s nothing to be worried about. There are no concerns around 5g. It’s leveraging spectrum, the same way that 4g has done or 3g has done right previously. [00:16:29] , and I think, one of the things that we can do is Qualcomm is continue to build these use cases, build this technology and showcase. These use cases and how they can have a positive impact on society. Of course, technology can always be used in multiple of ways. And we, as a creator of the technology, don’t have a say in how the end, how it’s used in the end. [00:16:47] But I think showcasing, you know, how 5g, how O T internet of things, how machine learning or artificial intelligence can be used in a positive way is just gonna. People feel more comfortable with it, but also help others, you know, other innovators and other inventors think about what could be built. I really think the possibilities are hate to say limitless, but possibilities are sort of endless here. [00:17:09] There’s lots of things that could be built, , using 5g. [00:17:12]

Simon Mainwaring:
I know. I, I completely agree. I mean, the reason I’m so optimistic about the future Angela is I think every one of these challenges is a marketplace opportunity in dis Skys. Whether it’s, you know, sustainable agriculture or regenerative practices or access to clean water. [00:17:26] I mean, these are all gonna be sold for in some way, by a company that’s enabled by technology. And so on when you’ve got so much breadth of application, how do you sort of pass out? Or how do you organize that inside the company? Because you are, you know, in 150 cities around the world, as you said, you’ve got 45,000 employees, it could be applied to any number of things. [00:17:49] How do you sort of organize it internally? So not only, you know, your clients or customers and consumers understand it, but even your own employees, how do you section it? . [00:17:57]

Angela Baker:
Yeah. You know, I think really our CEO has really put a big focus around diversification and looking at all of these different business sectors. [00:18:05] And obviously I’m biased, but as I say, like Qualcomm’s got some of the smartest people in the world working at it. So there’s a team focused on IOT. There’s a team focused on automotive. And what do those benefits look like with a. 5g or with connected vehicles to everything or autonomous driving. Right. [00:18:20] There’s so many sub segments, even within one segment. , my team is tasked with looking at, , the environmental benefits of our technology, but we’re not doing that in a silo. Right. We’re doing that with all of the engineers and, you know, Qualcomms building very power efficient technologies, but what does that mean in a real world application? [00:18:37] , and so really working across the company and I think Qualcomm. Very good at sort of building these cross-functional teams because it’s needed. Right. Because many years ago people thought of Qualcomm as just being in the, the handset, like inside, you know, phones. Yep. [00:18:50] There’s so many technologies that we’re in now. And so I think it is really important. We’re a company that’s, you know, on a path of growth and as these segments continue to diversify, it’s gonna be even more important that we continue to do that. And it really starts at the top. And I really do credit, you know, sort of the CEO with, with taking us in that direction. [00:19:06] So [00:19:06]

Simon Mainwaring:
yeah. Let me ask you about that because as you grow and you expand in all these different ways, I mean, I think people are increasingly realizing that what we need is systemic solutions that really look upstream and downstream through an entire industry. And to do that, you’ve gotta be able to connect these various, delivery points in the supply chain, but then also across industries and so on. [00:19:27] I mean, if you think about a product that sits on your shelf, that’s traveled from the other side of the world. There are so many different players involved. So do you find that 5g is playing an important role in sort of connecting all those elements? It’s not just optimizing each one of those elements, but connecting them. [00:19:42] So through the entire value chain of a, of a brand or a product, you can be more responsible to the planet, to our future. And so. Yeah, [00:19:49]

Angela Baker:
absolutely. I, I love this example of sort of like, if you think about a apple that’s grown in an orchard or something, that’s grown on a farm. Right? Right. So you’ve got this apple you’re using, , precision agriculture machine learning, AI, ensuring that the everything’s grown using the least amount of water as possible, the least amount of pesticides as possible to. [00:20:06] , produce a very good apple, then that apple gets picked and it gets transferred on a refrigerated truck. And you can have sensors on that truck to ensure that it’s, , kept at the right temperature. So it stays crisp and cool. Right. And then it gets to your local grocery store and the refrigerators there have sensor monitoring to make sure that it stays at the appropriate temperature. [00:20:23] If it’s starting to go bad, there’s a whole IOT retail segment that can say, oh, we’re gonna discount this apple. Cause it’s about to go bad. And if you take it home so more will get sold more quickly. Right. And then it gets delivered to your house where you bring. , and it’s in your 5g enabled fridge and you know that you need to eat it or you’re about to run out. [00:20:41] So you can go back to the grocery store, right? That’s sort of a very simple example all across the value chain. You could extrapolate that out for, you could look at Qualcomm’s value chain. I think 5g is really gonna make an impact in terms of, in terms of reducing emissions, using less water. , worker safety, , human rights, all of these types of issues. [00:21:00] I don’t wanna oversell it, but I think there’s lots of, because of its massive capacity for data and because data is power and information is power. I really do think it can help in terms of streamlining processes, making them more efficient, making them more energy efficient, , and making companies work smarter and better, , so that they can be, you know, better serve their employees, their customers, all those. [00:21:19] Yeah, no, [00:21:20]

Simon Mainwaring:
I, I completely agree. And I mean, it’s sort of the technology that lifts all boats. It really allows every company to show up differently and more effectively. I mean, the thing that keeps me up at night, I’m a dad with a 22 year old daughter and a 19 year old daughter who are just standing outside in the next room. [00:21:34] And me standing here in my office at home. And I really worry about their future. I worry about, you know, the climate emergency and the, and the impact it’ll have on their lives. And so on. , I know that you’ve got commitments across scope one, two, and three by 2040, and so on. I also worry that 20, 40 isn’t enough, it doesn’t matter what the company is, where it is in the world, because you know, you look at these IPCC reports, the six assessment, you look at all these things out there, and there’s, there’s a great urgency to get to sort of peak emissions the next three years and to kind of. [00:22:02] Have them come down after that, help us understand what Qualcomm is doing and then how you sort of fact how you work out, what those timelines are and are they gonna be fast? [00:22:12]

Angela Baker:
Yeah, absolutely. So, , we set a net zero target last year. We did set it by 2040. I agree with you. Urgency is needed here. [00:22:18] Yeah, I think as we started the conversation, you know, I think this is a really great opportunity for public private partnerships and for sort of everyone to dive in. We at Qualcomm, , are looking across our entire value chain specifically for scope one and scope two. We’re looking at, you know, purchase power agreements and our top operational footprint regions AME. [00:22:37] Singapore India, the us, , right. In order to, to have use renewable energy, right? Get rid of brown energy, use renewable energy. We’re looking at process emissions. You know, we’re primarily a fabulous company, meaning, , we don’t have factories. [00:22:52]

Simon Mainwaring:
Yeah. You’re not manufacturing [00:22:53]

Angela Baker:
so much. Yeah. Right. We’re not manufacturing so much, but of course it’s being manufactured down our supply chain. [00:22:57] , but within our own fabs, we are looking at process emissions changes, abatement changes, things we can do that can reduce the greenhouse gases that are used in the technology that is made in those factories. Right. Looking at, , using Rex. To a very small percent sort of as a last resort for things that we can’t do, looking at business travel, you know, SA fuel all of these types of things, but it’s gonna take a concerted effort from everyone. [00:23:23] Yeah. Right. It’s and I think your point is noted. Right. And so from a Qualcomm perspective, and then also working with our supply chain on scope three, As well as looking at, , our purchase bids and travel between once something leaves our distribution center and goes to suppliers and customers and all of those things. [00:23:38] So, , we set the goal last October. We are leaning into this heavily in terms of implementation. And, , I think you’ve seen a lot of companies step up. I think details are light across a lot of, so I think, but investors and policymaker makers and employees are pushing companies. Which I think is a great thing. [00:23:55] Yeah. More. , and so I think we’re gonna see more. I think we’re gonna continue to see more also some of these technologies. Do not exist yet. Right? Like what is the substitute for carbon capture right now? The best thing we have right. Are sort of trees. So who is gonna build that technology? , what is that gonna look like? [00:24:12] Is renewable energy gonna be cheaper down the road? All is, is SA fuel gonna be more available? I think these are sort of all the questions that companies are looking at, but I also concerned I have a four year old and, uh, I’m also, [00:24:23]

Simon Mainwaring:
yeah, no, it it’s. You know, and for those who don’t know, like scope three is really sort of those indirect. [00:24:28] Carbon emissions out there that are a function of your supply chain. Correct. So it would include those manufacturing partners that you have and [00:24:34]

Angela Baker:
so on. Yeah. It’s supply chain, it’s all your procured, you know, your purchase goods and services. So if you hire a consultant to do something or you’re buying pencils for your offices, it’s you have a ventures arm, it can include your ventures, right? [00:24:47] It’s all of your business travel. All of your employee commuting. It’s a huge. There’s 15 categories in scope three. Yeah. , and it’s also a little bit like it’s evolving the science there is evolving or the way it’s measured is evolving, I should say. And so companies are really also just trying to narrow down their data because hard to set targets until, you know, your baseline. [00:25:05]

Simon Mainwaring:
Yeah. I, I ask about that because I think the vast majority of carbon emissions for any company are typically in those indirect scope, three scope, four scope five, and it’s great that companies are looking at that. So how do you inside a large organization that is like future facing with. [00:25:20] , technology and innovation and so on. , how do you calibrate that versus, you know, the cost and, , investment you need to make to kind of reduce your own footprint? You know, it’s kind of like they’re throttling on two different cylinders. You wanna sort of lower your own impact at the same time, as you wanna push out into innovation and advance and so on. [00:25:38] How do, how do you think through that internally? [00:25:41]

Angela Baker:
Yeah. I mean, look, that’s like a constant struggle, right? We wanna be a company that grows. We wanna create more new technology. We want people to, , have access to all of those cool technologies that I mentioned, which, includes producing, , other companies producing more things. [00:25:54] We’ve also committed to net zero within our own operations and our value chain. So we had a lot of discussions internally. And with consultants, right. To help map out, what would this look like? You know, we engaged our executive team. We engaged at the board of directors level. , what would the cost be to the best of our knowledge that we could ballpark it out , and we included, , Potential growth in there. [00:26:15] Right? Cause we expect the company to continue to grow. So we forecasted that as best as we could. And we really did get executive buy-in, you know, it, wasn’t a very hard sell, , I would say for us, but I think it is a constant, you know, it’s one thing to like put these big numbers in front of people, but it’s another thing to say, oh, we have to sign on to these purchase power agreements that are 20 year commitments. [00:26:32] And who knows what the cost of renewable energy will. In six months, low alone in 20 years, or we are committing to this goal where technology doesn’t even necessarily exist. So I think there is a little bit of a struggle. Luckily, investors, governments, regulators, employees, customers. Are all demanding this, right. [00:26:50] So I think, right. That’s been sort of winded our backs, uh, as well as I imagine it has been for many companies. , [00:26:56]

Simon Mainwaring:
yeah, I think it’s across the board. I mean, there’s the carrot and the stick, there is the stick of regulation, which is necessary and it’s enables industries to change. And then there’s the, the incentive actually doing it. [00:27:05] What does that process look like? You know, if you look at any particular technology or any particular industry, Where do you start? Like cuz a lot of people listening to this might go, okay, we want to be a, um, a self disruptor and we wanna disrupt our own industry and we want to do things that consumers or customers want in new ways that are more responsible. [00:27:24] What does that process of reinvention look like? [00:27:27]

Angela Baker:
I think it’s just like, you have to do it across the company. You know, I think maybe 10 years ago the sustainability function like lived in one part of the company, right? Yeah. Or maybe it’s, maybe you’re creating, you’re disrupting education or maybe you’re disrupting the healthcare industry, you know, whatever that looks like. [00:27:43] And I think now it really is cross functional. Like we’re working with. You know, I think we just conducted a materiality assessment, , right where we’re looking at our material issues from an ESG lens, not necessarily financial materiality, although those things are blending more and more. Sure. I think we, we worked with like over 50 departments at the company where even like six years ago that would’ve been a much smaller exercise. [00:28:04] Right. But I think because these issues are so important and because they cross, you know, our facilities team, our supply chain team, our engineering teams. All of those diverse, , , tech teams that I just mentioned. Yeah. The marketing team, you know, everybody really has to be involved. Right. And so I think that is the first, right. [00:28:21] You cannot do this in a silo. You really have to work cross functionally mm-hmm and with your supply chain. And you really have to have buy in from the top because otherwise it’s probably not gonna [00:28:29]

Simon Mainwaring:
go anywhere. And you know what, it’s a really good point. You need buying from the top. And I know that you’ve sort of tear that executive compensation to ESG goals, which really builds it into. [00:28:38] What it means to be a leader at a company like Qualcomm, but also how do you get buy-in from suppliers? Cuz I imagine you’ve got these suppliers have always done things a certain way. Their technologies and capital investments have been in the, the way things have always been done. How do you convince them to absorb the cost and time to transition? [00:28:55] Is it just that they wanna keep you as a customer? I mean, how do you motivate every. To get on board. [00:29:01]

Angela Baker:
Yeah, I will say, so this is something that we’re starting. Right. We put the goal out. We’ve been talking to our suppliers. So I think if we talked in a year, I might have even a better answer for you. Right? [00:29:09] Right. But I will say a lot of our suppliers already had commitments and a lot of our suppliers also supply to other companies who also have set large targets. And a lot of our suppliers are publicly traded companies who also have investor pressure. So, right. I think there is that discussion about what does that financially look like? [00:29:24] What exactly are you asking us? How do their targets line up with our targets? I mean, I think you have to work with your suppliers. You can’t just set a goal and say like, okay, you guys have to go and do this now. , but at the same time, our suppliers are supplying to other large companies who may have set more, , different goals, more goals. [00:29:40] Right. I think we’re also looking at things like water and other things in addition to, , emissions targets. And I think customers, , whether it’s a B2B customer, right? Like for example, the auto industry is really, yeah. Taking a lead in this. And if you’re an auto supplier, you’re getting lots of questions about what are you doing for renewable energy? [00:29:57] What are you doing for emissions? So I think that’s the goal. I think that’s why the SEC’s getting involved. I think that’s why all of these things are sort of happening. The goal is to sort of just make it like that you can’t, there is no option to not do any, there isn’t an option to not do [00:30:10]

Simon Mainwaring:
anything. [00:30:10] Yeah, no, absolutely agree. I mean, you, I think the auto industry’s a great example because if you look back, I remember in 20 10, 20 11, when, , Elon Musk and Tesla were trying to disrupt the audio industry and the push. Of the traditional industry, the combustion engine, they, he was literally tried. [00:30:25] They tried to put him outta business and here we are 10 years later and almost every leading us auto maker has committed to transition fully to EV vehicles. And so on. It’s amazing in 10 years, probably the most archetypal foundational industry in the states has, has transitioned. , so what do you do now? [00:30:42] when, when you look forward, Are you thinking in terms of building on the past and iterating and innovating, or are you actually sort of reverse engineering outta the future? If you’re a 5g six G company and you wanna stay relevant and ahead of things, do you actually sort of plot what the future looks like in 10 or 20 years out and reverse engineer out of that and set milestones to that end? [00:31:02] Like how do you think internally. [00:31:04]

Angela Baker:
I think we’re sort of looking at it in both ways. Right? So if we look at our, for example, our net zero target, we’ve looked at 2040 and we have mapped out internally what we think it takes for us to get there. And we are working like , step by step. What, how can we get there? [00:31:17] So we’re starting on the renewable side, but looking at those things, I think because we’re in all of these different diverse markets, I think also looking at how our tech can, how we can be building more energy, efficient tech, more green tech. So right now, Our chips are Snapdragon mobile platform. That is by far the most energy efficient. [00:31:35] Right. And we. We build, we build it to have the highest performance, but use less energy. Right? That’s attractive to customers. Yeah. They want to use less battery power and things like that. There’s also a sustainability benefit to that and an environmental benefit. And if we extrapolate that out to the millions and billions of chips that we sell every year, what does that mean from an environmental perspective? [00:31:54] So we’re looking at getting that data, right. Like having that data at our fingertips, but what are the other technologies that we could build? Right. What, what does it mean for O T in terms of the sustainability lens? What does it actually mean for machine learning and what are those use cases? , that can be built on that. [00:32:09] So not just looking at 5g, but looking at this other tech that we’re in. So I think that’s a little bit more. Where we are now and where can we get as opposed to looking 20 years out in the future and then working backwards. And then I think, of course, the folks that are working on six G and others, what are those sustainability benefits? [00:32:23] You know, 5g inherently is more, , energy efficient than 4g the way that it was designed, the way that it was built. We’re hoping that carries through for six G obviously a lot of folks at Qualcomm working on that. So, you know, I think it’s sort of. [00:32:35]

Simon Mainwaring:
Both ends, it’s both ends. And the reason I ask that is because there’s an inherent tension when you’re enabling all of these incredible products that are more energy efficient, more environmentally responsible at the same time, , you’re enabling more stuff. [00:32:48] Like we all want our TVs and our phones and our smart cars, and God knows what, and there’s a sort of, um, strategic, , obsolescence in all of these things. , and then we’ve got all this over consumption and all of these phones and all of these other things that we. So how do, how does anyone that’s gotta build a business? [00:33:07] You know, protect their bottom line, provide consumers what they need, but also how do they rationalize that with the sort of sustainability agenda as well? Which in a sense is, Hey, do we need endlessly more stuff? Do, do you know what I’m saying? [00:33:20]

Angela Baker:
Absolutely. And I think you use the correct word tension. [00:33:22] There is a tension, right? Because if you have a 4g phone and you need a 5g phone, obviously that has to be may, right? Yeah. So four 5g fridge or whatever. So I think. I think there’s a lot of things that can be done. And I think there’s a lot more that can be done. Right. I think there are companies again, we’re inside devices. [00:33:37] So I think end, you know, consumer products a lot, you’re seeing a lot of folks work on end of life. Right? What does that look like? Recycling people taking things back. That’s one way to do it. Certainly I think, , the way that you’re building things, the way that you’re packaging things, the way that things are being shipped, those can have huge consequence, , that kind of huge impact, right? [00:33:55] Yeah. If you reduce that, but I think this is gonna be a constant struggle. Right. As we need more things, as we produce more things, there’s also really interesting things happening around reusable tech or tech where you only take out one piece. Right. Right. [00:34:07]

Simon Mainwaring:
So they’re sort of modular then modular. Yeah. [00:34:09] The. [00:34:10]

Angela Baker:
Yeah. Yeah. Now, like there’s a company called Fairphone. Those are Qualcomm enable phones right there. Oh, okay. Yeah. Um, right. Qual we’re in those devices. , certainly I think a lot more can be done here and, and it’s something that we are looking at. I know it’s something that across the industry is looking at, but it, there is a tension. [00:34:26]

Simon Mainwaring:
So I’ve got another tension I want to share with you, which is, you know, there’s always a temptation to take advantage of a new technology that has so many applications, and that could make generates so much revenue for a company. And also the responsible use of that technology, which is sort of serving the environment and so on. [00:34:44] I mean, there’s that tension between. You know, making the most profit you can and being profitable, but also in balance with, , your responsibility, the environment, and so on. And I think every company of all sizes everywhere in the world is gonna have to kind of rationalize this in new ways where it can’t just be money for money’s sake or profit for profits sake as a function of. [00:35:04] , technology with huge potential. How do you think about that inside Qualcomm? How do you balance or calibrate that tension between all that opportunity financially with the responsibility of equal measure? . [00:35:16]

Angela Baker:
Yeah. I mean, I think it’s probably, it’s a conversation that’s happening all the time. I think there’s so many other factors now that are influencing. [00:35:22] I don’t wanna, I think corporate America is focused on profit. I mean, I’m not gonna, I don’t [00:35:28] wanna [00:35:28]

Simon Mainwaring:
that’s that’s I think that’s fair. I think that’s fair, Angela. I think that’s fair to say after the last. Couple of hundred years. I think that’s fair to say. Yeah, I [00:35:35]

Angela Baker:
don’t wanna, I don’t wanna greenwash anything. [00:35:37] Yeah. Yeah. I think, but I think there are new influences that are taking place. And so these discussions are happening in the C-suite. Right? Because it’s not only investors. Yeah. , that are demanding it and cost makers, as I’ve already said and regulators, but I think employees and I think new employees potentially. [00:35:52] Yeah. Right. Qualcomm’s a very young workforce. I used to have the stat. I don’t have it at the top of my head, but, , I think every time we have new recruits, I think they’re asking these questions and I think that is gonna have an impact, right? Yeah. People have a choice of where they go to work. [00:36:05] I was talking to our finance function and, um, they were saying that. Of the last like hundred people that they’ve interviewed, every single person asks what we’re doing in terms of being a good citizen or environment or some in some in that capacity. And those are not people that are coming in to work on, you know, ESG or environment. [00:36:22] Those are people that are just working finance, but looking at these issues. So I think it is the, these are, this is gonna become increasingly more important and. I’m not gonna say it’s gonna overtake the need to make money, but of course, I think there is gonna have to be this balance because no longer can you just sort of charge through destroy the environment, , do what you want. [00:36:42] I mean, you know, we’ve talked a lot about environment, but there’s also human rights. You know, I think regulators are also looking at this digital safety, digital privacy, all of these things, right. That are really important. And that fall under this large ESG umbrella. That companies, including Qualcomm are already discussing and looking at and figuring out, like, what is that tension and how do we strike that balance? [00:37:02] Yeah. [00:37:02]

Simon Mainwaring:
So let’s talk about that storytelling piece, cuz it’s so important. There’s always the business or the product, but then there’s the brand and it’s storytelling and something we’re obviously deeply passionate about, , at we first. There’s all of these different benefits that you just mentioned with regards to 5g technology. [00:37:16] How do you share that story internally to attract those new employees and keep the ones that you’ve got? And then how do you tell those stories externally as well, especially when you’re a B2B company. . [00:37:26]

Angela Baker:
Yeah. So I think one of the great things about Qualcomm, because we are a technology that’s inside, I think unless you’re super techy, it is a hard thing to grasp. [00:37:35] Yeah. Right. Because it’s, uh, it’s not like, oh, this is my phone, you know, that’s built by Qualcomm, even though a lot of it was built by Qualcomm. Yeah. Right. But, so I think we really need to do those use to have those use cases to sort. Humanize, what does it mean? What is Qualcomm tech? And so I oversee a number of programs. [00:37:51] We have a program called wireless reach that really looks at how we can leverage our tech for. And then working with the brand team and the communication team to help tell those stories. So how is Qualcomm technology being used to enable education or healthcare or smart agriculture? We work with a number of industry folks, , like GSMA, which is the association responsible for all the operators. [00:38:12] We’ve got like a 5g hub that we’ve been working with them on mm-hmm . In an effort to tell, like, what are those green stories? And those are not just like future use cases. There are use cases that are actually happening right now, which can also be shared with governments to help, , spur innovation within different markets and things like that. [00:38:27] And I think, I think that employees see that, right. If you’re an engineer and you’re working on that and you wanna think about. You know how I can work on technology. That makes a difference. , you’re gonna know, and I, I think we are doing that in terms of our like employee value proposition and things like that. [00:38:42] Right. One of the things we did several years ago is a lot of the technology that contribute to GPS, right. Global positioning. And that was designed, I believe for ambulances, right. For emergency workers. But, and this is an old story now, but like maybe 10 years ago, we also started using it for fishermen in India. [00:38:59] To help them make sure they weren’t crossing, the, , country lines of fishing and not in their waters to make sure they didn’t go off too far from shore. So they could be able to track where they were going and make sure that fishing in the same places, which can help with sustainability and overing. [00:39:13] And that’s just one example. Again, that’s a very old example now because obviously everybody has GPS, but at the time was quite innovative cuz GPS was created for one thing and being used in a totally different way. And I think there are so many examples of technology. , whether it’s Qualcomm technology or not, that is created for one thing, but can be leveraged in a different way. [00:39:30] And I think that really speaks to especially engineers, but folks that wanna work at a company that’s super innovative, , like Qualcomm. Yeah, [00:39:36]

Simon Mainwaring:
no, it, it does. And, uh, the reason I ask that is every one of us have to sell our business, our services, our products, whatever it is. And when I, I constantly hear business owners or executives say. [00:39:48] , do we lead with that story? Do we tell that impact story? Because it’s not directly connected to our product. It’s more talking about the positive impact that we’re having, you know, is what’s the ROI gonna be on that, the return on investment. So when you tell these stories, do you see a tangible value to the business? [00:40:04] And if so, what, what does that look like? . Yeah, I [00:40:06]

Angela Baker:
think it’s a, I think that’s a hard question. , you know, it’s not like we can say, oh, we did this wireless reach project in India with fishermen and we sold X million more chips. I think, especially for a B2B brand. That’s a really hard, , that’s a really hard thing to do, but I do think that there are, it depends on your audience, right? [00:40:23] So if you’re talking to governments and you’re saying we are enabling fishermen, India’s got a lot of coastline, right? Yes. We are enabling fishermen, , to be able to fish more safely and more efficient. and that’s, and we’re also, , reducing the digital divide cause we’re connecting people again, not so much an issue now. [00:40:39] Of course there’s still 2.9 billion people, not connected, but yeah, you know, if you talk to governments about engaging, , people, in their communities, giving them access to the internet, giving them technologies that could help in their livelihoods, in their healthcare, in their education. [00:40:52] I think that speaks to a policy. My function sits within government affairs. So we do a lot of engagement with policy makers and government around the world. I think that is a tangible benefit. I don’t know if I could say the specific ROI. I think that is a harder sell, but I think engaging that’s one audience, right? [00:41:07] I think investors as well are looking at these types of things and before it might have just been, what are you doing for ESG? But now it is like, what is the financial, like they’re asking for financial dollars tied to it. Right. So how much money are you making on green technology? Are you tying ESG goals directly to your executive compensation? [00:41:24] And if not, we may or may not vote for your directors. You know, I think there are more tangible benefits, maybe not specific to sales, , unless you’re a consumer brand there that might be a different, , they might have a different [00:41:34]

Simon Mainwaring:
sure. But, and you’ve got such an interesting perspective having come from all the different sort of career stages that you had, but now you’re in a technology company, but through the lens of sustainability, What would you say? [00:41:45] A, a, a green technology of the comp , company of the future looks. [00:41:52]

Angela Baker:
oh, I mean, I think there’s so many options. It could be carbon capture. It could be building more efficient, smart grids. Right. We saw what happened in Texas last year, right? , smart precision agriculture. , really, I think there’s so many opportunities. [00:42:05] And if I knew what they were specifically, I would probably invent them and become a cheerleader. Right, right, right. Um, but, uh, yeah, I, I am, I am confident that there are smart people out there working on it. And I think leveraging some of the technology that’s available today, but so many things that haven’t even been thought of yet. [00:42:21]

Simon Mainwaring:
, what would you say is the big sort of tension or obstacle you see in the future? Because I. Uh, you know, my concern, Angela is there’s. So how would I put this? There is, , an aspiring middle class in lots of markets, , around the world that still want to have their seat at the banquet table of capitalism, get all their devices. [00:42:41] There’s the vast majority of people that live under $10 a day or $6 a day that just trying to survive and get by. You know, when we’ve got one of the few things we can look forward, look to to sort of course correct. Our future is technology. But, you know, what would you say are the biggest barrier or the thing that you worry about in terms of the role of technology and reshaping our future? [00:43:00] What what’s your. [00:43:03]

Angela Baker:
well, I mean, I think the first thing we have to do is make sure that everybody has access to it, right? There’s still 2.9 billion people that don’t have access. There’s a digital divide. I think 5g really does have the power to reduce that along with many other technologies. But I think things like fixed wireless access and others will be able to reach that last mile. [00:43:21] And I think once people get, you know, I don’t wanna. This one technology is gonna deliver the promise of the future or anything, but I think it really has the power to arm people with access to information, get them services they need that could potentially help lift them out of poverty. Or whatever it might be, give them education, give them healthcare, you know, access to healthcare and things like that. [00:43:40] And that can be very empowering. , so that’s probably the biggest, promise that technology could deliver. I’m sure there are many other things that far smarter than people than me are thinking about. [00:43:48]

Simon Mainwaring:
But, and, and I asked that because I’m a inherently positive person and obviously you are as well. [00:43:53] I also think there’s enormous hope and opportunity inherent in technology that’s coming. What, what. What gives you cause for optimism? Because every day we pick up our phones and look at our computers and there’s all these negative headlines that just sort of, it’s easy for anyone to spiral into hopelessness and so on. [00:44:08] But you’re at the heart of a, one of the leading, , technology companies in the world that are enabling so much transformative products and, and, and technologies in their own. Right. What, why are you optimistic about the. [00:44:20]

Angela Baker:
I’m encouraged every day because even, you know, I’ve been at Qualcomm nine years and even in the last sort of four years that I’ve had this specific job that I have right now, I have seen so much change and momentum, not just at Qualcomm, but across the industry and across other industries. [00:44:35] And I think that’s driven by a lot of factors that we’ve already discussed on the call today, as well as employees coming in. I think people are coming in. They’re really excited. They wanna make change. They wanna work on these issues. I think the executive team is focused on it. And so I think. Whatever the catalyst is or was whether it was Larry Fink’s letter from BlackRock or whatever. [00:44:55] It might have been policy makers, you know, governments looking at these things, consumers saying, I’m not gonna buy this thing because it doesn’t serve the purposes that I want it to be. I am very encouraged by that. And I think if these trends continue, obviously there’s a lot of things. We don’t know, a recession inflation, all of these things that could have an impact. [00:45:13] , but I think genuinely, I think people are focused on this and. , and I think we are moving in the right direction. I think we could move quicker and I think we have to move forward for sure. but I am definitely encouraged. And so I think, you know, I’m inspired to come to work every day and do this job. [00:45:29] , I work with really smart people that I think are, uh, that are helping to figure these things out. , so yeah, I am hopeful. [00:45:35]

Simon Mainwaring:
No, I, I agree. This is for the first time ever. I think we’ve got this requisite coalition of stakeholders all at the table for the first time. It’s not just consumers or employees, but really, you know, suppliers are there, but the investor classes there they’ve really said, we only wanna put our money into companies that are going to better serve everyone’s future because otherwise those companies themselves won’t be sustainable. [00:45:56] So like you, I. I feel like for the first time ever, we have a viable alternative to the practice of business or capitalism. And it was seen over the last, you know, couple of centuries and the urgency couldn’t be more apparent. I mean, every day we’re all like, oh my God, this is a little bit scary to have children, you know, and, and all these different things. [00:46:13] Angela, I wanna thank you so much for your time. I wanna thank you for your insights and, and also for the leadership through the lens of sustainability at Qualcomm, which then enables so much transformation. So thanks for your time [00:46:23]

Angela Baker:
today. Thank you. Really enjoyed the convers.