James September-October 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 45
SPRECHER ON THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE BELL PODIUM.
When we touched on future innovation and how ICE
handles research and development, Sprecher mentioned
“I’m often asked about our R&D and people are shocked to
hear we don’t have a formal department. We believe that
our customers and the market should drive our innovation
rather than us telling them what products they need. Effectively, all employees at ICE are in the R&D department.”
Sprecher added, “Our goal is to get there faster and better
than our competitors and help create solutions that can be
scaled.” In that moment, I was reminded that the ICE CEO
has been disrupting the markets for almost 25 years and is
an entrepreneur at heart.
As our interview wound down, I noted that the ICE
CEO has seen Atlanta and Georgia dramatically evolve
since Bill Campbell was the capital city’s mayor and Roy
Barnes was the state’s governor. Today, I noted that Andre
Dickens is Atlanta’s mayor and Brian Kemp is Georgia’s
governor. What allowed this city and state to thrive, I
asked, and how has it helped create a great home for ICE
in Sandy Springs?
“When I was first settling in, I was visited by Atlanta
leaders and learned about the ‘Atlanta way,’” he replied.
“I learned there was a camaraderie to advancing this
city and state and it goes beyond politics, age, race and
religion. At first, I thought I wasn’t qualified to get involved
in the civic affairs of Atlanta, but I was told just the opposite— you need to get involved. It was explained to me that
it’s the ‘Atlanta way’ whereby if you achieve a certain level
of success, you give back.” And when I got started, he
remembers, “those business leaders said they would guide
me and help me to give back.”
As the Atlanta community has been pivotal in building ICE, the company has supported several community efforts to give back over the years. As an example,
Sprecher and ICE invested in the redevelopment of the
Westside 10 years ago. This past spring, ICE launched a
yearly event on the Westside with the Westside Future
Fund and Warrick Dunn Charities/WD Communities.
The event brought together 300+ ICE employees as well
as residents of the Westside for the first time to offer a
tangible opportunity to give back. Through the event,
volunteers planted trees and worked on the local historic
garden, assembled hygiene kits as well as provided home
repairs for a senior resident alongside medical check-ups,
financial literacy training sign ups and other awareness
programming for residents.
Sprecher especially emphasizes that “the state of
Georgia and city of Atlanta have tremendous assets.” We
discussed the expanding list of global companies that decided to have their headquarters in metro Atlanta over the
years, and that Atlanta has the world’s busiest airport and
a world-class pool of talent that comes out of Georgia’s
technical and higher education system. He also praises
the tremendous investment that Georgia has made, and
continues to make, with the Port of Savannah.
“Since I arrived in this state,” he concluded, “I give
great credit to Atlanta’s and Georgia’s past and present
leaders and governors for building a business-friendly
environment that continues to attract and retain entrepreneurs and global companies.”
Phil Kent is the CEO and publisher of James and James Magazine Online.
