Turning the Giant: Disrupting Your Industry with Persistent Innovation

John Berra is no stranger to turning giants. As someone who spent over three decades in the automation community, Berra knows what it’s like to confront major obstacles and leverage then to his advantage. For example, in the mid-1990s, Berra was faced with a unique challenge. The automation industry was at a crossroads, and as President of Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Berra could have played it safe and maintained business as usual. But doing so would have ensured companies like Honeywell would have gained the upper hand. Instead, Berra focused on developing a revolutionary operating system named DeltaV. And in doing so, he led Fisher-Rosemount Systems to disrupt an entire industry. Moves like this set Berra apart from his competitors. On one hand, Berra is one of the most intelligent innovators of his era and there is a reason Intech Magazine named him one of the fifty most influential industry innovators ever. That said, Berra was also incredibly practical and willing to take his share of calculated risks. Because Berra believed is disruptive innovation, he was able to turn giants others were not willing to touch.