Chris Mellor of the The Register hammered EMC in this post today, basically making it out that EMC sits on the board of the “Green Grid” and touts other green initiatives and support for the global cause – but does so while flying around in private jets.

The article is good and entertaining, but not totally fair in that it that it assumes malice (at least I took it so), and that’s not realistic.

Where he is absolutely correct is the subtle assertion that EMC simply doesn’t have it’s green story together.  I have personally told this to both Mr. Tucci and mean it.

I had challenged Mr. T and EMC about this, and while it tood a while to wrangle resources, I can openly say that in my 145 years of dealing with the company, myself and other ESG’ers were invited into perhaps the most transparent and honest meeting ever – which included the senior most senior managers from every single department in the company (engineering, manufacturing, facilities, etc.).  The good news, is we were blown away at how much EMC walked the green walk – and how odd it was that they didn’t talk the talk.

EMC, like most real businesses, is not about simply doing things because it is good karma.  They are about making money when you net it all out.  Having said that, they are also smart – they started LONG ago with internal focus on green and efficiency – and the two objectives clearly successfully intersect.  EMC save tens of millions of bucks every year doing things to reduce power and create efficiencies.  Hell, I remember back in 1986 or so, their first real Hopkinton headquarters building utilized some crazy Nordic air conditioning system that somehow recycled itself and cost them an extra $10 million bucks – which subsequently has paid for itself 10 times over.

How ironic is it that it turns out that EMC really is focused INTERNALLY on all things green – for all the right reasons – and yet lags with its external messaging to the world?  Normally – and no offense intended – it’s the exact opposite.  I’d expect fantastic overall messaging and leadership externally, only to find out that internally things aren’t quite as advertised – but not in this case.  Maybe Chris’s article will make them put some emphasis on this, as it clearly is not a top priority, though I personally think it’s a mistake and not for making themselves feel good – but I know that the things they do are leadership things, and by telling the world it would be good for business.

Anyhow, the jet issue is sort of silly.  Chris rightfully points out that Warmenhoven and Chambers also fly around in private jets.  Of course they do.  Warmenhoven pays for it himself – he only charges the company the price of a first class commercial ticket – fyi.  What multi-billion dollar international company does not utilize private jets for big mucky mucks to get around?  As a stockholder, or anyone with basic common sense, do I want my CEO spending endless hours of time dealing with airport b.s. versus getting where they need to be and bringing home the bacon?  No.  For real businesses, private jets are not vanity, they are the only reasonable means of mucky muck travel.  Do the math – if your CEO is making $10M a year, that averages out to a cost of around $4,000 per hour of work time.  Do I want to pay that to have them stand in line at an airport, sit on a crappy commercial plane where they can’t use their phone, computer, etc. and arrive at their destination miserable and frumpy?  No.  That’s what the rest of us are there for.  Worse, do I want the CEO sitting in their office all day managing from afar?  Doesn’t work that way.  Someone has to be where the deals are.

Now, if it turns out that Mr. CEO is just taking joy rides to show off to their friends, that’s a different story, but I’m fairly sure Mr. Chambers, Schmidt, Buffett, Gates, Hurd, Palmisano, etc. aren’t just letting those babies idle on the tarmac unnecessarily to impress the chicks.  Time is money, and money makes the world go round.  You can’t do work for the greater good if you aren’t in business.  Thus first you make sure what you do is the most intelligent thing you can to make money – then you can focus on the trees.

I’m willing to bet that when Larry Ellison blasts around the sky in his fighter plane, for absolutely no legitimate business purpose at all, he offsets his “because he can” environmental damage in other ways.  I’m not saying this is right, but give a guy a break.  It’s hard to spend that much money without causing a little bit of mayhem.

Plus, I’m jealous.  I would LOVE to escape the torture of commercial travel.  It’s become completely uncivilized.  Nice work Chris.

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