Open Innovation Perspectives from Small Company CEO

Finn Houengaard is CEO of Kavli, a 100 person strong company that provides wholesaling distribution of food products. He wants Kavli to become more innovative and in a company with scarcer resources than the big multinationals, it is obvious to look into how they can tap into other sources.

In this video interview, he talks about the benefits of getting a broader reach and explains that he sees corporate culture change as the biggest challenge on open innovation.

I interviewed Finn Houengaard after a General Mills session on open innovation. Houengaard is currently skeptical on approaching such large companies, but he expects this to change in the coming years as Kavli develops a more open attitude. Among his key take aways from General Mills efforts on open innovation, he mentions their systemic approach as something he believes is just as essential for smaller companies.