“We can squabble between the siblings in Europe and not be very productive and then see China and the U.S. win over the European region. Or - and this is my preferred choice - we team up together and are the strong region that we want to be, using each others' strengths and building on our commonalities to become the smartest region in the world.”

Dutch businessman, April 2011 to October 2022

Frans van Houten is a Dutch businessman best known for serving as chief executive officer of Royal Philips Electronics from April 2011 to October 2022. He led Philips through more than a decade of change at the company. His public remarks are usually tied to business leadership and the direction of a major global technology company during his tenure.