Carp: As Kodak met the challenge to embrace new technology, New York can change, rebound

Kodak has successfully evolved from an exclusively film-based company to become a leader in digital imaging while remaining a force in film—and New York can also become a leader again if it makes the same kind of commitment to positive change.

That’s the message that the winner of the 2005 Corning Award for Excellence, Kodak Chairman Daniel A. Carp, emphasized in accepting the award at The Business Council’s Annual Meeting September 21.

Carp said managing Kodak’s challenging transition from a predominantly film-based company to one with a strong position in digital imaging was "the most liberating, most exhilarating, and most enriching phase in my career."

"In the face of change, there is a battle between those who want to do something and those who want to avoid doing something wrong," Carp said. "Be on the side of those who want to do something."

He added that New York State also faces a challenge to change, and that its different sectors must work together to achieve positive change.

"Government can’t do it alone, business can’t do it alone, and academia can’t do it alone," he said. "But together, we can do anything. That’s the vision The Business Council stands for."

In presenting the award to Carp, Kirk Gregg, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Corning Incorporated and vice chairman of The Council’s Board of Directors, praised Carp for his role in Kodak’s successful transition to a leadership position in digital imaging.

"What we’re seeing is the remarkable story of a company whose whole industry was transformed by a new technology," Gregg said. "The person who led the transformation out of the past and pushed it into the new age wasn’t some ‘dot-com’ Californian. It was Dan Carp, a Kodak lifer."

Gregg said Carp was known for his toughness, his compassion, his wit, his deep commitment to diversity, and his strategic vision.

"Dan Carp recognized both the challenge—and the opportunity—of digital," Gregg said. "He learned the new technology inside and out and made it his passion. He became an expert. He made courageous hires of outsiders, people with different backgrounds who would complement Kodak’s existing strengths."

State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer also praised Carp, saying he had faced business challenges "with aplomb and success that is remarkable."