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William Brown

CEO & Chairman, 3m

Search every verified William Brown interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. On 3M’s Q2 2026 earnings call, Brown reported organic growth of 5.4%, operating margin of 24.9%, earnings per share of $2.40, and free cash flow of $1.3 billion. He stated that the company returned $1.4 billion to shareholders in the quarter, including $400 million in dividends and $1 billion in share repurchases, and that since 2025 it has returned $8.6 billion against a commitment to return over $10 billion through 2027. Brown said the company raised its full-year guidance for sales, EPS, and free cash flow, and described the results as exceeding expectations. Brown also discussed a strategic partnership with Microsoft, which he said will be the first hyperscaler to deploy 3M’s expanded beam optics technology in Azure data centers. He described the technology as enabling connectors that install faster and are more resistant to dust, and said the company is rapidly scaling production capacity. On new product introductions, Brown noted that development-to-launch cycle time has decreased from about 250 days to around a 20% reduction by 2027, and that the company is focusing on “class 4” and “class 5” products that can improve margins over time through new features and cost design.

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