About David Cote
David Cote, former chairman and CEO of Honeywell, appeared on the podcast "Action Catalyst" in September 2022 to discuss his book "Winning Now, Winning Later." During the interview, Cote described his approach to balancing short-term performance with long-term investment, stating that while he could grow earnings at 14 percent, he chose to grow them at 10 percent in order to reinvest the difference into initiatives such as globalization, new products, and process improvements. He also noted that telling investors or a boss that performance will be poor for three years before improving is typically not well received, as they may seek alternatives in the meantime.
Cote also discussed the importance of reliable accounting systems, saying that accounting was Honeywell's primary information system and that unreliable data would lead to poor decisions about profitability. He reflected on his tenure at Honeywell, where he grew the company's market capitalization from approximately $20 billion to nearly $120 billion, and he encouraged listeners to connect with him on LinkedIn.
Source: AI-verified profile updated from David Cote's recent appearances.
Browse all interviews →
✨ AI-enhanced transcript with speaker attribution
I
Interviewer0:00
David Cote, the CEO of Honeywell and a member of the Simpson-Bowles Commission, which came up with the budget line...
D
David Cote0:08
My advice to President Obama was that you have to look at the prospective by comparing it to the size of the overall debt coming out. That you have is a person and a GDP. The debt is now in the territory where, since the Revolutionary War, the exceptional debt was when we were popular. And the debt is now... billions. What is the size of the debt? Oh my god, it's 13. A few have the impact. It's so secure. It's elementary in everything. And over the next decade, you grow to about 20 trillion dollars. And less than a jewel in trust, the debt is growing in the next ten years here.
Misleading is the news about fixing financials. People, Honeywell is a large company. We are the largest industrial conglomerate with hundreds of thousands of employees, producing everything from aircraft parts to sets. Given the uncertainty, we can help. Next, the factors that have to be in your planning at Honeywell. A budget makes up display. It's credits, capital is a coward. Just like hiring, while people retire, you have to backfill. So, you have to look at which expenditures. And you have to build a new plan. And through that, you upgrade. So, new products, you know, see what happens. And that's happening in the gas industry. Bringing new glory holes, biogas to cool. Big budget not sent in crisis. We now have the technological capability for reducing the debt. We plant a trillion in Texas. We have to lift the credits and the debt. The module is doxology. The 116 river once used in 2000, 2009. And tomorrow, what must the public do? Online text. Words to be increased. Your Caesar will. The security starts. I get it. And the spirits word pricing. The dam is effective. Normally, the Simpson-Bowles is a solution. Because together, the staff is perfect. Hi, Junior Morgan, and what I call the king of the budget. For that man, I come from. It's important to attach a brand. Mary looked and new. A long parka. Here, the politicians never. Yes, Julia, you say yes. At the end of the day, the king of the debt. The dispersion of the baby boomer generation retiring is literally a system. So, to Washington, a thousand mega parts. The national hobby is condemned to pursue red and eat percent of a pointer.
