The title might sound a little weird to you at first. It can take quite a long time to define something as “authentic” so yes, you’re right. Electric carriages are new after all, aren’t they?

This year we celebrate the 200th birthday of our founder, Werner von Siemens; a true genius. But that wasn’t his only admirable characteristic: He was also a successful entrepreneur, similar to the start-up founders of today. He was the founder of a company that operates today in more than 200 countries with approximately 350 thousand employees. A visionary approach certainly plays an important role in his success. Pioneers such as Werner von Siemens transformed Berlin into an electric city (‘Electro polis’) in the first years of the 20th century, as early as 1900s. The second industrial revolution (today we are talking about the fourth) was triggered by the advent of electricity and Berlin became the European center of electrical industry. To give an example from our country, Siemens was the brand that introduced the first electric tram to İstanbul in 1914.

Many people don’t know of these facts. Well then, how many of you are aware of modern transportation systems being built not only upon “internal combustion engines”, but also on “electrical vehicles”? Specifically Berlin was a city on the move with electrical power. Egger-Lohner, manufacturer of Porsche P1 (a.k.a. C.2 Phaeton), the first electric vehicle by Porsche, manufactured electric vehicles in Charlottenburg together with various entrepreneurs, while Werner von Siemens lived his dream of “electromotor” in Halensee in 1882 – that was 134 years ago.

Today, we have items such as “the future of energy” and “autonomous vehicles” on our agenda. Although it took electric carriages more than a century to become commercially available, they are now becoming more and more widespread. The main motive is essentially “environmental sensitivity”. Should we really spend another 100 years waiting for a similar motive so that another visionary innovation such as “autonomous vehicles” can become widespread? It’s worth giving a thought.

Death is inevitable for all living things. It is strange that despite the inevitability, we must constantly remind ourselves of death. This includes everyone without exception. Regardless of power or position… Ancient philosophers said “memento mori” to those who forgot about this absolute truth. In other words, “remember death, remember that you are mortal…”

I was very impressed when I first read it. According to the historians, the victorious generals of wars in ancient Rome used to wear a crown often made of oak leaves, called corona civica, at the triumph parades in the streets of Rome. Over time, the use of this crown was restricted with emperors only. On this occasion, I learned that the crown of the well-known Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was a corona civica. At the ceremonies, one of the duties of the slaves holding this crown above the victorious and proud generals’ heads was whispering “memento mori” into the ears of the generals. Most probably, the same phrase was whispered into the ear of the future Roman Emperor, the proud and victorious Roman commander Caesar.

Who knows how often Caesar, who accomplished many achievements, conquests and reforms, recalled his death throughout this process. The Roman Republic, borders of which he expanded, became an Empire by the time of his death and continued to grow and expand. Today we travel around the Roman Empire’s memory and remnants spread over three continents.

It is possible to see many similar examples in business life. There is an increasing number of examples of initiatives that have been created with small investments that develop with the right timing and smart strategies, and even “grow prodigiously”. Those who have a share in this success also show up in the business world like a proud Roman general. Among all the applause and praise, it is not hard to be under the illusion that power and glory will last forever. And there is no one whispering them “Remember that you are mortal.”…

However, remembering death does not interfere with living the day. Rather, it reminds us that power, position and everything is transitory. With the hope that it becomes our lifelong instructor and guide: “Memento mori!”

Siemens, the company I have been working at for 40 years, is an innovative technology corporation that develops technological solutions for over 160 years to improve the quality of life for all people. And one of the key aspects in the establishment period of Siemens is communication. When our company was founded in Berlin in 1847, it was a leading brand in inventions on communication. For instance, though not directly a Siemens invention, success of the telegraph in its initial years also benefited from the innovative ideas of Siemens.

Communication is important to me not only in terms of Siemens, but also in my personal life. When I was a kid, my grandfather used to tell me stories about the means of communication in the past. I remember having listened to many stories on messages sent via pigeons released from high towers, mounted or on-foot messengers, and town criers. Therefore, communication has always been an enchanting subject to me since very young age.

The generation of our great grandparents told about news being announced in İstanbul by people called “town criers” and these people loudly read the sultan’s edicts on streets, crying out “Hear ye Hear ye!” This means of communication was first used by Mahmut II to establish communication between the administration and the public. Then it was extended to the economy by means of sellers in street markets. Certainly, not all news came from official sources. Even then, sources and quality of the news could sometimes be controversial, yet people did not drown in a sea of information as today.

In the modern world, we have discovered almost infinite opportunities for communication. With the advent of telephones, walkie-talkies, mobile phones, and now e-mails, we have discovered an unprecedented source and means of communication. Our children can send instant messages to each other, listen to their iPods, contact on Facebook, watch videos, and “do their homework” at the same time.

As today’s children can make online contact even before they learn to walk, scientists think the brain structure of future generations can evolve in a different way. Internet alone ensures that the biggest library in the world is at our fingertips.

In short, both the world and communication changed a lot since days of doves and messengers. This change carried to a brand-new age that we may call “age of information”. Let’s discuss the qualities of this age in the next post.

As Siemens, next year we will celebrate our 160^{th anniversary in Turkey. Such a long history for a company is rare not only on these lands, but also in the world. How does a company reach its 160th year? In other words, how does it manage to serve through generations?}

The first answer to this question is trust. Trust and sustainability are actually the basis of success. As you know, the real value of the word “brand” derives from the “promise” it makes. We have always managed to keep the promises of our brand and never failed our customers.

There are other factors as well: Always offering the latest technology and serving with high motivation. These are the most important factors that kept Siemens in Turkey for almost two centuries – from 1856 to today.

And another remarkable factor is “adaptability”. Many things have changed in Turkey in the last 160 years. The regime changed from Empire to the Republic. Generations have changed, names have changed. Our administrative structures have changed. But as Siemens, we were able to adapt to every situation and provide the appropriate services required for the day. This is directly related to being both a global and local company.

Today, there is a wonderful phrase I have been told about our company: “Yes, we know Siemens: It is a Turkish company with German origins.” I am very pleased about this. And we will work hard to make all the factors that create this perception more sustainable. We trust our country.

For further reading: www.gelis.org/ulkemize-guvenmek