A communications and brand leader draws Inspiration from Culture and Connection.

Cynthia Yazdi looks from a Singapore hotel down to the street below as she reflects on how her company, Motorola Solutions, helps to uphold safety in the country. “Here we are in one of the safest cities in the world, and technology has a lot to do with that,” says Yazdi, the company’s senior vice president and chief of staff.

Cynthia Yazdi, one of the brand architects of the “Solving for safer” narrative.

“Whether its video security cameras used in parking lots or first responders connected to voice communication, technology is always working in the background to help keep people safe and secure.”

It’s a special kind of ‘homecoming’ for a former member of the company’s sales operations team who is back for the first time since 2015. Now, as Motorola Solutions’ global communications and brand leader, she has been instrumental in shaping the company’s new brand narrative, Solving for safer. She seems energized after re-connecting with local employees, and CXpose.tech was privileged to chat with her after what must have been a special occasion.

Yazdi credits her time in the Asia Pacific with helping her to build global perspectives and a wider understanding of how public safety challenges differ across geographies. Addressing different requirements and cultural needs is important for a company with around 100,000 customers in more than 100 countries.

“Living and working in Asia helped to make me a better leader with a greater appreciation of different cultures and perspectives,” Yazdi says.

Asia: A Source of Gratitude, Pride and Inspiration

For Yazdi, this return was marked by vibrant colours, music and a focus on building personal connections.

It included celebrating Motorola Solutions’ Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month, an annual event for employees to embrace the culture and customs of their colleagues in the Asia-Pacific region.

She shared lessons in leadership with the company’s next generation of talent including a young professionals group and women’s business council. Yazdi also strolled through Singapore’s scenic gardens with fellow “Motorolans” as part of a company wide initiative, “5K and Take the Day”, which prioritizes physical and mental health for all staff.

“I really wanted to come back to the place and people that helped to shape my career and to thank them publicly for that.” Yazdi says. “I wasn’t expecting it to be such a huge celebration of so many different cultures and backgrounds across the region.”

Broadening the portfolio

Motorola Solutions has long been known for providing communications technology for its public safety and enterprise customers. But as more complex challenges evolve, those customers need solutions that can generate more insights from data, enhance visibility and enable teams to work with greater safety and efficiency.

Addressing those needs was a major driver behind Motorola Solutions’ decision to invest about USD $12BN to build a robust technology portfolio spanning video security and access control and command centre solutions powered by artificial intelligence.

As Yazdi explains, the real impact of these safety focused technologies is felt when they are used together. “For example, imagine how connecting those technologies together could help to prevent a security breach at a school.”

“Video security cameras could identify an unauthorized person trying to gain access to the school and automatically send an alert to a control room, while an access control system safely locks the school down. Then, inside hallways, smart sensors could flash with green or red lights, literally lighting the path to safety,” she says.

Why Motorola Solutions is Solving for safer

To shed its former image as a cell phone company, Motorola Solutions needed a new way to describe itself and what it stands for today.

“When people heard “Solving for safer”, it worked. It was a unanimous feeling and there were nods of agreement that it captured the essence of Motorola Solutions’ identity.”

The idea behind the company’s new Solving for safer branding is that public safety is both the world’s greatest challenge and a common need. Without it, the things we take for granted in our daily lives aren’t possible.

Solving for safer wasn’t developed in a vacuum, but through deep consultation with multiple stakeholders including Motorola Solutions’ customers, channel partners, investors, employees and the company’s leadership. It also takes into account diverse global perspectives, including those Yazdi encountered during her time working in the Asia Pacific region.

It culminated in a major launch in November 2023 when Motorola Solutions unveiled its new identity and rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange – a proud and emotional moment for Yazdi and her team.

Yazdi sees the process of building successful brands as a fusion of art and science.

She says the best brands are those which build strong connections, authenticity and trust between people. “When people heard “Solving for safer”, it worked. It was a unanimous feeling and there were nods of agreement that it captured the essence of Motorola Solutions’ identity.”

Kids Say the Darndest Things

During my interview with Yazdi, I was shown a short, home-made video which asked the children of Motorola Solutions’ employees what the company does. Their honest and candid opinions made me reflect on the idiom “from out of the mouths of babes”, the idea that the younger generation can often be remarkably wise.

If the children of Motorola Solutions’ employees can easily articulate what “Solving for safer” means, then clearly the company has found a way to evolve from its image as a cellphone manufacturer, and build upon a 95-year legacy, with something new and evergreen that is also relevant and adaptable to different markets.

For the rest of us, it’s a clear and concise expression that explains why the company believes its security focused technologies can strengthen public safety and resilience all over the world.