Employee Ownership

Success Through a Spirit of Ownership

Xilinx CEO Wim Roelandts vividly recalls how passionately his father felt about the little grocery store he owned with his mother in his family's native Brussels in Belgium. Yet, at the same time, he remembers how dispirited his father felt about being an employee in a tops-down company.
For example, Wim recollects how uncomplainingly and happily his dad got up at 3:30 a.m. to buy fruits and vegetables for his own small enterprise; but how frustrated and unappreciated he felt when his ideas and suggestions were never heard in the command-and-control corporation he worked in during the day.

It's this spirit of ownership, says Wim, that made a difference for his dad; and makes a difference for working people everywhere.

This same feeling of ownership is fostered and encouraged in Xilinx among all employees. It's one of the keys to our company's success. It also helps make each of us successful both personally and professionally.

It's a philosophy that the company's founders encouraged right from the start. Co-founder Bernie Vonderschmitt felt that if employees invested a sense of personal ownership in the company, they would simply do the right thing for Xilinx.

Authors of "The Human Capital Edge," Bruce N. Pfau, PhD. And Ira T. Kay, PhD, would agree. They studied management practices that contribute to increasing shareholder value and reported on their findings in their book. They discovered that companies that have good stock ownership programs can expect, over time, to see a boost in their share price. Employees, say the authors, want to be part of the "bigger picture." And so do Xilinx employees.

What makes us owners in Xilinx?

Stock options, a stock purchase plan and profit-sharing are ways that connect us to the future of Xilinx. In our company, employees on every level get these benefits. Of course, the programs and logistics differ from country to country depending on regulations and culture, but employees worldwide have the opportunity to be owners in the company. And while it's painful when the stock drops, we all have a decided stake in helping it soar again.

We also believe an entrepreneurial spirit comes from having the authority to make decisions in our own areas of expertise. We are convinced that the people closest to the work are most knowledgeable and able to make the best judgments. At Xilinx, managers set objectives, provide information and supply support and resources. They do what is necessary so that individuals can work on the problems of the company and solve them - like owners.

From a management point of view, it is impossible to verify and control all the decisions that are made by every employee in the company. The guidelines we use to help us make the right decisions are the solid set of values we hold dear. We use them to make the day-to-day judgments in our business lives.

What if your viewpoint differs from your manager's on an issue of importance to the company?

Those who firmly believe that a project or product will appreciably benefit Xilinx press their case aggressively and are very often successful. They want to see Xilinx win in the marketplace, which also means, as owners, they personally win.

Yes, being an owner has its pain as well as its joys. But at Xilinx, we like being in the company of owners.