2020 May Not Have Been the Year We All Hoped for, But We Still Accomplished Remarkable Feats, Proving Just How Resilient We Can Be

In speaking with friends, family, customers, partners and colleagues, it has become abundantly clear that most people are eager to leave everything about 2020 behind. Yet, I believe there is much to be carried forward with us into the new year.

We’ve discovered a lot about ourselves these past several months, and we started to really “show our stripes” at work, home and in our communities. Amidst the heartbreaking losses we experienced, we somehow became more hopeful and more helpful than ever. And though our patience may have been tested and nerves frayed, our compassion and support for one another has eclipsed the darkness. We learned how to be independent yet collaborative at the same time. We realized just how creative and resilient we could be when our lives – and livelihood – are on the line. And we came to appreciate both the beauty of spontaneity and the comfort of routine.

In other words, this past year may not have unfolded as we had planned on January 1, 2020, but it was still very much a success in many ways. All you have to do is look at the list of awards and accolades below (or read our recent blog posts) to see all that Zebra Nation has accomplished in the past six months alone. The awe-inspiring dedication and drive of our team, partners and customers kept the world turning behind the scenes, even when it felt like things were at a standstill. The efforts of these incredible people also empowered our front-line heroes to do their jobs safely and efficiently, resulting in the preservation of critical healthcare, food, utility and emergency services.

While 2020 pushed many of us to our limits, it also pushed us to grow tremendously on both a personal and collective level. We have gained a better understanding of our own strengths while learning how to empower others to be their best selves at work and in life.

So, before the clock strikes midnight on January 1, 2021, and we relegate 2020 to history, let’s take a moment to appreciate just how significant this year proved to be in paving the path to a better future. Then, let’s ring in the new year with a toast to hope. Not necessarily for a “return to normal,” but for a healthier and more just world.

The power of teamwork is something that we know first-hand at Zebra. Our collaborative approach to innovation (and everything) is part of the reason why we’ve been named…

• One of Fast Company 2020 Best Workplaces for Innovators (Learn more about our culture of innovation in this podcast interview with Zebra Chief Technology Officer, Tom Bianculli.)
• One of Long Island’s Top Workplaces for 2020. (Zebra ranked #5 out of all large employers.)
• #44 on the 2020 Crain’s Chicago Business Fast 50 list.
• One of Forbes and JUST Capital 2021 America's Most Just Companies. (Zebra ranked #452 out of 928 companies and #15 of 37 Industrial Goods companies.)
• An “Open Innovation Challenger” as part of the Corporate Startup Stars Awards, “the prestigious annual prize launched under the European Commission’s Startup Europe Partnership initiative since 2016, this year scaling at global level thanks to the partnership consolidated between Mind the Bridge and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).” (Zebra was one of the top 25 “startup-friendly” companies to receive the Open Innovation Challenger award.)
• #3 overall by the Institutional Investor poll for Communication of Strategy and Risk Management amidst COVID-19.
• A Diamond Award winner in the “Employer Branding & People Engagement” category by the Association of Business Service Leaders (ABSL).
• To the RIS Software Leaderboard once again for 2021 – for the work done by both the Reflexis and Zebra Prescriptive Analytics teams.
• A Top Enterprise Solutions Vendor in the GEC Awards 2020.
• The Innovation Emerging Vendor of the Year by the Reseller ME Forum & Excellence Awards 2020.

It’s also why many of our employees and customers received special industry recognition…

• Zebra’s Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Cristen Kogl, received a Women, Influence & Power in Law Award from Law.com.
• Jeff Schmitz was also named one of Crain’s Notable Executives in Marketing 2020 and received the Enterprise IT World Global CMO of the Year award. Find out why in this blog post and podcast interview
• Guy Yehiav, Vice President and General Manager of Zebra Analytics, was recognized for "Excellence in Partnerships" as part of the 2020 Loss Prevention Magazine “Magpie” Awards
• Tony Palcheck, Managing Director of Zebra Ventures, received the Illinois Venture Capital Association (IVCA) Fellows Award.
• Emily Cates, Vice President of Professional and Learning Services at Zebra, received a Bronze Stevie® Award in the “Female Executive of the Year – Business Services – More Than 2,500 Employees” category.
• Katie Montey, National Channel Manager for Zebra France, was recognized as one of the 2020 Rising Female Stars of the IT Channel by CRN France.
• Jennifer Kastner Colato, Director, Store Operations Communications Systems, Lowe’s was named one of the RIS Pacesetters 2020: Fast Rising Retail Executives in part for her leadership “deploying an enterprise tasking system built on the Reflexis platform.”
• The Zebra Investor Relations team ranked #1 in the Sell-Side category and #3 overall in the 2020 Institutional Investor poll.
• Cesar Augusto Zapata Castrillón, account manager for Zebra in Colombia, received the Top Executive 2020 award from Zonalogística.

And why these solutions were deemed the “best” by panels of industry experts:

• Zebra SmartSight™ won a 2020 CompassIntel IoT Award in the category of “IoT Innovator: Retail & Customer Experiences”
• The Zebra MC3390R handheld RFID reader received a 2020 Internet of Things Exhibition (IOTE) Gold Award Innovative Product award.
• The MC9300 ultra-rugged mobile computer, RS5100 single finger Bluetooth ring scanner, and DS9308 barcode scanner were given the prestigious Good Design® Award Winner accolade in the Product Design Commercial and Industrial category.

Congratulations to all of our Q3 and Q4 award winners and thank you to everyone who helped Zebra Nation remain strong throughout 2020! We hope you and your loved ones are blessed with joy, health and comfort this holiday season and that 2021 brings you good fortune.

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Editor’s Note:

The Institutional Investor poll also named Anders Gustafsson the Best Sell-Side CEO and one of the top three CEOs in the IT Hardware & Electronic Manufacturing Services category.