I just got back from my first visit to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. As much as I enjoyed the first look at the gadgets, my attention was on the CEOs who spoke about this $186 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. When I listen to a CEO, my focus goes to the support, guidance and contributions coming from the board chair and directors.
It was a great experience, with a very special invite from Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher of AllThingsD to attend the Wall Street Journal Digital @ CES session. As a Twitter user, hearing about their business strategy 
from the CEO, Dick Costolo, was a treat.
I also attended a CEO/chairman session with Jeffrey Immelt, CEO and chairman, GE; John Chambers, chairman and CEO, Cisco; and Ursula Burns, chairman and CEO, Xerox. They gave me a new appreciation for the challenges of leading a global company headquartered in the U.S. The overall mood was optimistic, yet with concern about the need for infrastructure investments to support the future. They are selling to global markets and made it clear that the U.S. opportunities are 300 million people vs. the projected 7 billion worldwide.
