Dahua USA's marketing and just their overall business organization has been a mess.
These guys could not sell life jackets on the Titanic.
But, earlier this year, they made a good hire and got lucky getting Janet Fenner who had run marketing at Samsung / Hanwha. Now, on their 3rd CEO / President this year (e.g., Dahua Demotes USA CEO and then Dahua USA President Out, South American President Takes Over), Fenner has now been bizarrely moved to business development from marketing.
In this note, we examine the sad saga of Dahua USA.
The ****
******'* ****** **-**** ****** [**** ** longer *********] *** **** ** *********. Now, ***** *** ******** *** **** **** of ********* ** ******** ** ******** Development. *** ***** ** **** ** help ** ******** *********** *** ***** are ******** *********** *** ***** *** not **** ******** *** *********** ********* people ** ***** ************ (********* *** successful **** ***** ** **** ** Dahua).
****** *** *** **** ****** ** that ************ **** *********** ******** ********** and *********** **** ***** ******** *********. It ** * **** ***** ***** to ** ** *** *** ** a ********** ********* ***** ** ** experiment.
Her *********** - *****
*** *********** ** *** **** [**** no ****** *********]. **** *** **** at ***** *** * *****, ***** in ****, *** **** *** *** last * ** *** ***.
**** ** ********* *** ***** ********* person ** **** ***** **** ** the ********. ********* ** ********* * coherent ********, ********* ********* ********, *** creating *** ******** ****, ****'* *** strength ** ******** *******. *** ****** that ***** **** **, *** *** overall ********* *** **** ** *** experience **** ** * ******** ****** for *****. **, ** ********, ***** not ********, ***** *****'* ***** ******.
Not ******* *****
***** ******** ** **** *** ****** **** is ******* ** ****'* ******** ** 'China'. *** ** ** *****. ********* is ** *********, ******* ************* ******** (****** a ******** ** *** ******* ********** with *** *** ********* *** **********). Dahua's ********** *** ******* ***** ** Hikvision. **** ******* *** **** *** understand *** **** ** *** ******** strengths ** ***** *********:
Dahua's ***** ******
***********, ***** *** ******** ***** ***** damage ** ****. **** ** **** is ******'* *****. *** *** *** the *** *** ******** ** ** many *************** ** ***** ******** **** Dahua ********* ***** *** ****** ******** **** **** ******* *** ******* global *****.
**** *** ********* ********, '***** ****** the ***** ****' *** *****, ***** that ** ********** *****'* ********** (******* brand/track ****** ** ***** *******) ** leveraging (******) ***** **** ***** ****** of ***** *** ***** ***** ********* to *** ******** ****** ** ********* Dahua *** **** **** **** ************ elsewhere. ** *********** ('***** ****** *** ***** ****')***, *****, **** *** *****'* **********'* fault *** ********** ******** **** ** many ***************, *** *********.
The ****** ** ***** *** ** ****
** ***** *** *** * *** President, **** *****, * ****** *********** marketing ******** *** ***** ** *** VP ** *****.
****** ***** ***** ** *** * hundred ***** ****** ** **** ** quite *** ****** **** ****** ****** are ********* ** *****.
I was shocked when I saw the LinkedIn notification. Janet Fenner is one of the smartest people I ever met in my 18+ years in the security industry. Shuffling her to the side is just another indication of how Dahua just cannot seem to get out of its own way. I wish I bought Dahua just so I could drop them.
Janet, if you're reading this, I hope you get picked up by a better company soon.
I noticed this on Janet's LinkedIn, and I was hoping that maybe it was a promotion of some sort? I think she has a done a great deal to improve the brand image of the company, including bring their US social media pages up to snuff.
Honestly the reason I started using Dahua was because of some great people I met who work there. I realized quickly the experience one has with Dahua is directly based on who you deal with. Which although has been mostly positive for me, is a terrible indicator for a business of this size. If the good people start being side lined and/or jump ship... then my days of doing business with Dahua are numbered.
Janet's smart, capable, and has plenty of career left. She will be fine.
This is embarrassing for Dahua though. Her value wasn't just as a good marketer - her highest value to Dahua was as a signal to other higher-level industry people that they should consider the company.
If that is the case, then the move might be a good one.
To that end, I am not sure I agree that Janet's move and the new hire should be lumped together as one decision. While Dahua has proven themselves adept at making multiple mistakes in a row, each choice should be scrutinized independently.
Janet's move and the new hire
To clarify, there is no 'new hire' in this move. Shen was already working at Dahua in marketing before Fenner arrived. Fenner was brought in for her actual NA marketing expertise. Now, they have returned NA marketing to Shen.
Fenner’s out, but the 
logo stays?
The logo that looks cool, but most don't know how to pronounce it. The logo sure doesn't help pronounce it. Their creative marketing video doesn't really fix that problem and just provides a good laugh. Hikvision and Dahua both have names that people can pronounce incorrectly.
A long time ago I was corrected on the proper way to pronounce Neutrik. An industry standard in audio that I catch all the time pronouncing incorrectly.
A long time ago I was corrected on the proper way to pronounce Neutrik.
A faux pas made even more glaring when connected to a Neumann :)
Hikvision and Dahua both have names that people can pronounce incorrectly.
True, though with Dahua many are unsure even how many syllables it is:
This very well might be a promotion. Moving her to lead the business development segment will likely result in much better sales engagement (depending on how Dahua uses the position, of course).
Janet must feel like Sarah Huckabee-Sanders over at Dahua.
Your description of Tim Shen is brutal but accurate. Taking a meeting with him is a colossal waste of time. You walk away shaking your head. Moving him to up head marketing is the bigger concern.
Dahua launches new “Truth in Advertising” ad campaign:
I worked with Janet at Hanwha, and she's rock solid. She engaged with several of my Spanish speaking customers, and she did spectacular. I have no doubt that she'll do fine.
That being said, she could do a lot better. Might I recommend the following:
https://www.genetec.com/about-us/careers
https://www.milestonesys.com/about-us/jobs-and-careers/
and several others....
hmmm.... seems like someone doesn't want her going to a rival camera manufacturer. "They always want you to do good, but never better than them" ~ anonymous
As far as LinkedIn is concerned her new position pays more on average. Maybe it IS a promotion? *Wishful thinking*
new position pays more on average
Well, if pay equals promotion, we should all be in sales like you ;)
In all seriousness, is business development more important than marketing? That certainly could be debated but, what is fairly indisputable is that these are distinct skill sets / expertise so, to me, that's the risk for both sides.
Good for her... that’s a sounds career move, if I do say so myself, and one we’re certain to see trending in the immediate future.
Anna Boudinot has left Dahua.
Maybe Longse will take notice and give her a call.
Then she could be the first winner of the Hikualong Chinese Triple Crown.
She has a totally different type of role within the organization and is pretty safe where she is, but is undoubtedly scrambling to escape like everyone else in that aisle of the office.
This article was published on Jan 4 2017: Dahua New Marketing Head Hired From Hanwha / Samsung
To which I commented:
Hiring a right person is not the key. The key is whether Dahua will let the person do his or her job.
11 months later, she is not the head of Dahua marketing anymore.
Take your bow #8, you called it. I overestimated Dahua and I paid the price.
I wonder if Dahua will realize how detrimental actions like there are to attracting top people in the future. Nobody wants to join a company where they are going to be held back or have things shifted on them without choice.
I heard there are many people who took the position at Dahua USA thinking that it was a career advancement. Only to find his or her career peaked at their previous job.
Was there a previous “Director of Business Development” ?
Dahua should write a book "how not to enter the American Market"
There are some talented people at Dahua I used to work with but as has just been said " are they allowed to do their job"
My guess is the person in China who is in charge of the US business unit is the problem. Typically the foreign subsidiaries of Chinese companies have little local authority and need permission to go to the bathroom.
"My guess is the person in China who is in charge of the US business unit is the problem. Typically the foreign subsidiaries of Chinese companies have little local authority and need permission to go to the bathroom."
Korean too!
If Dahua wrote a book, it would be pretty good, but riddled with misspellings, missing a few pages, and would be harboring a backdoor that would infect all the books in your bookshelf with bookworms.
I must say that is was one hell of pleasure to work with Janet Fenner.
/bashis
Don't know why you voted "funny", and I don't find it funny either, Janet is very professional, and I really enjoyed the work we had together during the Dahua Backdoor.
I’m not the one who voted it funny, but at the same time it’s a little like your dentist telling you he really enjoyed working with you on your root canal ;)
