Design Thinking in AV: Legrand |AV’s Ambition 2030

In an industry where progress often comes from the next product drop or feature update, Legrand | AV is taking a different approach. The company’s latest initiative, Ambition 2030, isn’t just a roadmap for financial growth; it’s a cultural shift, a design philosophy, and a reimagining of what it means to build technology for people.

When Legrand announced its plan to grow from roughly €8.5 billion to €15 billion by 2030, it did more than set a bold financial target. For a company known for steady, conservative performance, this was a declaration of intent: to move from being a dependable operator to becoming a growth-driven innovator. And for Legrand | AV that ambition is taking shape in tangible ways.

From Stable to Bold

“Legrand has long been the rock, reliable, safe, predictable,” said Brian DiBella, President and CEO of Legrand, North and Central America, during the opening of its new facility. “Ambition 2030 is about energizing the organization to think bigger.” The plan targets four growth pillars: energy transition, essential infrastructure, digital lifestyles, and essential infrastructure. All areas where AV technology is playing an increasingly central role.

For Legrand | AV, that means helping organizations navigate the new intersections of electrification, collaboration, and hybrid work. The company sees AV not as a peripheral technology but as the human interface between people and digital systems. The bridge that makes hybrid workplaces, classrooms, and public spaces function seamlessly.

“We’re entering an era where AV is no longer optional,” DiBella explained. “It’s the connective tissue between the physical and digital worlds.”

Design Thinking at Scale

That connection begins with how Legrand | AV designs its products. The company has practiced design thinking for years, but Ambition 2030 has forced that philosophy to scale. Where product teams once worked in silos, Chief focusing on mounts, Vaddio on cameras, Middle Atlantic on infrastructure, they’re now unified around problem-solving for the entire customer experience.

Instead of asking what product should we build next?, teams now ask what challenge are we solving for our users? That shift has led to more cross-brand collaboration and solutions that cut across traditional product boundaries. A recent example is the Chief Velocity pedestal mount, developed in partnership with Samsung and LG. Originally designed for quick-serve restaurants, it’s now being deployed across higher education and corporate campuses for wayfinding and interactive experiences.

Empathy drives that process. Product and marketing managers spend time in the field talking directly to integrators and end users, gathering qualitative feedback before validating it with broader quantitative data. “It’s about listening first,” Shilpa Anand, Director of Product Marketing noted. “We test, learn, and test again, making sure the solution solves the problem”

Culture as a Growth Engine

Legrand | AV’s leadership is clear that hitting a 10 percent annual growth rate isn’t only about new products. It’s about how the company works. Ambition 2030 is as much an internal transformation as it is an external one.

At the heart of that transformation is collaboration. Not just between brands, but between people. The company’s new Minnesota headquarters was designed around connection: open spaces, natural light, and shared environments that encourage teams to interact. Employees talk about the “noise” of collaboration as a sign of progress.

That connected culture is reinforced by an internal rallying cry: “Play as One” which is the Legrand | AV take on the Legrand corporate value of “We Move in Sync.” The phrase captures Legrand | AV’s belief that growth happens when teams move together, leveraging collective expertise across engineering, marketing, design, and sales. It’s a shift from hierarchy to teamwork. A cultural operating system that supports the company’s ambitious goals.

Sustainability by Design

Sustainability isn’t a side initiative within Ambition 2030; it’s built into every layer of the business. At the product level, Legrand | AV has eliminated single-use plastics in its Vaddio camera line, removing more than 112,000 pounds annually and avoiding roughly 90 tons of CO₂ emissions. Packaging changes, such as moving away from bleached white boxes, are small but meaningful steps that reinforce a culture of conscious design.

Each business unit now has a dedicated CSR resource, ensuring that environmental responsibility is embedded in everything from product lifecycle planning to building management. Even the new facility reflects that ethos: reused furniture, unbleached materials, and efficient HVAC systems contribute to a smaller footprint and a healthier workspace.

Navigating a Global Landscape

Ambition 2030 also reflects a new way of thinking about global customers. Legrand | AV serves organizations whose operations span continents, and that demands agility in both product and support. The company maintains an international customer service team in the Netherlands, where they are fluent in six languages, and a regional manufacturing hub that allows for localized inventory and faster delivery.

This model isn’t just about logistics; it’s about customer empathy at scale. Global integrators and Fortune 100 corporations expect the same level of responsiveness whether they’re in Chicago, London, or Singapore. By pairing regional expertise with global standards, Legrand | AV aims to make that experience seamless.

Redefining the Integrator Relationship

As the AV channel evolves, so does Legrand | AV’s relationship with integrators. The company sees a shift from traditional AV installers to technology integrators, where professionals managing networks, security, and collaboration systems holistically service a diverse set of customers. Rising labor costs and security concerns mean integrators need smarter, more connected tools.

Legrand | AV’s roadmap includes managed-service capabilities and a secure gateway for out-of-band network management, allowing dedicated AV networks to be monitored safely and efficiently. “It’s a unique approach,” Pam Hoppel, President of Legrand | AV said, “that helps integrators increase their value while protecting the networks they manage.”

From Ambition to Action

Ambition 2030 is bold, but it’s not bluster. Legrand | AV’s strategy combines the confidence of a century-old manufacturer with the adaptability of a startup. The company’s commitment to design thinking, collaboration, and sustainability makes its 2030 goal more than just a financial milestone. It’s a declaration of intent to redefine what growth looks like in the AV industry.

As Hoppel put it, “We’re building for the next generation of technology. And the next generation of people who’ll use it.”