Insight: Philips restores profit by rediscovering relevance

Philips Electronics Chief Executive Frans van Houten shows a LED bulb which can be controlled directly from an iOS or Android device, during the presentation of the 2012 full-year results in AmsterdamBy Sara Webb AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Every year Singaporeans and Malaysians choke on smoke when farmers and plantation firms in neighboring Indonesia clear the land with fires during the dry season. Last summer, Philips diverted stocks of air purifiers from Hong Kong and China to the area in time for the worst pollution in 16 years. The switch of supplies was emblematic of a more nimble approach fostered by Chief Executive Frans van Houten that has helped Philips reinvent itself in healthcare, lighting and consumer goods and revived the company's fortunes. …