Dave is patient, realistic and has a real knack for persuading other innovators to lend him the time and expertise needed to try out new ideas. This has worked out well so far for TI and its customers. For example, Dave once borrowed a design engineer, product engineer and test engineer and convinced them to work after hours and on weekends to define a product that is a cross between a power converter and power management to enable customers to control and manage power digitally. Customers loved what this new technology enabled, and its success resulted in an entirely new product line for the company.

That’s become a high bar that Dave sets for himself with each project he tackles. To him, a true innovation is measured by its ability to drive new business opportunities and enable customers to do something they couldn’t do before. Today, among other projects, Dave is looking for ways to convert and control high voltage power to more efficiently power smart grids and smart homes.

In addition to leading a variety of R&D projects at TI’s Kilby Labs, Dave is on the lookout for TI’s next generation of technology leaders. He uses the analogy of a drill he’s use for his daughter’s soccer team: dribbling a ball while reciting the alphabet backwards. Innovators need to know how to dribble the ball while also looking up and around at the opportunities for new markets and technologies. They also need a higher level of blended skills to enable them to understand the customer’s system better than ever before.