Can you tell us what your position entails?
I am engaged in new business development, promoting brand awareness, outside sales, and support of our solutions and products for the Northern California territory.
How long have you worked at Olympus?
I’ve been with Olympus since September 2010. I have been in Factory Automation for about 5 years, working in Northern California.
How did you get started in Factory Automation?
I received my B.A. in Physics. After working for a while at Oxford Instruments in Santa Cruz I decided to go back to school full time to get my MBA. In my job search after graduate school I came across an opportunity in Factory Automation. It turned out to be a great fit, combining the Physics and Business aspects of my educational background.
What do you like best about working at Olympus?
We have a very cohesive culture that fosters a healthy balance between work, play, and rest. This balance allows us to enjoy our shared purpose in business and engage with our customers in a more productive and thoughtful way than other companies.
What was your first job ever?
I didn’t work a real paid job until I was in college, but I have distinct memories of working on the farm while I was growing up.
So you grew up on a farm?
Yes, my father teaches Dairy Science, so I grew up on dairy farms in Illinois, Iowa, Utah and finally California. I remember helping cows birth calves on snowy nights, sweeping sawdust off the barn floors, and getting dragged around showrooms by animals 10 times my size while I was growing up on the farm.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I am a cyclist and I ride mountain bikes a lot. I also enjoy running, playing guitar, reading, and board games.
What are some key lessons you have taken from your career thus far?
Business Development is a game of statistics: your goal is to create the most favorable chances for yourself to work with the right types of customers. There are always unknowns and the information is never perfect. Although my education and technical background has helped me in my career I believe that my real strength comes from application experience. You can’t really understand how to solve a problem until you have worked through it once. The vast majority of knowledge that I’ve acquired has been from on‐the‐job experiences.
What is one thing you customers might find surprising about you?
I know how to knit.
