Join us as we meet the Leadership Team of Cimetrix in our “Meet the Team” series.
Dave Faulkner joined Cimetrix in August 1996 and serves as the Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing and serves on the Board of Directors. Prior to Cimetrix, Faulkner was employed from 1986 to 1996 as the Manager of PLC Marketing, Manager of Automotive Operations, and District Sales Manager for GE Fanuc Automation, a global supplier of factory automation computer equipment specializing in programmable logic controllers, factory software, and computer numerical controls. He earned a bachelor's in Electrical Engineering and a MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
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What brought you to Cimetrix originally?
I worked for GE for 18 years and was constantly moving to new locations and new jobs. It was a fabulous education in business and large company dynamics. I had the chance to work in every major industry focused on automation. Especially interesting was the car manufacturing industry. It was also the time when Jack Welch ran GE so I learned from his leadership styles. But big companies are hard to impact, cause change and make your own way. When I turned 40 it was time for a change. A GE friend introduced me to Bob Reback and then next thing I knew my family was moving to Utah to join a small company on a journey to introduce PC based control for robotics. I was interested in this same topic at GE, so it was right up my alley.
What's your favorite thing about working here?
I get the chance to work with companies and people all over the world. Learning to do business in Europe, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and across the U.S. brings new challenges and fantastic people. Every country/place is unique and I love trying to understand the motivations and customs of business in each country. The more I know, the more I realize I don’t know. We have fabulous employees in each of these locations and learning from them is inspirational. In addition to our international set of customers, think of the international make-up in our company. We have employees from China, Vietnam, Japan, Russia, India, Korea, France, and even Texas. At Cimetrix, we can learn so much about the world.
What do you think makes a great account manager and salesperson?
I think this has to do with walking in our customer’s shoes, not selling them something. Most of our customers have been our business partners and friends for 10 years or longer. As an account manager, you have to understand how to make your customers successful both professionally and personally. The revenue comes to us with this attitude. While the account manager may lead the charge, this thinking permeates the company which is why we have so many long-term customers. Heck, we have customers that come join us as employees!
Do you have a favorite quote / saying? Why?
I don’t, but I do search out a new quote every day. It makes me think. It makes me laugh. Once a month, I find one that really hits home and I send it off to family and friends. Einstein had some good ones.
How do you deal with challenges that come up in your work life?
I actually like a good crisis. It stops you in your tracks and makes you think about how you got there. What process needs work, why did I make an error, and how can I remain calm and think through the options. Don’t let emotions take control, do the right thing, and do it quickly. Easy to say, hard to do. Challenges are such learning experiences.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I’m somewhat of a speed demon. I like to do things that involve speed. Full speed on ice hockey skates, snow skiing in and out of bounds, full bore across the wake on a slalom ski, corners on my motorcycle, and my right foot might be a bit heavy in the car. Those are my adrenalin outlets. My calming time will find me in a national park, on a river with a fly rod, enjoying a cup of strong coffee in a kayak, or being a plumber or tiler. What can I learn next?
What's the best thing that's happened to you in your time working at Cimetrix?
Being part of building a great company. We have something really special here at Cimetrix. It took a lot of work by our whole team over the last 25 years. Being part of that will be with me forever. And the best is yet to come. Priceless.
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