STEPHEN W. HINCH

 

About Stephen W. Hinch

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Steve Hinch is both an experienced senior executive in the high-tech industry and a nationally recognized, Benjamin Franklin Award-winning author. As a high-tech executive, he has demonstrated a proven ability to deliver business results and drive innovative product strategies in complex, high-technology environments. His successful track record of managing large, geographically dispersed, multi-million-dollar enterprises includes twelve years at the senior management level in R&D, marketing, and business general management at Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies, including M&A experience as the senior manager in charge of Agilent's acquisition of the start-up company PXIT. He has also served as President and CEO of TeamLogic IT in Santa Rosa, California, a provider of IT support for small and medium size businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Steve played a major role in the emergence of surface mount technology as the electronic industry's dominant method for the manufacturing of printed circuit boards. As a member of the Board of Directors for the Surface Mount Technology Association and chairman of its SMT Components Committee, he drove the industry's adoption of widely accepted component standards. His influence was recognized by the international industry trade association IPC, which presented him with their President's Award for his outstanding contributions to the advancement of the electronics industry.

 

Steve also led the development of fiber optic transmission standards for the telecommunications industry. He served as subcommittee chairman for the Telecommunication Industry Association's FO4.1 standards committee to help develop this emerging technology.

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In his role as R&D manager at Hewlett-Packard Company, one of his most significant accomplishments was to take responsibility for a weak product line that had been scheduled to be shut down and turn it into a profitable, high-growth business that went from being a minor player in its market to the unquestioned leader, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue over the next six years--a story described in detail in his book, Winning Through Innovation: Lessons from the Front Lines of Battle.

 

Steve has written five books covering a breadth of topics. His first book, Handbook of Surface Mount Technology, was the definitive treatment for this emerging electronic technology. Other books from his second life as an outdoor adventurer include an introductory guide to GPS navigation (now in its third edition) and a hiking guidebook to state parks in Northern California (now in its second edition). His 2022 book, The Slickrock Desert, received the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award for being judged one of the best books of the year.

Steve is known for his strong leadership skills and his reputation for getting the best out of everyone on the team. He is an experienced public speaker, having given presentations to technical audiences of as many as 1,000 people. He earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees from Harvey Mudd College and a Master of Arts degree in Engineering from Claremont Graduate University. He holds three patents in telecommunications technologies and has authored over 20 technical papers, books, and book chapters on electronics technologies.

Specialties include:
• Disruptive and Incremental Innovation

• Business General Management
• R&D Senior Management
• Strategic Planning
• New Business Creation
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Process and Performance Improvement
• Global Management
• Marketing Management
• Team Coaching and Development
• Product Portfolio Management