6005 Assisi Court
Tel: (408) 532-1219
San Jose, CA 95138-2316
email: dave@trindade.com

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Analytical, strategic-thinking, and problem-solving professional with excellent communication, motivational, and leadership skills. Extensive executive level, engineering management experience in quality and reliability processes for high-tech hardware and software systems. Recognized for achievements involving statistical consulting, technical training, and leading organizations in continuous quality improvement.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Quality and Reliability Engineering
Quality Planning and Processes
Technical Training
Statistical Modeling
Reliability and Availability
Six-Sigma
Integrated Circuit Technology
Design of Experiments, SPC
Statistical Consulting

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC. San Jose, CA 1998 to present

Distinguished Principal Engineer 2000 to present
Provide consulting and expert guidance to Sun in areas of statistical analysis, design of experiments, applied reliability, forecasting, and statistical software. Support the activities of the Customer Advocates for Reliability Department (SunCARE) and business units, especially for the resolution of reliability issues and modeling of field failures. Travel internationally to give presentations and meet with customers on critical reliability issues. Developed innovative graphical tools for the analysis and monitoring of the reliability of Sun repairable equipment in the field. These time dependent reliability (TDR) methods have been applied to over 100 important customers' datacenters. As a result, Sun succeeded in resolving critical field reliability issues, leading to satisfied customers. In 2005, received the Chairman's Award for TDR development and implementation. Six-Sigma Implementation Champion and trainer in Six Sigma statistical methodology. Presented tutorials to senior level engineers and executive management on reliability, DOE, and other statistical topics. Trained hundreds of Sun engineers and managers worldwide in applied reliability. Directed creation of Java software for reliability analysis.

Quality Program Manager/Senior Staff Engineer 1998 to 2000

Enhanced the quality of software by the application of statistical methods for measuring software quality. Provided statistical expertise and guidance, especially in the areas of reliability and availability. Developed quality metrics and directed the team on Software Reliability Modeling. Recognized for outstanding work in the application of statistical analysis and modeling to a critical Sun issue, which facilitated cause identification and rapid resolution of the problem, along with considerable savings to the company by the adoption of recommended best practices. Achievements lead to promotion to Distinguished Engineer in 2000.

PHOENIX TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., San Jose, CA 1997 to 1998
Senior Director of Corporate Quality
Achieved success in quality improvement efforts in Personal Computer Division by reducing software defect levels by over 80% in six-month period. Quality responsibility for all divisions, including Worldwide Field Operations. Involved in Y2K planning and tests. Directed worldwide quality processes, metrics, configuration management, and release criteria, along with planning field and technical support. Responsible for all technical training for engineers and customers.

Senior Director of Quality and Advanced Tools
Provided Quality and technical leadership in Personal Computer Division. Established quality systems for large software company ($100M annual revenues). Drove reduction of defects and increased productivity. Directed operations of quality departments worldwide. Guided technical training department. Organized QA functions, including hiring and staffing. Advanced monitoring and control systems. Presented quality reviews to many customers. Established Lotus Notes based measurement program for tracking software problems, permitting rapid worldwide replication and access, eliminating of manual load processes. Developed goals and strategic plans for improving product through reduction of defects and code simplification. Instituted meaningful metrics for monitoring progress in achieving quality objectives, including cycle time improvements and customer satisfaction. Wrote and implemented software release policy to assure delivery of high quality software. Provided TQM training to employees at all domestic locations to foster understanding of quality objectives and principles and to motivate support for quality improvement efforts.

ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, Sunnyvale, CA 1984 to 1997

Senior AMD Fellow 1990 to 1997
First Senior Fellow elected at AMD. Highest technical honor and recognition. Consultant to corporation on technical and operations issues. Managed a department of statisticians and programmers involved in process improvements. Provided training to over 2500 students in TQM, quality tools, reliability, design of experiments, SPC, forecasting, and statistical software.

Consultant to product lines for solving critical, customer reliability issues. Saved AMD and several OEMs millions of dollars in six crisis situations by analysis that verified product reliability, avoiding scrapping of good parts, customer returns and field recalls. Guided process capability improvements in fabrication and assembly processes through SPC, increasing yield and productivity, minimizing firefighting and downtime. Leader of many successful teams focusing on quality improvement issues in communications, recognition, and information. Designed overall strategy for new training program for engineers, technicians, and managers. Saved over $1,000,000 in outside training costs and increased productivity. Developed methods, created models, and designed software for engineers to estimate field reliability from stress test data, resulting in faster qualifications. Presenter at many external conferences, including SEMATECH Symposiums and Applied Reliability Tools Workshops, American Statistical Association, and IEEE.
 

Director of Applied Statistics 1986 to 1990

Established new department of Applied Statistics in Corporate Quality Division to provide vision, consulting, and training for improvement of processes, systems, and operations. Planned and drove successful implementation of SPC in all wafer fabrication areas. Taught quality and productivity enhancing techniques. Co-Chairman of SEMATECH Statistics Advisory Board. Headed committee of senior executives to guide SPC programs. Provided training in SPC and Design of Experiments to 120 AMD senior executives. Developed accurate statistical models to forecast bookings across all divisions, along with novel graphical techniques for weekly executive progress reports.

Director of Reliability 1984 to 1986

Established reliability organization (80 individuals) for company with $750M in revenues and severe quality problems. Worked with product divisions and wafer fabs to built-in product and process reliability and improve qualification processes and productivity. Presented progress reports to key customers worldwide and interfaced to resolve quality and reliability issues.

GENERAL INSTRUMENT, Hicksville, NY 1981 to 1984

Group Director of Quality and Reliability
Executive responsibility for all quality and reliability functions of the Microelectronics Division ($150M in revenues). Directed four QA managers and offshore departments with 200 employees. Transformed company with poor quality image into one recognized for high quality and reliability.

IBM CORPORATION, Burlington, VT 1968 to 1981

Senior Associate, Staff, and Advisory Engineer, in Product Assurance Responsible for qualification of integrated circuit technology and the tracking of computer reliability in the field. Consultant to company on matters involving applied statistics, reliability, and quality. Taught applied reliability classes to engineers at many IBM locations.

ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS AND HONORS

Degrees:
Ph.D., University of Vermont, Mechanical Engineering (Statistics Minor)
M.S., University of Vermont, Statistics
M.S., University of Rochester, Material Sciences
B.S., Brown University, Physics (Honors)

Publications

Applied Reliability, 2nd edition, Co-author, 1995.

Design of Experiments, An Overview for Managers, 1991.

“Field Data Analysis for Repairable Systems: Status and Industry Trends”, co-author in Handbook of Performability Engineering, 2008.

Over sixty technical internal and external publications and conference presentations.

Academic

Adjunct Instructor, Applied Mathematics Department, Santa Clara Univ. (1984 to present)
Selected Lecturer of the Year in 1995 by Faculty Council
Instructor in Statistics Department at University of Vermont (1968 to 1981)

Associations

American Statistical Association, IEEE, ASQ.

Honors

IEEE Reliability Society 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award in Reliability Engineering