Everybody knows the global chip shortage has rocked the industry. But how often do you get three executives in a virtual room together to talk about it as a group? In this special Industry Tech Days episode of Moore's Lobby, you'll hear high-level views from the experts on how the electronic components distribution world is changing.
In this Industry Tech Days Keynote, we have an all-star panel of industry experts to talk about the ramifications of the global chip shortage and what lessons we can learn from them. You'll hear from Dave Doherty, President and COO of distributor Digi-Key Electronics, Steve Sanghi, Executive Chair of semiconductor manufacturer Microchip Technology, and Michael Knight, Corporate Senior Vice President of Business Development of distributor TTI.
A Big Thank You to This Episode's Sponsor
About Our Panelists
Dave Doherty, President and COO of Digi-Key Electronics
Dave Doherty is the President and Chief Operating Officer at Digi-Key Electronics. He has over 30 years of professional experience in the semiconductor manufacturing and electronics distribution industries, the last 10 of which have been at Digi-Key. His experience and knowledge enables him to provide great insight and innovative leadership within Digi-Key and the electronics industry. Dave holds a BSEE from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, an MBA from Babson College, and has served as President of the Educational Foundation Board for the Electronics Component Industry Association as well as the chairperson for their Executive Conference.
Steve Sanghi, Executive Chair of Microchip Technology
Steve Sanghi is the Executive Chair of Microchip Technology. After earning his bachelor's degree in Electronics and Communication from Punjab University, Sanghi came to the USA to attend first the University of Utah and then the University of Massachusetts, where he received his master's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. His career included work at Intel Corporation and WaferScale Integration before taking on the challenge of becoming Microchip's CEO for over 30 years—the longest tenure in the industry.
Under Sanghi's leadership, Microchip Technology carved a space for itself in the semiconductor industry as providers of affordable, programmable, and small-form-factor microcontrollers. In recent years, he also led Microchip in the acquisition of key partners such as Atmel and Microsemi. Through a mixture of internal growth and acquisitions, Microchip has grown its portfolio of applications to cover huge swaths of the electronics industry.
Over the past 30 years, Sanghi has also cultivated a unique culture at Microchip that celebrated the employee and team, choosing to hire VPs from within his employ rather than looking externally since 2001.
In March of 2021, Sanghi exchanged the role of CEO for that of Executive Chair of Microchip. He continues to drive new ideas with his team, while also enjoying time with his family.
Michael Knight, Corporate Senior Vice President of Business Development of TTI
Michael Knight is President of the Exponential Technology Group (XTG) and Corporate Senior Vice President of Business Development at TTI Inc, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary. Michael has worked in the electronic components industry since the mid-1980s when he landed in Cupertino California and began his career adventure working for Western Microtechnology, a pioneer in semiconductor distribution. He has held a variety of national and global leadership roles in sales, marketing, operations, and general management, in both private and public companies.
Prior to joining TTI, Knight worked for a number of electronic component distributors and manufacturers, and was a founder, President and COO of Substrate Technologies Inc., an advanced semiconductor packaging company. Knight holds several patents in the area of impedance-controlled high-speed interconnect systems. He is a regular speaker at industry and supplier conferences and a podcast where he covers technology trends and their ramifications for the industry, the economy, and the future of humanity. His day job includes sourcing and leading the company’s acquisition efforts that are diversifying its portfolio and giving him a firsthand look at lots of leading-edge technology and business models.
Knight has a long history of service on the boards of directors for several of the associations that support the industry, and he currently serves on the advisory board for the Women in Electronics Association. He is also a member of the board of directors of Macrofab, an early stage, private equity and venture capital-backed innovator/disruptor in the electronics manufacturing space.
