2023
Senior PCB Technologist, Data center GPU
INTERNATIONAL
Mentors encouraged him to find his purpose and to make the leap to more challenging work
Education: MBA, Arizona State University; MSEE, Saint Cloud State University Company Name: AMD Industry: Semiconductor Company CEO: Dr. Lisa Su Company Headquarters Location: Santa Clara, CA Number of Employees: 25,000+ Your Location: Austin, TX Words you live by: Best future self What book are you reading? The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Alan Singer What was your first job? Dishwasher, janitor, any & all things required in a fast-food kitchen Favorite charity: Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Interests/Hobbies: Reading, fitness/sports, community building & DIY fixes Family: Son, parents, siblings, nieces & nephew
42
2023 Fourth Quarter
It is nearly impossible to accomplish noteworthy goals without a clear sense of purpose. I find myself at a point in my profession where having a specific job role or function matters less than simply fixing problems & getting things done. I worked as an electrical engineer for the first decade of my career. Then, I ventured into finance operations, supply chain management & technical marketing roles for the next several years. These rewarding career transitions have not always been presented as opportunities and have sometimes entailed a fair amount of risk. Still, I’ve realized that the risk of inaction, or nothing ventured, frightens me more than the risks posed by the unknown. I also couldn’t have made these courageous leaps without my mentors’ encouragement and unrelenting support. We encounter mentors in various ways; they could be people we know personally or professionally, individuals we’ve had seemingly negative encounters with, people who know us intimately, and even family members. It’s important to recognize these individuals’ roles in our lives, whether or not we’ve labeled our interactions as mentor-mentee-type relationships. The key for me in navigating these encounters has been to simultaneously learn from these individuals while trying to teach or share lessons from my background & experiences. I equally trust the reactions, feedback, or constructive criticisms received from people who sing my praises and those who challenge or disagree with me on most issues. Then, I utilize their input to focus my energy less on personal ambition and more on sharpening skill sets aimed at compromise & sustainable long-term success. The accountability required by my mentors & mentees, and my desire for collective success that reaches beyond personal gain has helped steer the decision-making process along my leadership journey. I often talk with friends and acquaintances about the leadership challenges encountered in our respective lives, and these discussions sometimes veer into insights about decisions we would make differently or alternate solutions we could implement if given more responsibility or placed in a leadership position. I would argue that it’s easy to develop ‘better strategies’ when someone else is in the hot seat, but that rarely stops us from criticizing or assuming our guaranteed success where others have failed. Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to know and work alongside talented individuals who have been promoted, taken managerial responsibilities, or been recognized for their contributions and thought leadership. One thing these individuals have in common is their ability to influence diverse stakeholders and move the needle in directions required to solve complex problems. In summary, I believe an essential tool that best equips the next generation of aspiring black leaders for success would be effective mentorship that helps one discover their true purpose.
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AWARD
Chudy Roosevelt Nwachukwu