David Kimball, Vice President of the public sector of SolarWinds, has over 20 years of experience in the high tech field. From overcoming technology challenges to showing support for youth sports, Kimball shows to be a community leader.
Kimball started his journey with technology and the software industry by working as a salesman for Computerland and graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems and Marketing from Ramapo College of New Jersey. He found it to be a smart move to align his early work experience with his chosen career path.
By having a passion for technology and interacting with others, Kimball has held many director positions, such as Managing Director of the Federal Business Unit for Cenzic where he held full responsibility for the Federal Business Unit’s sales, marketing and channel perspective.
Kimball advises others to do the same as he did by choosing a career they feel confident about. “I encourage others to pursue a path they are passionate about and that motivates them,” recommends Kimball. “Set goals for yourself and align all that you do to meet those goals, be it education, networking or self-improvement.”
Although this advice seems simple, there are always challenges one must face during their career. Kimball’s biggest challenge occurred early in his career while working at Remedy Corporation. While building the business, Kimball faced the challenge of addressing federal customer requirements where a lot of features, pricing and marketing still needed defining for their products. After having focus groups to see what customers’ needs were it resulted in acceptance of products and rapid growth. Kimball maintains a customer focus when leading the foundation of SolarWinds.
When asked about how federal IT professionals should stretch their IT budgets, Kimball suggests examining outside of the box. “Look for solutions that aren’t heavy with implementation and deployment costs. The government needs to cut their spending on contractors that typically manage these systems. Use products that don’t require full management and training. These options are out there,” said Kimball.
Aside from running an IT management software industry, Kimball spends his personal time spending time with family, playing golf and even doing yard work. In addition, he and his family are heavily involved with youth sports in their community and with Just Neighbors. This organization provides legal services to low-income immigrants and refugees from all over the world.