David Guffey’s trajectory wasn’t necessarily thought out. In fact, he mostly searched “for that next opportunity.” Once an Airman, guardsman and reservist, what began as a way to serve and see the world in the U.S. Air Force turned into a lifelong journey of learning, leadership and innovation.
On this week’s “Rookies to Rockstars,” Amanda Ziadeh is joined by David Guffey, director of U.S. Special Operations Command and intelligence community accounts at Intel Corp., to talk about how adaptability, military and commercial experience, and relationships shaped his path from Airman to industry leader supporting national security missions.
Today, David helps drive cutting-edge technology solutions for some of the nation’s most critical defense and intelligence partners — bridging the gap between commercial innovation and battlefield needs. Yet his path to this work started years earlier, when he left the Air Force and found himself sitting across from program managers and engineers, realizing he had to learn how to speak both languages. That lesson stuck. It taught him that success in defense tech isn’t just about hardware or code; it’s about connecting missions, people and possibilities.
We also talked about:
- The experiences that shaped his perspective on leadership and communication
- His three career principles: don’t expect entitlement, take risks and always be on time
- The culture shift from transitioning from military to industry
- Building trust across military, government and industry teams
- Why you should “never believe that success is guaranteed”
- The importance of building career relationships over time and maintaining them
- A risk he took early on that did not pay off,
- And the challenge of breaking old habits (like relying on military acronyms) and finding a shared language at Intel
Tune in for a conversation about growth, service, overcoming failures, and the evolving intersection of defense and technology.