Paul Smith, Ph.D., MBA, PMP

Sharpshooter
DISC Type : DC

Director - Technical Program Management - AI Systems Solutions at Applied Materials

San Francisco, California, United States

Overview

Paul is a Director at Applied Materials, leading Technical Program Management for AI Systems Solutions. With over 20 years of experience at Apple and Texas Instruments, he specializes in AI hardware, advanced packaging, and heterogeneous integration. He holds a Ph. D. from Georgia Tech and an MBA from The Wharton School.

Colleagues consistently describe him as an innovative thinker, knowledgeable, and an action-oriented driver who excels at cross-functional collaboration. His leadership is noted for being calm and constructive in resolving differences.

Unique fact: Paul is a co-founder of the semiconductor company GTronix Inc. and holds several patents for analog circuit design.

Personality Overview

Precise But Practical

ROI Driven

Thorough Evaluator

They are not always relationship oriented.  They prefer to be the ones controlling the conversation or defining the terms. They respond better to strong and respectful interactions.

Topics They Care About

AI Hardware Systems
His current role focuses on AI systems, chiplet integration, and technology co-optimization to drive next-generation compute performance.
Heterogeneous Integration
He has deep expertise in HBM, chiplet integration, and optical interconnects, which are critical for advancing high-performance computing.
Semiconductor Innovation
His career spans materials engineering to system performance, focusing on creating the foundation for new advancements in integrated circuits.

Media Appearances

Paul has no verified media appearances

Work History

7-2020
Director - Technical Program Management - AI Systems Solutions at Applied Materials
1-2019 - 7-2020
Principal and Subject Matter Expert- Global Innovation, GTM and Start-Up at Independent Consulting
System Engineering Program Manager – iPhone, iPad, Watch & Power Teams at Apple
Startup Champion at PCH International
Principal Consultant at eVBIAS Consulting

Education

2009 - 2011
MBA from The Wharton School
1999 - 2004
Ph.D. from Georgia Institute of Technology

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 7 Location : San Francisco, California, United States Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Director - Technical Program Management - AI Systems Solutions at Applied Materials
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Insights For Selling To Paul

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Get to the point quickly instead of spending time doing small talk
  • Refer to testimonials from well-known industry leaders
  • Make sure that you circle back fast on any action items, it wins their trust

DONT's

  • Do not back off when challenged, respond with a confident, objective answer instead
  • Don’t take too much time in sending them information if they ask for any
  • Do not hesitate from asking counter questions, just avoid challenging their authority

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Paul is

  • Conviction around the impact matters the most to them, followed by a sense of achievement and ROI.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Paul

  • If they decide not to use your product, they will say no clearly.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Paul move?

  • They can reach decisions fairly quickly if they are convinced.
  • Can Paul take some risk or not?

  • They don’t mind risks but can be quite binary about them.

You And Paul

Personality Compatibility


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