Get to know our President, David Shields!
Let’s introduce our President David Shields! He started Component Surfaces 17 years ago.
Prior to starting this company, David worked for 20 years doing process engineering and other manufacturing roles for several companies from small businesses to several Fortune 500 manufacturers. When he’s not running Component Surfaces, David enjoys sailing, catching a San Diego Padres game, and getting in a good workout!
Here are some fun facts about David that you might not know:
Q. What is your job title?
A. President
Q. What are your duties here?
A. Grow and manage the business while considering the benefits to the employees, the customers, and the community
Q. Favorite part about working at Component Surfaces?
A. Being involved with the entire cycle of developing a product and an organization, finding customers, satisfying their requirements, and building a business with value while doing all of this
Q. What led you to this career?
A. I have been doing this same kind of work since my first job as a chemical engineer in 1984. After business school in 1996 I realized that I wanted to start a business doing these things
Q. How do you prefer to start your day?
A. Love mornings, so I’m up early to give myself time to go through the Wall Street Journal and have a big protein shake and plenty of coffee every day before work
Q. Favorite way to unwind after work?
A. Hanging out with my wife Karen, maybe by the pool, playing Yahtzee or watching a good movie
Q. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A. Hopefully still working here but doing more sailing, too
Q. Where did you grow up?
A. Warren, Michigan. A suburb of Detroit
Q. Where did you attend university? What did you study?
A. After 4 years in the US Navy, Chemical Engineering at Michigan State and Ohio State and then an MS in Technology Management at Pepperdine
Q. If you could add one thing to the office, what would it be?
A. It would be great to have a gym with showers. We had that at one company I worked for. Very convenient
Q. What is a fun fact most people don’t know about you?
A. I thoroughly enjoy sailing. My favorite vacations are sailing the Virgin Islands. I would do it for months at a time if I could
Q. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A. A commercial artist or a musician. I played the trumpet in band through the end of high school
Q. What was your first job?
A. Scooping ice cream for $0.90/ hour. I had to wear a white shirt and a tie. I was 14
Q. If you had to play one album forever, what would it be?
A. No Angel by Dido (1999)
Q. Favorite thing to do on the weekend?
A. Sailing, getting in good workouts, and doing yoga. Okay, that’s 3 things. But they are my favorites!
Q. If you had to teach a class on something, what would it be?
A. If I was properly educated for it, I would enjoy teaching economics to young people
Q. What would be your baseball walk up song?
A. Stranglehold by Ted Nugent. You only get the opening, and this song has an awesome opening to step up to the plate with
Q. Favorite thing to do in San Diego / Best part about living in San Diego?
A. The sailing. It’s very good here
Q. Favorite place to eat in San Diego
A. Urbn North Park
Q. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
A. George Washington. He must have been an amazing guy to hang out with. Not highly educated, but an amazing leader and a visionary
Q. If you were a late-night talk show host, who would be your first 3 guests?
A. Dua Lipa, Tiger Woods and Jeff Bezos. A variety
Q. Who is your hero and why?
A. Elon Musk. He is a brilliant visionary and has contributed I think as much to the progress of mankind as anyone in the past 100 years
Q. Favorite sports team?
A. San Diego Padres