Boulder iQ’s new lead engineer is a man of principles.

“I’m a first principles guy,” says Mike of his approach to engineering. Referring to the reasoned thinking that requires breaking down a problem into its fundamentals, he operates on the basis that things should work on paper first, before building prototypes and conducting testing.

A manager with a strong analytical background, Mike sees his approach as complementary to Boulder iQ’s. He likes the number, type and variety of projects the company has going at any one time. “It’s interesting because you see a lot of different technologies,” he explains. “And it offers a good challenge because you have a lot of people to deal with and things to keep track of.”

Mike comes to Boulder iQ with more than 35 years of medical device engineering experience, primarily in new-product development. His expertise includes mechanical and disposables design, materials selection, fluids modeling, sensitivity analysis and statistical methods. He is proficient in designing test, and verification and validation, programs, and is well-versed in FDA regulatory issues and programs. Serving as inventor on more than 15 U.S. patents, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree from Rice University.

Joining Boulder iQ presented a good opportunity to combine several of his interests and talents: managing, engineering and mentoring. Mike comments that one of the most favorite and rewarding aspects of his work is mentoring young engineers. Working with young adults right out of school, he is able to provide needed direction and opportunities while setting a good example. “It’s important not to micromanage,” he says. “Instead, you learn to give just enough direction for new engineers to make progress and the right decisions.”

Mike lives in Castle Rock, Colorado, and during his commute to and from the Boulder iQ office, he continues to focus on maximizing productivity – often on business calls, catching up on details of projects with the other engineers on his team.

When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time on his mountain bike and with his family. Married since 1995, Mike and his wife have two children. Their son, a graduate of the University of Colorado, is a computer programmer. Their daughter will graduate this year from Northern Arizona University with a degree in environmental science.