Mr. Jeffrey D. Fisher
Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales
NVIDIA Corporation
BSEE 1980
Keep your eye on your goals. There will always be obstacles in the road. Stay focused and you can achieve anything.
Jeff Fisher has always been one to follow his dreams. Growing up in Indianapolis in a family that had for three generations built and run a retail business, Fisher realized early on he was an engineer at heart. Rather than follow the family tradition and focus on economics or business, Fisher chose to attend Purdue, where he studied electrical engineering, embracing the challenges that his major provided. Following college, Fisher’s life took a meaningful turn. Intrigued by the high-technology revolution and the lure of California, Fisher moved from Indiana to Silicon Valley. There, he married his college sweetheart, Edie (School of Consumer and Family Sciences, Purdue, 1980), and returned to his business roots by earning an MBA and starting a career in high-tech sales.
Fisher was recruited by NVIDIA Corporation in 1994 when the Silicon Valley graphics chip company was barely a year old. There, he has helped build one of the most successful sales teams in the semiconductor industry. In fewer than ten years, the company, now public, has become the clear market leader in its field with annual revenues of approximately $2 billion. NVIDIA’s success has earned it the honor of being the fastest semiconductor company in the world to reach both the $1 billion and $2 billion sales milestones. NVIDIA was recognized recently as one of the "100 Fastest Growing Companies" in the U.S. by Fortune, an honor it received last year as well. As one of the largest "fabless" semiconductor companies in the world, NVIDIA develops cutting-edge GPUs (graphic processing units) that dramatically enhance the visual computing experience on PCs, laptops, workstations, and other computing platforms. Today, one out of every three PCs and engineering workstations sold is powered by NVIDIA graphics.
"Helping to build NVIDIA into one of the world’s leading technology companies has been the greatest experience of my career. I am especially proud of leading a world-class sales team that has developed strong relationships with customers and partners worldwide," comments Fisher. "Over the past ten years, NVIDIA has transformed the graphics industry. Looking ahead, I am very excited about the new business models and markets that are developing as technology continues to advance."
While a career in sales may not appear to be an obvious path for a Purdue-trained engineer, for Fisher it all makes sense. Reflecting on his successful career in the semiconductor industry, Fisher says, "Professionally, my engineering background has been very relevant. High-technology companies sell products to engineers. Understanding our products—how they are designed, how they are built, and how they are used—enables me to communicate with our customers and drive our company to fulfill their requirements. Also, studying electrical engineering prepared me to adapt to the rapid pace of innovation in semiconductors and graphics. This industry is incredibly dynamic and there is no question that I am a better problem solver as a result of my engineering focus."
Prior to joining NVIDIA, Fisher held sales positions at Weitek and Adaptec when they were pre-IPO companies. In addition to his BSEE degree from Purdue, he holds an MBA degree from Santa Clara University.
"I am grateful for my Purdue experience," reflects Fisher. "My foundation in engineering from Purdue provided me with the opportunity to choose my own career path in high technology." To young engineers, Fisher offers this advice, "Keep your eye on the goal. There will always be obstacles in the road, reasons to say ‘it can’t be done’ instead of ‘I can do it.’ Stay focused and you can achieve anything." Fisher resides in Silicon Valley with his wife and their three children.
Fisher was recruited by NVIDIA Corporation in 1994 when the Silicon Valley graphics chip company was barely a year old. There, he has helped build one of the most successful sales teams in the semiconductor industry. In fewer than ten years, the company, now public, has become the clear market leader in its field with annual revenues of approximately $2 billion. NVIDIA’s success has earned it the honor of being the fastest semiconductor company in the world to reach both the $1 billion and $2 billion sales milestones. NVIDIA was recognized recently as one of the "100 Fastest Growing Companies" in the U.S. by Fortune, an honor it received last year as well. As one of the largest "fabless" semiconductor companies in the world, NVIDIA develops cutting-edge GPUs (graphic processing units) that dramatically enhance the visual computing experience on PCs, laptops, workstations, and other computing platforms. Today, one out of every three PCs and engineering workstations sold is powered by NVIDIA graphics.
"Helping to build NVIDIA into one of the world’s leading technology companies has been the greatest experience of my career. I am especially proud of leading a world-class sales team that has developed strong relationships with customers and partners worldwide," comments Fisher. "Over the past ten years, NVIDIA has transformed the graphics industry. Looking ahead, I am very excited about the new business models and markets that are developing as technology continues to advance."
While a career in sales may not appear to be an obvious path for a Purdue-trained engineer, for Fisher it all makes sense. Reflecting on his successful career in the semiconductor industry, Fisher says, "Professionally, my engineering background has been very relevant. High-technology companies sell products to engineers. Understanding our products—how they are designed, how they are built, and how they are used—enables me to communicate with our customers and drive our company to fulfill their requirements. Also, studying electrical engineering prepared me to adapt to the rapid pace of innovation in semiconductors and graphics. This industry is incredibly dynamic and there is no question that I am a better problem solver as a result of my engineering focus."
Prior to joining NVIDIA, Fisher held sales positions at Weitek and Adaptec when they were pre-IPO companies. In addition to his BSEE degree from Purdue, he holds an MBA degree from Santa Clara University.
"I am grateful for my Purdue experience," reflects Fisher. "My foundation in engineering from Purdue provided me with the opportunity to choose my own career path in high technology." To young engineers, Fisher offers this advice, "Keep your eye on the goal. There will always be obstacles in the road, reasons to say ‘it can’t be done’ instead of ‘I can do it.’ Stay focused and you can achieve anything." Fisher resides in Silicon Valley with his wife and their three children.