David Williams is introducing us to THE FUTURE. With his new SPI, created during the COVID-19 pandemic, David has created a solution to mask the personal, sensitive information, helping millions of Americans to work from home without the threat of information vulnerability. As the leader of the Robotics Process Automation program at AT&T, David and his team create new and innovative solutions to the multifaceted problems of the business world. This Rodney Adkins Legacy Award Winner has made it his goal to nurture and mentor the next generation of engineers while creating technological advances beyond our wildest dreams.
FMM: Please introduce yourself to our readers.
DW: I am David C. Williams, AVP-Automation AT&T, Inventor, Father and Dream in Black Winner. I care deeply about our community, our youth, and advancing technology for all.
FMM: Please tell us about the SPI (Sensitive Personal Data) solution you created for AT&T?
DW: Sure. At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in the US, our government mandated shelter-in-place for everyone, so almost everyone began to work from home (WFH). The Telecom industry doesn’t allow certain data to be exposed to WFH employees. Data like credit card info, social security number, etc. Therein lies the rub, not being able to take payments from millions of customers or being able to sell devices & services is tough for a lot of reasons. Most importantly, so many people were needing to obtain or upgrade their mobile devices and WiFi to survive through the shelter-in-place mandate. It was tough for everyone. So, in a few weeks, I was able to pull off an impressive collaboration with some amazing colleagues. Technically, we repurposed a very specific API to encrypt, transfer, & mask the sensitive information. Metaphorically, it’s like shooting an arrow into another arrow stuck in a tree.
FMM: Were you surprised by its reception?
DW: Not at all. From the very beginning of the endeavor I repeatedly said to the team, “if you have been looking for an opportunity to put a capstone on your career, and do something that will help millions of Americans, well here is a pandemic-sized chance to do so. There is no one more respected, equipped, or better-positioned to solve this issue for 40,000 of our closest friends than you, so today… let’s be superheroes”.
FMM: How do you feel your occupation is changing the world?
DW: I’m fortunate to lead the largest Robotics Process Automation program in AT&T; arguably Top 5 worldwide. We will drive hundreds of millions of dollars in ROI this year. We are a very diverse group of Back men and women, Hispanic men and women, Asian, Asian Indian, Native American, LGBT, people living with disabilities, and more. Our team culture and our diversity are significant components to how we are so successful. The solutions we invent and automate are often never-been-done-before types of automations with extremely creative approaches to solving business problems. All of the aforementioned, is the change that we want to see, and we are creating that future today.
FMM: Congratulations on your recent win of the 2021 Rodney Adkins Legacy Award at BEYA (Black Engineer of the Year Award)!! As a Black Engineer in the ever-changing tech world, how do you see your field evolving in the next ten years?
DW: Ten years is a long time to predict in technology. What we know is AI will continue to grow faster. Cloud computing will become more ubiquitous. In the world of Telecom, security, speed, & reliability will always be key. Beyond that, I would expect to see clothing become smart and health care digitize more. If society is ready for it, maybe even smart pills that diagnose the body.
FMM: What three pieces of advice would you like to share with up and coming engineers?
DW: Find your passion – This is needed so you can get past all the regular work and get to the extra mile, where you will find the best answers, best solutions, and the win
Start small – everyone makes mistakes. No need to put them on the front page. You’ll learn a lot through the process, and this really is the fastest way to learn how to do something big, that lasts.
Don’t ever give up – there will be people close to you that won’t fully understand your dream. Do. Not. Stop. Ever.
FMM: What is your favorite book?
DW: My favorite book is The Viral Loop by Adam Penenberg.
FMM: How can our readers connect with you outside of this interview?
DW: LinkedIn – David C Williams
IG – @davidchrisglobal
Email – david@davidcwilliamsinc.com
Twitter – @dcw6211
Photos courtesy of Cameron Sweet.
