An electronics legend in short sleeves and jandals

• Dennis Chapman started as an apprentice at Tait Electronics aged 17, qualified as a Bachelor of Engineering and rose to position of Senior Design Engineer
• Established Swichtec Power Systems in 1985 and sold it in 1998 as a $100million company employing over 400 staff
• Has been involved with a number of other companies including Electec College, Heurisko Ltd, Stratech Ltd and Canterbury TV
• In 2000 he was named Master Entreprenuer of the Year
• In 2005 he established Enatel Ltd specializing in the design and manufacture of standby power solutions for telco's, wireless and industrial markets -
• He remains actively involved in the company today while still finding time for his other interests including motor racing and building a new solar powered home.

The full profile - Dennis Chapman

Dennis Chapman was born in Dunedin in 1954, the third out of a family of four boys.

He started work as a Radio Apprentice at Tait Electronics aged 17 studying NZCE (telecomms) at Christchurch Polytech and then a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) at Canterbury University.

After 13 years at Taits he rose to position of Senior Design Engineer responsible for mobile radio telephone design but wasn't interested in progressing further up the management ladder.

In 1985 he formed Swichtec Power Systems Ltd in 1985 with John Morrisey and one other shareholder, which was sold in August 1998 as a $100million company with over 400 employees.

In the following years Dennis has been directly involved with a number of other companies including:

• National College of Electrotechnology Ltd (Electec College)
• Heurisko Ltd
• Stratatech Ltd
• Fraemohs Industries Ltd
• Canterbury Television Ltd

And was also involved with:

• No.8 Investments
• Science Alive - as trustee

And has helped many start-up companies in the past (which have not always been successful) and helped out as a benefactor at St Martins School and Riccarton High School.

In April 2002 he started up Enatel Limited specialists in the design and manufacture of a range of standby power solutions for the telecom, networking, wireless and industrial markets. He is actively involved in the running of the company and leads the technology development team.

Dennis has been recognized as Master Entrepreneur of the Year in 2000 and has received many other accolades over the years - most of which he received wearing his trademark jandals.

Married to Debbie in 1977, they have four children Lisa, Alan, Dale and Sheree

They have also hosted three exchange students over the past few years -Moe Kano from Japan, Neil Udomjarani from Thailand, Corrado Monza from Italy.

Dennis has produced a book on the electronics industry in New Zealand "Radio Fidelity" by Virginia Green in 2005 which should be required reading for anyone wanting to enter the industry.

A dedicated motor racing enthusiast Dennis has enjoyed karting with the family and classic car racing with Debbie and occasionally other family members... sometimes experiencing some unfortunate laws of physics!

They are now focused on building a solar powered home, with rain water collection and water recycling (while still working for Enatel). In typical Dennis fashion: "We are kicking out the kids and downsizing. Reducing our carbon foot-print, so we can go motor racing, without guilt."

READING THE DRIVERS

An interview with Dennis Chapman
By Fraser Scott of Design Industry www.designindustry.co.nz

Many people know Dennis Chapman as the man that created Switchtec Power Systems and sold it to a UK company at a time when it had over 400 staff and a turnover in excess of $100 million.

Others know him as a man with a year-round penchant for short-sleeve shirts and jandals.

But everyone that knows him, or knows of him, recognises that he has an eye for the future; for figuring out where the world is going and directing investments and ideas into companies that are ready with the right products.

Chapman began his career as an apprentice with Tait Electronics in the late sixties. He was their first apprentice back when Tait's had just twenty staff, but quickly rose through the ranks to a role as a technician designing radio telephones. Chapman's landmark design for an FM radio telephone (when everyone else was using AM) paved the way for Tait to become a global player.

After leaving Tait's (he preferred not to be promoted into management) Chapman began privately designing products that no existing company could make due to the advanced nature of the technology his ideas required. Switchtec was formed largely in response to this need; so that Chapman's ideas could see the light of day as fully formed products.

Switchtec focused on producing power supplies for the telecommunications market just as New Zealand was moving into digital communications. This fortunate timing, matched with Switchtec's innovative designs helped it to grow into New Zealand's second biggest electronic exporter.

Chapman sold Switchtec in 1998, and now focuses on investing in start-ups in the education and electronics sector, as well as keeping his hand in the telecommunications market as Research and Design Director of Enatel, along with several other Switchtec alumni.

Chapman says his activities working with new and innovative electronics companies provide him an opportunity to meet the future market demands he perceives by looking at the drivers in society.

"The key to achieving prescience is in understanding the drivers in society; what people's needs are" says Chapman. "But," he adds, "you won't find these out by simply asking people. If you ask the customer what they want you end up with a me-too product that is quickly obsolete".

Chapman says the answer is to consider what the customer will be doing in the future and to look at what forces are acting on the customer, rather than focusing on what the customer is doing right now.

"There are some really significant drivers in the world right now", Chapman suggests, "that are going to effect just about everything. These include the cost of energy, peak oil and a growing desire for more sustainable products from consumers". These drivers have prompted Chapman to begin to identify opportunities in developing alternative energy sources.

He also recognises that a growing affluence in society, aging populations and a growing desire for security are hugely influential in shaping the products of the future.

But knowing how successful new products are likely to be is still a guessing game.

"You can figure out the size of the pie, but working out the amount of the pie that a new product could possibly attract is very difficult", he says.

Chapman also notes that analysing all the factors carefully may still not be enough, due to the inherent unpredictability of human beings.

"There are many emotional, non-rational barriers in the market, and these can sink good products and services."

Chapman admits that not every idea he has invested in has taken off, and he has had a small number of expensive failures to learn from.

"In the end it all comes down to the right people making good decisions".