“Nothing is impossible if you don’t care who gets the credit.”
David Haake is an accomplished global business development executive, technology commercialization leader, and trusted strategic advisor whose career has spanned more than four decades at the intersection of industrial automation, enterprise software, digital transformation, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. Throughout his distinguished career, David has consistently demonstrated the ability to help organizations identify emerging market opportunities, develop innovative go-to-market strategies, build strategic partnerships, and accelerate revenue growth across some of the world’s most complex industries. His leadership philosophy is rooted in collaboration, integrity, and the belief that long-term success is achieved by enabling others to succeed, making his personal motto, “Nothing is impossible if you don’t care who gets the credit,” a guiding principle that has shaped his professional journey.
David currently serves as Chief Revenue Officer and Advisory Board Member for Cogniprise LLC, where he works on retainer alongside the company’s founder to help transform an innovative artificial intelligence startup into a scalable, investment-ready enterprise. In this executive advisory capacity, he oversees revenue strategy, business development, strategic alliances, marketing direction, and customer acquisition while helping establish predictable revenue operations and commercial infrastructure. He also plays a significant role in investor engagement, supporting venture capital and angel fundraising efforts while cultivating anchor customers and strategic partnerships that position the organization for long-term growth and future corporate governance.
One of the defining strengths of David’s career has been his ability to bridge the worlds of established global enterprises and entrepreneurial technology ventures. His experience spans organizations ranging from ABB, Foxboro, Oracle, SAP, Aspen Technology, and IBM to high-growth startups where innovation, speed, and strategic execution determine success. Rather than viewing startup environments solely through the lens of financial outcomes, David recognizes each venture as an opportunity to build lasting knowledge about leadership, commercialization, governance, and sustainable growth. His career reflects firsthand experience with startup failure, startup success, and startup formation, providing him with a balanced perspective that is especially valuable in today’s innovation-driven economy.
Earlier in his career, David served as Vice President of Sales and Consulting for PetroCosm, one of the earliest business-to-business procurement marketplaces founded through the collaboration of Ariba, Chevron, and Texaco. While the venture ultimately ceased operations after an aggressive expansion strategy outpaced revenue growth, the experience became one of the most formative chapters of David’s professional development. Witnessing both the promise and challenges of venture-backed growth provided invaluable lessons in capital efficiency, organizational scaling, executive decision-making, and market timing that continue to inform his advisory work with founders and boards today.
David’s entrepreneurial expertise was further strengthened during his tenure as Director of Business Development for Operational Technologies at Armis, a rapidly growing cybersecurity company specializing in asset intelligence and operational technology security. There, he recruited and managed strategic relationships with leading Global Systems Integrators, Managed Security Service Providers, automation manufacturers, and independent software vendors while creating joint go-to-market programs that expanded Armis’ presence in industrial cybersecurity. Among his most notable accomplishments was supporting the technical partnership between Armis and ServiceNow around a pilot cybersecurity opportunity with FedEx that grew to approximately 13,000 facilities. That strategic relationship continued to expand over time and ultimately became part of the broader collaboration that preceded ServiceNow’s acquisition of Armis, allowing David to participate in one of the industry’s most successful technology exits.
Before entering the startup ecosystem, David spent fifteen highly successful years with IBM, where he held numerous executive business development and industry leadership positions across North America, Asia-Pacific, China, the Middle East, and Australia. His international assignments placed him in Beijing, Singapore, Dubai, and Perth, where he established industry solution centers, led regional sales initiatives, and supported some of the world’s largest energy and industrial organizations. Serving as IBM’s worldwide subject matter expert for Chemicals, Petroleum, and Industrial industries, David managed a worldwide portfolio of dozens of transformational business opportunities, each exceeding $25 million in value. His industry insight and commitment led to his first IBM expat posting, in Australia in 2010-2012, where he led sales of several $100 million projects building remote operations centers for LNG facilities. As cybersecurity became an increasingly important issue, David helped expand IT and operational technology security revenues in these industries from approximately $20 million to $60 million per year in 2019-2020. His work also included launching IBM’s Cognitive Solutions initiatives in Chemicals and Petroleum, introducing IBM Watson, advanced analytics, Internet of Things, and cloud technologies into these global industrial markets years before they became mainstream.
David’s earlier executive leadership positions further demonstrate the breadth of his experience across enterprise technology. At Aspen Technology and SAP America, he served as Vice President responsible for industry sales and field operations, leading national organizations focused on manufacturing, energy, refining, and process industries. Prior to those roles, he held leadership positions with Oracle Corporation, The Foxboro Company, ABB Process Automation, and Atos Origin, where he successfully combined engineering expertise with enterprise software, consulting, and strategic alliance development. This progression allowed David to experience the full evolution of industrial technology—from process automation and manufacturing execution systems to ERP, cloud computing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation—giving him a uniquely comprehensive perspective on technology adoption across complex global enterprises.
Throughout his career, David has built an exceptional reputation for developing trusted executive relationships with customers, partners, investors, and industry stakeholders. His work has consistently required balancing technical complexity with business strategy, enabling executive leadership teams to make informed investment decisions while navigating rapidly changing technology landscapes. His experience includes managing global partnerships, supporting transformational sales engagements, building strategic alliances, mentoring technical and sales professionals, and helping organizations align innovative technologies with measurable business outcomes.
David’s expertise extends beyond corporate leadership into advisory work, public speaking, and executive mentorship. Having worked extensively throughout North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Latin America, and Australia, he brings a truly global perspective to boardrooms and executive discussions. His familiarity with international business practices, combined with conversational French and German language skills and decades of multicultural leadership experience, enables him to contribute effectively across diverse organizations and global markets. Outside of his professional pursuits, David enjoys playing tennis and spending time at his Airbnb property in France, reflecting his appreciation for international culture and lifelong personal relationships.
Today, David is actively pursuing corporate board opportunities because he has discovered that advisory leadership allows him to leverage the full breadth of his experience while helping founders, executives, and investors navigate complex business challenges. Rather than leading organizations through day-to-day operational responsibilities, he finds tremendous fulfillment in guiding strategic direction, mentoring executive teams, evaluating growth opportunities, strengthening governance, and contributing to long-term enterprise value creation. His unique combination of Fortune 500 leadership, startup commercialization, global business development, and strategic partnership expertise positions him as an exceptionally valuable board member for organizations seeking sustainable growth, innovation, and market expansion.
Character:
David exemplifies humility, integrity, and servant leadership by consistently placing organizational success above personal recognition. His willingness to mentor founders, collaborate across organizations, and share decades of experience demonstrates a genuine commitment to helping others achieve lasting success.
Knowledge:
With more than forty-five years of experience spanning automation, enterprise software, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud technologies, and industrial transformation, David possesses exceptional depth across multiple technology sectors. His global assignments and executive leadership roles provide practical insights that allow him to connect strategic vision with operational execution.
Strategic:
David has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to identify emerging market opportunities, develop strategic partnerships, and commercialize innovative technologies across global industries. His experience navigating startup growth, enterprise transformation, venture fundraising, and major technology acquisitions allows him to provide balanced strategic guidance to executive teams and boards.
Communication:
An accomplished relationship builder and executive communicator who effectively translates highly technical concepts into meaningful business outcomes for customers, investors, and stakeholders. His international leadership experience, collaborative management style, and public speaking engagements have earned him a reputation as a trusted advisor capable of bringing diverse organizations together around a shared strategic vision.
