Richard Sapper

1995-present

David first met Richard Sapper at the 1981 International Design Conference in Aspen. At the time, David was studying design at the University of Kansas. While watching Richard describe how he designed the seminal Tizio lamp, he had no idea their paths would ever cross again. It wasn't until 1985, when David joined IBM that he saw the opportunity to work directly with Mr. Sapper. He was fortunate to have been able to interact directly in numerous IBM corporate design reviews with Richard. His keen sense of design excellence, inspiring personal spirit, and ability to cut to the chase was remarkable.

When David was brought to the IBM Personal Systems Group in 1995 to take over design leadership, he sought to strengthen the relationship with Mr. Sapper. David initiated numerous advanced design projects that allowed Richard to work directly with his extended team. He abolished the formal design review process and replaced it with the hands-on "workshop" model. This informal and collaborative technique proved to be effective in bringing superior design to market and nurturing talent. Richard, David, and his team continue to work together shaping the future of Lenovo design.

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