Interview
Ramon Cabrera
Ramon Cabrera -- who has training in ocean engineering, computer science, and physics -- co-founded SonTek in 1992 after leading research and development at RD Instruments. He recently offered to MTR his insights on the subsea technology market. MTR Please discuss with me your full background sold the company in 2001 to YSI. Now I am back at information, such as your roots, education, career histo- SonTek/YSI after realizing that there are still many interry and how you became involved in this field. esting things to do in my career and that the fishing in RC Well, in a long nut shell. I was born in the Canary Florida is not that good. Islands. My family emigrated to Venezuela when I was three years old. I grew up there and eventually got the MTR How would you best describe your management equivalent of a BS-MS in physics. I have worked since I philosophy? was 11 in just about everyRC I have never thought thing, from parking lot much of myself as a managattendant to developing er. But if there is anything in video games for the Apple II. the way I do things that At some point or another I could be called a "managewas a bookkeeper, an ment philosophy" I would oceanographer and a univerhave to say that I have tried sity lecturer. I even founded to follow the advice that two companies, one in techKent Deines, the conology and the other a founder of RDI and the real wholesale liquor distributor brain behind all of the tech(I did not make much nology that came out of money out of this last one RDI, once gave me. You but I got to drink really good simply try to get the most wines). I then came to the capable and motivated peoU.S. in 1982, got an MS in ple you can find and then Ocean Engineering, another you figure out what to do MS in Computer Science, with them, or even better and started a Ph.D. in elecyet, you let them figure it trical engineering, all at out by themselves. I have University of Hawaii. While always remembered that at U. of Hawaii, I was a staff conversation and have tried Research associate, working to apply in the business. for Dr. Eric Firing (one of the finest persons I have ever I am back at SonTek/YSI after realizing that MTR What do you met). In 1986, I started consider to be the three of working for RD there are still many interesting things to do the most significant Instruments. In 1991 I cochanges that have occurred in my career and that the fishing in Florida founded RD Flow (later within your industry in the known as MGD). In 1992 I last five years? is not that good. co-founded SonTek, became RC In reality I can only sole owner in 1996 and then think of one very significant
46 MTR April 2007
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