A conversation with MacuSight Inc. CEO David Weber
October 10, 2008
First job: Delivering newspapers for the Wichita Eagle & Beacon.
Business philosophy: Doing what is best for the customer.
How do you stay motivated: Knowing what I do impacts not only our employees but patients. It’s hard not being motivated.
Guiding principle: It’s all about people, information and decisions. If you have the right people, you get the best information; then you can make the decisions that make you successful.
Definition of success: Being satisfied with the decisions I make, the products we develop and the outcomes.
Goal yet to be achieved: My personal goal is to always be a better person. Professionally, it is to make MacuSight successful by developing a product that saves patients from blinding ailments.
Best decision: Joining Proctor & Gamble. It’s an amazing company. During my short tenure I had all kinds of training in business, management and leadership.
Definition of leadership: I once heard a quote that has stuck with me ever since, and it was: “Leadership is the habit of making other people successful.”
Biggest missed opportunity: I have no idea because I can’t put myself in the position of knowing what the outcome would have been.
Mentor: My father. He is a man that I’ve never heard anyone say anything bad about. Everyone talks about how kind and gentle he is.
Word that best describes you: Responsible.
Like best about job: Gathering information and making decisions.
Like least about job: The commute to work. It’s about 29 miles and 45 minutes one way.
Interests: Reading, automobiles, scuba diving with my son, tennis, cycling and do-it-yourself projects.
Pet peeve: People who use “it’s business” to justify their actions. And people who park too close to my car.
Most important lesson learned: I can’t control everything.
Person most interested in meeting: Jesus Christ. No other single person has had as significant an impact on the world over several thousand years.
Greatest fear: Losing my mental or physical abilities. I hate being dependent on others.
Idea of perfect happiness: Just being content. It’s very freeing.
Greatest strength: My resolve.
Characteristic most admired: People who work to the best of their ability.
Characteristic most deplored: Self-consuming arrogance.
First choice for a new career: President of the United States. I see it as both an incredible privilege and responsibility. These are tough times and there are tough decisions to be made, and that’s what I like doing.
Current state of mind: Committed to doing the best I can.
How do you deal with disappointment: Reflect on quotes that fit the situation, listen to music, or get in the car and drive with the top down.
How do you deal with stress: Physical activity – detailing my car, playing tennis, do-it-yourself projects.
Exercise of choice: Cycling.
Question you want answered: Which philosophy most accurately explains man’s place in the universe. If I knew that, I could probably extrapolate a lot of other useful information from it.
Most influential book: “Atlas Shrugged,” by Ayn Rand.
Favorite word: Perspective.
Most cherished possession: My memories of family, friends and life in general.
Life’s most beautiful sound: My children’s voices and gentle rain falling in the forest.
Favorite movie: “Hoosiers,” “12 O’clock High” and “The Guns of Navarone.” They all exemplify different aspects of leadership.
Favorite vacation spot: Davos, Switzerland, in the summer.
Background
Name: David Weber
Company: MacuSight Inc., a Union City company focused on developing therapeutics to prevent blindness and severe ocular diseases and conditions.
Title: CEO
Years with company: 4
Career: Acting chief executive officer and executive vice president at Oculex Pharmaceuticals, until its acquisition by Allergan. Vice president of research & development at Oral-B Laboratories, where he was responsible for new product development. Also held senior management positions in product, regulatory and clinical development while at Oral-B and in Health Care Product Development at Procter & Gamble.
Education: B.S. and M.S. degrees, biological sciences, Wichita State University; Ph.D., medical microbiology, Creighton University
Residence: Blackhawk
Family: Wife Debra, daughter Ashley, son Alex