David Howell possesses expertise in program management, software development, enterprise software, distributed systems, agile project management and 13 more skills. Colleagues describe him as "David is a great leader, with strong empathy and a sense of his team's pulse and needs. I was lucky enough to work in David's organization for two years and watch and learn from him. Some of the key things David taught me: Establishing the best team culture is the most important thing in business. Everybody on David's team felt important, appreciated, and loved. Everyone's work was always recognized, and everyone's voice was heard. I always felt included and a valuable part of the team. How a true leader acts and looks like. Earn respect, not expecting authority by ranking. David had a great balance between accepting the team's suggestions based on the SME opinions or field feedback and making strategic decisions when needed. How to react in challenging situations requiring quick decisions and sometimes compromises and sacrifices. Lead by example. David was always on top of the things in the team, paying attention to every detail and understanding every situation and problem. After understanding the situation, David would provide his recommendation but not micromanage, leaving the team enough freedom and autonomy. It was a great experience working for David, learning from him, and growing as a person and professional. I highly recommend David as a fantastic leader, person, and expert." and "Dave is a great all-around natural leader that continually displays empathy and vision. He was my first manager at Microsoft. There are three things that always stood out to me with Dave: First and most importantly to me, he is inclusive and cares about social issues. Dave continually sought to create a safe space to discuss hard issues that were/are impacting his team members and society as a whole. He did so from a place of true empathy, seeking to better understand or at minimum allow others to share their stories. You often don’t find this level of empathy and openness in the business world as there is a tendency to disassociate work from the real world, but not with Dave. Second, Dave was always so welcoming and approachable. When you join a company like Microsoft, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed, experience imposter syndrome, and feel like you need to prove yourself. Dave continually strived to make sure that everyone on his team felt like they belonged, that they were empowered, and on the right path. This had a tremendous impact on myself and countless others that were just starting their Microsoft journey. Third on the list is that Dave is a visionary. Rather it be with product design, business, or engineering, Dave has great vision around what will work and strikes a good balance between innovation and practicality. He is extremely creative and has the vision to evolve when others may be hesitant."