The leadership journey that defined David King

Prof David King demonstrates telexistence technology at the University of Sheffield AMRC. | AMRC

placeholder image — Prof David King demonstrates telexistence technology at the University of Sheffield AMRC. | AMRC

Feeling the weight of unmovable deadlines, unstretchable budgets, and critical systems that had to deliver without fail was Prof David King’s tough entry into industry. Yet these challenges proved to be the pivotal catalyst for his move to the University of Sheffield AMRC, writes Chloe Rothenburg.

He learned early on what it meant to lead, carry responsibility, and advocate for his team under intense pressure. That industry-grounded discipline drove his path forward.

Now leading the digital design team for the AMRC’s design and prototyping group, David applies those hard-earned lessons daily, fostering a trust-driven culture that empowers his engineers to push boundaries.

Reflecting on 18 years in senior software and control systems roles, David admits those early years shaped him in ways he didn’t appreciate at the time.

Prof David King, head of digital design at the University of Sheffield AMRC. | AMRC

“I learned what it feels like to carry responsibility,” he said.

“To know that a decision you make today affects delivery tomorrow. Having a good idea wasn’t enough; it had to survive real constraints, real scrutiny and real-world pressure. When things failed, there was nowhere to hide. You fixed it, learned from it and moved forward.”

That crucible came to a head on a top-level project facing unyielding deadlines and months of seven-day workweeks. “As a leader, there came a time when I had to say no, whatever the repercussions were for me,” he said. “It wasn’t until now, being at the AMRC, I had forgotten how intense those times in industry could be.”

After almost 20 years in industry, David was drawn to Industry 4.0. Attending an AMRC workshop presented by current CEO Ben Morgan proved to be a turning point.

Prof David King with robotic technology at the University of Sheffield AMRC’s Design Prototyping and Testing Centre. | AMRC

“It was a revelation,” David said. “I saw a whole other world at the AMRC and instantly knew I wanted to be part of it.”

David joined the AMRC in 2016 as a place to: “Unite my curiosity, passion for technology and desire to make a difference,” he said.

“Combining the urgency of industry with the depth of academia. Over the next decade, David built the digital design team, established the digital lab, and became head of digital design in 2022, leading award-winning projects across healthcare and defence.

Uniting industrial reality with research ambition laid the foundation for the project David is most proud of: telexistence. Driven by a simple question— ‘What if we could project human capability into places too dangerous for people to go?’ — his team developed Meditel, a groundbreaking medical telexistence platform built in under 12 months.

Prof David King works with AMRC engineers on robotic technology developed by his team. | AMRC

“Our telexistence work is one of my proudest chapters,” David said. “Not because of the trophies, but because of the team of brilliant engineers that pushed boundaries together. Seeing a system go from concept to a validated platform in an operational context was an extraordinary privilege.”

The pressure of delivering a new robotic platform mirrored his industry days, but David applied a transformed leadership approach focused on communication and trust.

“It was about making sure the team understood the pressures, why we were doing it and why it mattered,” said David. “When people understand the goal, they take ownership. Developing a new robot that hadn’t existed before was a challenge like no other.”

That trust was tested the night before a major live demonstration in front of hundreds of industry experts. In their hotel room, engineers Rob Stacey and Baslin James were writing code until 2 am to get the system working.

Prof David King and AMRC colleagues examine advanced technology at the University of Sheffield AMRC. | AMRC

“I barely slept and felt the full responsibility on my shoulders if it were to fail,” he said.

“I desperately wanted to help, but having more people there would only distract them. A big part of leadership is knowing when to put total trust in your team and let them get on with it—and it paid off when it counted most. To see the platform doing things never done before was a moment I’ll never forget.”

In January, David earned his professorship, an achievement he insists was never about the title, but about leading with integrity and pushing the boundaries of human-machine systems.

“This professorship was not achieved alone,” David said. “I stand on the shoulders of my mentors, colleagues, collaborators and my family. The greatest impact is created at the boundaries, where industry meets academia, where humans collaborate with intelligent machines and where imagination becomes real-world implementation.”

For David, the most inspiring part remains the future: “Deploying world-class technologies with the power to save lives and extend human capability into challenging environments isn't just exciting, it’s a privilege, and I’m excited to see what comes next.”

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