In a wide-ranging discussion with Tim Weintraut of Alpha Wolf Impact, Data I/O President and CEO Bill Wentworth shared his perspective on leadership, turnaround strategy, AI adoption, and the company’s next chapter of growth.
The conversation was candid and forward-looking, centered on building a stronger foundation for sustainable expansion. Wentworth spoke not only as a CEO, but as a former customer, operator, and long-time participant in the programming ecosystem.
Watch the full interview below:
A Full-Circle Industry Journey
Wentworth’s connection to Data I/O spans decades. He first worked on Data I/O equipment as a teenager in his father’s electronics distribution business. Later, he founded and scaled a global programming services company that became one of the largest users of Data I/O systems worldwide.
After growing that company to $60 million and navigating both the dot-com crash and the 2008 financial crisis, Wentworth led multiple successful turnarounds and integrations at Avnet. That experience now informs his leadership approach at Data I/O.
“I look through the customer’s lens when I look at Data I/O,” Wentworth explained. “What did I want as a customer that would have helped me process this technology? That’s what we’re building today.”
Strengthening the Core While Expanding the Platform
Since joining as CEO, Wentworth has focused on rebuilding the company’s foundation after a period of underinvestment. That includes refreshing the product roadmap, modernizing systems, strengthening sales leadership, and preparing the company for strategic expansion.
Historically, Data I/O has operated primarily as a capital equipment provider. The new strategy expands beyond that model.
“We’re trying to take our platform that’s mostly been a CapEx platform and move into services and move into another place where data gets provisioned, which is at test.”
By extending its technology into programming services and test integration, Data I/O is positioning itself to serve a significantly larger addressable market while leveraging the core expertise it has built over decades.
Speed as a Competitive Advantage
A recurring theme in the interview was execution speed.
Wentworth pointed to industry device support cycles that often take eight to ten weeks. Under his leadership, Data I/O is targeting dramatic improvement.
“Our industry has been at eight to ten weeks. We’re going to get that down to two.”
This acceleration is being driven by internal process changes, 3D printing for socket development, and deeper integration between hardware and software teams. Faster device support directly benefits OEMs, EMS providers, and semiconductor partners working under compressed product timelines.
Practical AI Adoption
While much of the technology industry discusses AI in theoretical terms, Wentworth emphasized practical implementation.
Data I/O is already using AI to enhance:
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Market research and competitive analysis
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Software development productivity
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Customer support workflows
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Website modernization
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Salesforce Service Cloud integration
“I can’t tell you how many ways we’re using it today,” he said. “You’re going to get left behind if you don’t.”
One example he shared highlights the customer impact: enabling field service technicians to modify software configurations in real time at a customer site using AI-assisted tools, reducing delays and improving responsiveness.
Diversification and Risk Management
Drawing from experience navigating past industry downturns, Wentworth stressed the importance of avoiding domain concentration.
“Having domain concentration is a problem,” he noted, referencing lessons learned in both his own career and Data I/O’s recent exposure to automotive market softness.
Diversification across vertical markets and delivery models is now central to the company’s growth strategy.
Building for the Next Generation
Beyond products and revenue, Wentworth emphasized culture and ownership.
“My job is to create a company that can grow even when I’m not here,” he said. “Build the foundation, open the markets, and create pathways to grow.”
The long-term vision includes three business pillars:
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Core capital equipment
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Programming services
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Programming at test
Together, these initiatives aim to restore Data I/O’s leadership position while creating scalable growth.
Looking Ahead
Transformation takes time, but the foundational work underway is designed to enable accelerated performance in the coming years. With refreshed leadership, expanded product initiatives, and disciplined capital allocation, Data I/O is positioning itself to help define the next phase of programming and security provisioning across the global electronics supply chain. Stay tuned for future updates as the company continues executing on its strategic roadmap.