Francis Griffiths

As vice president of European sales, Francis Griffiths is responsible for sales across Europe. Additionally, he works with sales management worldwide to ensure the NI global sales force evolves with the company’s ongoing growth and expansion into new areas such as high-end RF test and embedded design.

Griffiths joined National Instruments U.K. as an applications engineer in 1989, shortly after the company opened its regional branch in the area. In his initial role, Griffiths supported customers using NI LabVIEW and worked on the company’s NuBus and AT-based DSP hardware products for acoustic applications. In 1992, Francis moved into sales as district sales manager, working with key accounts such as Rolls Royce and GEC Marconi.

Over the next several years, sales in his territory more than doubled, partially due to the introduction of LabVIEW for Windows and hardware products such as SCXI. In 1996, Francis was promoted to branch manager of NI U.K. and Ireland where, under his leadership, the region grew to encompass seven territories with National Instruments Alliance Partner program members in each district, and NI Ireland moved from distribution to a direct sales channel.

Over the past eight years, Griffiths has served as the director of European sales, during which time the sales across the continent have nearly doubled and many new branch offices have opened, including several new offices in high-growth areas of Eastern Europe. With a strong and growing opportunity for RF and wireless test in the region, Griffiths is leading regional collaboration with the RF BDM group and U.K.-based NI Select Alliance Partner AmFax to grow penetration and future opportunities in the communications market with key accounts such as Motorola and Nokia.

Griffiths holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering from the University of Wales in Cardiss.