# S1E07 Thermal management & leadership | Chris Bridgewater

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2020-05-14
- Length: 50m
- Episode: 7
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-14-s1e07-thermal-management-leadership-chris-bridgewater

## Summary

Chris Bridgewater, CEO of Delta Development Team, discusses his journey from Army carpenter to leading a company that manufactures ruggedized thermal management systems for military and medical applications, including blood coolers and environmental control units. He emphasizes the importance of leadership, explaining how he identifies individual employee purposes to motivate them and the value of formal engineering education combined with practical, hands-on experience. Bridgewater also shares insights on building a company culture rooted in transparency and quality, contrasting his approach with the poor practices he witnessed among large defense contractors during his military service.

## Chapters

- [0:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-14-s1e07-thermal-management-leadership-chris-bridgewater#t=13) Introduction: Chris Bridgewater and Delta Development Team
- [0:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-14-s1e07-thermal-management-leadership-chris-bridgewater#t=59) Ruggedized Thermal Systems and Military Applications
- [5:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-14-s1e07-thermal-management-leadership-chris-bridgewater#t=310) From Carpenter to Engineer: Military Experience and Education
- [12:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-14-s1e07-thermal-management-leadership-chris-bridgewater#t=754) Formal Education vs. Practical Experience in Engineering
- [14:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-14-s1e07-thermal-management-leadership-chris-bridgewater#t=880) Advice for Students and Young Engineers
- [22:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-14-s1e07-thermal-management-leadership-chris-bridgewater#t=1377) Lessons from Defense Contracting and Company Mission
- [26:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-14-s1e07-thermal-management-leadership-chris-bridgewater#t=1606) Founding Delta Development Team and Early Growth
- [32:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-14-s1e07-thermal-management-leadership-chris-bridgewater#t=1926) Leadership, Management, and Employee Motivation
- [39:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-14-s1e07-thermal-management-leadership-chris-bridgewater#t=2349) Product Development Best Practices and Communication
- [42:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-14-s1e07-thermal-management-leadership-chris-bridgewater#t=2567) Professionalism, Book Recommendations, and Closing

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Delta Development Team (company)
- Pipeline Design & Engineering (company)
- SolidWorks (tool)
- Onshape (tool)
- Think and Grow Rich (other)
- Traction (other)
- The E-Myth Revisited (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [EMS@C-LEVEL Season #1 Episode #4 with Audrey McGuckin, Leadership Guru](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2020-09-02-ems-c-level-season-1-episode-4-with-audrey-mcguckin-leadership-guru) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [21: The Tent Is Flat and Everyone Is Wet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2013-10-02-21-the-tent-is-flat-and-everyone-is-wet) (Embedded.fm)
- [Creating Manufacturing Environments Where Engineers Can Thrive w/ Josh Tarbutton](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-12-02-creating-manufacturing-environments-where-engineers-can-thrive-w-josh-tarbutton) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [From MBA To COO: Navigating EMS, Mentorship, And A New Leadership Model with Koh Young Europe COO Solin Ahmed](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-11-26-from-mba-to-coo-navigating-ems-mentorship-and-a-new-leadership-model-with-koh-yo) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [180: Made in Missouri, Live from the 2024 Midwest Manufacturers Trade Show & Conference](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-04-09-180-made-in-missouri-live-from-the-2024-midwest-manufacturers-trade-show-confere) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-14-s1e07-thermal-management-leadership-chris-bridgewater. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Being an Engineer.