David E. Potter

David Edwin Potter, CBE, FREng (born 1943) is the founder and chairman of the microcomputer systems company Psion PLC., and Psion Teklogix after Psion's acquisition of Teklogix in the year 2000.

Potter was born in East London, South Africa in 1943 and brought up in Cape Town. In 1963 he took up a Beit scholarship to read Natural Sciences at Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1966 he was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to study for a doctorate in mathematical physics at Imperial College London where he was subsequently appointed to the staff. As an academic during the 1970s he taught at the University of London and at the University of California, consulted and wrote a number of academic papers and a book on the use of computers in physics.

Potter founded Psion in 1980. In its early years, Psion became a leader in software for home microcomputers. In 1984, Psion invented 'The Organizer', the world's first volume hand-held computers for personal use and information.

In 1988, Potter led Psion's flotation on the and saw Psion's scale and value multiply many times. The company expanded further into data-communications and mobile corporate solutions. In 1998, using Psion's experience in small mobile operating systems, Potter led the creation of Symbian Limited in partnership with Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola and Matsushita to create the operating system standard for mobile wireless devices – now known as Symbian.

In 1999, Potter stood down as chief executive of the company and assumed the role of chairman, and retired as chairman in September 2009.

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