Tim from Michigan | Inside ETAS

Tim Foster is a Senior Solution Consultant for a key Customer Team in Plymouth, Michigan. With an incredible 27 years at ETAS, Tim is a true veteran who has witnessed and actively shaped the company's growth from its very first days in the U.S. His role involves identifying and quantifying customer pain points, then crafting the best ECU measurement and calibration solutions.What truly motivates Tim is his passion for connecting with customers, understanding their challenges, and collaborating with all relevant ETAS stakeholders to deliver solutions that simplify their work. His journey at ETAS has been incredibly fulfilling, driven by the pride of having been instrumental in building ETAS Inc. and ensuring its continued success in navigating today's and tomorrow's challenges.

Did you know?

Tim's passion extends beyond software. As an electrical engineer focused on processor-based control systems, he actively keeps his technical skills sharp. He finds the current era with EVs, autonomous driving, and over-the-air updates extremely exciting – a playground for any tech enthusiast.

Tim's experience goes back to 1998, when ETAS Inc. started with a 0% share of the U.S. powertrain calibration business. He was part of the team that grew this to over 80%, meaning nearly every U.S.-based traditional OEM has relied on ETAS tools for years. This history has taught him that value must be continually proven, especially when customers initially believe they can "do it on their own." His values of teamwork, integrity, creativity, and tenacity are the bedrock of his long and successful career.Working close to the customer provides Tim and his team with invaluable "ground truth." They can easily travel to customer sites to observe pain points firsthand, present solutions directly for immediate feedback, and offer timely on-site support. This proximity fosters a deep understanding of unspoken challenges, political landscapes, and real-time priority shifts, enabling proactive, rather than reactive, engagement. Michigan, with its automotive engineering DNA and pragmatic "roll-up-your-sleeves" attitude, perfectly aligns with ETAS's collaborative model.

Being part of ETAS's journey, especially witnessing the earliest growth of our North American business, has been an incredibly fulfilling, challenging, and enjoyable experience for me.
Tim Foster

Tim is particularly excited about the rapid technological change in his field – the shift to EVs, autonomous driving, over-the-air reflashing, and the emergence of non-traditional OEMs. He sees immense opportunity for ETAS to become the foundational technology partner for customers, especially as key regional players seek AI-capable and cloud-native software development tools. His team is currently exploring partnerships to help customers capture and host fleet data in the cloud, thereby creating a platform for ETAS's advanced software applications. This strategic foresight ensures ETAS remains at the forefront of enabling tomorrow's mobility.

Key takeaways

Pioneering market growth

With 27 years, Tim was instrumental in building ETAS's US presence from a 0% market share to over 80% in powertrain measurement and calibration.

Strategic local insight

He leverages deep local insight to creatively address the diverse needs of North American OEMs and Tier 1s, driving ETAS's continued success.

Advancing future solutions

Tim actively champions AI-capable and cloud-native software development tools, recognizing the need for strategic partnerships for evolving technology.