Mick Maytum

Mick Maytum

Mick Maytum

ICT Surge Protection Expert

In 1964 after graduating with a first-class honours degree from Loughborough University, Mr. Maytum worked at English Electric on Magnetron and Television Camera Tube Development.

Maytum joined Texas Instruments Limited (UK) in 1969 where working as an Applications Engineer on power semiconductors and consumer ICs. This position involved visiting television manufacturers in Europe and the USA. During this period he was part of the team that developed the Worlds’ first transistorized color television (apart from the cathode ray tube) – the British Science Museum retains an example of this industry first. In 1976 joined Zygma Electronics for two years as a Development Engineer on Multi-standard Projection Systems.

In 1978 he rejoined Texas Instruments as the Applications Manager and in 1986 was elected a Senior Member of Technical Staff. There he consulted on televisions, switching mode power supplies, electronic gear for lighting and telecommunication surge protection. Two notable achievements were the development of the thyristor protection for British Telecoms “System X exchange” and a solid state fluorescent lamp starter (both these developments are recorded in the Smithsonian chip collection).

As a result of a management buyout in 1997 the power division was renamed Power Innovations Ltd. In May 2000 Power Innovations was acquired by Bourns, Inc. He retired from Bourns UK in 2009.

As a power semiconductor expert he has served on IEEE, IEC, ITU-T, BSI, ATIS NIP-NEP, ATIS PEG, TIA TR-41, Telcordia, CENELEC and JEDEC standardization committees. In 2006 he was awarded the IEC 1906 medal for his IEC Standards contributions and has twice received the IEEE-SA Standards Medallion. In retirement he participates in IEEE, ATIS PEG, IEC, ITU-T, BSI and CENELEC standardization. He is the chairman of the UK BSI protection committee, ITU-T Study Group 5 Q2 & Q14, several IEEE Working groups and is an ATIS PEG advisory board member. He is Webmaster for the IEEE Power and Energy Technical Council and three of its Technical Committees.

He has authored eighteen Application Reports, contributed to five books, written thirteen articles, published six IEEE transactions papers (one receiving paper of the year award) and has 11 patents granted in the fields of lighting and protection. He regularly presents at the annual ATIS PEG Conference and has twice served as the Distinguished Lecturer.