David Hearing, CEO of Infinera Corp

David Hearing, a cochlear implant recipient and advocate for those with deafness and tinnitus, has made it his life’s work to raise awareness about hearing loss and how best to communicate with these individuals.

Dave also assists local firefighters and police officers in understanding how to work with people who are deaf or hard of hearing. He imparts fundamental communication techniques so they can effectively interact with these individuals.

Early Life and Education

In the early 1950s, David was an average kid with a regular education in public school system. At age 3, he received his first hearing aids and was mainstreamed into elementary school.

In his mid-forties, he made the decision to pursue higher education. He earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Goshen College in 1954 and a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Northwestern University two years later, in 1955.

He began his professional career as an assistant professor of Hearing and Speech Sciences at Colorado State University (1965-1968), before joining the faculty of University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill (1980) where he served as chair of both departments and director of the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies. Furthermore, he was a founding member of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association with numerous leadership roles on committees and boards including that organization’s president and vice president.

Professional Career

David began working in the community while still in high school. He filled attendance sheets at the school office, folded towels for ceramics classes and put ice in cups at a senior center lunch table.

David was also taught how to clean lockers, sweep the gym floor at the community center and disinfect toys in classrooms. Throughout the summer of 2016, David worked 35 hours for three different businesses and organizations.

Every night when he came home from one of these jobs, his caregiver would ask him what he had accomplished that day at work and he answered with pride. It showed that he was paying attention, working hard and completing his task thoroughly – helping him gain confidence at work as well as build meaningful relationships with co-workers and employers.

Achievements and Honors

David Hearing earned high honors during his college career for both his scholarship and service to the community. This earned him a spot at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he excelled academically and athletically.

He then served in the United States Army, rising through the ranks from captain to lieutenant colonel before earning promotion to major general.

His leadership of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Working Group on Hearing Aids and his development of new measurement technologies have had a major influence over the design and testing of hearing aids.

He has earned several accolades and awards, such as the Poul Erik Lyregaard Hearing Aid Research Award – an annual competition sponsored by Oticon that recognizes individuals for their exceptional efforts to enhance the lives of people with hearing loss.

Personal Life

David Hearing has had a profound effect on those around him through his work in the disability community. He is blessed with an encouraging family and social circle who provide him with support and motivation to keep striving for great things.

David was not diagnosed with hearing loss until he was three years old, yet he has managed to live independently thanks to cochlear implants. He currently works in three different workplaces and enjoys an active social life.

This summer, David worked two hours each day at a coffee shop with his caregiver and learned how to wash dishes, run the sanitizer machine, label cuffs and fold towels. Additionally, he cleaned lockers at a community center, swept the gym floor and delivered toys to children.

Net Worth

David Hearing is the CEO of Infinera Corp and earned a base salary of $358,346 in 2020.

David loves to travel and entertain in his free time. Additionally, he has been active in the legal community, serving on Philadelphia City Council.

The Swedish countess divorcing David Hearing says she cannot live off $43 million and needs her 67-year-old husband to pay her more than $53,000 a week in salary.

She filed divorce papers in March and the case will be decided Wednesday.