Ray Zinn

In 2018, Zinn wrote Zen of Zinn, in which he discusses the interrelationships of people, society, entrepreneurship, business, leadership and life

Micrel was sold to Microchip Technology in 2015. Zinn was profiled in Sand Hill's leadership series because of the leadership ability demonstrated throughout his tenure as founder and CEO of Micrel.

In 2015, Zinn wrote Tough Things First (Published by McGraw Hill Education), in which he distilled his knowledge of leadership and management. Tough Things First is an autobiographical treatise on the interaction of people, management, and leadership, Self-discipline and organization discipline, and the mechanics of enterprises.

One of Zinn's most significant inventions includes a method allowing radio devices to operate without the need to synchronize a receiver with a Transmitter. Using Frequency hopping and sweep modes, this method is primarily applied in low data rate wireless applications such as utility metering, machine and equipment monitoring and metering, and remote control. In 2006 Zinn received U.S. Patent 6,996,399 for his "Wireless device and method using frequency hopping and sweep modes."

Along with his friend Warren Muller, Zinn founded semiconductor company Micrel in 1978. The pair used $300,000 in savings and bank loans to found the company, eschewing the financial support of venture capitalists. "I wanted control of my destiny and to do it my way." Zinn's desire to remain independent led him at one time to personally guarantee $4 million in bank loans to keep Micrel afloat.

He left Fairchild in 1968 and subsequently held various executive management positions at several semiconductor-related companies, including Teledyne Inc. (1966–69), Nortek Inc. (1971–73) and Electromask TRE (1973–76). During this period, and later through Micrel, Zinn worked nearly every aspect of semiconductor management; sales, marketing, finance, accounting, wafer fab operations, assembly, packaging, test, quality assurance, and design.

After college, Zinn moved to the San Francisco Bay area, where high-tech companies were gaining traction. His interest in the space program and the desire to become an astronaut landed him a position at rocket motor manufacturing, United Technologies. Later, Zinn became interested in semiconductors through his father-in-law, who worked at Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation and joined the company as an engineer in 1963.

He graduated from Brigham Young University in 1960 with a BS in Industrial Management, and an MS in Business Administration from San Jose State University in 1968.

Raymond D. "Ray" Zinn (born in El Centro, California on September 24, 1937) is an inventor, entrepreneur and author. In addition to a number of significant inventions improving wireless radio (RF) communication and voltage/power regulation devices, he is also the longest serving chief executive officer of a Silicon Valley company (Micrel Corporation, acquired in 2015 by Microchip Technology).

Born on September 24, 1937, to Milton and Pauline Zinn, Ray Zinn grew up on a cattle ranch in the farming community of El Centro, CA. The eldest of 11 children, including six sisters and four brothers, Zinn was raised a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and a strong work ethic was instilled at an early age by his parents. When he was four, his mother sent him to the store to lug home heavy bottles of milk. He had a driver's license at 13 to chauffeur his siblings in a Ford pickup and work with water management officials in the dead of night to assure the family ranch received their allocation. "Work becomes instilled in you from an early age. So if somebody asks me how 'success' is spelled, I tell them it's spelled W-O-R-K."