TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT

Highly accomplished leader experienced in managing interdisciplinary teams to solve complex and ambiguous problems.

Core Competencies

Innovation & Design ·Research & Development ·Product Development

Engineering ·Manufacturing ·Procurement ·Assembly ·Test

Program & Project Management ·Process Development ·Change Management

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

INTELLECTUAL VENTURES LABORATORY, Bellevue, Washington, USA ·2010 – 2014

Director of Engineering

Led a department of 45 mechanical, electrical, and software engineers to solve complex & ambiguous global health challenges at a rapidly growing technology incubator. Managed technically diverse projects with $10M/year budget. Recruited and hired new talent, led business development and process improvement efforts, worked directly with customers to understand their evolving needs, and participated in the intellectual property committee overseeing submissions from scientists and engineers.

·         Played an integral role in the laboratory’s growth over 4 years, tripled both the number of employees and revenues, and led business development efforts.

·         Developed new processes and led change management efforts: created and implemented an innovation process leading to generation of 30+ ideas over its first year, introduced project management methods and implemented its use on every project, implemented configuration management and system engineering practices, introduced user centered design methods.

·         Planned and managed interdisciplinary project teams including business and technical disciplines. Met with teams regularly to review technical, cost, and schedule status. Examples include:

o   A super-insulated container to store temperature sensitive vaccines in a resource constrained environment. This technology keeps vaccines at the proper temperature for more than 30 days without power and communicates its status to a centralized distribution center over SMS. This technology has been featured on 60 Minutes & Wired Magazine and is a finalist for the 2014 EE Times and EDN ACE Awards. This technology has been licensed to a commercial partner and production is underway.

o   An optical-electronic system that uses video cameras, software, and lasers to detect, track, and shoot mosquitos. This technology is intended to combat the spread of malaria and other vector borne diseases. Other applications are being considered including crop & livestock protection. This technology was featured in 2010’s TED talk, “Could this laser zap malaria?”.

o   Electro-mechanical food processing equipment to help farmers in low infrastructure settings pasteurize their milk to preserve its value and nutritional benefits for the consumer. Multiple iterations were developed and tested in Kenya to harvest user feedback and evaluate product performance under real conditions. This technology has been successfully commercialized and is being sold throughout East Africa.

o   An automated microscope that uses image recognition and machine learning algorithms to diagnose malaria more rapidly and accurately than current techniques. Usability studies are being conducted to harvest user preferences with an early prototype while software development proceeds in parallel. Field-testing is scheduled in 2015 with product development to follow thereafter.

BLUE ORIGIN, Kent, Washington, USA ·2004 – 2010

Department Manager, Program Manager

Led interdisciplinary teams developing and testing rocket vehicles, propulsion systems, and their associated technologies for a rapidly growing aerospace startup. Established procurement and inventory systems and played a key role in creating the company’s overall infrastructure. Led large teams of engineers to develop the mechanical, electrical, and software functions necessary for the successful operation of rocket vehicles and their propulsion systems, overseeing the complete lifecycle of each project from drawing board to final implementation.

·         Played a key role in the company’s growth by leading a team to design, build, and test the company’s first rocket engine. This required close coordination of the mechanical, electrical, and software development activities. Pioneered agile project management methods at the company through this effort.

·         Led an interdisciplinary team of 30 engineers to develop the propulsion systems for the company’s first and second-generation rocket vehicles. Responsible for cost, schedule, and technical rigor. Budget was $10 million per year.

·         Led negotiations with component suppliers, saving more than $5 million over the life of the project.

·         Managed the company’s first NASA contract by leading a team of 10 engineers to evaluate the company’s first crew capsule.

·         Earned the company’s first internal promotion to head its Fluid Systems department, managing a team of engineers to create state-of-the-art fluid systems on all current and future vehicles.

·         Led “flaming boot” demonstrations to teach propellant safety and hazards analysis.

AEROJET ROCKETDYNE, Sacramento, California, USA ·2000 – 2004

Chief Engineer

Administered all aspects of rocket engine development for key engineering projects of a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader. Managed cost, schedule, and technical oversight functions over the complete lifecycle of each project, working under NASA, US Air Force, and Department of Defense contracts.

·         Led the team credited with inventing the tri-fluid injector and managed high-profile projects including the Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle, a key component of the ballistic missile defense program, Integrated Powerhead Development, and Advanced Re-usable Rocket Engine.

BEAL AEROSPACE, Frisco, Texas, USA ·1999 – 2000

Senior Project Engineer

Oversaw the development of rocket engines for a private company working to build and operate a heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle. Managed cost, schedule, and technical oversight functions over the complete lifecycle of each project.

·         Coordinated the development and testing of rocket engine technologies and researched liquid injection thrust vector control, catalyst beds, and ablative materials.

NORTHROP GRUMMAN (Formerly TRW), Manhattan Beach, California, USA ·1996 – 1999

Project Engineer

Managed research and development efforts focusing on spacecraft thrusters and electric propulsion concepts for a company recognized as a pioneer in the development of spacecraft.

·         Developed spacecraft thrusters for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, NASA’s flagship mission for X-ray astronomy.

·         Developed a cryogenic vacuum test facility to evaluate electric propulsion concepts including Hall effect thrusters. Developed software to automate facility operation and acquire data.

·         Tested and evaluated Russian thruster hardware.

PURDUE UNIVERSITY, West Lafayette, Indiana,USA ·1994 – 1996

Research Assistant

Led software development projects using numerical methods to simulate physics and model droplet behavior and conducted experimental research into hybrid rocket engines.

·         Wrote code to computationally simulate a droplet’s resonance to an acoustic stimulus using FORTRAN and MATLAB.

EDUCATION AND ADDITIONAL TRAINING

Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering

Purdue University ·West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering

Purdue University ·West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Innovation Master Series: Design Thinking and the Art of Innovation

Stanford University ·Stanford, California

Project Management Training, PMI certified

Financial Accounting and Earned Value Management

High Impact Leadership Training

Executive Coaching

TECHNICAL PROFICIENCIES

FORTRAN, PASCAL, MATLAB, PLC, Arduino, Labview

Subversion SVN, Trac, Redmine, MS Project, Merlin

Primavera P6 Project Management, Saviom Resource Planning

Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK)

Visio, Omnigraffle

Mathcad, EASY5, Chemical Equilibrium Analysis, NIST Fluids Database

AutoCAD, Unigraphics, Pro/Engineer, AutoCAD P&ID, Routed Systems Designer

Intralink, SSA Baan ERP & PDM, SharePoint

Google Docs, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel)

UNIX, Windows, Mac OS

PATENTS & PUBLICATIONS

United States Patent Application No. 61/520,578, ”Heat Stable Vessel”, June 8, 2012

“Design and Testing of the IPD Oxidizer Rich Pre-Burner”, JANNAF 52nd Combustion Working Group, May 2004. (Winner: 2004 JANNAF Liquid Propulsion Best Paper Award).

“Long Life LO2/LH2 IPD Engine Combustion Device Development for Military Space”, JANNAF 51st Combustion Working Group, November 2002.

“On a Droplet's Response to Acoustic Excitation”, Journal of Multiphase Flow, Volume 25, Issue 3, April 1999, pp 531-550.

“Optimization of Hybrid Rocket Booster Fuel Grain Design”, Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 32. No. 6, November/December 1995, pp 964-969.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Born 11 May 1972, Married, No children

British & American citizenship

English (native), French (intermediate), German (basic), Turkish (basic)

INTERESTS

Sculpting, Travel, SCUBA diving, Skiing