OPTIMAL INNOVATION LLC is a consultancy specializing in market strategy, voice of customer research, product design and requirements, systems engineering, and marketing. We help companies clarify their product strategy, conduct market research to uncover prioritized customer needs, and apply systems engineering best practices to optimize product designs. The Optimal Innovation process has led to dozens of issued US patents and products generating billions of dollars in revenue. Let us help you generate game-changing, business-driven, customer-centered, technology-powered products through OPTIMAL INNOVATION.

Led a project team to train and implement superior product development systems at a top 15 pharma client. Provided executive coaching and training on business development, product strategy, and project definition.

Led cross-functional, intracompany team to define and build new digital healthcare service• Identified potential markets, prioritized strategic business objectives, and selected the business opportunity• Led voice of customer market research to uncover critical unmet needs for all stakeholders (healthcare administrators, health insurance representatives, doctors, nurses, and patients)• Led product concept definition• Supported successful design, development, implementation, and launch of a consumer digital health service powered by medical device data. Technologies included: Digital education, patient mobile app, artificial intelligence, clinical operating protocols, sophisticated logic-driven clinical scripting, techniques for addressing psychological barriers, and more. • Established D2C and B2B marketing plans RESULTS: A pilot study demonstrated highly effective clinical success, reducing A1c by 2.5% for poor, underserved patients with an initial A1c ≥ 9.

Led the product management team • Drove definition of business strategies across multiple product pipelines• Trained and coached teams to employ world-class best practices for business strategy, customer research, and product definition • Facilitated strategic planning discussions for the executive leadership team

Directed product management team responsible for upstream product pipeline definition and management for all products in the business unit. • Developed team members through coaching, mentoring and selecting assignments to expand their experiences and stretch them beyond their current capabilities.• The team’s deliverables included business plans, financial models, customer research, competitive research, product strategy, customer needs, concept engineering, and product features.• The team delivered on key business goals by balancing trades between resources, time, technology, and value to the customer. • Developed superior methods and new technologies for gathering market requirements and communicating the requirements effectively through the organization. RESULTS: Won the Corporate Marketing Excellence Award in 2011 and received a Marketing Excellence Award Nomination in 2009

• Conducted voice of customer (VOC) field research, established product requirements and generated the business plan for a hospital-based continuous glucose sensor• Designed and led program management for an insulin pump with a "bolus wizard" automatically populated with data communication from a blood glucose meter. RESULTS: Won the Silver Medical Device Excellence Award in 2004

• Managed system engineering for the MiniMed 512 insulin pump. • Invented several patentable technologies that were incorporated into the final product leading to critical competitive advantages.RESULTS: The 512 insulin pump won MiniMed 73% market share, and triggered Medtronic to complete their acquisition.

Reported directly to the President• Compiled a library of all development projects• Assessed their program effectiveness• Identified project overlaps and resolved system compatibility issues across products• Led strategic meetings to debate product strategy and select optimal solutions

Passed the patent bar, Certified Patent Agent No: 47123• Prosecuted patents for a wide array of technologies including the artificial pancreas, closed-loop algorithms, glucose sensors, transmitters, insulin infusion pumps, infusion sets, inserters, and many more. RESULT: Became an inventor on an insulin infusion pump closed-loop patent, which later protected a product generating several billions of dollars in revenue annually.