David Rich Email & Phone Number

Londonderry, New Hampshire, United States

• Managing an innovative R&D project portfolio focused on custom-designed fluoropolymer composites for global customers in diverse markets.• Leveraging composites manufacturing expertise in coating, casting, extrusion, lamination, fabrication, and molding.• Driving customer intimacy and satisfaction through close collaboration and responsiveness.• Leading business development efforts to reach new customers, penetrate new markets, and increase sales.

Merrimack, Nh

• Leading a diverse team of 6 direct reports focused on 12+ simultaneous new product development projects, technical competency developments, and manufacturing support topics o Leveraging expertise in fluoropolymers, wet coatings, lamination, rapid prototyping, material analysis, product design, and process design o Setting objectives, providing technical guidance, coaching team, evaluating performance, and ensuring deliverables are met o Actively recruiting, hiring, and… Show more • Leading a diverse team of 6 direct reports focused on 12+ simultaneous new product development projects, technical competency developments, and manufacturing support topics o Leveraging expertise in fluoropolymers, wet coatings, lamination, rapid prototyping, material analysis, product design, and process design o Setting objectives, providing technical guidance, coaching team, evaluating performance, and ensuring deliverables are met o Actively recruiting, hiring, and developing talent• Leading multiple Stage-Gate development projects with multimillion-dollar sales opportunities as the technical lead, project manager, and customer point of contact o Target markets include 5G radomes and commercial infrastructure, semiconductor manufacturing, hydrogen economy, electric vehicles, etc. • Organizing and leading cross-functional teams involving R&D, business development, manufacturing, quality, marketing, and sales o Working in conjunction with stakeholders in manufacturing to lead a business-wide initiative to qualify new suppliers and grades of fluoropolymer dispersion to mitigate supply chain risk o Collaborating with business development and sales teams to identify new growth markets, increase market intelligence, and build customer intimacy• Managing tactical, day-to-day decisions while also contributing to long-term strategic planning• Frequently assessing project risk, attractiveness, and scope while resourcing new initiatives, creating project plans, and managing budget• Developing technical competencies on tribology, hydrophobicity, and surface engineering• Routinely presenting and reporting out to steering committees and upper management• Organizing IP landscape reviews on key topics and helping manage the business’s IP portfolio• Continually improving management skills through internal trainings (Essentials of Management, Supervisory Institute, Situational Leadership, Project Management, etc.)• Working in a global business Show less

Merrimack, Nh

• Led a tribology competency development platform and low friction liner development project o Beginning-of-life and end-of-life product performances quantified under realistic conditions o Key design levers identified and used to drive new product development o Designed and industrialized a new PTFE-coated polyimide low friction liner product that is currently generating millions of dollars in new sales o Project won Saint-Gobain’s internal “Growth Project of the Year”… Show more • Led a tribology competency development platform and low friction liner development project o Beginning-of-life and end-of-life product performances quantified under realistic conditions o Key design levers identified and used to drive new product development o Designed and industrialized a new PTFE-coated polyimide low friction liner product that is currently generating millions of dollars in new sales o Project won Saint-Gobain’s internal “Growth Project of the Year” award in 2019• Designed, sourced, and industrialized a next-generation silicone belt for industrial toasters• Improved fluoropolymer dispersion formulations by optimizing viscosifiers and surfactants for stability and wettability to improve the yield of legacy, high-volume products• Managed a multi-site, cross-functional team that successfully eliminated a severe quality issue with a flagship product by using a film casting DOE to identify critical processing parameters• Participated in numerous customer visits, calls, and conferences to promote technical exchange Show less

Northborough, Ma & Merrimack, Nh

- Coated Fabrics and Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) groups- New product development project leader- PTFE dispersion formulation improvements- Material R&D & system design for SOFC, GTL, and syngas-production technologies- Design & fabrication of custom SOFC electrochemical test stations

Northborough, Ma

- Oxygen Transport Membrane (OTM) & Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) groups- High-temperature metal-to-ceramic glass bonding development- Novel part, process, and equipment designs (often with SolidWorks CAD)

Northborough, Ma

- Oxygen Transport Membrane (OTM) group- Hands-on ceramic processing experience

• Led the technical effort of a single-walled carbon nanotube growth program that utilized a novel laser ablation system to produce highly-conductive nanotubes- Designed and executed parametric growth studies that maximized product quality- Maintained customer communication with technical reports and in-person presentations- Maximized laser operation with optical train alignment and power output/spot size measurements; used data analysis to improve understanding of optimal growth… Show more • Led the technical effort of a single-walled carbon nanotube growth program that utilized a novel laser ablation system to produce highly-conductive nanotubes- Designed and executed parametric growth studies that maximized product quality- Maintained customer communication with technical reports and in-person presentations- Maximized laser operation with optical train alignment and power output/spot size measurements; used data analysis to improve understanding of optimal growth conditions- Collaborated in the unique design and fabrication of the growth reactor• Responsible for writing and/or editing the technical reports for multiple DoD-funded programs • Conceived and wrote several SBIR (Phase I & Phase II) proposals • Developed a procedure to create nanometer-smooth, low-resistivity nanotube layers on polymeric substrates; enabled the use of nanotubes as the back electrode in OPV devices fabricated by NREL Show less

• Developed purification methods to refine commercially-available carbon nanotubes for demanding transparent conductor applications such as photovoltaics and touch screens- Surpassed prior material limitations and greatly improved maximum performance; achieved ≥96.0 %T @ 500 Ohm/square (~4,000 S/cm) with several previously-incapable materials• Helped create an electrostatic discharge coating for space-qualified photovoltaic cover glass- Completed electron, gamma, and atomic… Show more • Developed purification methods to refine commercially-available carbon nanotubes for demanding transparent conductor applications such as photovoltaics and touch screens- Surpassed prior material limitations and greatly improved maximum performance; achieved ≥96.0 %T @ 500 Ohm/square (~4,000 S/cm) with several previously-incapable materials• Helped create an electrostatic discharge coating for space-qualified photovoltaic cover glass- Completed electron, gamma, and atomic oxygen radiation tests on matrices of nanotube/sol-gel coatings; used results to guide development of product- Optimized coating deposition & curing conditions to maximize durability- Coating performance is currently being validated in orbit on NASA’s MISSE-7 satellite• Attained nanotube length separation with a rate-based centrifugation method; assessed the viability of modifying the procedure to isolate high-conductivity material for an improved coating product• Instituted an optical particle count procedure to gauge the surface roughness of nanotube coatings• Co-authored “Carbon Nanotube Transparent Electrodes: a Case for Photovoltaics” (presented at the 34th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Philadelphia, PA, 2009) Show less

• Developed and implemented a cell build procedure to construct functional AA test batteries from small batches of synthesized cathode material• Utilized x-ray tomography to obtain and compare interactive 3D images of fresh & discharged cells• Constructed and tested reference electrodes to assess individual electrode performance• Programmed and utilized statistical process control sheets to track physical battery variables

• Assessed adsorbent capacities of activated carbon fabrics for chemical warfare agent simulants• Measured amounts of residual particles shed from activated carbon fabric decontamination wipes• Co-authored “Effect of Pore Size Distribution of Commercial Activated Carbon Fabrics on the Adsorption of CWA Simulants” (Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2007, 46 (19), pp. 6126–6132)

Master Of Science (Ms), Materials Science And Engineering

• GPA: 3.83

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Chemical Engineering

• Business Administration Minor • GPA: 3.54 (Magna Cum Laude) • Dean’s List (2003 - 2008) • Earned University Honors from the NU Honors.