Building industry manufacturer of highly engineered residential, commercial, and industrial products, designed to replace wood, metal, and other traditional materials in a variety of applications.Director of Product Management, Railing Products Led Product Management and Product Development for $55M business category. Provided direction and guidance for Product Managers and factory-based engineering and manufacturing team. Responsibility for strategic direction, product line analysis and profitability, market research and competitor analysis, new product definition, and SKU rationalization. Collaborated with Marketing team on channel and consumer communication and messaging. Partnered with Sales team on pricing, positioning, promotions, and customer engagement.

Global bicycle component design and manufacturing company. Products include road, mountain, and urban bike components; brands and acquisitions include Grip Shift, RockShox, Avid, Truvativ, Zipp, and Quarq. Category Manager, Electric Bike Products, 2009-2016Led multi-year product development and introduction for first-of-its-kind electric assist bicycle drivetrain system. Managed global team, including R&D, design engineering, and testing in US and Germany; directed manufacturing and supplier network in Taiwan; worked closely with OEM Sales in US, Europe, and Asia. Defined product specifications, including evaluation of electric motor and lithium ion battery technologies. Set product positioning and pricing, and achieved first year sales of over $1M. Lean Enterprise Manager, 2005-2008Spearheaded company-wide initiative to identify and implement business and manufacturing process improvements across all locations and countries. Responsible for budget and spending of $1.5M; managed team of 14 full- and part-time associates located in US, Europe, and Taiwan. Successful projects included 50% reduction in processing times for customer complaints; 48-hour confirmation of customer orders; and 60% reduction in customer credit and debit notes.Category Manager, Avid Bicycle Brake Products, 2003-2005Co-led negotiation and acquisition of bicycle brake company with US design office, and Taiwan and European supply chain; managed integration, including transfer of design work and engineering data, negotiation of agreements, and planning and execution for closure of US office. Assumed general management responsibility for business. Directed product management and engineering in definition and execution of product development road map, including market research, sourcing, forecasting, and manufacturing. Increased revenue from $6.5M pre-acquisition to $16.2M in first year post-acquisition.

Industry leader in design and manufacture of professional wired and wireless microphones, and digital signal processing products for retail music stores, commercial sound contractors, and touring sound productions.Managing Director, 2000-2002Managed global business unit with 45% of company’s sales and achieved 15% profitable growth. Directed marketing, engineering, finance, sales, and operations functions for product development and distribution. Served on 14-person Executive Board. Drove redesign of company’s worldwide financial reporting structure. Designed organizational structure to integrate Marketing and Engineering to clarify responsibilities, improve communication, and shorten product definition and development lead-times. Led strategic evaluation and financial analysis of $20M acquisition candidate.Director of Marketing and Product Management, 1998-2000Led marketing, product management, and engineering teams responsible for global product road maps, retail communication and positioning plans, branding strategies, and market development programs.Marketing Manager; Assistant Marketing Manager, 1995-1998Responsibilities included product line management, competitive analysis, market and channel research.

Silicon Valley start-up firm; designed and built robotic automation systems for manufacturing facilities.Vice-President of Sales and MarketingManaged all sales and marketing activities; secured contracts resulting in first year sales of $4M. General management responsibility and authority included strategic, financial, and operations planning.

Fortune 500 machinery, chemical, and defense systems manufacturing company.Materials Manager - Packaging Systems Division, Aalst, Belgium, 1991-92 Managed purchasing, production planning, and warehouse operations for $12M, multi-national business.Manufacturing Analyst - Corporate Consulting Staff, Chicago, IL, 1989-92 Domestic and international project management, including strategic planning and supplier development.