LED Lighting for Machine Vision

Moved from Sales Department to internally head up the Smart Vision Light Engineering Department

Sales Manager for all aspects of the western US, western Canada, and South America Smart Vision Lights business. OEM account generation and distribution management.

Provide a West Coast presence for CCS America, who has their main US headquarters in Burlington, MA. Within a short time after hire, opened + established a full-service physical office location in San Jose, CA; including lab for customer sample testing and product demonstration, product showcase, and meeting facilities. Successfully developed regional OEM customers and other top tier targets, including some of the most recognizable names in consumer electronics. Balance support and lead generation for CCS regional distributors, while simultaneously finding and developing OEM direct accounts, without major conflicts between the two sales channels.

Develops and executes objectives fundamental to a new corporate strategy to grow revenue by focusing on direct and OEM accounts through good reliable products, technical facts and differentiation by competent support. Creates and fosters close customer relationships based on technical pre-sales and technical support at a high level. Utilizes technical skills, market knowledge, and application expertise to bolster and close potential sales. Leverages competitive advantage based on differentiation in product skills, service and support. Builds and maintains a strong technical competence within camera technology and vision applications, ensuring that resulting JAI products and support are second to none. Leads application support team in the Americas, providing factory level technical and product assistance to the distribution channel, VARs/SIs, OEMs and key market partners on all JAI products. Travels in the Americas with Sales Managers or alone to develop sales opportunities and to maintain or develop relations to customers. Coordinates with the VP of Sales to set-up and prioritize pre-sales initiatives with customers. Conducts technical training internally and externally (technical seminars, product launches, presentations at trade shows, local training, product demos, etc.). Travels to shows and technical conferences to understand the market, competition and competing products. Conducts selected market and technology analysis within the product strategy group (PSG) used for new product generation and development of business cases. Creates technical bulletins, application notes and assists in manual writing.

In May 2003, JAI Corporation purchased PULNiX America Inc. (see below) and formed JAI PULNiX Inc. (later JAI Inc.), becoming one of the largest manufacturers of CCD + CMOS cameras and subsystems for the industrial, medical, scientific, and military markets. Key player in revitalizing the PULNiX brand, developing common strategies for unification of JAI and PULNiX brand products, refocusing Engineering Dept. activities to develop the products and technologies needed for revenue growth, and helping to integrate the company into the $60+ MM international business of JAI Corp., Denmark. Owned overall responsibility for each product through the entire lifecycle from conception to obsolescence. Defined performance criteria and features for new products, develops goals for product release, and maintains the product roadmap. Product expert with detailed knowledge of the imaging market, competitive products, customer requirements, and market trends. Worked closely with Sales + Marketing, Engineering, Production and corporate management to develop strategies and implement goals. Provided direct support to Sales personnel to close key accounts and maintain technical relationships. Acted as the customer interface into the Engineering Dept., ensuring customer requirements and inputs are included in product definitions. Critical member of the Product Strategy Group that determines overall corporate product strategies, identifies new technology of interest, and sets long term objectives and direction.

Managed all aspects of $1.3 MM territory for Vision Components Division. Product line included line scan and area scan cameras, representing the range of resolutions and speeds available in the market. Technically knowledgeable in CCD + CMOS imager technology and IEEE 1394, RS-644, and Camera Link output formats. Primary responsibilities included maintaining and growing sales at existing accounts, identifying and closing new accounts, scheduling demonstrations and training, forecasting future sales via monthly reports, and managing distribution channels. Served as primary factory contact to independent representative network, distributors, and OEM customers, providing volume quotes, goals, sales channel management, and other factory level sales support. Maintained key OEM relationships in the territory and developed relationships with distributors, VAR’s and key integrators to improve sales channels. Additionally, interacted at all levels with factory personnel to communicate customer requirements, set Sales and Marketing objectives, and provide input for new product development.

Oversaw the marketing and strategic placement of products and related services of Imaging Products Division of $20+ MM industrial vision company. Monitored initial stages of new product development, provided input throughout the design review process, and coordinated the product release into the market. Worked directly with key customers and OEMs to develop new business and custom products. Gathered new product ideas and evaluated their potential and practicality. Managed and prioritized activities of Marketing/Communications Group, including: the generation and placement of ads, trade show planning, website development, and writing technical documents. Reviewed competitive activity, performed market research, and evaluated sales performance, to help establish corporate long-range plans, goals, and distribution policies. Worked closely with National Sales Manager to administer key services including proposals, quotations, scheduling, and shipping of the product. Served as a technical adviser on all marketing matters.

Maintained technical responsibility and presence in Midwest region of US and Canada. Provided all levels of support for high speed, high resolution camera line used in industrial and scientific applications. Worked closely with Design and Product Engineering groups to convey customer needs and develop new products and options that have the greatest market demand. Participated in all phases of new product development, product release cycle, and design reviews. Directly supported customer questions and troubleshooting via phone and email. Conducted product training sessions for Rep/Dealer distribution network within territory. Made customer calls with Rep/Dealers to strengthen relationships and develop new sales. Wrote application notes, technical summaries, and marketing dispositions. Conducted CE/FCC compliance testing and certification of products.

Worked with multi-discipline, international technical group including electrical, mechanical, and software engineers, physicists, production managers, and industrial designers in the U.K., France, Finland, Belgium, and Mexico. Performed all stages of new product development from R&D through scale up into manufacturing. Directed and scheduled the activity of technicians and vendors during pilot builds. Developed a PC-based data acquisition system and software to measure power and temperature. Wrote product and Q.C. specifications, design review packages; technical presentations and reports. Duties included project management and executing a broad range of product development functions such as engineering, design, prototyping, system characterization, FCC emissions testing, field trials, and pilot builds. Conducted customer training in the field and on-site during product field trials. Utilize manufacturing and R&D technologies including infrared thermal imaging, x-ray, ultrasonic inspection, laser and water-jet cutting, chemical milling, resistance welding, casting, and injection molding.

Executed individual and group development projects including design, construction, and testing of prototype components for a company that manufactures ESD protected connectors using semi-conductive elastomers. Performed material preparation, formulation development, and product reliability studies. Created test fixtures and equipment necessary to test components. Built production test equipment to meet 40K per month production requirements. Solved technical problems and transferred technology from a development environment to manufacturing. Worked with ESD and lightning pulse simulators that produced voltages up to 30 KV. Created a new theory for silicon elastomer product formulations that improved electrical response.

Performed maintenance, trouble-shooting, isolation, and repair of electronic equipment aboard the AWACS aircraft, a sophisticated command and control center for radar tracking, surveillance, and communications. Possess technical expertise in a broad range of avionic equipment including RF and radar systems maintenance and calibration, digital telemetry systems, instrumentation, displays, and electrical systems. Managed workgroups up to 10 people to complete routine maintenance tasks. Supervised trainees and acted as a mentor to provide on-the-job training. Used schematics and technical orders to evaluate problems and complete jobs in a timely manner. Received numerous awards for exceptional professional and academic performance.