Executive Council Network (ECN) is an invite-only platform offered to GM/VP/C-Suite corporate leaders and startup innovators who believe in the power of partnerships, community, learning and driving impact in the world beyond the corporate walls. We achieve this by hosting world-class summits and events and creating opportunities for connection, executive elevation and exclusive angel investments. We work collectively with our membership to create positive business and social impact!

Built strategic partnerships and implemented improvements to engineering department.• Developed business strategy for capturing business in heavy industry including large forklifts, mining and construction vehicles which resulted in increased sales from $0 to $1.75 million in less than two years.• Developed and signed several Memorandum of Understandings with strategic partners and suppliers and authored several winning proposals with key customers.• Established Quality Assurance Department and Project Management Office and recruited and hired senior managers for both.

Managed global product development department with engineering centers in Australia, Brazil, India, Switzerland, and the US. Provided leadership, motivation and mentoring to the product development teams in developing products with high customer value and delivering sustainable revenue and EBIT. IMPACT:• Stabilized technology platform by creating escalation process with Service and Support and by using Pareto techniques to prioritize critical issues resulting in fewer new issues and increased customer satisfaction. • Transformed highly isolated, legacy teams with high turnover by instituting a culture of collaboration with shared projects using identical systems and processes. This reduced turnover and improved morale.• Established and recruited senior manager for the new Program Management Office (PMO). Adopted Agile product development process that resulted in product releases that met schedule and budget objectives.• Conducted technical due diligence of potential acquisitions and successfully integrated new engineering departments into existing process and structures.• Created Technology Roadmap and developed framework for engineering teams to evaluate impact of emerging technologies on existing products. Coordinated patent strategy with corporate patent office.

Managed hardware development team including electrical, mechanical and firmware engineers. Assigned engineers to projects, planned project schedules, forecasted workforce needs, coordinated hand-off to manufacturing, performed project estimation, requirements generation and program documentation. IMPACT:• More than doubled hardware engineering group in less than two years.• Turned around failing development project by switching hardware vendors and implementing project and configuration management. Delivered new android based platform on time and on budget.• Worked with outside test and safety labs to ensure that products met all EMC, FCC and 60601 requirements.• Managed design transfer process to manufacturing and developed build check-out software and fixtures.• Created new design control process and assisted with the Medtronic integration

Managed long term and day to day cross-functional activities of new device platforms including program schedule, risk, and cost. Performed project estimation, SOW generation, setup of projects, resource assignment, requirements generation and program documentation. IMPACT:• Delivered new flagship platform on-schedule for the first time in company history. Coordinated all aspects of the project including development, external contractors, test, product management and production.• Negotiated more favorable contract terms with vendors and subcontractors.• Assisted with the creation of the company’s new Program Management Office (PMO). Developed Agile product development process that was appropriate to both web-based and device product lines.• Worked with international hardware suppliers to meet requirements of the SAE J1455 standards.

Managed group of firmware and electrical engineers. Assigned engineers to projects, planned project schedules, hired engineers, forecasted workforce needs, planned career development and training and conducted performance appraisals.IMPACT:• Reduced firmware development cycle time by 35% by adapting a platform based development strategy which allowed designs to be reused and applied to multiple product lines.• Removed engineering silos and created technology councils to improve firmware and electrical designs and apply lessons learned across product lines.• Interfaced with suppliers to communicate product requirements, share best practices, learn about technology trends, negotiate better prices and assist with production planning.• Analyzed future product needs and conducted trade studies to select the next microprocessor and real-time operating system that was scalable and less expensive.

Provided technical direction to software teams consisting of full-time employees and subcontractors through the entire development process from initial requirements definition to formal qualification testing for several smart-fuze and munitions programs.IMPACT:Provided technical direction to software teams consisting of full-time employees and subcontractors through the entire development process from initial requirements definition to formal qualification testing for several smart-fuze and munitions programs.• Managed software cost accounts and successfully met software schedule milestones for programs ranging in size from small R&D projects lasting several months to large $1M programs lasting several years.• Instituted improved software processes in risk management and project planning based on CMMI and Department of Defense best practices.• Led process of safety-critical software being approved by the Army, Navy, and Air Force Fuze Safety Review Boards.• Co-authored winning proposals and accurately estimated preliminary program budgets.• Presented at formal customer reviews as a member of customer-driven, multidiscipline Integrated Product Teams (IPTs). • Six-Sigma Green Belt trained in DMAIC, Lean and DFSS.