SENIOR EXECUTIVE: Operations and Technology
Versatile senior executive with 13 years' P&L responsibility in startup to $10B companies. Demonstrated ability to innovate, build market share, acquire strategic assets, stabilize existing operations, manage organizational changes, and increase margins.
Business builder (4 practices and 3 startups) driving profitable growth in challenging, competitive, and volatile markets. Business developer with 70% win rate in competitive bidding.
Inspiring leader and team builder who seizes opportunities, manages complex issues, and earns respect through persuasive, participatory leadership.
General Management & Operations Growth & Renewal Strategies Strategy Implementation
IT Management & Operations Marketing Business Development Product Management
Service Delivery Team Building & Development Mergers & Acquisitions Outsourcing
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
STEALTH MODE STARTUP; Chicago, Illinois 2006-Current
Web 2.0 e-commerce venture providing packaged professional services to consumers via business process automation
COO / CTO
Providing vision and strategy to take business from concept to market through an aggressive ramp-up. Designed business processes and technology to scale easily, facilitating expansion to new markets and addition of new products, while supporting increasing transaction volume. Co-directing marketing, including branding, market segmentation and analysis, consumer qualitative and quantitative studies, and strategic and tactical planning and implementation.
Created comprehensive 5-yr business plan and detailed financial models to secure Series A funding.
Designed business processes and system information architecture to minimize delivery costs by maximizing automation of administrative functions and leveraging business process automation to minimize the time spent by high value professionals to render purchased services to consumers.
Quantitative survey of a representative sampling of over 600 consumers invited to use beta website and SaaS system proved successful design, with projected take rate well above average.
Directing outsourced development of sophisticated, scalable n-tier system, e-commerce website, SaaS applications to service consumers and their selected professional service providers, and all associated back end systems.
AON CORPORATION; Chicago, Illinois 2000-2005
World leader ($10B) in risk management, insurance brokerage, reinsurance, and benefits administration services
Vice President, Technology Strategy
Peer of 8 $1+B business unit CIOs. Created & orchestrated enterprise strategies to rationalize & manage technology portfolio and reduce costs, collaborating with and influencing 8 IT organizations worldwide. Co-managed Aon/Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) Joint Architecture and Standards organization.
General Management and Operations
Discovered $20M/yr potential erosion of outsourcing savings and identified mitigating actions.
Drove program to remediate ~500 U.S. applications to normalized infrastructure and associated architectural standards and migrate these applications from 30 to 3 data centers.
Established an integrated set of Aon/CSC processes to improve efficiency and reduce errors in the migration of applications to the new infrastructure, and metrics to stimulate and monitor progress. Initiated post mortems to identify and correct root causes for process breakdowns.
Created and mentored self-directed team of business unit leaders to drive migration to the outsourced infrastructure and provide governance for establishment of enterprise processes, policies, & standards. Achieved an unprecedented level of collaboration across business units
Established a centralized shared service organization with CTO, executing internal marketing strategy to transition culture to billable architecture services with full cost transparency.
Conducted due diligence on several companies, leading to a successful acquisition.
Technology
Co-managed and collaborated on the design and implementation of a new, outsourced infrastructure and hosting solution (a $600M deal) for B2C, B2B, and internal applications. Solution normalized & rationalized servers, data centers, network, and service management to save 25%/yr.
Established the first successful enterprise level architecture policies and standards at Aon.
Drove the evaluation, consensus building, procurement, design, & deployment of a standards-based global application platform, hosted in 3 countries, delivered on-time and on-budget ($3M/month burn rate) despite an aggressive schedule.
SEPRIL SERVICES, LLC; Chicago, Illinois 1996-1999
Independent joint venture of Sargent & Lundy and the 501(c)(3) non-profit Electric Power Research Institute
Creator of sophisticated, packaged software products & provider of consulting services for power project development
CEO / Principal
Co-founded company and directed all operations. Built a roster of 100+ active clients, including 28 Fortune/Global 500 companies. Directed a staff of 40 in 3 offices across the U.S. with outsourced staff and 7 distributors/resellers abroad. Set strategic direction. Developed detailed business plans, including forecasts, staffing plans, and budgets. Actively monitored sales trends, budgets, and financial reports, making tactical adjustments as necessary. Built highly scalable infrastructure to support future growth. Reported directly to Board of Directors.
General Management and Operations
Achieved profitability within six months; grew annual revenue to nearly $4M and EBITDA >16% in 18 months on a $660K equity investment, competing in a narrow vertical market.
Generated over $2.5M in internal capital from operations, funding development of 3 major 'point' releases and 8 significant service releases of core products.
Sales and Marketing
Developed market analysis, strategy, and plan. Directed award-winning advertising campaign.
Launched 2 new products, increasing revenues by 15%, and major upgrades to 3 others.
Built strong company and product brands worldwide.
Developed and implemented Internet marketing efforts that drove product sales to a CAGR of over 50% with no price increases, while under heavy competitive pressure.
Created innovative, modified subscription licensing/pricing model for key software products; built annual license renewal rate to 90%.
Technology
Directed implementation of a robust communications network, including a VOIP phone system and customer support & sales call centers, sales force automation & accounting systems, hosting, & DR.
Designed, implemented, and administered a comprehensive (>300 page) web site, including customer profiling, customer support, on-line advertising, and search engine optimization. Site visitors increased by 90% in 1999 with 60% return traffic, and an average stay of 61/2 minutes.
Research and Development
Directed development of all software releases, recalibrating packaged products to the needs of existing and potential customers, while counteracting emerging competitive threats.
Directed development of five new software products under contract to industry R&D organizations (EPRI and GRI) and negotiated commercialization rights.
Finance
Established accounting policies, accurately capturing intellectual property value creation while correctly anticipating changes to GAAP. Designed scalable accounting structure that tracked several lines of business with multiple product lines and global sales.
Leveraged marginal capitalization to manage growth through successful negotiation of favorable asset leases and line of credit.
Team Building and Development
Built a strong, empowered staff and established a supportive, team-based, market-driven culture.
Maintained a staff turnover rate of less than 7%.
SARGENT & LUNDY, LLC; Chicago, IL
The leading provider ($280M) of architecture/engineering/construction services for the power industry
Senior Manager / Associate Partner 1989-1996
Led strategic client relationship management and directed bidding, negotiating, and management of individual consulting services, contract R&D, and IT solution projects. Managed development teams of >100 specialists. Assisted SVP in performance analysis & biannual owners' financial reviews for $13M business unit.
General Management and Operations
Initiated, evaluated, recommended, and negotiated the acquisition of a 40% equity stake in a successful software development startup that generated a 20% per year ROI.
Negotiated term sheet and business alliance, operating, and licensing agreements to form successful business venture (SEPRIL Services, LLC).
Designed and conducted a "war game" for business unit managers designed to stimulate entrepreneurial thinking to address market challenges.
Built two new practices: Research & Development and Software Development Services.
Technology
Led development of ASP platform and multiple applications for award-winning e-commerce network well before commercial acceptance of the Internet.
Managed complex development (>150,000 mh) of two seminal software products enabling managers to optimize project financial risk/return while reducing design costs. Products automate creation of detailed conceptual designs, including process design, equipment sizing, performance analysis, CAD drawings, cost estimates, and pro forma.
Produced 20 award-winning multimedia encyclopedia products featuring interactive power plant technology analysis. Coordinated contributions and copyright releases from 60+ manufacturers.
Sales and Marketing
Achieved a cumulative winning percentage of 70% on competitively bid projects.
- ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE -
Project Manager / Supervisor, SARGENT & LUNDY
Started up and grew Process Engineering practice to 12 staff.
Positioned company to penetrate new market segment (R&D), winning over $20M in contracts.
Received six promotions during tenure.
Co-Founder / Producer, ACCENT ON MUSIC
Started-up, operated, and sold entertainment booking agency.
Engineer, Sun Chemical Corporation
Pilot Plant Engineer, Eimco-Envirotech Corporation
- EDUCATION -
MS in Chemical Engineering; BS in Chemical Engineering
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, Evanston, IL
Managing Editor and Chairman, Editorial Board of award-winning Northwestern Engineer Magazine
- PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT -
Six Sigma DMAIC; AON CORPORATE EDUCATION SYSTEM; 2005
Strategic Marketing of Technology Products; CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY; 1995
Technology-Based Innovation; NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY; 1993
- PUBLICATIONS -
More than 50 papers, articles, and editorials, plus 6 book-length publications.
28 commercial (shrink-wrapped) software products.
Scores of formal presentations on 4 continents, including road shows and as invited speaker
- HONORS AND AWARDS -
Tower Award; BUSINESS MARKETING ASSOCIATION OF CHICAGO; 1998
Achievement Award; CONSULTING ENGINEERS COUNCIL; 1996
3 Awards of Merit; NEWMEDIA INVISION MULTIMEDIA AWARDS; 1994
Award of Excellence; Gold Medal Award; NEWMEDIA INVISION MULTIMEDIA AWARDS; 1993
- CERTIFICATION -
Licensed Professional Engineer
- MEMBERSHIP -
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