Welcome to Brazen Careerist!

About Me

Aggressive, ambitious entrepreneur / intrapreneur suited for many cross-functional management & leadership roles. Strong skills in Engineering (hardware, software, systems), Marketing (writing, speaking, partnering, strategy), Sales (direct, channel, OEM), and new product development. Experience in large companies, small start-ups, and successful growth from start-up to IPO and beyond. MBA from a top-tier university, undergraduate degree in Organizational Leadership, and an unfinished Engineering degree.

I am currently leading a project to build a cutting edge cloud computing solution, and am about ready for my next project. If you are starting a new technology product, division, or company, and need a chief-cook-and-bottle-washer to drive it forward, I am your guy. I have the hard analytical skills for engineering and business, and the soft relationship skills for sales, marketing, and leadership you need to coax a new idea into the market.

Work History

• Double-Take Software
• Business Development Manager
• January 2008 to Present

• Create new lines of business and target new markets through new product development and partnerships. Convert existing enterprise software product into cloud based service without damaging existing business. Manage all aspects of the new venture, including high-level vision, strategy, pricing & financials, technical architecture, partnerships, marketing, and sales. Report to CEO and board of directors. Launch new hardware appliance with our software embedded through a start-up OEM partner. Identify and recruit additional partners, and develop managed service offerings based on our software. Provide strategy recommendations on technical approach, pricing, marketing, partnering, and distribution. Analyze marketing and sales data to optimize strategy. Write marketing copy, write, produce, and appear in promotional videos. Negotiate agreements with partners.

• Double-Take Software
• Corporate (OEM) Development Engineer
• June 2004 to January 2008

• Work with the Business Development manager to develop the OEM relationship with Hewlett Packard Corporation. Help plan and execute growth strategies. Identify opportunities to partner with other products and services, develop technical solutions, marketing materials and sales aids, and drive acceptance and awareness for the new solutions within HP, its reseller-partners, and its customers. Co-author white papers, and speak at numerous HP events. Increase our sales volume through HP by 30%.

• Double-Take Software
• Systems Engineering Manager
• June 2001 to June 2004

• Recruit, train, and lead all pre-sales system engineers, nationwide. Rebuild a defunct field engineering group in 90 days. Develop necessary training to make new employees autonomous and productive within 60 days of their hire date. Provide continuous coaching and training, escalated support and sales closing assistance to support pending sales and major accounts. Maintain nearly 100% retention of employees over a five-year period. Develop various tools and documents that provide competitive advantage. Help the newly formed Professional Services team define and develop their service capabilities, and create a software application that is the foundation of their data-analysis capability.

• Double-Take Software
• Senior Systems / Sales Engieer
• June 1998 to June 2001

• Member of a top producing sales team, responsible for partner, channel, and enterprise sales in eleven western states plus western Canada. Responsible for pre-sales tasks, post-sales installation and escalated technical support. Manage many customer crisis situations, and convert them into long-term wins. Develop custom solutions that solve customer problems beyond the documented capabilities of our software. Manage high-profile accounts outside my geographic region, based on my technical and customer service capabilities.

• EPIC Solutions
• Information Technology Manager
• March 1996 to June 1998

• Start, build, and lead the Information Technology department in one of San Diego’s fastest growing start-up software companies. Conceive, plan, manage, and successfully complete a variety of IT projects designed to increase corporate effectiveness as the company tripled in size, moved, and then expanded to additional locations. Also responsible for system engineering tasks in support of sales. Under my management, the company revenue and employee base grew by 4x, and the IT equipment base grew by 6x, while my IT staff grew by only 2x.

• Science Applications International Corporation
• Senior Computer Engineer / Lab Manager
• March 1989 to March 1996

• Design, integrate, test, and manufacture specialized, high performance, ruggedized computer systems, from PCB through software, for MIL-SPEC and space-flight capable requirements. Organize and lead internal manufacturing teams and manage contract manufacturers. Supervise regulatory and environmental certification testing. My systems flew multiple missions in the Space Shuttle & Space Lab, and deployed in battlefield conditions world-wide

Education

• Rady School of Management, University of California, San Diego
• Master of Business Administration, New Product / Business Development, Finance
• 2006 - 2008

• The whole program is focused on taking technical ideas out of the lab and into the market. In addition to the expected top-tier Ph.D.s & Nobel Laureates, the faculty includes practicing venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, strategists, and product designers.

• Chapman University
• Organizational Leadership, Leadership, Organizational Administration
• 2001 - 2004