Emulsions Polymerization and Emulsions Consultant Expert in Polyvinyl Alcohol, Vinyl Acetate/Ethylene Polymers and Vinyl Acetate

Technical Consultant #1473

Vinyl acetate and vinyl acetate/ethylene emulsion polymers.
Intellectual property management and technology licensing; "Certified Licensing Professional" status from Licensing Executive Society.
Emulsion polymerization and emulsion plant scale-up.
Epoxy hardeners and chemistry.
Development of wetting agents and defoamers.
Urethane chemistry, urethane/acrylic emulsions and urethane catalysts.
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer development and polyvinyl alcohol use for barrier packaging films.
Stage Gate process for new product development.
Water soluble polymer development for radiation curing markets.
Computer automated reactor lab for high pressure polymerization and spray dying.

Independent Consultant, 2008

Air Products and Chemical, Allentown, PA, 1981 - 2008

Director of Intellectual Asset Management and Licensing, 2002 - 2008

Initiated new licensing business and intellectual asset management function.
Grew licensing to sustainable business dimensions of $5 million annual income within 6 years.
Led cross-functional team that built and implemented an enterprise-wide strategic intellectual asset management process that became the framework for the licensing business.
Identified licensable properties, developed and marketed license offerings.
Manage five licensing professionals and signed 35 license deals covering a wide variety of technologies, including combustion, catalytic processing, electronic chemicals, sulfur recovery, urethane catalysts, web-based software and gas separation and purification.
Recently closed a complex 4 party license deal with global reach and ongoing cooperative development.

Chemicals Group, Director Applications Development and Technical Service, 2000 - 2002

Planned, coordinated, directed and developed the product development and technical service capabilities in support of $1 billion performance chemicals division: Emulsion polymers, epoxy hardeners, wetting agents and defoamers and urethane catalysts.
Experienced in adhesives, coatings, inks, automotive, appliance and furniture foams market.
Led a group of 100 scientists and engineers, including 6 technology managers as direct reports.
Aligned cross-functional resources, developed budgets, and programs, focusing on business goals. Improved systems, developed, and implemented work processes to increase efficiency and effectiveness in selection of programs.
Developed technology project portfolios with four individual business units, using a quantitative work process, for project portfolio management.
Managed and executed development projects, using stage gate principles, and decision points.
Led corporate team in developing a business strategy for a growth platform in performance materials, working with outside consulting team.

Polymer Chemicals, Global Director Applications Development/Technical Service, 1998 - 2000

In the $600 million division, planned, coordinated and managed for the Applications Development and Technical Service organization.
Provided differentiated technical service giving faster response time to customer problems in North America, Latin America, and Asia.
Developed new customer solutions for the division's business portfolio in emulsion polymers, and polyvinyl alcohol. Efforts led to 10% sales growth in 1999.
Led the technology team in the successful acquisition of the South Korean Tae Young emulsions business. Designed and institutionalized a Stage Gate work process for new product and process development.
Managed the project portfolio selection and resource planning process across all technology functions.
Managed domestic organization of 60 people including international organization of 12.
Material participant in divestment of polyvinyl alcohol business.

Polymer Chemicals, Global Emulsions Research and Development Manager, 1996 - 1998

Planned, led, coordinated, and directed the consolidated research and development efforts of a $350 million emulsions global business unit.
Responsible for new product synthesis, lab-to-plant technology transfer, process development and plant support for seven domestic and two foreign plants.
Managed budget and staff of 43 chemists and engineers and 2 pilot plants.
Aligned cross-functional resources including focusing on business objectives. Improved systems and developed and implemented work practices.

Corporate Technology, Senior Commercial Development Manager, 1991 - 1996

Started up VINAMER® monomer and polymer derivatives selling into water soluble polymer and radiation curing markets.
Levered expertise in organic/polymer chemistry, commercial development and organizational skills in championing the new business development.
Wrote business and marketing plans to justify first commercial investment in VINAMER monomer; identified target markets and customers; introduced product to customers; negotiated and closed sales contracts with customers; made pricing decisions; filed PMN's with US EPA; led FDA conformance activities; managed cross-functional team.

Polymer Chemicals, Manager Emulsions, Research and Development, 1988 - 1991

Directed and managed new emulsion product research, development process research, product scale-up, technology transfer to plants and plant troubleshooting in support of $200 million business.
With a staff of 30 responsible for computer automated reactor lab and pilot plant for high pressure emulsion polymerization and spray drying.
Led development and scale-up of 9 new emulsion products totaling $30 million of new business.
Headed process research team focusing on quality, process consistency, distributed computer control and process modeling.
Managed technical support for start up of 16,000 gallon emulsion reactor and a 20 million pounds per year spray dryer unit.

Polymer Chemicals, Business Development Manager, 1985 - 1988

Started new businesses in water based urethane-acrylic emulsions commercialized under the Flexthane® trademark, and in thermoplastic polyvinyl alcohol later commercialized under the Vinex® trademark.
Defined business opportunities with extensive customer involvement.
Defined technical programs, focusing on customer needs; set pricing goals; and, developed commercial development plans.
Negotiated license to SINOPEC, a chemical industry organization in the People's Republic of China.

Polymer Chemicals Division, Manager, New Applications, 1984 - 1985

Developed applications of emulsions for industrial coatings and polyvinyl alcohol for barrier packaging with a technical staff of ten.

Publications

Authored/edited 3 papers.
Presented topical content on licensing and intellectual asset management at workshops.
Lead licensing negotiator and deal maker with a personal deal portfolio of 16 signed deals.

Ph. D., Organic Chemistry, Ohio State University.

B.S., Chemistry (with Honors), Hobart College.