Barry H. Soloway is a product realization executive, leveraging an extensive engineering, marketing and operations background to prudently identify high value market opportunities, systematically reduce technology risk, quickly launch and enhance products and services, and credibly build shareholder value.

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1999 - present Management Pragmatics, LLC, Tucson, AZ

Practice providing pragmatic expertise to technology-based companies.  Highlights:

VP Engineering, Continuum Photonics, Inc., Billerica, MA

Optical switch based on piezoelectric steering of collimated beams, this startup has received three rounds of financing with JK&B Capital, Prism Venture Partners and Flagship Ventures.  A four year old company, it had difficulty developing and launching its first product.  Reporting to the CEO, led the technology validation process and drove the fast-track product realization (11 months) of a family of optical switches for test & measurement, communications and fiber distribution markets.  Product family maximized reuse of hardware components, shared embedded control software and supported a graphical user interface for its network manager.  Instituted a Gate Review Process and project management disciplines to maintain focus and ensure deliverables.  Product line was fully qualified and ready for launch.  Company subsequently achieved its success event through merger.

Chief Operating Officer, Glimmerglass Networks, Hayward, CA

A MEMS-based, all-optical network switch startup backed initially by Onset Ventures.  Reporting to the Board with full P&L responsibility.   Successfully led the development and market positioning of an industry-leading, all-optical switch fabric, grew the staff from 10 to 58 people, accomplished rapid, focused growth and on-time risk reduction deliverables, hired its first CEO, and positioned the company for a successful Series B financing.  Glimmerglass is one of three remaining companies out of a field of over fifty in the 2000 time frame.  Current market leader with over 150 installations.

Senior VP Product Realization, Novalux, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA

A 2-1/2 year old vertical cavity, semiconductor laser diode startup backed by Vanguard Venture Partners, Crescendo Ventures and DynaFund Ventures.  Reporting to the President & CEO with responsibility for Marketing, Product Development and R&D.  The company was experiencing difficulty launching its first product.  Redefined market segmentation, refocused development activities, cleared technology hurdles, negotiated strategic partnerships and resized the company.  This resulted in the successful launch of two new products, including one of the first low-cost blue light lasers.

Chief Operating Officer, Sourcemine Inc., Woodland Hills, CA

An Internet startup backed by Enterprise Partners, Sprout Group and Infinity Capital.  Retargeted the company from a B2B exchange to a collaboration workspace managing advertising campaigns for the media industry.  Grew the organization from 10 to 35 people, developed the roadmap, let website development, and positioned the company for its successful industry launch with a premier US advertising agency.  

General Business Consulting

Consultant to Lilliputian Systems (miniature fuel cells), Prism Venture Partners (due diligence), Flywheel Ventures (due diligence), Polatis (optical switches), ErgoTouch (ergonomic computer peripherals), Extreme Photonics (flat panel display), Ergo Touch (ergonomic computer peripherals, Extreme Photonics (flat panel display technology),  MyCarStats.com (automobile reliability information), Cambria (packet prioritization networking equipment), Electrical Design Associates (industrial lighting), Aqua Design (commercial pool and water feature design), Charter Funding (mortgage banking) and Kiernan & Associates (business brokerage).  Member of the Board of Directors (2005-2007) of Performance Technology Federal Systems (digital archiving).  

Board of Advisors, Arizona State University

Invited to join the Board and provide industry-based insights to the Department Chairs and professors, and to interact with students as a visiting lecturer and by offering critiques of poster session projects.

Governor's Council on Innovation and Technology, Arizona

Appointed to the Council, an Arizona initiative to develop and advocate programs and policies that encourage growth of a technology-based economy.

University of Phoenix, Tucson, AZ

Adjunct Faculty - Computer Information Systems Masters Degree Program.  Taught Systems Analysis and Development, with an emphasis on software and e-commerce systems.

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2006 - 2008    

VP Product Realization, Tomar Electronics, Inc., Gilbert, AZ                                          

Industry-leading manufacturer of high quality, high performance emergency vehicle lighting and traffic preemption systems for first responders. Reported to the CEO, with responsibility for Engineering, New Product Introduction and R&D.  Guided the product realization process that rapidly introduced new products and systems to support a 25% compound annual growth rate for this 40-year old family run business.  Proud to provide made-in-the-USA products, an integrated engineering/manufacturing approach resulted in designs that required minimal labor content.  Accomplishments included:

New Products:  Class-leading “Scorpion” Light Bar, a value-priced, high-brightness product line and the UC-13, an interior light bar for undercover vehicles (www.tomar.com).  

Cost Reductions: Manufacturing yield improvement and labor reduction, and minimization of warranty costs of field returns.

Concept Prototypes: Patent-pending vehicle emergency lighting system for Carbon Motors, a startup that has introduced a concept vehicle of the world’s first purpose-built police cruiser (www.carbonmotors.com).

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1998 - 1999                

TIMEPLEX, INC., Woodcliff Lake, NJ                         

Senior VP Operations & Development

A turnaround with sales of $175 million, manufacturing voice and data switches and access products, and providing Network Operations Centers for  ILEC’s, CLEC’s and private enterprises.

Responsibilities included: Marketing, Engineering, Manufacturing and Quality organizations worldwide.  Member of the Board of Directors of Simulation Labs and Oasys Telecom.

 Reestablished internal and customer credibility through implementation of an 18 month Product Line Plan, while substantially improving product quality and field support reputation.

Performed due diligence on the ATM Access Concentrator market and led the acquisition and integration of Simulation Labs.

Participated in negotiating major sales initiatives, including a multi-year co-development/co-marketing agreement with a Pacific Rim partner for an Intelligent Transportation System project.

Success event was achieved in twenty months.

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1996 - 1998 

VIDEOLAN TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Louisville, KY                        

Vice President Strategic Marketing & Development

A development stage, post-IPO company commencing manufacture of a Video PBX, the next generation video conferencing system for business and professional markets.

Responsibilities included: Strategic Marketing, Engineering and Pilot Manufacturing.

Defined the Video PBX market opportunity, cost reduced the hardware, increased functionality and robustness of the embedded software, and established pilot manufacturing.

 Conducted successful field trials for remote medicine and distance learning applications. 

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1994 - 1996           

CHARLES INDUSTRIES, LTD., Rolling Meadows, IL                

Vice President Engineering

A growing $150 million privately held telecommunications manufacturer (Wescom trade name) requiring transition from mature products to advanced local loop technologies.

Responsibilities included: product development for XDSL pair gain systems, access multiplexers, channel banks and transmission products.

 Revenue grew 2x during this period, primarily due to introduction of industry-leading XDSL products.  Cost reduction projects yielded over $12 million annually to the bottom line.

 Technical oversight for seven manufacturing plants in the Midwest. 

 Negotiated acquisition of product lines from Lucent and Alcatel.

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1991 - 1993                

VERILINK CORPORATION, San Jose, CA                                   

Vice President Engineering

           A $30 million privately held telecommunications manufacturer of access multiplexers and CSU/DSUs for central office and customer premise applications. 

Responsibilities included: Engineering, Manufacturing Product Support, Call Center, Technical Support and ISO-9001 registration.

 Launched the flagship Access System 2000ä multiplexer and GUI-based Element Manager, with Frame Relay,  SMDS and mini-DACS functionality.

 Returned company to profitability with one-third of sales comprising products introduced in the prior two years. Company subsequently concluded an IPO.

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1985 - 1991                

GROVE HILL ASSOCIATES, INC., Woodbridge, CT                                                 

President 

Founded a technology management consultancy and developed a broad client base:

Pfizer, Inc.:  Three year retained engagement.  Steered the development and implementation of the $1 billion Hospital Product Group's Strategic Technology Plan.

Bell Northern Research, Contel and US West:  Assessed corporate telecommunications R&D projects and recommended approaches to improve competitiveness.

Welch Allyn:  Guided Engineering, Manufacturing and Quality departments through a major transition from electromechanical to microprocessor-based products.

Senmed Medical Ventures: Due diligence technology assessments of start-up companies in cardiac monitoring, automated Pap smear evaluation, and ultrasonic scalpel markets.

 SmartCard International:  Interim VP Manufacturing.  Finalized design of a credit card sized personal computer and set up pilot manufacture.  

American Management Association: Led three-day executive workshops in Strategic Planning and Strategy Implementation.

Technology Management Group: Led three-day executive workshops in Linking Markets, Products and Technologies.

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1976 - 1985            

ITT ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY CENTER, Shelton, CT         

Division General Manager 

Started up two of the five Divisions at the ATC.  The Systems Research Division (1981-1985) developed breakthrough communications and computing systems technologies.  Achieved a 70% productization success rate in a multi-national environment.  The LSI Systems Support Center (1976-1981), structured as a P&L, provided integrated circuit design and consulting services for twenty ITT divisions in North America.

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1975 - 1976            

FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTORS, Mountain View, CA                  

Product Line Manager

                        Led the design and fabrication of the first silicon-gate CMOS digital logic product line.  

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1974 - 1975            

BOWMAR INSTRUMENTS, Chandler, AZ                                               

Operations Manager

            Established product development and manufacturing operations for one of the first digital watches in the industry.

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1966 - 1974            

BELL LABORATORIES, Allentown, PA                                                         

Group Supervisor 

            Led the development of many of the first integrated circuits used in telecommunications systems.

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New York University, New York, NY  -- MS, Electrical Engineering - 1966

Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ  --  BS, Electrical Engineering - 1964

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