About Us
My Philosophy
​When I started graduate school at the University of Washington in Seattle, one of my goals (aside from completing my PhD, of course) was to climb Mt. Rainier. The mountain was visible from all across Seattle, but my favorite view was from right outside the chemistry building with Drumheller Fountain in the foreground and the mountain looming large in the distance. On Day 1 (or even year 1) there was no way I'd be able to climb it, but I had my goal and now the work started.
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After not doing much hiking or camping in my life, that's where I started. Short hikes, rock scrambles, acquiring gear, car camping, and getting comfortable in the outdoors. Longer hikes, and higher elevations, came next. And then backpacking in all kinds of weather. Eventually, I took a climbing course to make sure I knew how to safely climb - rock, ice, and glaciers. At this point, I was finally ready to climb.
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It took me 3 years – of training and learning and investing and partnering – until I was ready to summit and the 3rd summer of graduate school, I (along with 2 fellow graduate students and 2 other friends) made it to the summit!
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Transformation journeys remind me of my climbing experience – you can’t just jump in and make it happen on day 1. You need your vision (the summit), but also need to assess and understand where you are today and where you need to focus your energy and resources.
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As an independent, vendor and solution agnostic, industry 4.0 and digital transformation advisor, my goal is to help you make sense of the forest of opportunities to identify the 3-5 most important areas of focus and then put a roadmap in place to drive value in those areas. Let’s get you focused on the next steps in your journey.
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My Experience
I have over 20 years experience as a thought leader in innovation management and digital transformation. Currently, I am the Principal at Industry 4ward LLC, an advisory firm that works with manufacturers to help them identify, prioritize, and embark on the next steps in their digital transformation journey. I leverage the Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI) assessment model which a data-driven model that incorporates I4.0 maturity, industry competitiveness, KPIs, cost profile, and time horizon to identify areas of focus.
I hold a BS in Chemistry from the University of Rochester and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Washington. Upon completing his graduate studies, I went to work at IBM’s Microelectronics Division where I remained for over 12 years. At IBM I held a variety of roles across the technical and managerial spectrum. Upon leaving IBM, I joined Entegris where I held 2 key roles at – innovation management thought leader and Director of Digital Transformation.
I am a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Certified SIRI Assessor, and Certified COSIRI Assessor with extensive experience at leading technical, business process, and organizational development projects.
I have been involved in the Innovation Research Interchange (IRI) and the Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC) for many years. I sat on the IRI Board of Directors and as the Chair of the IRI Board. I remain active with both the MLC and IRI in building networks and driving Industry 4.0, Sustainability, and Innovation conversations and best (and next) practices.
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In addition to these roles, I am active in the Semiconductor trade association (semi.org) Smart Manufacturing and Smart Data initiatives to help drive peer-to-peer learning about Industry 4.0 across manufacturing, innovation, and specifically the semiconductor industry.
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