David F. Skillern 5606F Lakeview Drive, Kirkland, WA
206-883-3161
Global Software Executive who has spent his career conceiving and building product, service and cross-functional teams that solve real customer and business problems.
· Customer-focused leader adept at determining customer requirements for products and services
· Management expertise in building high performance teams and implementing results driven cultures
· Strategist skilled in devising and communicating strategies that have delivered top and bottom-line results
· Innovative thinker who leverages technology and its implications to streamline operations
· Change catalyst repeatedly sought out to drive major initiatives by resolving problems at the system/process level
· Accomplished global manager respected for international savvy and intercultural experience
Professional Experience
Isilon System Inc., Seattle, WA 07/07– Present
Vice President – Global Service
Recruited to build a Global Service team including Technical Support, Hardware Maintenance, and Professional Services for this rapidly growing storage company. Isilon Systems Inc. is a $150M world leader in clustered storage solutions for digital media creation, digital online delivery, Web 2.0, biometrics analysis and enterprise storage.
· Started with a 15 person support team using the “call-back method” and build a “real-time” 24 X 7 global support and service business.
· Conceptualized and drove the product development of an automated support platform (NET application) to remotely gather cluster configuration data and perform diagnostics as well as automatically open cases based on cluster alerts and message customer on how to maintain or fix their systems (SupportIQ). Reduced initial diagnostics time by 83%.
· Created Professional Service Offerings and developed team for rapid deployment of our clustered solutions doubling professional service revenue as well as driving faster follow-on sales
· Drove the replacement of Third Party Field Maintenance provider and reduced future service costs by 46% saving millions over the next 3 years.
· Results – Increased customer satisfaction from 85% to 97%, answered 99% of phone calls in less than 2 minutes, 95% in less than 30 seconds, reduced case days open by 43%, improved same day case closure rate from 13% to 31% of cases and delivered 40% gross margins.
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Network Appliance Inc., Sunnyvale, ca 01/05 – 07/07
Director – Service Readiness
Asked to lead the Service Readiness Team after the successful completion of three professional service engagements. Network Appliance Inc. is a $3B+ world leader in unified storage solutions for enterprise.
· Restructured and built the 28 person Service Readiness team and supporting processes to drive the global readiness of the Support, Field, and Professional Service delivery teams for new products, services, and tools as well as the driving collaborative development of service requirements for new products.
· Reengineered the NetApp Global Services (NGS) New Product Introduction (NPI) process to increase staff performance and end-user success rates. NPI productivity has increased over 100% and NGS management noted Service Readiness results to be a “night and day” change over past experience.
· Implemented innovative New Service Introduction (NSI) Cross-Functional Process. NSI was instrumental in ensuring that NetApp could rapidly and consistently develop Enterprise Storage Service Practices. NSI was cited as a key contributor to NetApp moving into the Leader quadrant of Gardner’s Storage Services Magic Quadrant.
· Drove the NGS Serviceability Requirements Process for next generation product line. Our requirements were noted by engineering management as the most comprehensive and complete service requirements for any project.
· Developed Support and Service automation tools for upgrade planning, supportability analysis, data migration, and data center visualization. Received rave reviews from Field Service and Sales Engineers due to increased productivity.
· Recognized with two NGS Total Customer Experience Awards by the Executive Vice President of NetApp Global Services
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Service Strategies Corporation, San Diego, Ca/Sunriver Group LLC, Austin, Texas 3/01-12/04
Partnered with Service Strategies, Corp. (SSC) to provide support and service organizations; operating assessments, business planning, benchmarking, best practices, reengineering consulting and implementation planning services
Senior Consultant and Engagement Manager
· Led the assessment, benchmarking, and proposal development for re-architecting the global support organization for a leading storage solutions company for their growth to a $3B business.
· Drove strategic assessment for the global technical support operations of a leading CAD software company to support the growth of a $300M support business
· Created the first operating plan for a $2 million government professional services firm and negotiated major ERP partner relationship to support doubling their sales
· Developed sales pipeline and partnership introductions for a business process management company which led to partnership with major enterprise Software Company and which helped support a $10M funding round.
· Recruited by investors to turnaround a Call-Center software and Services Company. Led the business back from near bankruptcy, developing sales pipeline, creating positive cash flow, and negotiated more favorable terms with vendors and lenders.
Proactive Medical Technologies, Inc, Austin, Texas 03/03-1/05
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Proactive Medical Technologies, Inc. (PMT) was a startup Bio-Tech company focused on developing Molecular Differential Diagnostic (MDD) products and their supporting technologies.
· Developed business plan, validated market, negotiated channel partnerships, and developed funding requirements which lead to a $600K seed capital investment.
· Shipped first product; Acute Respiratory Infection (SARS) MDD Kit (8/2003). The Kit was the first to provide differential diagnosis that allows doctors (in China) to identify if a patient's acute respiratory infection is caused by the SARS virus or any of nine other common influenza infections.
· Negotiated licensing of Alcohol Abuse diagnostic technology from the University of Texas.
Agillion Incorporated, Austin, Texas 03/00-03/01
Vice President - Product Operations & Services
Led the 45 person software development, technical support, deployment services, and training teams for this eCRM ASP (Application Service Provider) start-up. Controlled a $5 million budget. Established and recruited support, training, and deployment services staff.
· Restructured product development and product strategy to reduce costs while meeting customer commitments and delivering two major product releases.
· Initiated product deployment services which completed over 50 successful on-site projects in six months and drove the company’s first product and service sales
· Built world-class SMB support and implementation teams based on Support Center Practices of the SSC
· Implemented telephony and case management system that handled more than 80% of transactions online.
Mentor Graphics Corporation, Wilsonville, Oregon 02/85-03/00
Division Vice President & General Manager – Global Customer Support Division
Led the 3-time STAR award wining 322-member division, including technical support, customer service, field services, logistics, and sustaining engineering. Oversaw $175M P&L and business strategy for 21 support centers with operations in all international offices, development centers, and headquarters. Controlled a $48 million operating budget. Mentor Graphics is a technical leader in the high performance computing market that develops software and hardware products for electronic design automation for IC and PCB designers. Advanced through
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Mentor Graphics Corporation, Wilsonville, Oregon (Continued) 02/85-03/00
numerous executive positions for this worldwide public company as Mentor grew from IPO with $75M in sales and 450 employees to 2,800+ employees and more than $600 million in sales.
· Grew total Customer Support Division revenue by more than $20 million an 11% increase over prior year due to turnaround of the Asia-Pacific Support business
· Drove the development of the eBase application for online customer installed based maintenance and renewal transaction management to replace SAP application, resulting in 40% ($2 million) reduction in administrative costs and improved customer satisfaction. Overall customer satisfaction grew from 92% to 96%.
· Delivered $3.5 million profit growth through product deployment and custom engineering services.
· Developed integrated services strategy and processes to improve new product introduction success, develop best practices, and rapidly productize new service offerings
Director - Design Capture Business Unit General Manager (USA, UK, Belgium, and India)
· Led the state-of-the-art technical thrust into system design, architectural exploration and behavioral synthesis.
· Drove the creation of an EDA industry’s first multi-project worldwide SW/HW Co-Design research program linking Mentor Graphics, industry and academia.
· Delivered operating income increase for Design Capture Business Unit of 23% ($3 million) due to new products sales of the EDA industry’s first Windows Logo compliant application as well as online sales.
Director - Division Marketing & Business Development (Silicon Systems Division)
· Co-developed innovative market validation and requirement definition process to identify requirements (voice-of-the-customer) for the development of new products and services, ease of doing business and improved customer sales and satisfaction
· Led the negotiation, acquisition and integration of 5 companies. The acquired technology products generated $12 million 1st-year revenue.
· Co-authored the SOC (System on a Chip) product strategy. The work was completed in less than 90 days with over 100 interviews with customers, sales and channel partners. Strategy led to a major restructuring of the company and recognition as a technology leader in the industry.
Controller - Asia-Pacific Finance & IT (Japan & Singapore)
· Founded the Asia-Pacific Finance, and IT team based in Tokyo. Expanded to include offices and staff in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, Beijing, Korea, and India. Asia-Pacific operations grew from near zero to $85+ million in four years as well as being ranked as one of the top-20 foreign electronics firms (in profitability) in Japan.
· Implemented Two Computer Centers in Tokyo and Singapore and the enterprise software systems for the Asia-Pacific region
Previous Executive experience with Tektronix, Inc. and Wells Fargo in Finance, IT, and Strategic Planning
Appointments and Affiliations
Oregon State University – College of Engineering Advisory Board 1998-Date
Software Services Professionals Association, Member and 3-time STAR award winner 1998-Date
Elected to the Academy of Distinguished Engineers Oregon State University 2007
Education
MS, Management, Thesis in Financial Forecasting with Box/Jenkins, Marylhurst University, Marylhurst, OR
BS, Business (Finance and Accounting) and Technology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
The Levinson Institute – executive leadership development, Boston, MA
Open to relocation.