Executive Resume

Executive Resume

George L. Walls

14983 Tahoe Way, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Phone: (408) 857-5728 Email:

Leadership Profile

Executive Leadership, Strategic Planning, Upstream Marketing, Medical Device Research/Development,

Marketing Campaign Management, Product Launch, Sales Force Development, Strategic Alliances

Forward-thinking sales and marketing professional with a demonstrated record of success creating strategic marketing campaigns and driving cradle-to-grave product development and management for multimillion-dollar portfolios of products. Proven record of success in product management, product development, multimedia product development, market research, and technical support. Pioneered a formal product launch process that combined product development and business development into parallel processes. Tripled sales growth on several occasions by restructuring the sales force and retraining in solution-selling. An exceptional communicator and motivator who combines the right mix of new-world savvy with old-world values.

Professional Experience

QualStone

San Jose, California

President

2001 to 2002

Launched a new medical/technology-oriented marketing services company. Conceived all operational, pricing and marketing strategies, policies and procedures. Personally developed all new business and negotiated contract terms. Successfully steered business to achieve established milestones. Recruited a second full-time employee in 2001 and six virtual employees in March 2002.

·  Secured multiple agreements with Palm, Inc. and Price Waterhouse Coopers to develop and launch a solutions marketplace intended to become the electronic Yellow Pages of the Palm economy.

·  Developed and executed customer satisfaction surveys to support ranking systems on solution providers (software, hardware, consulting, tools, and system integration).

·  Assisted in developing specification of software platform (contract project) and provided its non-technical administration.

·  Orchestrated policies and procedures for contract project management of technical development, internal training of Palm personnel and support of sales to key accounts for the solutions marketplace.

·  Secured agreements with Palm Computer for its Palm Alliance program.

·  Assisted Palm in program presentation at Palm Source convention.

Laerdal Medical

Wappingers Falls, New York

Director, Product Innovation

1998 to 2000

Directed the development and launch of software solutions and medical devices with a $3 million annual budget. Key member of the senior management team generating the company's strategic and annual plan, budgets, and quarterly reviews. Led all aspects of product management, medical device product development, multi-media product development, market research, and technology support. Reported directly to the CEO and supervised 23 personnel.

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·  Dramatically increased the revenue from new products over a four-year period and shifted the portfolio to higher margin products, as illustrated in the graph below.

·  Built a software development capability from scratch, delivering three major new product platforms within 24 months. Retrained the sales force in solution-selling and achieved 170 percent of the first-year sales plan while delivering 80 percent gross margins.

·  Structured and initiated the first formal launch process in tandem with development, thus combining product development and business development into a parallel process.

·  Revitalized the product pipeline and tripled new product throughput, generating 38 percent of revenues from products launched in the past three years.

Director of Marketing

1997 to 1998

Led an integrated group of product management, product marketing (business development), marketing research, and medical device development personnel with cradle-to-grave responsibility for a $45 million portfolio of products. Managed a total staff of 15 and administered a $2.2 million budget.

·  Led sales force reorganization from generalists to market specialists that supported three major product initiatives. First year sales growth of 20 percent was triple the prior year.

·  Provided leadership to a European-based worldwide product definition team to replace core product line of 10 CPR training products with an organized platform. This initiative led to a strategic alliance and the acquisition of Laerdal’s second-largest competitor.

·  Oversaw the acquisition and integration of a multimedia software development company.

·  Directed the research team that partnered with the American Heart Association (AHA) on an ethnographic study of CPR in US public schools. Early estimates predict that penetration will be catapulted from the 35-year-high of 5 percent to 20 percent by 2005.

General Manager, Phoenix, Arizona

1995 to 1996

Promoted to turn around an under-performing region as part of company reorganization. Directed sales activities including six manufacturers' representatives, nine field sales representatives, two national account mangers, and three tele-sales personnel in the western U.S. with a total staff of 20. Delivered $23 million in 1996, representing 35 percent of the company's revenue, and grew sales at three times the company average. Personally handled major business development opportunities including an alliance with Med Air to open the aircraft market for AEDs.

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· 
Rehabilitated or replaced every member of the sales team and grew sales at a CAGR 80 percent.

·  Launched a telemarketing team that was key to a 40 percent year-to-year sales increase.

·  In an alliance with Hewlett Packard, led the company's entrance into the monitor/defibrillator market and sold 60 percent of all monitor defibrillators worldwide in the first year of introduction.

·  Launched the junior/senior team selling concept and co-developed a competitive replacement program, elevating market position to number one in California for the first time since the mid-80s.

Region Manager, Houston, Texas

1992 to 1994

Directed the sales activities in a 9-state region; six months later promoted to manage a 16-state region.

·  Led the company in growth of its three (out of five) highest gross profit product lines.

·  Named as Region Manager of the Year for 1994.

·  Turned around three poorly performing territories.

·  All account managers were quota busters (100 percent+) in 1993.

California Medical Products, Division of Laerdal Medical

Houston, Texas

Director of Sales/National Sales Manager

1991

Managed national sales activities, generating $10 million annually for the leading provider of emergency spinal immobilization products following its acquisition in 1991 by Laerdal Medical. Charged with managing the transition, integrating recently hired salespeople into the existing force, and achieving sales objectives.

·  The only U.S.-based Laerdal sales manager to achieve quota in 1991.

·  Delivered 35 percent year-to-year growth in annuity products verses an industry average of 7 percent.

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Employment Prior to 1991

Following completion of bachelor's degree, hired in 1979 by NCR Corporation’s product marketing division and charged with managing the launch of two to four top new product introductions per year. Promoted in 1982 to executive account manager with responsibility for national retail accounts; excelled for the next five years as a top-producing sales executive. Recruited in 1987 as sales and business development manager by US Videotel, a pre-Internet, online services provider that went on to beat both Prodigy and AOL to market. Joined Wayne Medical Products as the general manager in 1989; charged with driving revenues; recruited, trained and led a sales team while negotiating sale of business on behalf of owner. Worked with PKS Item Products as a consultant from 1990 to 1991; established the company's first marketing program, key account strategy, and manufacturer's representative contract. Recruited in 1991 by Pain Care to create a marketing program, hire/train the sales staff, and launch The Pain Care Clinic; a multi-disciplinary, accredited pain clinic. Increased equipment/supply revenues by 60 percent per month.

Education

·  MBA, Executive Program, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 1985

·  BS/BA, Finance and Management, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, 1979

Presentations

·  From Discovery to Launch: Unpacking the Fuzzy Front End, Product Development Management Association, National Conference, Disney World, October 2002, http://www.pdma.org/2002/.

·  Deffuzzing the Fuzzy Front End, NorCal Chapter of the Product Development Management Association, Santa Clara, California, March 2002.

·  How to Find and Manage Quality Ethnographic Service Suppliers, Institute for International Research, Conference on Ethnography and Qualitative Research, San Diego, July 2001.

·  Using Financial Ratios to Manage Your Small Business—four-hour seminar, Houston Business Roundtable, July 1990.

·  Videotext and Its Impact on Traditional Media, panelist. American Newspaper Publishing Association, Pasco Washington, July 1989.

Recent Activities and Awards:

·  Product Development Management Association:
Member since 1999
VP Finance & Treasurer of the Nor-Cal Chapter
Nationally certified as New Product Development Professional (NPDP)

·  Business Week / IDSA (Industrial Design Society of America), IDEA Gold Award in medical and scientific products: Speedblocks™—2002

·  Business Week / IDSA, IDEA Bronze Award, Inflate-A-Shield™—2002

·  Medical Device Manufacture’s Association & Cannon Publications, Silver Award, Speedblocks—2002

·  Business Week / IDSA, IDEA Gold Award, Select™ Cervical Collar—1998