Qualifications

Highlights

Seasoned strategist and entrepreneur, with extensive legal experience, combining a strong intuitive sense with analytical skills. Veteran of hundreds of transactions, both leading negotiations and coaching team members. Integrated handling of market, financial, technical, legal, tax, and organizational considerations. Experience with and understanding of science and technology. Specialties include:

  • Structuring and negotiating finance deals
  • Technology licensing
  • Finance and quantitative modeling
  • Entrepreneurial strategy and business plans
  • Coaching entrepreneurs, especially CEOs and technical founders
  • International business
Headwaters Strategy, LLC

(1996 to present)

Clients of Headwaters Strategy are growing companies in a wide range of industries. The following are examples of recent and current relationships:

  • Quantaspec, Inc. - Burlington, VT: Developing strategic plans and relationships for commercialization of highly accurate particle and biological agent detection systems using infra-red spectroscopy. www.Quantaspec.com
  • Moscow Mills Manufacturing, Inc. - Moscow, VT: Board member, consulting on strategy and finance to high precision custom manufacturing firm. Assisted CEO through complex ownership restructuring. Key advisor to CEO concerning business strategy, customer relationships, growth and finance. Moscow Mills is now transforming from a service business to a product and technology business, with the introduction of its balancing tooling technology. www.moscow-mills.com
  • SiOnyx/Ignition Ventures – Cambridge, MA: Advised developer of black silicon-based technology on its pivotal licensing agreement at start-up with Harvard University, and served as a principal negotiator. www.sionyx.com
  • Juno Rising, Inc. (ISIS) - Colchester, VT: Consulted as CFO and served as Corporate Secretary and Board Member of women's outdoor clothing company. Co-developed annual Business Plans and most recently handled due diligence and advised on negotiations for the sale of the company to a large private equity firm. www.isisforwomen.com
  • Healthy Living Market – South Burlington, VT: Advising the leadership team on strategic expansion. Developed the finance plan and coached the team through recent expansion that more that tripled the size of the store. www.healthylivingmarket.com
  • OpenOrders, Inc. - Newton, MA: Consulted as CFO and strategist to provider of web-based order management and fulfillment software. Structured and negotiated interim financing. Managed investor relations. Led the successful negotiation and sale of the company to IBM.
  • Champlain College – Burlington, VT: Performed the feasibility study for Champlain’s new BYOBiz program, at the request of the president of the College. Identified key program elements and strategies for establishing a nationally unique entrepreneurial program. www.champlain.edu/x523.xml
Aspen Technology, Inc.

(1981-1993)

Company Profile: AspenTech is the leading company supplying engineers in the process industries with software for the simulation of their manufacturing processes. The Company was founded in 1981, went public in October 1994, and now has annual revenues exceeding $300 million. Over 50% of AspenTech's revenue is derived from international sales.

  • General Counsel (1981-1987)
  • Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer (1986-1988)
  • Vice President, Strategic Development (1988-1992)
  • Vice President, Process Information Management (1992-1993)

Joined the founding team as General Counsel. Handled all transactions which had complex commercial or international characteristics, including licenses to customers in China, Algeria, Japan, and Europe. Negotiated numerous joint development and technology licensing deals involving both universities and corporate partners. Handled all corporate legal matters, including stock offerings, financings, and employment matters.

Raised AspenTech's first major round of venture capital with Advent International in 1986. Managed investor relations. Led the acquisition of Prosys Technology, Ltd., a software company in Cambridge, England. Developed the business plan for the merger of the organizations.

Led a multidisciplinary effort to develop the vision and strategy for AspenTech's post-startup phase, including its IPO. Developed the plan the Company followed to build the business from $6 million to more than $200 million.

Set up all of the Company's administrative systems, including financial systems, the sales forecasting system, the lines of credit, and personnel policies. Established branches and subsidiaries in The Netherlands, Japan, Hong Kong, and Belgium.

Product Knowledge Systems, Inc.

(1993-1995)

President and CEO: Consulting firm helping clients such as Dun & Bradstreet Information Services, Genentech, and Oracle train their sales people on complex products. Broadened the client base, grew revenues, expanded the team.

Bingham, Dana & Gould (Now Bingham McCutchen)

(1979-1981)

Associate in Business and Tax Departments: Handled financing transactions, including revolving credit agreements, real estate limited partnerships, and industrial revenue bonds. Corporate work included acquisitions, establishment of a subsidiary in Japan, listing of a client's debentures on the New York Stock Exchange, technology licensing, and preparation and filing of registration statements with the SEC.

Public Sector Positions

Career prior to law school focused on the fields of energy, public utilities, transportation, and the environment. Work included drafting legislation, obtaining grants for demonstration projects, and writing speeches and position papers. Wrote New England's first energy policy. 1971-1977:

  • Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General - Legal Intern
  • Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities - Coordinator for Special Projects
  • New England Regional Commission - Staff Assistant
  • Rhode Island Governor's Office - Policy Aide
  • Urban Systems Laboratory, MIT - Research Assistant
  • Geo-Transport Foundation - Assistant to the Executive Director
Academic

Boston College Law School: J.D. 1979 Magna Cum Laude.
Member of the Order of the Coif; nomination based on academic achievement. Boston College Law Review 1978-1979.

Brown University 1972-1974: accumulated one year's credit.
Admitted to law school without a bachelor's degree. In 1978, obtained a ruling from the Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners waiving the requirement that a candidate for the Massachusetts Bar have a bachelor's degree.

Admitted to the Bar in Massachusetts.

Interests

Over the years, I’ve spent many rewarding hours working with non-profits, most recently focusing on projects that will have lasting value for my community.

Jericho Underhill Land Trust (JULT): Previous Board Member. Leadership role in project development and fundraising, resulting in the preservation of hundreds of acres of natural landscape for wildlife habitat, recreation, and education. This has been extremely rewarding work, knowing that we have preserved special land for future generations, with the generous support and volunteer effort of hundreds of people in our community. Please see www.JULT.org.

Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center: Recently joined the Board of the Sailing Center, which provides sailing programs for hundreds of children and adults in the heart of Burlington, on Lake Champlain. The organization is growing quickly, and planning new facilities. I look forward to working with the board and staff to develop the financial plan and work on strategic planning. Please see www.communitysailingcenter.org.

Music, dance, rowing, skiing, family and friends.