 Contact: mailbox@finbar.net
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Consulting
Independent Professional Innovation programs; Techno-Economic Analysis; Renewables (Formerly) McKinsey & Co. Energy; Technology; Media Utility-Scale Renewable Energy Avantus Equity Research Bernstein Research Industrials, Aerospace/Defense Entrepreneurship & Private Equity Technology-based startups & independent consulting Sport Aviation |
Professional background
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I am currently an independent consultant, helping energy transition clients with innovation initiatives, IP portfolio development, techno-economic assessments and special projects based on my experience in renewables, strategic analysis, executive management, finance and engineering.
At Avantus, as Sr. Director, Innovation & Technology, I spearheaded innovation initiatives, techno-economic assessments and the building of the company's IP portfolio, advancing and enabling Avantus' roll-out of utility-scale powerplants that will decarbonize the planet at the gigaton level. Previously, for more than a decade I was an Analyst/Vice President at Bernstein Research (formerly Sanford C. Bernstein), covering Industrial companies, primarily in aerospace & defense. Regulations prohibit me from saying more here (or displaying the Bernstein logo!): see my resume for some details. Before that, I was an entrepreneur. As Chief Technology Officer at Dock3 (now ACI Specialty Benefits) I led the development of the company's internet-based platform. Dock3 provided concierge-type services to employees at work, including at Boeing, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CA Technologies, GE Aircraft Engines, Intel and others. Early in my career, as a senior Manager for McKinsey & Company, advising the top management of Fortune 100 companies, I gained in-depth exposure to several industries, including electric power, oil & gas, defense, consumer electronics, retail, print media and movie production. I received my Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where my graduate adviser was Prof. William B. ("Bill") Bridges. I began studying topics in finance during my Ph.D. studies; later, during my time at Bernstein, I completed the CFA program and received my designation as a Chartered Financial Analyst. My Professional Background section provides further detail. |
Reading
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Ralph Waldo Emerson is said to have observed that "a man is known by the books he reads." In that spirit, perhaps a quick look at my bookshelf would help provide a partial introduction. I offer short reviews of several good reads - you may not agree with my reviews, but I won't leave you wondering what I think!
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Sport aviation
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My flying has spanned a wide range of aircraft. To date, I have flown 51 different aircraft types: 23 airplane types including a military observation plane that flew in WWII, a jet fighter, a piston engine fighter, two business aircraft and 8 types of Light Sport Aircraft - one of them a seaplane and one an open-air aircraft with no enclosure at all for the occupants - plus 3 types of self-launching (motor) glider, 10 unpowered sailplanes, and 12 types of hang glider. I have certifications to fly airplanes and gliders, with an instrument rating and endorsements for complex, high performance, and tailwheel airplanes, and both aerotowed and self-launching gliders. At present, I own and operate a two-seat sport airplane called a Sting S3, which I have flown across the United States. To get a sense for what another aspect of sport flying is like, here's a video of a cross-country flight in a self-launching glider, a Stemme S-10.
While in grad school I was on the Board of the Caltech Flying Club, which operated 6 rental airplanes. Many of our members were from the Jet Propulsion Lab, and some are now astronauts! I also served as Captain of the Caltech Precision Flying Team, which competed at intervarsity level in the annual competitions of the National Intercollegiate Flying Association. Also while in grad school I made available some of my notes on the engineering behind hang gliders - the Hang Glider's Technical Notebook. It acquired an international audience, with readers in Australia, Brazil, China, India, Japan, Russia, UK and Vietnam for example. While the book is no longer available in hard copy, an updated (2011) version is available in Kindle format at Amazon.com. |
Fun stuff (other than flying)
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Sports
Media
Airshow Pyro - Tora Tora Tora Bomb Squad Literally a blast - in 2006 I spent a day at the Houston Air Show with the Tora Tora Tora airshow team. Working to support the Commemorative Air Force, a museum that keeps its aircraft in flying condition - and flies them - the team recreates the attack on Pearl Harbor. I spent the day with the pyro team, or "Bomb Squad." Standing amid clouds of smoke and fire, with Japanese Zeros and Kates flying at 50ft directly overhead while bombs exploded all around (granted, I was setting some of them off) was quite surreal! Road-trips and travel I've visited 38 US states (so far) and have road-tripped every contiguous State west of the Rockies - as well as most of Western Europe. I've explored the western and southeastern US extensively by light 'plane. South of the Equator, I've also visited Australia, Brazil, Peru and Uruguay. In recent years my wife, Paula Marra, and I have been fairly active travelers, touring Brazil, China (mainland and Hong Kong), Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, the UK and Uruguay. |
Contact: mailbox@finbar.net