James J. O’Keefe, Principal

Professional Experience

UL, Product Life Cycle Operating Unit, Princeton, NJ 2021 - June
Senior Director Product Life Cycle - General Manager, ComplianceWire – Learning Management System of Record in Pharma and MedTech – Global Leader Human Factors Practice

+Pivoted team to capitalize on UL re-organization while investigating two acquisition candidates.
+Developed Global VAR channel combining ULSolutions’ offering with best-in-class Quality, Document and MES industry partners.

+Grew 1st year revenue 9% after years of no growth; GM increased 2 pts; DCM 4X previous year.
+Grew 2nd year revenue 7%, delivering pretax income 3.4X previous year.
+Launched Emergency Use product to speed vaccine delivery globally.
+Leveraged US government credential to penetrate China, India, and open position in Brazil.
+Established Life Sciences Advisory Board of Manufacturing QA, IT and GXP training leaders.
+Engaged 100+ customers during COVID with first-time ComplianceWire Community Conversation.

UL, Material & Supply Chain Division, Latham, NY 2019-2021 Director Business Integration, Project Management/M&A

+Grew revenue 35% and DCM 51% in Materials and Supply Chain LATAM region.
+Promoted Mexican Laboratory Investment with LATAM leadership team  Managed Process to Close on major cross-geography sales at TOTAL, Petrobras, and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  Initiated Business Process Automation inside Sales and TIC facilities driving UL Digital.  Led Project Visibility; eliminating inaccuracies in UL acquired companies’ data that obscured business results. +Investigated three strategic acquisition candidates; vetted six total candidates.

UL, Chemical and Formulated Products Group, Latham, NY 2013-2019 Director Software Development

+Directed 84-person software development staff in multiple US locations, the UK, Mexico, Portugal, and India.
+Established agile development environment to deliver dependable releases on predictable schedule; obtained ISO 27001 information security certification.
+Team moved lead business to subscription model, increasing recurring revenue 40% in years one and two.
+Managed business integration of two UL acquisitions including Oracle/NetSuite software migrations.
+Drove appropriate GAAP CAPEX accounting for application software inside UL and initiation of UL Product Investment Board with others to build Leadership awareness of key Asset.

the WERCS, Latham, NY, 2012-2013 - Regulatory Compliance Software Development and Services Company Vice President, Product Operations

+Recruited to increase profitability, reorganize staff, and improve product delivery preparing for acquisition.
+Served as Software Development Leader and COO to rapidly expanding software business for nearly 50 retailers.

NOBLE HOUSE PARTNERS, LLC, Albany, NY, 2005-2012 - Holding company and acquisition vehicle
Managing Partner of LLC and Chairman/CEO of Noble House Technologies, 2005-2012
Understanding the impact of Internet Protocol (IP) on voice data and video applications, acquired four companies to create an integrated technology delivery company in the Northeast US. Grew business from $6 million to $16 million.

+Refreshed management to revitalize entity; recruited key executive in New England to adding major accounts.
+Grew sales in national accounts including Yahoo, Global Foundries, and General Electric, penetrating growing security and video surveillance market leveraging IP skillset.

TACONIC, Petersburgh, New York, 1998-2005
Privately held $100+ million engineered‐materials company with 400 employees competing on five continents in microwave printed circuit board laminates, architectural and industrial fabric markets.
President, Co-CEO, 2000 -2005
Vice President, General Manager, Worldwide Sourcing Officer, 1998- 2000
Recruited as a Divisional General Manager/ Sourcing Officer, later promoted to Co-CEO. By recruiting key staff in North America, Europe, and Asia along with restructuring, built the Company from revenues of $50 million to over $100 million – to lead the company to its highest-ever operating profit in the year before leaving the company:

+Secured global credit facility to acquire a business in the UK and build a new plant in Korea.
+Improved gross margins 2% by introducing lean manufacturing, eBusiness and building intellectual property.
+Repositioned company as award-winning global competitor, world-class manufacturer, competing on four continents.
+Negotiated 5% lower raw material costs worldwide; reorganized sales group into business units to drive sales at twice industry growth rate; and recruited next-level management to position closely held company for global growth.

ILINC/LEARNLINC CORPORATION, Troy, New York, 1995-1998 – Rensselaer (RPI) online training software startup.
President and CEO, 1995-1998

+Raised $4.5M investment from Intel, US Air Force and VC firm through A and B funding rounds.
+Negotiated partnership agreements with Intel, Microsoft, and MCI.
+Grew company revenue 10 times; opened additional sales channels to generate 25% of revenues outside the US.

IMAGE SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY, Troy, New York, 1988- 1995 – CAD Software start-up now part of Autodesk.
Chairman and COO, 1988- 1995

+Grew startup sales 25-fold in 5 years to $5 million.
+Created reseller channel funded by Xerox and HP to increase shareholder value 35 times.
+Following sale of Company to Softdesk (later acquired by Autodesk), served as VP of Federal Sales; negotiated GSA Schedule and improved unit’s profitability by 300% in six months.

UPSTATE EQUITIES, Clifton Park, NY, 1986-1988 – Privately‐held venture capital firm. Principal, 1986-1988

+Directed investment banking and technology venture capital portfolio. Arranged two leveraged buyouts from GE.

GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, PLASTICS BUSINESS GROUP, Selkirk, New York, 1982 to 1986 Business Development Manager, 1984-86 - Manager, Operational Planning, 1982-84 - Strategic Planner, 1979-80

+As Business Development Manager, achieved $87 million sales level driving adoption of GM’s first Saturn car.
+As Venture Manager, lead a by-products business, increasing share from 11-26%, increasing profitability by 85%.

Earlier Career
1979/1980 - CFO for plant liquidation in Argentina;
1980/1982 - Founder and GM of Covenant House Orphanage during civil war in Guatemala, Central America.

Education/Affiliations/Personal
MBA, The Wharton School, U of Pennsylvania, PA - BA, Saint Michael’s College, U of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Board Member, Junior Achievement, Blasch Precision Ceramics Married 41 years.
Lived in 6 countries, traveled to 50+ Conversant in Spanish…golfing when not skiing.