Profile

 

Experienced professional with 25 years of engineering, management, and corporate leadership experience.  Deep knowledge of modern theatrical entertainment technology with wide knowledge of other entertainment technology fields including cryptography, audio, and imaging.  Experience managing groups of up 30 engineers with associated multi-million-dollar budget requirements.  Accountable for large, multi-year technology projects ranging from complex embedded devices to global QA and support systems.  Excellent people skills and big picture understanding.

 

Highlights

Chief Operating Officer, CineCert Inc.

Operations and software development at a small but mature, security focused software company specializing in digital cinema technology and solutions.

 

Director, Dolby Vision Post Production Service & Support

Worldwide role creating a service and support organization focused on success of Dolby Vision Post Production facilities.

 

Director, Cinema Technology Strategy

Highly focused role structured to provide global leadership for Dolby’s strategies in all things cinema.

 

Director, Cinema Product QA

Built a global team of 30 QA engineers and systems required to fully reorganize and modernize product QA for all Cinema products.

 

Director, Cinema Engineering

Leader of a team of 20 engineers focused on all Cinema products including digital cinema and cinema audio.

 

Career Chronology

CineCert Inc.              www.cinecert.com, www.cinekeys.com

CineCert is small, mature, and security-focused software company specializing in digital cinema technology and standards.  CineCert provides the most used and recognized digital cinema security, packaging, and validation systems.

 

Current development is focused on SMPTE Interoperable Mastering Format (IMF) (www.smpte.org, www.imfug.com) and providing scalable digital cinema solutions (www.cinekeys.com) using AWS infrastructure.  In addition, CineCert provides top-tier consulting services for DCI CTP (www.dcimovies.com), digital cinema, and IMF.

 

Chief Operating Officer – 2018-current

The COO at CineCert is an all-encompassing role generally responsible for all stages of development and delivery of software and hardware products.

 

Significant new systems since joining:

·      transition from CVS to git, GitLab, and GitHub for source control

·      roll out of VM and docker infrastructure for build and test systems

·      restructure of all IT services, outsourcing where appropriate

·      development and deployment of AWS based “cloud” product for Digital Cinema KDM services

 

Duties:

·      Team management

o   office manager

o   software developers

o   field support staff

·      Software production management

o   source control management using git, GitLab, GitHub, and previously CVS

o   software development policies and procedures

o   QA policies and procedures

o   release policies and procedures

·      Hardware production management

o   server component sourcing

o   build, quality, and delivery

o   returns and repairs

·      Customer support

o   field support systems, policies, and procedures

o   training

o   solutions consulting

·      Business systems

o   SOW authoring and management

o   document control

o   credit card processing and accounting

·      Internal and external IT infrastructure

o   development tooling: big-iron servers, VMs, docker, git

o   email, video chat, office phone

o   DNS, AWS, software distribution

o   customer online product licensing

o   AWS deployment infrastructure: VPN, Cloudfront, DNS, S3, etc

·      Sales and Marketing

o   sales targets

o   customer management

o   marketing strategy and collateral

o   trade shows

o   social media

 

Software Development 2018-Current

Software development and build systems for Linux and OpenBSD based applications running natively or in docker containers.

·      C++ and Python

·      Git, GitLab, and GitHub

·      Digital Cinema and SMPTE IMF

·      Open source projects

 

Dolby Laboratories, Inc.       www.dolby.com

Director, Dolby Vision Post Production Service & Support – 2016-2018

This global role provided service and support for all Dolby Vision Post Production related products and services.  This includes the Dolby Vision Projection System, Content Mastering Unit, Professional Tools and workflow support for all Dolby Vision post production facilities.  This role also included custom engineering for any and all Dolby services and products in use for content creation.

 

Director, Cinema Technology Strategy – 2014-2018

This global role included providing strategic guidance, plans and deliverables for all Dolby Cinema projects and programs including but not limited to Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision and Dolby Cinema.  In addition, this role includes deep interaction with industry peers and professional societies such as SMPTE, Intersociety, AES, HPA and others.

 

Director, Cinema Product QA – 2012-2014

This global role saw the creation of a highly trained and professional product quality group consisting of 30+ team members in California, Poland and China from an initial small team in San Francisco.  Large scale, repeatable QA systems were designed and implemented to raise and maintain the deliverable quality of all Dolby Cinema products.

 

Director, Digital Cinema Engineering – 2009-2012

This challenging role included directing a team of 20 engineers responsible for the legacy Dolby digital cinema DSS and DSL products including the TMS software.  The goal of maintaining the group while Dolby reimagined its role in the digital cinema market was successfully met.  During this time, all of the software tools and processes were streamlined to allow for an efficiency gain, which resulted in maintaining market share at a highly reduced operating cost to prepare for reentry to the market through other means.

 

Senior Project Engineer, Cinema – 1996-2009

Early hands on engineering roles at Dolby as an embedded system engineer through to managing a 5-person team to develop the last pre-Dolby Atmos cinema processor, the CP750.

 

In chronological order with some overlap:

·      CP500 – developed all embedded software following the initial release

·      ScreenTalk – rebuild and all maintenance

·      CP650 – chief architect and primary software developer for system software

·      DMA8Plus – chief architect, team leader and primary software developer for system software

·      Meta-Audio Mastering Encoder (early digital cinema mastering) – chief architect, team leader and primary software developer for system software

·      DFC100 (3D controller) – chief architect, team leader and primary software developer for system software

·      SCC2000 (digital cinema secure content creator) – architect and software team member

·      CP750 – project leader, chief architect and primary software developer for system software

 

This role also included boot-strapping Dolby’s software development practices, policies and procedures.

·      Coding guidelines

·      Early quality control

·      Software and document revision control

·      Processes for tracking and developing to requirements

·      New hire training

 

Integrated Device Technology

Factory Applications Engineer – 1995-1996

First professional role out of university.  Duties included software and hardware design and test to support new silicon for desktop Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) data transfer.  In addition, this role was a customer support facing role.

 

US Navy

US Navy Reserve – 1990-1994

Served in Indianapolis while attending Purdue and summers in San Diego.  Transferred to USNR-Inactive in 1993 as STG3.  Honorable Discharge in 1994.

 

USS Moinester FF1097 – 1987-1990

Official role as Sonar Technician - STG.  Promoted through the ranks from E1 to E4.  Transferred to the USNR as Sonar Technician 3rd Class (Petty Officer 3rd Class – STG3).  Other duties included ship-board armed reaction force, hydraulics technician, torpedo launch and repair, and firefighting.

 

Education and Professional Development

Purdue University – 1990-1995

Awarded BSCEE with Honors

·      Specialization in Architecture of Computers and Computer Systems

·      Embedded Systems

·      Low level software

 

Purdue Crew – 1990-1994

·      Stroke for the Men’s Varsity 8 in 1994

·      Rowed Men’s Varsity 8 – 1991-1994

·      All crew “Rigger” – 1991-1994

 

Private Pilot Certificate – 2004

Single Engine, Land – VFR

Professional Organizations

SMPTE – Current Chair of TC-30MR (Meta-Data Registers) (www.smpte.org)

IEEE (www.ieee.org)

AES (www.aes.org)

IMFUG (www.imfug.com)

ISDCF (www.isdcf.com)