Resume

ENGINEER AT HEART

At a first glance, my resume looks somewhat non-linear. Here is what keeps it all together:

  • I am an engineer at heart, and I love to ‘make things work’
  • I am curious, I love to learn and embrace change
  • I have a passion for great products and solutions

Software Development

I have broad experience in the development of software, firmware and FPGAs. This is what I started my career with, and I have never stopped tinkering with software, be it part of the job or as a hobby. My recent career moves are an expression of my re-ignited passion for hands-on software development.

Hardware Development

I have delivered dozens of hardware products in mostly managerial roles. I have made significant contributions to product concepts and system architecture, developed excellent skills for estimating costs in early stages, and I have gained deep knowledge of far-east manufacturing and quality control. The skills I have acquired here have broadened my horizon in many ways, and I would never want to miss that.

Leadership Roles

My career has progressed from individual contributor roles via team lead roles to top management. Here I have learned valuable lessons about the economic requirements of a company, and working with people. But ultimately this is not where my passion is, which sparked my decision to return to performing tangible work.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Bertram Solutions

Kirkland, Washington, 2011 – Present

CEO, Investment Adviser Representative

Progressed from experimental software development to starting a Registered Investment Adviser firm, offering sophisticated automated investment solutions to retail clients.

  • Investment Advice
    • Manage all aspects of a registered investment adviser firm
  • Research & development
    • Research of quantitative analysis methods for investment vehicles including equities and derivatives.
    • Development of automated investment strategies using MultiCharts, NinjaTrader, LEAN, and other platforms.
    • Sole maintainer of the open-source project www.TuringTrader.org.
  • Training & mentoring
    • Help investors learn & understand the concepts of quantitative analysis, how to build and manage portfolios, and develop custom investment strategies.

Bertram Enterprises

Kirkland, Washington, 02/2016 – 03/2017
Monrovia, California, 02/2015 – 02/2016

CTO, owner

Part-time contract development of software for industrial applications.

  • Software development
    • Application development in C/ C++, targeting Windows and Mac OS X.
    • Design and implementation of build and regression test environments, based on Jenkins.
    • Implementation and maintenance of revision control server, based on Gitolite and Docker.

Native Instruments

Berlin, Germany, 05/2013 – 02/2015
Los Angeles, California, 12/2012 – 02/2015

Vice President Engineering

Lead global hardware and software development team to deliver world-class premium products. Instrumental in reaching a new level of professionalism from planning via execution to delivery of deeply integrated hardware and software systems.

  • Established hardware processes
    • Formalized process to improve tracking to schedule and risk management
    • Release processes including ECOs, deviation waivers and CARs
    • Cost-estimation methods to allow early cost vs. feature trade-offs
  • Established OEM development processes
    • Developed guidelines to clearly assign roles and responsibilities, and empower 3rd parties without losing control
  • Adopted agile software methods
    • Improve task-orientation, prioritization and awareness of all team activities
    • Define roles of disciplinary and technical leaderships
  • Managed cross-functional R&D team
    • Total team size about 100 in engineering and QA

Audyssey Laboratories

Los Angeles, California, 08/2010 – 11/2012

Vice President, Hardware Engineering and Global Operations

Instrumental in expanding the company’s scope from a pure licensing business into a consumer-electronics product company. Delivered highly regarded premium products. Established processes and infrastructure from ground-up and implemented innovative QA methodologies for global manufacturing operations.

  • Established processes
    • Formalized NPI process to improve tracking to schedule and risk management
    • Release processes including ECOs, deviation waivers and CARs
  • Introduced infrastructure
    • Global logistics including 3PLs, freight-forwarders and international RMAs
    • Engineering database to manage components and BOMs, to improve cost consciousness and accuracy of early estimates, to improve leverage when negotiating cost with suppliers
  • Re-defined inter-departmental touch points
    • Tight interaction between Operations and Sales to reduce inventory and improve lead times
    • Tight interaction between Engineering and Product Management for the benefit of more successful products
  • Managed cross-functional team
    • Introduced agile methods to improve task-orientation, prioritization and awareness of all team activities
    • Focused team on core competencies, outsourced non value-add activities to 3rd parties
    • Total team size 15, including 6 in Engineering, 6 in Operations and 3 in QA

Avid Technology
M-Audio

Irwindale, California, 06/2007 – 08/2010
Hamburg, Germany, 09/2006 – 06/2007

Director, Hardware Development

Served as multi-disciplined engineering manager for M-Audio and Digidesign-branded product development. Delivered aggressively-priced quality products on fast-paced schedules and drove continuous improvement of program execution and cost reductions. Advanced products for prosumer customers.

  • Managed delivery of several dozen products
    • Active involvement to solve complex technical or operational problems
  • Made countless tangible improvements to processes, work-flows, productivity and quality
    • Re-use of solutions, platform development and sharing of results
    • Cost consciousness, cost control and accuracy of early engineering estimates
    • Document control and traceability
    • Development and release processes
    • Product definition and interaction between Product Management and Engineering
    • Risk management and delivery to schedule
    • Production-line QA procedures
  • Integrated M-Audio HW Engineering team into Avid
    • Re-defined touch-points to purchasing, manufacturing engineering, Operations and QA
  • Managed cross-functional team
    • Total team size up to 29, including 11 EEs, 8 firmware developers, 4 PCB designers, lab technicians, mechanical engineers and industrial designers
    • Team distributed across multiple sites in California, Florida, Germany and home offices
    • Mentoring staff on technical issues
    • Focused team on core competencies, outsourced non-value add activities to partners in Asia

Apple Computer
Emagic

Rellingen, Germany, 07/2002 – 07/2006
Rellingen, Germany, 07/1995 – 07/2002

Chief Hardware Architect, shareholder

Innovation to the max with new-to-the-world products and features that set the standard for the industry. Progressed from technical to leadership roles as Emagic tripled in size. Company was acquired by Apple in 2002.

  • Contributed significantly to company’s success
    • Joined the company when it had 35 employees and US$ 6 million in sales
    • Convinced the founders of the feasibility to enter the hardware business
    • Championed the company’s first activities in hardware development
    • Accepted offer to become shareholder in 1997
    • Further contributed to the company’s growth to 120 employees and US$ 18 million in sales
  • Key developer of peripherals for professional music production, most importantly Audiowerk8 and EMI 2|6
    • Designed system architecture, including hardware, firmware and drivers
    • Implemented audio data processing in FPGAs
    • Owned definition of all processes relevant to development, manufacturing and QA
    • Evaluated and contracted manufacturers in Europe
    • Continuously improved cost structure
    • Brought products to market, with up to 45,000 units sold
  • Key developer of Logic Audio, a software suite for professional music production
    • Led the development of the Windows-version of the software
    • Developed software architecture for real-time audio processing

Trenz Electronic

Bünde, Germany, 10/1999 – 06/2002

Intellectual Property Manager, shareholder

Drove expansion into ready-to-use intellectual property products for FPGA and ASIC implementation, in order to augment and accelerate contract development services. Tight, collaborative team. High-tech industry customers.

  • Created complex Intellectual Property
    • USB function controller
    • 8051 processor
    • Support material, application notes, sample designs
  • Defined business model for IP
  • Created and managed customer relationships
    • Acquired customers based in Europe and Far East
    • Liaised with and supported customers through design-in phases
  • Completed numerous projects to develop custom solutions for high-tech industry customers

Philips Semiconductors

Hamburg, Germany, 07/1993 – 07/1995

Project Lead Driver and Verification Software

I learned invaluable lessons here about development cycles, stakeholder satisfaction and participation, and defining roles and responsibilities. This is also where I learned about the need for thorough validation and the cost of oversights, mistakes or failures.

  • Developed software platform for ASIC validation
    • Enabled first-silicon validation of ASICs for desktop video applications
    • Used by FAEs to demonstrate chip capabilities to customers

EDUCATION

MBA

Hamburg, Germany, 2005 – 2008

Graduated from Europäische Fernhochschule, Hamburg.

MSEE

Hamburg, Germany, 1990 – 1993
Braunschweig, Germany, 1987 – 1990

Graduated from Technische Universität Braunschweig (BSEE) and Technische Universität Hamburg-Harburg (MSEE) with strong emphasis on computer science, signal processing and image processing.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  • Authorized to work for any employer in the US and Europe
  • Able to do business in both English and German, and travel internationally
  • References and compensation history upon request