Tracy Sykes
Economics graduate from University of Wisconsin, with JD degree from Boston University. Currently working as Founder & Managing Partner at Ambertech Group, LLC.
| Headline: | Service Provider |
| Skills: | Business, Management |
| Groups: | Ignite Clean Energy (ICE) |
| Interested in: | Consulting opportunities, Meeting new people, Offering Expertise, Professional opportunities, Providing services to startups |
| Schools: | Boston University, University of Wisconsin System - Eau Claire |
WORK EXPERIENCE
| Employer: | Ambertech Group, LLC – Sudbury, MA |
| Position: | Founder & Managing Partner |
| Time period: | August 2008 - Present |
| Description: | Co-founded this consulting firm providing strategic business, legal and financial advice to early-stage companies in the cleantech sector, especially those engaged in energy generation and storage. Responsible for day-to-day management, business development and client service. |
| Employer: | Rubicor Medical, Inc. – Redwood City, CA |
| Position: | Work experience |
| Time period: | December 2001 - Present |
| Description: | Interim President and CEO (August, 2007 to July, 2008)
Executive Vice President and General Counsel (February, 2007 to August, 2007) Director, Board of Directors (2002 to Present) Temporarily relocated to California to guide Rubicor’s commercialization strategy and launch several innovative, minimally invasive image-guided biopsy and excisional devices. Led the company as it transitioned from strictly R&D efforts, through pre-launch preparatory work, and into commercial operations. Key Accomplishments: • Developed the core commercial team, including: recruiting the VP of Sales and a new VP of Manufacturing; implementing new financial systems and processes; augmenting the Quality and Regulatory Assurance teams; and restructuring the R&D and manufacturing departments. • Directed efforts to reduce manufacturing costs by 76%, increasing gross margins to more than 68%, while improving manufacturing yield and product reliability rates to more than 90%, all of which occurred over a period of less than six months. • Defined and implemented the six quarter commercialization plan for three FDA 510(k) medical devices, growing quarterly revenues from less than $100,000 (Q4, 2007) to a projected revenue of more than $4 million in quarter six (Q2, 2009). • Expanded R&D activities to develop new strategic portfolio products, and implemented “next-gen” programs to enhance existing devices. • Initiated business development activities with dominant market leaders for the purpose of creating potential M&A opportunities. |
| Employer: | Magellan Systems International, LLC – Boston, MA; Richmond, VA |
| Position: | Executive Vice President and General Counsel |
| Time period: | December 2000 - September 2006 |
| Description: | Recruited out of private practice by a long-time client seeking to commercialize a new synthetic fiber technology. Joined as the second employee and guided it through five years of rapid growth, until it became a majority-owned subsidiary of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company in October, 2006.
Key Accomplishments: • Executed the strategic plan to bring a new, disruptive technology from Europe to the U.S., including the contractual framework which led to DuPont’s acquisition of Magellan. • Directed Congressional lobbying efforts and development of a government contracts program which resulted in a $20 million federal funding commitment. • Negotiated and managed financial, technical and material supply contracts with international (U.K., Germany & Japan) and domestic business partners (i.e., ATK Thiokol, Boeing, DuPont and the U.S. Army). • Supervised design and construction activities associated with Magellan’s $30+ million Market Development Facility in Richmond, Virginia. • Devised and administered all organizational policies and procedures, including safety, security, environmental, technology, regulatory, human resources and corporate finance. • Lead joint technical development activities and coordinated preparation and submission of over 30 new patent applications pertaining to the core technology. • Responsible for annual operating budgets and execution against financial plans. |
| Employer: | Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, LLP – Boston; Washington; Minneapolis |
| Position: | Partner; Associate |
| Time period: | December 1989 - November 2002 |
| Description: | Partner (1992 – 2001); Associate (1990 – 1992)
Represented businesses of all sizes across the U.S. on diverse matters, focusing primarily on intellectual property, commercial disputes, employment law, and regulatory matters. Extensive experience both as the lead lawyer and as a member of large, complex teams. Representative clients include: Xerox Corporation; Pitney Bowes, Inc.; Unocal; and Medtronic, Inc. Key Accomplishments: • Head of the Employment Law Department (1992-95), comprised of more than 30 attorneys working in eight offices across the U.S. • Took lead role in developing new business practices in the firm’s Washington, D.C. and Boston offices. • Represented clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts across the country, including the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. |
| Employer: | Doherty, Rumble & Butler, PC – Minneapolis, MN |
| Position: | Associate |
| Time period: | December 1987 - November 1990 |
| Description: | Represented small and medium businesses on diverse commercial matters. |
| Employer: | Rubin and Rudman – Boston, MA |
| Position: | Associate |
| Time period: | December 1985 - November 1988 |
| Description: | Represented real estate entrepreneurs and businesses in transactional matters and financing. |
EDUCATION
| University: | University of Wisconsin System - Eau Claire |
| Degree: | Economics, BA |
| University: | Boston University |
| Degree: | JD |
INFORMATION
| Memberships: | Admitted to practice: Massachusetts; Minnesota & Washington, D.C.
Membership: American, Massachusetts and Boston Bar Associations; New England Clean Energy Council; Renewable Energy Business Network; MIT Enterprise Forum, Energy SIG |
