Director of Marketing - Semiconductor Products

TOM SPOHRER
(512) 261-0082
tom@polarrapids.com

Director of Marketing with extensive experience defining and executing product strategies and managing semiconductor product lines.
• Track record of growing revenue and improving margins through the successful definition, implementation and marketing of innovative ICs and systems.
• Effective collaborator, problem solver and communicator uniquely skilled in both business and technical management.
• International experience includes integrating and managing geographically-dispersed culturally diverse organizations in Asia, Europe and the Americas.
• Education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering and an MBA.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Austin, TX 2004 - 2008
Member of Technical Staff, Field Applications Engineer. (3/06 – 6/08)
Recruited for critical new business development role to win first AMD designs at Dell.
? Achieved primary objective of converting Dell from an Intel-only OEM to an AMD customer.
? Collaborated with customer about future needs and drove alignment of product roadmap with customer requirements for future microprocessors and chipsets.
? Won 16 high-volume designs while building key customer relationships from scratch.
Senior Manager, Applications Engineering. (5/04 – 3/06)
Directed applications engineering team providing design services and comprehensive engineering expertise to customers developing server, workstation, desktop, mobile and embedded platforms. Also supported reference designs in collaboration with chipset partners. Oversaw the design, bring-up, debug, characterization and validation of new systems. Supported worldwide FAE and sales organization.
? Acquired and structured engineering teams from various parts of company into Server and Embedded Engineering, Client and Chipset Engineering and Technical Support Engineering.
Intrinsity, Inc. Austin, TX 2001 - 2004
Director of Product Marketing and Applications Engineering. (6/01 – 2/04)
Built the product marketing and applications engineering team from the ground up at this semiconductor startup. Responsible for product and roadmap definition, competitive analysis, positioning, system design for reference and demos, business development, customer technical support, documentation, and product management for a line of high-performance MIPS microprocessors and DSPs.
? Developed compelling value propositions for applications such as cellular infrastructure, wireless networking, imaging and machine vision, leading to numerous design wins.
? Defined and brought to market products to maximize return on company's previous investment in technology development. Specified product features and created PRDs.
? Established and leveraged partnerships with third-party hardware and software tools providers to create support infrastructure for Intrinsity products.
? Appointed Chairman of Intrinsity’s Product Development Council (PDC), a cross functional team of managers and leaders responsible for new product definition and development.
Motorola, Inc. Austin, TX 1984 - 2001
Operations Manager, Media Processing & Platforms Division. (12/99 - 3/01)
Tapped to provide turnaround-leadership for struggling product development organization. Directed the development of hardware, firmware and middleware, and the product engineering for advanced interactive set top boxes, PVR/DVRs, and other consumer electronic systems.
? Delivered first and second-generation Streamaster systems per customer timelines, within margin targets, and 7% under budget.
? Collaborated with strategic customers on product definition and system deployment.
? Eliminated unprofitable products, drove cost reduction initiatives and optimized portfolio for significant revenue growth improving P&L.
Global Design Center Manager, Media Processing & Platforms Division. (1/99 - 12/99)
Directed IC design and software development targeting consumer electronic products such as DVD players and set top boxes. ICs included audio/video DSPs and communication processors. (Promoted to Operations Manager in division reorganization.)
? Delivered second-generation NUON microprocessor samples to key customers on schedule.
? Acquired, integrated and managed 3 centers with differing methodologies and engineers in Austin, Munich and Sendai Japan to form effective virtual organization for large designs.
Marketing Manager, Networking Systems Division. (4/96 - 1/99)
Transformed former RISC division’s marketing team from a desktop-computer focused to an embedded-processor focused organization. Directed all product definition, product management and marketing.
? Established PowerPC as the leading processor architecture for high-end networking equipment. Garnered 50% share of the wired communications processor market.
? Expanded and structured organization into teams for product management, business development, enablement including third-party tools, marcom, and brand management.
Marketing Product Line Manager, Embedded Processing Solutions. (11/92 - 4/96)
Led team of product managers and applications engineers to market and support Motorola’s diverse microprocessor product portfolio. Coordinated design, product engineering and manufacturing efforts.
? Defined, branded and launched ColdFire microprocessor product line, the industry’s first variable-length instruction set RISC architecture.
Engineer/Manager, High Performance Embedded Systems Division. (6/84 - 11/92)
Managed and participated in all aspects of full-custom CMOS microprocessor design including specification, behavioral modeling, logic and circuit design/simulation, design verification, and layout.
EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration, St. Edward's University, Austin, TX
Bachelor of Science, Computer Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
Post-graduate leadership, management and technical courses from:
• Bellcore Training and Education Center • American Consulting and Training • AMD
• Covey Leadership Center • Motorola University • Target Marketing International • Mindshare
PATENTS, AWARDS and PUBLICATIONS
• 3 US patents • Award for trade secret • 6 technical papers, 3 presented at technical conferences