October 1999 - Present
Act as part-time marketing director during start-ups of Internet and Web-based companies. Then help hire and guide permanent staff. Often do these: 1) Create executive summaries that define the company's position and vision, 2) Help founders understand the prerequisites of angels and VCs, 3) Create marketing and PR strategies that use cleverness and uniqueness of the company instead of money, 4) Conceptualize web sites that meet the different needs of investors, customers, partners, and employees, 5) Create business models that are based on (rediscovered!) principles of revenues and profits, and 6) Help founders enjoy their creation.
November 1998 - September 1999 -- San Jose
Followed up the co-founding of Software911 (www.software911.com) to take on the full time role of Senior VP, recruiting a top-caliber management team, creating the initial product and market strategies in an explosively fast B2B, web-based, ASP offering e-Business software to SME and larger enterprises. Within the first year, the company reached milestones of two rounds of funding, full complement of staffing, 25 customers, six strategic partners, three stages of product strategies, one move to larger facilities, two versions of core product and one unsolicited offer to be acquired by another company.
May 1996 - November 1998 -- Portola Valley
Marketing and management consultant to small and medium-size companies offering unusual or extraordinary products. Often in the role of part-time management team member for companies who cannot justify a full-time, high level marketing executive. Typical part-time roles: Senior VP -Software911, Inc. (Internet start up - www.software911.com), Pres. of DeWitt Sailboats, Inc. (High tech dinghy - www.dewittsailboats.com), Marketing Mgr. for Anafaze (Industrial Temperature Controllers - www.Anafaze.com).
Oct. 1994 - May 1996 TEDAS, Inc., Cupertino
Launched an American subsidiary for TEDAS, GmbH of Germany, to open
up a marketing presence in Silicon Valley.
Successfully set up promotion and marketing channels for desktop computer-telephony
products. After three-year period of revamping in Europe, Tedas, Inc. is
re-launching in a substantial way at the forefront of computer-telephony
in 1999.
Dec 1985 - Oct. 1995 Noetic Systems, Los Altos
The two partners, Alex Cheng and Don Allen, of this unique consulting firm helped grow companies by acting as part-time members of client's management team. Seasoned wisdom was imparted to clients not just by telling how but by on-line implementation. Noetic specialized in leading-edge technologies and extraordinary products. Built a client list of over 70 companies spanning dozens of industries and hundreds of markets.
Some comments from clients:
| G. W. Rhodes, President, Microbot, Inc:
"We've used Noetic Systems for almost five years simply because they gave us better value than we got from other sources. In addition, they contributed on a much higher level, helping improve our distribution, defining a new product that became our best selling system, and analyzing alternative marketing strategies. "Noetic became part of our family and we benefitted in many unexpected ways, such as a dozen or so feature articles, multimedia slide shows and bringing invaluable, seasoned counsel to management."
David Weibel, President, Fiskars Electronics Corp: "When I first discovered Alex and Don, I thought they could help me a little with some corporate image work. Three and a half years later I realized that I uncovered a treasure trove of capabilities. "Noetic has contributed at a high professional level in every area of our corporate and marketing program, strategic planning, acquisitions, marketing distribution, PR and advertising campaigns. They put us on the map in our markets. Their work turned on our representatives. They have brought invaluable personal counsel to me and made a tremendous impact on our program." |
Rich Kehoe, President, Americal:
"Frequently, I needed effective, arms-length evaluation of a business opportunity, a distribution move, financial plan, or other aspect that required deep business judgement. Noetic proved to be a great resource in those situations."
Jack Remke, President, NOVA: "Thanks to Noetic Systems, our literature and business plan are more concise and more accurately reflect the message and tone we needed to communicate to outside groups. In a very short time, they were able to draw out and help crystallize our accomplishments, keys to success, and best strategies."
Diana LaTour, President and Founder, DBAccess, Inc: "I highly recommend Noetic Systems as a resource for any CEO or Senior Executive who needs high-level executive talent on a part-time or ad hoc basis." |
1982 - 1985 Myriad Systems, Portola Valley
Personal consultant to CEOs of companies with unusual products or technologies.
Clients from basic start-ups to multi-national corporations were provided
with innovative marketing strategies and creative tactics. Successes over
these years led to founding of Noetic Systems.
| Susan Lark, M.D., Founder and Director
Medical Self-Help Center: "Alex was a tremendous help on all aspects of publicity with our program. If you're looking for innovation in marketing or promotional strategies, he has it. The creation of our Self-Help Center was an ingenious approach to meeting our objectives. "I would give Alex the highest possible recommendation for effective business PR. He was also able to translate the purpose of my book and self-help project into a format very attractive to many women." |
1981 - 1982 VP-Marketing - Luxtron Corp., Santa Clara
Co-founded this VC-funded company as VP of Marketing. It offered unique
technology that measured temperature using fiberoptics. Managed all aspects
of marketing and sales, from PR, advertising and promotion to sales management.
Set up and trained domestic and international sales agents throughout Europe
and Japan. During these two years, Luxtron captured two Product-of-the-Year
awards, was featured in over a dozen articles, and established a worldwide
customer base in markets as diverse as cancer therapy, electrical power
distribution, semiconductor fabrication, and commercial food processing.
Luxtron was sold to a large instrument conglomerate in the UK and is active
and growing in Santa Clara.
| William D. Hyatt, Ph.D., President and
CEO, Luxtron Corporation:
"This is to express my gratitude and appreciation for all the excellent work you did for Luxtron. You certainly have a good grasp of all aspects of operating a small business and were of significant help, especially during difficult times." |
From a self-financed start, Seagull grew to be North America's leading supplier of electronic timing and computerized scoreboards for sports, grossing over $4 Million annually with 15 employees. Seagull introduced and was the sole distributor of electronic systems from Omega of Switzerland, installing more systems in No. America than Omega had in the rest of the world. Major contracts: Montreal Olympics-$4 Million, Edmonton Commonwealth Games-$1.7 Million, Mexico City Pan Am Games-$650,000, Lake Placid Olympics-$700,000, and four years as Official Timers of the World Pro Ski Tour.
1969 - 1971 Marketing Mgr, System Industries, Sunnyvale
Joined Ed Zschau during start-up of his company, with assignment to
create products for minicomputer market. Envisioned and launched a smart
controller as the keystone for friendly disk systems. This product line
prevailed among several other ideas at the company and ultimately become
the $150+ Million success story for Congressman Zschau.
| Former Congressman Ed Zschau,
founding President of Systems Industries:
"Although there's much that Systems Industries has accomplished (it now has annual sales of nearly $150 million), its business in a real sense is the one that Alex Cheng started there. It was his insight into the marketplace and his initiative to see and seize opportunities that got us into the data storage business in the first place. Today SI continues to follow the strategies he formulated... "Not only did he launch the product line, he got it sold too with the signing up of the representatives in the United States and Europe, and personal selling that got us our first big accounts. System Industries owes a lot of its success over the years to the course Alex charted way back then." |
BSEE - UCLA; MBA - Stanford Univ.; Married, with a son and two daughters. Past President of Small Yacht Racing Assoc. of SF Bay. Avocations: Tennis, racquetball, skiing/snowboarding, and sailboat racing.