Tom is the co-founder of Greenwood Technologies, a natural extension of his passion for new technologies and entrepreneurialism. Tom started Greenwood in 2005 to help advance the next generation of biomass central heating systems for their environmental and cost-saving benefits.
Tom has more than 30 years experience with startup, early-stage and growth companies. His business experience spans multiple career tracks — management consultant, business executive, entrepreneur, teacher and author. As a consultant, Tom worked with three leading management-consulting firms: A.T. Kearney (ATK), Arthur D. Little (ADL), and Pittiglio Rabin Todd & McGrath (an affiliate of KPMG Peat Marwick). As an executive, Tom was Vice President of Operations for Anova Electronics, the consumer electronics division of Dart & Kraft and later Vice President of Operations for Digital Systems International (now a division of Lucent). Tom is a serial entrepreneur with two successful software companies and a business service outsourcing firm to his credit.
Tom is author of An Interpreneur’s Journey: The Birth of a “New Economy” Business, which tells the story of a typical start-up and provides a how-to guide for new entrepreneurs. Tom is also on faculty at the University of Washington, Michael G. Foster School of Business, where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Tom earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at the University of California in Berkeley.
Governor Gregoire recently invited Tom to join Washington State’s Climate Action Team. This group is chartered with developing programs and incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and building the “green economy” in Washington and Northwest.
As Greenwood's COO, Tom oversees the company's manufacturing, product distribution, and fosters our connection to our customers and dealers. Tom was general manager of the Maxum boat brand, part of Brunswick Corporation, where he grew top line sales by 16% and margins by 20% in his first year alone. He also has extensive experience in dealer network development and management.
Earlier in his career, Tom worked for Valvoline Oil as a sales manager. His common sense approach to business and passion for the Northwest lifestyle are ideal addition to the Greenwood management team.
Tom graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in business.
Gilles is a seasoned senior executive who has helped companies in various industries achieve their financial objectives. He has in-depth experience in managing financial functions, acquiring businesses, negotiating joint-venture agreements, and starting and managing businesses. Prior to joining Greenwood, Gilles was Vice President of New Business Ventures for Brunswick Corporation, VP/General Manager of Brunswick Financial Services, and Chief Financial Officer of US Marine. He also served as Director of Finance for Nissan Motor Company of North America and Director of Finance for Rohm and Haas Company.
Gilles holds a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Paris, Masters in Engineering from Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees (MIT equivalent), and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College.
Michael is responsible for the company's overall marketing and product strategy, and is acutely aware of consumer buying trends and market needs as they relate to green heating. He combines an engineering background and marketing discipline to deliver products and messaging that resonate with this emerging market. Michael has more than 20 years of strategic marketing and new business development experience working with blue-chip companies including 3M Corporation, US West and Boeing.
Michael was previously a Managing Director at Ernst & Young and managed a significant portion of the venture development, launching numerous successful businesses and service lines, including a $600 million consulting practice.
He holds a B.S. in engineering mechanics from the University of Wisconsin, and an M.B.A. in strategic management and operations from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.
German manages existing and new dealer relationships and oversees all direct sales efforts for Greenwood Technologies. He pioneered the company's customer and dealer programs and spearheads the commercial heating business.
Prior to joining Greenwood, German helped Los Angeles-based WorldCall Telecommunications (now owned by Global Crossing) grow from $2 million to more than $100 million in revenues. He also served as president and co-founder of GlobalTel Resources, Inc. - a provider of telecommunications services, messaging and Intranet solutions. German also serves on the advisory boards of numerous early stage companies.
German graduated from the University of Austria in Innsbruck and received his economics degree from the University of Austria in Graz, Austria.
