EXECUTIVE PROFILE

Experienced technical executive with a documented track record of new product development and commercialization. Experience leading remote global project teams, developing technical teams with targeted skillsets, and developing cross-divisional platforms as well as business unit specific products. Adept at developing and driving innovation strategy where new technology is valued as a vehicle for sustained business growth.

SKILL HIGHLIGHTS

Innovation strategy development for a $600M business unit and for a corporate R&D function of an $11B corporation

Talent development through leadership mentoring relationships

Cleaning and sanitation chemical product development and commercialization including registered products

Industrial water treatment, including online monitoring and control of scale, corrosion, and microbes

Industrial sensor and controller design, development, validation, and commercialization

Air- and water-sensitive small molecule synthesis and characterization

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

ECOLAB, Eagan, Minnesota

Vice President RD&E, Chemical & Polymers Technologies 2018 – present

Responsible for a team of 30 researchers and an expense budget of $4.2 million. The development portfolio involves the design of novel cross-divisional cleaning and sanitizing platforms, liquid-liquid separations formulations, and early phase non-chemical cleaning and sensing technologies. Work includes test method development, laboratory and field test execution, and intellectual property filing. Successful developments by this team are selected by various business units and further refined and adapted for commercialization in specific markets. Annual initiatives targeting significant cost reductions ($10 – $50M annualized value) are also identified and executed.

ECOLAB, Eagan, Minnesota

Vice President RD&E, Food & Beverage North America 2014 – 2018

Responsible for a staff of 34 researchers and an expense budget of $3.5 million. Member of the Food & Beverage North America Leadership Team as the R&D leader. Led the Phase Gate process to execute the development portfolio, which involved the design of novel cleaning and sanitizing products and digital offerings. Work included test method development, laboratory and field test execution, intellectual property filing, and on-site customer support. Annual initiatives targeting significant cost reductions ($500k – $1.0M annualized value) were also identified and executed.

NALCO COMPANY, Naperville, Illinois

R&D Director, Automation 2008 – 2014

Responsible for a staff of 24 local and 8 Shanghai researchers and an expense budget of $1.5 million. The product portfolio involved the development and commercialization of 4 digital sensor and control platforms in the 3D TRASAR® family (boilers, wastewater, RO membranes, and clean-in-place).

NALCO CHEMICAL COMPANY, Naperville, Illinois

Senior Chemist /Senior Research Chemist/Staff Scientist, Cooling Water/Boilers 2000 – 2008

Conducted R&D testing in the lab and at customer sites for the development of an innovative and proprietary cooling water treatment program called 3D TRASAR®, which was commercialized in April 2004 with annual enhancement versions released. This project involved parallel development of novel chemistry, hardware, and software.

BOARD POSITIONS

Alliance for Advanced Sanitation, Advisory Board 2014 – 2017

University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska

Household and Commercial Products Association, Cleaning Products Board 2018 – present

Washington D.C.

EDUCATION

Doctor of Philosophy: Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry August 2000

Thesis: “Rhenium sulfide cluster substitution chemistry and structural analogs of the mono(pterin) molybdenum enzymes”

Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Bachelor of Arts: Chemistry (Honors) June 1993

Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Michigan

PUBLICATIONS AND PATENTS

Willer, M. W.; Long, J. R.; McLauchlan, C. C.; Holm, R. H. Ligand Substitution Reactions of [Re6S8Br6]4-: A Basis Set of Re6S8 Clusters for Building Multicluster Assemblies. Inorg. Chem. 1998, 37, 328.

Thapper, A.; Donahue, J. P.; Musgrave, K. B.; Willer, M. W.; Nordlander, E.; Hedman, B.; Hodgson, K. O.; Holm, R. H. The Unperturbed Oxo-Sulfido Functional Group cis-MoVIOS Related to That in the Xanthine Oxidase Family of Molybdoenzymes: Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Reactivity Aspects. Inorg. Chem. 1999, 38, 4104.

Miao, M.; Willer, M. W.; Holm, R. H. Oxo/Sulfidotungstate(VI) as Precursors to WVIO2-, WVIOS-, and WVIS2-Complexes and WIV-Dithiolene Chelate Rings. Inorg. Chem. 2000, 39, 2843.

Lim, B. S.; Willer, M. W.; Miao, M.; Holm, R. H. Monodithiolene Molybdenum(V,VI) Complexes: A Structural Analogue of the Oxidized Active Site of the Sulfite Oxidase Enzyme Family. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 8343.

Liang, L.; Chen, P. P.; Banks, R. H.; Willer, M. W.; Rao, N. M. On-line detection of organic contaminant in condensate system of sugar production processes using fluorescence technology. US Patent #9268337B2, 2016.

AWARDS AND HONORS

Rise Above Award – 3D TRASAR Solids new product launch 2014

Innovation Award – 3D TRASAR Boiler Technology 2010

US EPA Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Winner – 3D TRASAR Technology 2008

Chairman’s Achievement Award – 3D TRASAR Cooling Water 2005

Global Innovation Award – 3D TRASAR Cooling Water 2005

MINISTRY AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

Elder, The Sanctuary Church, Bolingbrook, IL 2009 – 2014

Small Group Leader, The Sanctuary Church, Bolingbrook, IL 2007 – 2014

Guest Services Director, The Sanctuary Church, Bolingbrook, IL 2006 – 2009

Science is Fun (3rd grade community education program) 2000 – 2010

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