Wan Chi Lau

Boston, MA 02131

OBJECTIVE

Currently seeking a technology product management opportunity that can benefit from my online experiences, my passion for technology, and my multi-disciplinary technical project management background.

QUALIFICATIONS

Strategic thinker, tactical implementer, grace under pressure
Extensive startup, software, and client management experience
Strong knowledge of project management principles, techniques, and tools
Experienced in complex technical project management
Extensive cross-functional team development and management experience
Communicates effectively with C-level, technical, and scientific clients
Excellent group facilitation, mediation, and conflict resolution skills
Effective in both technical and non-technical consulting interactions
Exceptional project and product delivery history

EMPLOYMENT

V.P. of Strategic Partnerships, Mobi.AI (6/2016 - 6/2026)

Leveraging my multi-disciplinary background to explore and create unique opportunities for growth and partnerships for a MIT startup emerging from stealth mode.

Leveraging my multi-disciplinary background to explore unique growth opportunities, create new markets, and develop partnerships for an MIT AI startup emerging from stealth mode.

Help grow the company from four to 80+

Maintained and managed key partnerships in a variety of markets, both in the US and Europe

Managing Editor, Rainy Day Magazine (7/03 - Present)

Publisher and Managing Editor of an online magazine for travel and vacation-minded readers looking for top-quality, technology-based gear recommendations.

Worked successfully with hundreds of different vendors on product reviews, projects, and articles. Responsible for the development of all concepts contained in the magazine. RainyDayMagazine reviews are frequently picked up by blogs such as Gizmodo and news organizations.

Daily responsibilities also include advertising client management, evaluating article concepts, product reviews, and business development. Worked directly with vendors on various promotional and brand-building projects ( GadgetFest, SteakFest, BoxsterTechFest).

Developed a profitable revenue model by coupling online advertising (Google AdSense, Amazon Associates, Linkshare) with targeted product reviews, subscriptions, and article reprints sales. The site became cash flow positive six months after launch.

Expanded the magazine’s original scope with new sections every year (RainyDayKitchen, RainyDayGarden, RainyDayGarage, etc). Two new sections were launched in 2009 (RainyDayScience, RainyDayEngineering) and many more over the years.

The site can be reached at this URL- http://www.rainydaymagazine.com

Director, Customer Relations , ITA Software, Inc (9/06 - 9/09)

Responsible for the success of the overall relationship between ITA and its various clients. Oversaw the business and technical projects between ITA and its clients. Managed multiple and sometimes competing client/company priorities. Daily responsibilities include technical project management, business analysis, and account management.

Directed technical and business relationships between ITA and its customers
Served as technical project and business liaison between ITA and its customers on complex software implementations and integration projects.
Provided continuous support and management of customer issues, deliverables, and environment.
Managed customer expectations relative to ITA resources and objectives.
An advocate for the customer within ITA, advocated for ITA at the customer site.
Communicates effectively with all levels of the customer organization, from individual contributors through C-level executives.

Major projects delivered to date:

Completed the launch of the online ticket reissue capability for a major airline. The feature increased convenience for the end user, saved money for the airline, and increased revenue for ITA.
Managed the rapid migration of a customer's externally hosted environment to ITA. The successful project resulted in decreased support issues and significant annual savings for the client and a substantial increase in annual revenue for ITA.
Managed the successful integration and deployment of the redesign of a major airline's site. The redesigned site enabled the end user to shop for fares in a more convenient fashion. It also enabled the airline to increase revenue by "upselling" additional services.
Completed the successful launch of the Frequent Flyer Awards capability on a major airline's site. The new capability is a distinguishing feature and major competitive advantage for the client airline.

Senior Manager, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (4/98 - 7/02)

Created and managed a multiplatform cross-functional Technology Delivery team responsible for the installation, training, and support of genomic technologies to Millennium’s alliance partners (Monsanto, Wyeth, Lilly, Aventis). The team’s successes resulted in $100M of annual milestone payments to Millennium.

Main responsibilities included:

Liaison between external clients and internal executive management
$1.5M annual budget, resource planning, work-plan negotiation
Management of clients, projects, and team
Prioritization, tracking, and resolution of client issues
Main point of contact between internal groups (Engineering, Legal, IT, R&D)
Team reviews, career mentoring, team vision, and direction

Directed the creation of Millennium's software training center for teaching proprietary bioinformatics software and tools to both Millennium and alliance partners’ scientists.

Initiated training programs to increase the team’s efficiency of processes, interactions, and client management skills. The team was responsible for transferring technologies in:

high throughput sequencing (software platform: Mac, Sun/Solaris, Oracle)
transcription profiling (software, robotics: Mac, custom hardware, Oracle)
molecular pathology (laser capture software and techniques: Windows)
genetics (SNP technologies, statistical methods: custom PC software)
proteomics (mass spec software, biosensor methods: custom PC software)

Participated in internal strategic business planning studies to examine the feasibility of various revenue-generating opportunities for spinning off the Technology Delivery team as a self-sustaining business unit. Specific tasks included:

Evaluated proposals from external consulting firms
Led strategy/vision formulation sessions for the new potential business
Conducted market evaluation based on interviews with potential clients
Formulated group staffing projections and cost/benefits analysis
Presented findings to upper management

Software Development Manager, Eastman Kodak Company (9/95 - 1/98)

Managed a multiplatform, 15-member software group responsible for the development of desktop imaging software for digital cameras, PhotoCD, and dye-sublimation printers for the consumer and professional markets.

Team management responsibilities included:

Strategic resource planning,
Project scheduling and tracking,
Cost, and resource allocation for multiple concurrent projects.
Point of contact for QA, documentation, and external remote groups in Rochester, NY, Japan, and California

Technical management of the team was based on:

Timebox development strategies used for project scheduling and tracking
Reusable code modules using Object Oriented Design

Using the above strategy, the group was able to increase product deliveries by 300% after two years.

Responsibilities also included evaluation of emerging technologies for design, prototyping, and implementation quality improvement and cycle time reduction.

Led pilot project for a Kodak Rapid Development Initiative based on the development of “Imaging Lego Components” for digital cameras. The goal was to reduce software product cycle time and increase quality by developing common software components required to support all Kodak digital cameras (Image import/export functions, Contact Sheet Views, basic image manipulation libraries, etc.).

Senior Partner, Avalon Engineering, Inc. (4/91 - 9/95)

One of the founders of Avalon Engineering, a software consulting startup that specialized in developing solutions for companies in the Macintosh/PDA market. Partial client list includes: J.P. Morgan, Apple, Liberty Mutual, Kodak, Iris Graphics, OnTechnology, and Data Translation.

Business responsibilities included new business development, contract negotiation, and client management.

Technical responsibilities included technical management, product specification, user interface design, and C++ development.

The following is a list of clients and completed projects:

J.P. Morgan (Jan 1995-July 1995)

Managed a three-person team responsible for the design and implementation of a PowerPC version of a distributed bond trading system for JP Morgan's Emerging Markets group. This effort was a partial port (60% port/40% new code) of a system currently deployed on the Sun platform. The trading system was designed using object-oriented client/server techniques to maximize reuse on multiple platforms (Sun/Macintosh) in a distributed network environment.

Apple Computer (Sept 1993- Dec 1994)

Technical manager of development for a commercial software product called PresenterPad. Designed and wrote the functional specification for the PresenterPad™ product. Designed and implemented all user interface-related components. PresenterPad™ was a commercial Newton MessagePad application published by Avalon Engineering.

Eastman Kodak Chemical (May 1993- Nov 1993)

Designed, prototyped, and delivered a functional/user interface specification for an imaging software product for Eastman Kodak Chemical. The program was designed to perform DNA imaging/sequence extraction from scanned images.

Liberty Mutual Insurance (Jan 1993- June 1993)

Designed and prototyped the user interface for a workgroup project for Liberty Mutual's insurance underwriting reengineering effort.

Kodak (April 1991- Jan 1993)

Designed and developed user interface for Kodak for their Color Management System (KCMS). Kodak's KCMS is an independent color calibration technology.

Data Translation (March 1992- May 1992)

Designed and implemented digitizing routines for the video digitizing portion of Data Translation's Media 100 Desktop Nonlinear Video Editing System. This system used proprietary video hardware and QuickTime-based software.

Designed, wrote the functional specification, and prototyped the user interface for a mass market digital desktop calendar and personal information management product.

Principal Software Engineer, AGFA Corporation (8/90 - 4/91)

Software Engineer, Data Translation, Inc. (9/87 - 8/90)

Research Assistant, MIT-Lincoln Laboratory (9/86 - 7/87)

Guest Scientist, National Bureau Of Standards (6/86 - 9/86)

Research Assistant, Harvard Medical School (1/82 - 1/85)

EDUCATION

MIT Sloan School of Management, Managing Technical Professionals and Organizations, March 2000

Boston University, M.S. in Computer Engineering - concentration in image processing and computer graphics, July 1987

Cornell University, B.S. in Biology - concentration in neurobiology and behavior, May 1981

PUBLICATIONS

"Progress on the Prototype PIPE", R. Goldenberg, W.C.Lau, A. She, A.M. Waxman, Proceedings of 1987 IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, Vol. 3

"Prototype Programs for the Prototype PIPE", R. Goldenberg, W.C.Lau, A. She, A.M.Waxman (1986), Boston University, Laboratory for Sensory Robotics Technical Report 3

"Progress on PIPE, Summer 86", unnarrated videotape with captions (10.5 minutes) R. Goldenberg, W.C.Lau, A. She, Boston University Laboratory for Sensory Robotics (1986)

REFERENCES

Available upon Request