Michael J. Cumbo

About Michael J. Cumbo

Pragmatic and candid business partner who moves technology and teams “from lab to fab,” transforming stalled science projects, culturally stuck organizations, and operationally challenged companies into sustainably profitable growth businesses. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:Results oriented, customer-centric technology business leader, collaborative driver of new product introduction (NPI) and operational excellence, hands-on interdisciplinary problem solver, strong team builder and coach, creative and candid M&A advisor, and open-book communicator. Over 25 years of executive management experience with a correspondingly large rolodex. Full P&L responsibility in small to medium-sized ($10M to $300M; 10 to 1,500 employees) business units and divisions of multi-national public corporations, private equity funded roll-ups, and startup companies closely affiliated with strong university programs. Specialties: Identifying and moving commercially viable product concepts \"from lab to fab\" in growth markets such as life science, semiconductor, defense, commercial new space, optical communications, and alternative energy. Widely respected expert in the science, technology, and efficient production of thin-film optical interference filters, high performance laser mirrors and beamsplitters, precision optical components, and electro-optical subsystems. Well versed in the design, fabrication, assembly, and testing of passive photonic devices (free space, fiber optic, and planar waveguide), electrochromic windows, photovoltaic solar cells, EUV mirrors, integrated circuits, diffraction gratings, lasers, and laser enabled instruments. Preferred Management Tools: Gated design reviews throughout the product life cycle, Gemba walks, the 5S methodology, the Factory Overall Efficiency (FOE) framework, the 80/20 principle, and the Hoshin planning matrix. Favorite Business Books: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Leadership Engine, Learning to See: Value Stream Mapping to Add Value and Eliminate Muda, and Zero to One. Fund Raising Experience:$20 million in private equity funds raised and leveraged to acquire Omega Optical Filters (2020), Spectral Systems (2021), Evaporated Metal Films (2021), and Optometrics (2021). Over $57 million in institutional venture capital raised during pre-IPO executive assignments at Raydiance (20••••07) and NanoGram Solar (20••••09). OCLI’s secondary public stock offering raised $90 million, thereby setting the stage for the company’s aggressive expansion into fiber optic communication components and subsystems.

Experience

1. Founder & Non-executive Chairman

   Sandia Electro-Optics Corporation

   Jun 2016 — Present · Albuquerque, NM, US

Education

• Benjamin Franklin High School

  "A republic, madam, if you can keep it."

  1973 — 1977

• University of Rochester

  Ph.D., Optics

  1990 — 1993

• Rochester Institute of Technology

  M.S., Electrical Engineering

  1982 — 1987

Skills

• Business Development
• Engineering Management
• Laser
• Systems Engineering
• Management
• Product Management
• Process Engineering
• Mentoring
• Optical Fiber
• Joint Ventures
• Strategy
• Instrumentation
• Nanotechnology
• Photovoltaics
• Product Development
• Analysis
• Physics
• Lean Manufacturing
• R&D
• Enterprise Software
• Metrology
• Labview
• Mergers
• Start-Ups
• Continuous Improvement
• Engineering
• Fiber Optics
• Spc
• Product Marketing
• 5s
• Ic
• Design of Experiments
• Manufacturing
• Materials Science
• Commercialization
• Electronics
• Sensors
• Automation
• Highly Effective
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership