Ichabod Washburn Young Alumni Award for Professional Achievement: 2006 Recipients
James P. Baum '86
James Baum, your career exemplifies the success parents wish for their children and faculty for their students. Your rapid rise reflects your abilities, your dedication, and your drive. After receiving your B.S. in mechanical engineering, you earned a master's degree from RPI. Your career includes engineering, product development and executive management positions at Parametric Technology Corporation and Endeca. While at Parametric Technology Corporation, you were the executive vice president and general manager of the Windchill Business Unit, where you were responsible for all aspects of the business including product strategy, product development, marketing, operations, and professional services. You have also served as executive vice president of engineering, research and development at PTC. As president and COO, you played an instrumental role in Endeca's rapid growth from innovative start-up to one of the most successful privately held software companies in North America. Here you were leading an organization that is revolutionizing how people search for and find information. Endeca's technology enables information consumers to quickly and easily access information through an innovative approach that "guides" the user to the desired content. It breaks down huge information sets into comprehensive segments, that allow users a highly interactive and enjoyable experience. In 2005 you were promoted to CEO and continued to help grow Endeca in the fast paced world of guided navigation and information access systems.
James Baum, it is with great pride that WPI awards you the Ichabod Washburn Young Alumni Award for Professional Achievement.
Ajay V. Chauhan '86
For generations, your company has been delighting families around the world with sweets and treats that are enjoyed by millions of people. Throughout India, the Parle Products Brand is known for the fine quality of its classic cookies and its imaginative confections.
You come from a hard-working and industrious family. Starting with a small toffee factory in 1929, and then a single biscuit type launched in 1939, the Parle Company soon expanded across India, with products to suit every taste. Today, your family's enterprise commands a major share of the biscuit market, competing with brands like Nabisco. Parle Biscuits can be found in every corner of the world—from Australia to Angola, throughout the Middle East, and here in the United States.
You came to WPI, in the family tradition, to acquire the skills you would need to compete in a world market. You used the WPI Plan to acquire an education that would bring the latest technologies and best practices to the family company. You also earned an MBA at Babson College to add management skills to your portfolio.
You returned to India prepared to bring Parle Products Limited into the twenty-first century. One of your first goals was to bring computerized design operations at the factories. Since then, in the role of Executive Director, you have used your knowledge to expand and advance operations, modernizing and improving to meet international standards.
The results speak for themselves: Your cookies and candies are best sellers-at home in India, and abroad. Year after year, your products win taste awards at international competitions. With innovative advertising and marketing campaigns that appeal to enduring family values, you have captured the imagination of consumers who seek nutrition and a bit of fun.
Most of all, you have lived out WPI's mission of using your talents for the benefit of humanity. You have joined with others as part of a "Dream Team," to lead fundraising and relief efforts for the underprivileged and for victims of local disasters.
Ajay Chauhan, it is with great pride that we present you today with the Ichabod Washburn Young Alumni Award for Professional Achievement.
Barry C. Fougere '86
Barry Fougere, as a successful alumnus, you are a source of great pride to Worcester Polytechnic Institute. You received your Bachelor's Degree with High Distinction in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1986 and subsequently received a Masters degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1989, Business Administration from Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, 1992 and Engineering Management from McCormick Graduate School of Engineering, Northwestern University, 1992.
Most recently, you served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Colubris Networks, one of the leading global suppliers of Wireless Local Area Networking (WLAN, or Wi-Fi) equipment and management software to communications service providers and distributed enterprises. Under your leadership, Colubris achieved the #2 global market share position in its industry in providing products and support services to major telecommunications carriers such as NTT, Telefonica, Swisscom, Time Warner Cable and numerous others. Colubris also provides all of the airborne WLAN infrastructure for the Connexion by Boeing service, operating on Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, China Airlines and 8 other airlines. Subsequent to your recruitment as CEO at the beginning of 2002, Colubris grew revenues an average of 2.5x per annum for four years and raised $30M in venture equity capital and debt. During this period, Colubris operated at the highest revenue productivity per dollar of capital invested of any private company in the industry. Colubris and you were recognized in the past year with numerous industry awards, including RedHerring100, AlwayOn Top100, SUPERCOMM SUPERquest and CNET Mobile Product of the Year.
Prior to Colubris Networks, you were one of five Partners who built and led Cambridge Strategic Management Group (CSMG), a boutique strategy consultancy focused on the communications and high technology industries, along with the equity investors that fund these sectors. In 2002, CSMG was acquired by The Management Network Group (NASDAQ: TMNG). Prior to CSMG, you served as Vice President and the Boston Office Head for A.T.Kearney, the management consulting subsidiary of Electronic Data Systems (EDS). During your tenure, company revenues grew from $250 million to $1.2 billion. Your career began at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Engines, where you worked in R&D, product management and manufacturing operations.
You serve on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Network Communications Council and is a past member of the Advisory Board for the Northwestern University Masters of Management in Manufacturing program and was a 2004 New England finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.
Barry Fougere, it is with great pride that WPI presents you with the Ichabod Washburn Young Alumni Award for Professional Achievement.
Joseph A. Gammal '86
Joseph Gammal, your hard work and leadership, building on the skills that you cultivated at WPI, have led to significant contributions for the companies in which you served as a manager and marketing executive. The example that you have set for your peers is something about which both you and WPI can be very proud.
During your undergraduate career you were involved in a wide spectrum of campus activities that, no doubt, shaped your future leadership and management skills. Whether playing on the basketball or tennis teams, volunteering as an orientation leader, being a member of Theta Chi, Skull, and the Student Alumni Society, or serving as sophomore class vice president, junior class representative, and student body president, you strove to contribute to and improve the WPI community.
After graduating in 1986 with a degree in management and information systems, you accepted a position as a Management Consultant for Arthur D. Little, Inc. Three years later, you chose to refine your management skills by pursuing your MBA at the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College. With your new degree, you served for a short time as a Product Marketing Manager at Apple Computer before you became one of the founders of Hasbro Interactive.
At Hasbro, you held several senior-level marketing positions, specializing in software for children's and family interactive games. Your valuable marketing and management skills contributed to the development and launch of more than 40 successful products.
Having contributed much to Hasbro, you went on to serve as the Vice President of Market Development for Satora, Inc., a web-based company that focuses on customization and branding solutions for internet applications. Then, with fifteen years of experience, especially in starting and developing new corporate interests, you went on to become the Principal at Synectics, Inc., using your expertise to help other corporations with creative growth.
Joseph, for your extensive contributions to corporate marketing and management, it is an honor for WPI to present you with the Ichabod Washburn Young Alumni Award for Professional Achievement.
Richard D. Willett '91
Rick Willett, in a few short years you've taken the knowledge and experience you gained as a WPI student and translated it into an extraordinarily productive career and have become a source of great pride for your alma mater.
After receiving your bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from WPI in 1991, you began your career at GE Plastics. After several manufacturing and product leadership roles, you were sponsored by GE for an MBA in Finance from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. During the years that followed, you held a variety of finance and operational leadership roles in almost all of GE's operating units. Your leadership roles included Director of Financial Planning & Analysis for GE ERC, Chief Financial Officer for GE Superabrasives and Executive Audit Manager for several units of GE Capital Services. You have had international assignments in over 30 countries of North America, Europe and Asia.
In 2002 your career lead you to Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm with over $18B in assets under management, where you played a leadership role on the Teleglobe acquisition team. In 2003 you were named Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Operations for Teleglobe and in 2005 you were named Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President where you led the transformation of Teleglobe out of bankruptcy to become the market leading international wholesale voice and internet telecommunications provider with over $1.2B in annual revenue through multiple acquisitions and organic growth. Additionally, after taking the company public on NASDAQ (TLGB) in 2004, you completed a strategic sale of the company to VSNL International in 2006, providing an overall 35% annualized return for Cerberus Capital Management.
Rick Willett, your history of accomplishment and your dedication are a source of pride for WPI. It is an honor to present you with the Ichabod Washburn Young Alumni Award for Professional Achievement.
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