Marc Kronenberg: Innovation Director | Sustainable Technologies | New Product Development | Business Strategy in Ho Chi Minh City

I moved to China to establish a new footwear innovation team for a leading branded sportswear company that lacked key skillsets for breakthrough innovation. In addition to overseeing operations, I developed a 10-year technology roadmap accounting for emerging technologies, new materials, and advanced manufacturing processes. I added to the company's skill base through recruiting and training individuals in systematic innovation and consumer-centric product development. • Launched In House Innovation Lab to prototype and test new footwear concepts and material processes. Trained team for digital design to create virtual samples in 3 days, saving 31 days versus physical sample making. • Managed pipeline of over 20 innovation projects with annual budget over $6.5 Million. • Generated designs that will account for 6.4M pairs of shoes, 8% of company's market share, in 2021. • Established relationships and formalized partnerships with start-ups and large companies producing core materials, sustainable materials, robotics, automation, 3D/AR/VR, wearable electronics, and health/fitness products and services. • Created strategic plan for innovation based on four pillars - Digital Design and Product Creation, Customization, Sensors/Data, and Sustainability.

I founded and led the company that pioneered mass customization of golf equipment through metal additive manufacturing. Wrote business plan, created financial projections, and led the creative design of products. Scouted technologies and vetted 3D printing equipment, materials, processes, and workflows to develop a successful "Made on Demand" business model. • Invented processes and secured 3 US Patents for digital customization and additive manufacturing (3D Printing) methods to create custom golf equipment based on data from golfer's swing. • Recruited Board of Advisors, including swing coach for top ranked golfers, which increased investment in company. • Obtained Ultra-Premium positioning in Asia through savvy branding and high performance metrics. • Built customer base of professional golfers, sports stars, and high net worth individuals.

I oversaw production of new golf products at three tier-one contract and ten subcontractor facilities across Asia, with responsibility for the creation of 2M pieces totaling over $135M in product value. Ensured consistent and sustainable sourcing of materials, ensured reliable production capacity, and reviewed operations and production processes that met global market requirements. Resolved technical and operational issues. • Transferred technologies into in-line development products, growing metalwood product category market share by 23% over 4 years. • Accelerated production by 20% at contract manufacturer to meet growing product demand. • Saved over $3M annually through changing raw materials and components sourcing. • Increased on-time delivery by 8% while reducing total amount of labor needed.

With responsibility for both design and technical elements, I engineered 60 product prototypes per year for next-generation golf clubs. Consulted on strategy for full production processes, including advanced materials sourcing and development. Connected design, engineering, sourcing, and marketing from prototype to full production. Managed $500K annual budget for product innovation • Cut sample creation process to under 45 days on all projects, and less than 30 days on fast-track projects. • Introduced five key new materials and processes from research into production of core product.