Richard Slates

Experience

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  Bently Nevada Corporation

  Jun 1985 - Jan 2002

  Working with the VP of Technology, I established this team to drive innovation outside of the standard, but risk adverse, new product development process. This was the most technically challenging role I’ve had and marks my career shift towards engineering leadership and a focus on how to accelerate the incorporation of new, non-core technologies into an established business. - Exploring advanced material and signal processing technologies for new sensor measurements. - Impedance Spectroscopy- Piezoelectric and Magnetostrictive Sensing Techniques- Wireless- Advanced Eddy Current measurements- Ceramic and glass materials- Pressure and force using resonance techniques Show less I developed a strong empathy for customers at the start of my career as an application engineer before shifting my focus to technology and product development. I grew into technology positions with increasing responsibilities while developing technical understanding in multiple technologies.• Skilled in analog, digital, embedded system, firmware, signal processing, radio frequency, wireless and sensor design techniques. • Experienced in product development methodologies leading to high quality products. Bently Nevada was routinely rated #1 for quality and customer satisfaction.• Architected the 3300XL transducer system with 4M+ sensors installed.• The reputation I developed in this stage of my career for technical excellence and willingness to take on challenges enabled me to create the New Technologies team.Vintage facts in case someone needs help with the really old stuff: I picked up my first o-scope in 1977 repairing TV's using SAM's manuals. I've toggled boot code to start up a HP1000 and know what those lights and switches were actually used for in computers shown in the old movies, mastered IBM 360 JCL and paid my way thru college writing Fortran/F77 programs for the USGS. At one point in my career I was writing so much HC11 code I could just about read the Hex dump. If anyone needs consulting help with any of that...I might give you a discount just for the nostalgia as I sip a Jolt cola. Show less

  • New Technologies Engineering Manager (through GE Acquisition)

    Jan 1997 - Jan 2002

  • Engineer - Principal Engineer

    Jun 1985 - Jan 1997
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  GE Energy

  Jan 2002 - Jan 2011

  I joined this department at its inception to help drive innovation and intrapreneurial growth through Systems Engineering techniques. This is a change agent position that leverages my interpersonal skills, experience in technology, technology management and business operations. Our approach is based strongly on International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and ISO 15288 principles. I am a Certified System Engineering Professional (CSEP) and continuing to learn more advanced SE techniques. Most projects were related to Smart Grid Solution development across multiple P&L's or Power Plant Contractual Services offerings optimizing customer's specific objective optimization.. Show less I held several engineering leadership positions and was responsible for product life cycle support for multiple businesses, including the Bently Nevada and Reuter-Stokes product lines. • Owned all department metrics including budget, headcount, product quality, training, recruiting, new product introduction, productivity, sustaining, product support, certifications, and intellectual property. • Managed teams of 70+ electrical, mechanical, firmware, digital signal processing, software, certification and thermodynamic engineers located in multiple US locations, Shanghai, China and Graz, Austria.• Change leader responsible for delivering engineering commitments, managing morale and employee retention during the restructuring, rooftop consolidation and business integrations. Show less

  • Systems Engineering Manager

    Jun 2007 - Jan 2011

  • Engineering Manager (Various Positions)

    Jan 2002 - Jun 2007
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  General Electric

  Jan 2011 - Oct 2020

  Chief Consulting Engineer - GE Oil & Gas Digital Solutions

  This was a fascinating role balancing technical governance and interpersonal toolsets to act as teacher/mentor/facilitator to the engineering and other business teams. As a GE CCE, this often meant acting as a broker across business entities and finding the most expeditious way of resolving the issue at hand. Within GE there are CCE's with deep technical domain knowledge (an engineer's engineer) and Business CCE's that had more business breadth and acted as a business partner at the leadership level. My technical skills are competitive but my specialty is business breadth and how to achieve the customer objective while enhancing profitability leveraging whatever you have at hand. Show less

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  Baker Hughes - Bently Nevada

  Sept 2019 - Oct 2020

  Chief Consulting Engineer

  Ran my first transducer curve in 1981 as a technician. Hired on as an engineer in 1985 and had every technology role it was possible to have in my almost 40 year association with Bently Nevada. A great company to work for if you get the chance. It taught me the basics on how a technology company is supposed to operate.Retired as Chief Consulting Engineer from Bently Nevada - Oct 2020

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  Slates Consulting

  Oct 2020 - now

  Semi-retired - Actively working my own "special projects"

  It took longer than the 10 years I predicted when I was 22, but I am now working for myself and applying decades of technical & leadership experience to projects of my own choosing. I wish everyone the best in whatever it is you are pursuing and I hope you have the chance to work on things you are passionate about.