Richard Helfrich has over 30 years experience in managing, starting and growing high-technology companies. He is an invited speaker to many industry, finance and venture conferences and has provided his expertise to the US Congress and the State of California on technology and business issues.
Rich’s large-company experience includes:
1) Vice President of Sales and Marketing for California Micro Devices (NASDAQ-listed company), led the stabilization and turnaround of the company with improved corporate governance and by winning contracts with major customers such as Motorola, Nokia, Ericsson and Volkswagen;
2) Manager of Corporate Market Development for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), where he led restructuring projects with McKinsey to drive spin-outs or shutdown of several divisions and manufacturing plants resulting in 40% reduction in headcount. Also improved sales and service efficiency projects to enable 10% sales growth. Provided the internal lead for M&A at Monolithic Memories working with Bain and Company; and
3) Manager of the Microelectronics Department at Northrop Corporation, where he oversaw recruitment of over 50 engineers and Ph.D.s, negotiated a joint venture with IBM, and secured funding to produce for DOD’s very high-speed circuits program (VHSIC).
Rich Helfrich was founder or co-founder of several companies with fundamental technological innovations:
1) Vitesse, a manufacturer of gallium-arsenide integrated circuits, where he served as Vice President of Business Development and Director of Programs (the founders raised $30M for Vitesse);
2) InterFoundry Inc., a semiconductor wafer-foundry company which organized a leveraged buy-out of semiconductor fabrication facilities in the Republic of Armenia, where he served as Executive Chairman;
3) InterSemi Corporation, a fabless semiconductor company developing field-programmable analog-array circuits, where he served as CEO and CMO;
4) Advanced Quantum Sensors, a recent spin-out from the University of California and the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, where he serves as Chairman; and
5) Multinational Electronics Corporation, a consulting company to large and emerging companies specializing in corporate M&A, post-merger integrations, selecting markets and business strategy, where he served as CEO;
In addition, Rich has served as a board member or board advisor on over 20 boards during the past 20 years providing guidance on business models, finance strategy and corporate governance.
As Chairman of the High-Tech Investment Committee of First Global Venture Capital, a German VC firm, Rich sourced, structured, negotiated, invested, monitored and managed global investments in communications and high-technology companies achieving ROI ranging from 7-46% for selected/managed deals. As co-founder of Alameda Capital LLC he led the team formation including an active scientific advisory board containing leading scientists, many of whom are members of the National Academy. He also developed deal flow and led several due diligence reviews. He also served on California’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Nanotechnology and consults on an ongoing basis for the National Science Foundation.
Currently, Rich Helfrich is CEO of Alameda Advisors (a contract consulting company that commercializes inventions from universities and other research institutions) that has initiated and arranged financing for a business park and commercialization in central Texas containing cleanrooms and wetlabs; reviewed and made recommendations for commercialization of life-science technologies at universities in the state of South Carolina; and won financing for a MEMS nano-sensor system for an emerging company. Mr. Helfrich participates in numerous activities at the National Science Foundation such as reviewing grant applications for SBIR funding.
Rich serves on the Business Advisory Board of Nanopolymer Systems. Once Nanopolymer Systems produces its first battery prototypes and generates ion-conductivity data to enable better understanding of market differentiation and positioning, the company intends to recruit Rich as CEO of the battery spin-off to guide the growing company with his consummate business experience.
Contact Information:
r.helfrich@alamedaai.com r.helfrich@ieee.org
Phone: 925-484-2537
Address: 5078 Monaco Drive, Pleasanton, California, 94566 USA.
Education:
M.S.E.E., California State University, Los Angeles, California.
B.A., Physics, Occidental College, Los Angeles.
Premed, 1972, chemistry, biology, biochemistry, California State University, Los Angeles.
Ongoing classes in business for new market sectors, and many CLE legal classes.
