About The Trudel Group -
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Published on: 5/20/2008
Last Visited: 5/20/2008
ABOUT JOHN D. TRUDEL
John D. Trudel is Founder and CEO of the Trudel Group (TTG), a consulting firm that he established in 1988.TTG's clients range from new ventures to Fortune 100 companies.John has worked for Rockwell Collins, Sanders Associates, E-Systems and Tektronix.He has also helped start several new ventures.He writes a popular column, "Innovation In Sight" for IEEE Engineering Management Review.John has written for Electronic Design, Upside, IEEE Spectrum, Barrons, Analog, and many other publications.John is the author of High Tech with Low Risk and Engines of Prosperity.He gives keynote talks and has been quoted (and sometimes misquoted) by media including Electronic Business, Fortune, and Wall Street Journal.
ABOUT TRUDEL GROUP (TTG)
The Trudel Group (TTG) assists clients with technology strategy issues.The deliverables range from strategic plans and developing business models and plans to requirements definition and helping with the specification and implementation of new products.John provides expertise to companies to establish breakthrough results and makes a company's strategy, technology, and implementation come together.
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BIOGRAPHY of John D. Trudel, CMC CPCM
Mr. Trudel enjoyed a successful early career in the defense sector, working as a technologist for Collins Radio Company, Sanders Associates, E-Systems and others.His specialty was real-time computer based systems and what would later be known as Computer Aided Engineering.In the post-Vietnam era, his efforts turned to the commercial sector.In 1971 he was co-founder of the first company to offer microwave CAE software, Scientific System Technology (SST).The company and the product proved to be years ahead of their time. (A decade later, Trudel's product directly inspired the formation of EEsof, now owned by Hewlett Packard.) SST secured national recognition for Mr. Trudel, but a separate venture had more commercial success.The second company Mr. Trudel started, Autotronics, developed and marketed the first successful automotive radar detector, the Snooper.This, coupled with passage of the 55 MPH speed limits, spawned an industry.
Seeking experience with a large commercial firm, Mr. Trudel went to work for Tektronix in 1974, where he received extensive business training.Mr. Trudel played key roles in business venturing and new product development for several company divisions.He introduced the company's first telecom test sets.This product line grew into a separate company division with products for both telecom and LANs.During Mr. Trudel's tenure these products had the highest growth rate and profit margin of any product line in the company.He moved from this job to one in oscilloscopes, and defined and introduced the company's first digital oscilloscope.Mr. Trudel was responsible for planning the most successful product line Tektronix has had for two decades, the 2400 series.Mr. Trudel played a key role in a long string of product successes that generated close to $1 billion for Tektronix.His work in oscilloscopes represents one of the few cases where a Western firm has profitably recovered market share from the Japanese.Not coincidentally, he has spent much time in Japan hosted by Sony-Tektronix, and has given lectures on Japanese productivity and management technique.
Mr. Trudel left Tektronix in 1981 to become V.P. of Marketing for a small start-up company, CableBus Systems.The company developed and marketed advanced two way digital communications systems (cable modems) that piggy-backed into existing CATV systems.Again, Mr. Trudel was leading a new wave of applied technology.Consensus exists today that residential wideband services (e.g., the information superhighway) will be a major 21st Century industry.
When CableBus was sold, Mr. Trudel returned to Tektronix.He spent his last five years with Tek as Business Development Manager for the company's research laboratories reporting at the Vice President level.His responsibilities included providing strategic consulting for selected divisions, and the business development of technology enabled new ventures.Areas of success included advanced real time digital signal processing based on parallel computer architectures, CASE tools (sold to Mentor Graphics), AI based troubleshooting, object oriented workstations, and others.
Mr. Trudel left Tektronix to form a management consulting firm, The Trudel Group (TTG) in 1988, where he serves as managing director.TTG helps selected clients with product and business strategy, and he assists them "hands on" with product and business development to deliver compelling value propositions.TTG helps clients transition from the old business models and methods to the new templates for Information Age business.Mr. Trudel's methods are proven to allow breakthrough results in today's chaotic, competitive global markets.
TTG's work is in the area of strategic innovation, helping clients with strategy, technology, and new product development.Mr. Trudel also lectures and writes widely on these topics.TTG's clients range from new ventures and emerging companies to Fortune 500 companies such as Cray, Intel Corporation, and Tektronix.Most of TTG's work is under non-disclosure agreement, and some clients prefer to hold their identities in confidence.Trudel says his most prestigious assignments have probably been helping Intel plan the "P6" microprocessor and, later, develop their technology strategies for the Internet.
Mr. Trudel's book High Tech with Low Risk, published in September of 1990, discusses some of these topics and was at the leading edge of the new wave of "information age" management texts.His second book, Engines of Prosperity, was published by Imperial College Press in 1998.Mr. Trudel writes columns for Electronic Design and Upside magazines.He gives frequent lectures and workshops for corporations, universities, and trade associations.Workshop clients range from American Electronics Association, IEEE, University of California, University of Colorado, and National Technological University, to industrial clients such as Intel, Lucent, National Semiconductor, Southwestern Bell, Lexmark, and the Fluke Corporation.Besides TTG, Mr. Trudel has served as an officer in three new ventures, all of which did well for their investors.
Mr. Trudel's formal training includes the course work for a PhD and a MSEE from Kansas State University, and a BEE (Cum Laude) from Georgia Institute of Technology.He's had business training at Stanford, UCLA, and Columbia University.He has completed several management development programs including the Tektronix "Manager of Managers" grooming curriculum for upper management and the first (legendary!) Tom Peters-Regis McKenna "skunk camp."
He has served as an Adjunct Professor at the Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology and the University of Oregon.Mr. Trudel has been a member of many organizations including Who's Who; American Management Association; Product Development and Management Association; Association of Old Crows; National Avionics Society; Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association; American Electronics Association; Software Association of Oregon; and others.
Mr. Trudel was granted the designations of Certified Management Consultant and Certified Professional Consultant to Management.He's been a longtime member of the Institute of Management Consultants.He's been a designated examiner for Product Development Management Association's prestigious "Outstanding Corporate Innovator Award" and also served on PDMA's national board.