Intellex Acquires Expert by Big Village

We're thrilled to announce that Intellex has acquired Expert by Big Village, effective March 22, 2024. This strategic move enhances our capabilities and strengthens our commitment to delivering exceptional solutions to our customers.

Stay tuned for more updates on how this acquisition will benefit our clients and experts.

For inquiries or more information, please contact us at info@intellex.com.

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Expert Details

Engineering Systems, R&D, Infrastructure, Governance, Projects and Program Management, Risk Management

ID: 724720 Australia

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Expert began research in computational mechanics of fibre-reinforced composite materials through which he obtained his PhD. With this background, he explored other advanced materials like piezoelectrics. Piezoelectric materials are essential for the development of SAW sensors.

Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) sensors are micro-electro-mechanical sensors. The convert energy from electrical to mechanical and back to electrical. The sensing is performed in the mechanical phase of energy. The sensors are fabricated in a cleanroom through standard VLSI technology. The input Inter-Digital-Transducer (IDT) (made of aluminum, titanium or gold) are deposited on piezoelectric wafers (quartz, lithium niobate, PZT, etc) to enable the effect.

Expert has been actively involved in device product development since 1997. It involves concept development, literature reviews; a design process encompassing simulation and modelling, and instrumentation and testing for various applications. He actively developed SAW sensors in the USA between 1998-2001.

The innovation for SAW sensors (and hence the application of a patent) would be application driven. The focus should be on solving a problem creatively through the simplest means. The design can be as elaborate as desired. Expert has a patent for the design and development of a MEMS RF-SAW Sensor.

Expert has managed projects in a variety of industries including product development, research, infrastructure, construction, energy, astronomy & space science, etc. He appeared as expert witness (project management) for an infrastructure project that ended up in an Australian court. He is a Prince2 certified project management professional who is well versed with the PMBOK methodology of the PMI, as well. He has worked in Singapore, USA and various states and territories in Australia.

As Instrumentation Group Manager, Expert was enterprise quality and risk manager supporting a multitude of projects. He has qualitative and quantitative risk management experience. He is a qualified ISO 9001 QMS Lead Auditor and has membership with the Risk Management Institute of Australasia in connection with ISO 31000. He has managed teams of up to 30 staff in extremely risky environments e.g. demolition and high voltage energy transmission. He is a seasoned facilitator for risk management workshops.

Expert is a experienced change manager having transition various aspects of engineering business between countries including technology transfer. He is knowledgeable about intellectual property, its application and capability development built upon this.

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) are structures and systems in the microns regime. At this scale, stiction due to surface tension and viscous forces are larger than inertial forces. This presents a problem for many MEMS devices. Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) sensors are simpler in that these can be fabricated from a single mask process (i,e. NOT multi-layer process), no movable components and hence this problem never arises. Expert has not only designed SAW sensors but has fabricated them in a Class 10 cleanroom facility at the Pennsylvania State University, USA.

Nanotechnology refers to devices and structures developed in the nanometers regime. Although most SAW devices have the smallest dimension in microns, the higher the operating frequency of the SAW devices, the smaller, the smallest dimension (tens to hundreds of nanometers) would be and consequently the more difficult to develop.

New products can be developed according to the market requirements and user applications. Although traditionally used as an electrical filter in the 60s, SAW sensors are currently being used for biochemical applications. The desired application is left to the ingenuity of the developer.

The SAW device is developed through standard VLSI wafer processing. The photolithography required at least a Class 100 clean room to ensure successful photolithography and metallization. Electron beam lithography, photolithography and wet bench equipment are available in most reputable universities conduction similar research.

He has been a trainer for government and private companies in Singapore until he migrated to Australia in 2006. He has analysed and presented reports to individuals from these organizations using the neuroscience based tool, Emergenetics. He has developed a surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor through design, simulation and fabrication. He has worked in a class-10 cleanroom at the Pennsylvania State University, USA for 2 years. Upon returning to Singapore, he successfully transferred the technology for development work undertaken in the USA. As a stretched target, he replicated the sensor development process and developed the sensors in Singapore. Prior to beginning this process, he provided consulting services to the Singapore government (Defence Department) on the facilities and equipment that were required for the development. [Note: He left DSO National Laboratories in 2002 because they had no interest in commercial applications of the SAW sensors.]He is currently working in a engineering consulting services company in Australia. GHD Australia has 5000 employees in 65 countries. He is providing design management consulting expertise to various clients in the area of Mining and Industry at the moment. GHD also provides expertise in Agriculture, Structures, Water, Environment, Economics, etc. Consulting services on project governance, project management, enterprise risk management and quality management including ISO 9001 audits

Education

Year Degree Subject Institution
Year: 1990 Degree: BS Subject: Mechanical Engineering Institution: National University of Singapore
Year: 2003 Degree: Executive MBA Subject: Technopreneurship, Intellectual Property Rights and Commercialization Institution: Helsinki School of Economics
Year: 1994 Degree: PhD Subject: Computational Mechanics Institution: National University of Singapore

Work History

Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2018 to Present Employer: Undisclosed Title: Principal Consultant Department:
Responsibilities:
An organisation providing consulting, coaching and training support for educational institutions,
government agencies and private enterprise in the areas of research management, operations
management, risk management and quality management systems
 Change management
 Leadership in Engineering Practice
 Research assessment, capability acquisition and transfer across countries
 Enterprise risk management
 Quality management systems
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2007 to 2010 Employer: GHD Pty Limited Title: Principal Engineer / Senior Design Manager Department: Mining and Industry
Responsibilities:
Financial and risk management of design jobs at this large, 6000-strong, 60 offices, professional
services consultancy. Significantly contributed to the implementation of certification programs for
risk and quality including AS4801, AS4915 and ISO9001
Responsibility
 Project manager and/or project director for various projects.
 Bid development including contracts negotiation with clients for on-going and follow up
projects.
 Preparation of tenders for medium to large engineering projects, design management,
contract administration, procurement, project coordination and managing client
relationships.
 Project and business management support i.e. capability definition, execution of
project plans
 Generate risk management plans.
 Assist knowledge and professional development within the project management team.
 Achieve financial targets including securing new work, invoiced fees, and chargeable
time.
 Preparation of project documentation and reports and representing GHD at high level
client meetings, project hand-overs, etc.
 Strong stakeholder engagement skills including liaison, negotiation, consultation,
conflict resolution and leadership.
 Business development relating to promoting, positioning, pursuing and securing
project opportunities.
 Carry out internal (1st Party) ISO9001 QA audits of projects deliverable to various
clients.
 Provide technical advice for insurance claims of clients (e.g. Veolia Water, etc.)

Achievements
 Put together bids and won design projects each valued at approximately $1-5M each
including Illawarra Coke - Road vs. Rail and Holcim – Lynwood Quarry & Marulan
Highway Interchange Design, and BHP Billiton - HBI Remediation.
 Set up project controls and conducted risk management workshops for
GHD/Tenix/Country Energy – Cooma to Eden High Voltage Upgrade project at
Bega, NSW.
 Delivered good margin for these jobs. Risk managed through sound project
forecasting, scheduling tracking and cost control for quarry development, rail and
infrastructure.
 Excellent client relationship management to mitigate communication risks through
expedient issues management, clear communication and planning.
 Instrumental in GHD being awarded AS4801 and ISO9001 certification for
workplace health & safety and quality assurance, respectively.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2006 to 2007 Employer: CMA Corporation Limited Title: SITE OPERATIONS MANAGER Department: Contracting Division
Responsibilities:
The management of multi-million dollar decommissioning and upgrade site projects. full
ownership of project budgets, resource, safety, subcontractor and day-to-day client
management.
Responsibility
 Project and program manager on site for various projects in regional Australia.
 Responsible for health, safety, welfare, logistics, accommodation, administration and
performance of up to 30 tradesmen including their supervisors.
 Client and stakeholder relationship management, invoicing and progress claims.
Clients include Xstrata, BHP Billiton. Stakeholders include Port Hedland Harbour
Authority, Main Roads Western Australia, Mines and Ports Development Joint
Venture, IPA Personnel, etc.
 Liaise with internal (i.e. divisions within CMA) and external (i.e. contractors, vendors,
client, principal, auditors, etc) stakeholders.
Achievements
 Delivered 25-30% margin on projects managed through cost control measures.
Projects valued between $5-20M.
 Engineered sound business solutions under pressure to meet client demands and
protect the interests of the organisation. Risk managed to avoid liquidated damages
($22,000/day delayed). These actions saved the company approximately $350,000 in
unbudgeted costs. Compliance with Australian Standards and BHP Standards.
 Leveraged strong customer relationships to facilitate work impeded by unexpected
setbacks. Negotiated the use of a supplier’s equipment free of charge to facilitate the
delivery of needed materials that saved the company $$$.
 Ensured contractual compliance in successfully negotiating with BHP Billiton to
provide a decompression chamber at their expense, saving the organisation an
additional expense of $120,000.
 Implemented risk mitigating procedures to ensure due diligence requirements were
regularly monitored in order to successfully comply with on site audit requests and
protect my employers from liability issues.
 Effected positive morale by listening to the needs and demands of employees and
facilitating quick resolutions thereby facilitating the relocation of 30 crew members
expeditiously to meet expectations and to ensure their focus on the project.
 Demonstrated strong organisational skills and the ability to effectively prioritise
work loads completing all project elements requiring equipment hire four weeks
ahead of schedule. Saved the company $80,000 in hire fees due to this high level of
forward planning.
 Exceeded the call of duty by consulting naturopaths for the effective reduction of lead
levels in blood for oxy-cutters performing remediation works on site. Implemented
the risk mitigating strategy to keep workers on site.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2002 to 2005 Employer: Kulicke & Soffa Inc. Title: Engineering Manager Department: Engineering Division
Responsibilities:
Management of development and continuous improvement programs for materials handling and
packaging equipment, kits, spares including the rollout of training, logistics and beta site testing
within the Asia Pacific region

Responsibility
 Quality assurance and risk mitigation of various development and continuous
improvement engineering programs.
 Management of field engineers / managers and successful resolution of issues for
complex equipment development across the Asia Pacific region including Malaysia,
Korea, Japan, Philippines, Israel, Taiwan and China. Leadership through drive,
accountability, empathy and reliability. Compliance with ISO standards, regulations
and codes of practice.
 Extensive internal stakeholder management including divisions of Marketing,
Engineering, Manufacturing, Production, Spares, Accounts, Finance, Logistics, etc.
 Explore and exploit new technologies while mitigating the associated risks.
 Manage the transition of equipment development activities from the USA to
Singapore.

Achievements
 Diffused unexpected issues and mitigated risks that arose on projects as a result
of external supply shortages and limitations of equipment. Managed the testing
and qualification of LCD monitors leading to the decision to abort installation at
customer sites despite incessant pressure thus saving the organisation from a
potential future liability suit.
 Initiated and implemented reconfiguring of data representation to reduce
platform alignment issues. This action enabled engineers to quickly identify
problems and correct them accordingly. As a result a 30%-40% reduction in down
time was achieved improving productivity levels.
 Tracked of statistical process engineering performance through Six Sigma
methodologies.
 Negotiated a major supply contract for $1million worth of equipment sales: By
driving a series of innovative tests to validate the effectiveness of the equipment after
incorporating the client’s modifications, 13 machines were sold at a cost of about
$80,000 each.
 Instigated and oversaw a resolution project to effectively monitor and resolve
system reliability issues. Liaised with key external stakeholders to finalise technical
issues and co-ordinated factory test trials. As a result over 95% of issues were
eliminated within a 3 month period.
 Managed field engineers / managers and successfully resolved issues for complex
equipment development across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region including Malaysia,
Korea, Japan, Philippines, Israel, Taiwan and China. Leadership through drive,
accountability, empathy and reliability.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1996 to 2002 Employer: HVS Technologies Title: Senior Engineer / Program Manager Department: Materials and Electronics Division
Responsibilities:
A high technology start-up company that commercialises intellectual property generated by the
Pennsylvania State University. The projects are international and project activities of various functional
discipline areas are strewn across the globe.
Responsibility
 Design, testing and commissioning activities (early years) and subsequently the
management of these.
 Bid and delivery projects including reporting of progress to sponsors (statutory
boards, private enterprise, institutes, etc.)
 Management of stakeholders including sponsors, collaborators, vendors, consultants, etc.
 Identification, assessment and mitigation of technical risks and operational risks.
 Contract negotiations on projects scope and deliverables with legal counsel assistance.
 Technology acquisition and transfer from local and foreign enterprises.
 Manage testing and commissioning against requirements and standards prior to handover.

Achievements
 Attraction of funding for development programs.
 Projects delivered on time and within budget most of the time.
 Client satisfaction for achieving target specifications for the products developed and
tested.
 Successful duplication of design and development capability in Singapore for the
work done in Pennsylvania.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1990 to 1994 Employer: National University of Singapore Title: Graduate Engineer Department: Acoustics and Vibrations Laboratory
Responsibilities:
Vibration control of stamping equipment on the floors of flatted factories.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2010 to 2018 Employer: Department of Industry, Innovation and Science – AAO Division Title: Instrumentation Group Manager Department: Management of Astronomy Instrumentation
Responsibilities:
Operational management of a team of about 30 engineers and scientists.

Government Experience

Years Agency Role Description
Years: 1996 to 2002 Agency: DSO National Laboratories Role: Senior Engineer / Program Manager Description: He successfully managed the MEMS / Nanotechnology program.
Years: 1994 to 1996 Agency: Chartered Industry of Singapore Role: Mechanical Engineer Description: Design and modelling of engineering systems.
Years: 1990 to 1994 Agency: Jurong Townhall Corporation Role: Graduate Engineer Description: He conducted analysis, processing and control recommendation based on field measurements pertaining to vibration of flatted factories. He liaised with government official on the results and recommendations.

International Experience

Years Country / Region Summary
Years: 1997 to 1997 Country / Region: Switzerland, Europe Summary: He went on a technology evaluation trip to the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland. He had to write a report upon returning to Singapore to present his evaluation and recommendation moving forward.
Years: 1998 to 2000 Country / Region: Pennsylvania, USA Summary: He was assigned to acquire surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology through development of sensors for a defence application. The sensor can be applied to other commercial areas like biomedical engineering industry.
Years: 1990 to 2005 Country / Region: Singapore Summary: Extensive engineering and business development experience in Singapore.
Years: 2006 to 2010 Country / Region: Australia Summary: Worked in CMA Corporation Limited and GHD. These companies are privately owned within Australia.
Years: 2010 to 2018 Country / Region: Australia Summary: Operations and engineering management

Career Accomplishments

Associations / Societies
MIEAust, Chartered Professional Engineer, Engineers Australia; Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia
Licenses / Certifications
Certified Associate of Emergenetics Asia Pte Ltd (a subsidiary of Emergenetics Inc, USA).
Prince2
ISO 9001 Lead Auditor
Awards / Recognition
US Patent and Trademarks Office Patent; 2 patents
Outstanding Research Award, Pennsylvania State University, USA;
Panel of Judges, Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors Competition;
Panel of Judges, National Junior Robotics Competition;
Mentor, Young Defense Scientist Program
Medical / Professional
Postdoctoral attachment to the Pennsylvania State University, USA (Undisclosed) for MEMS and Nanotechnology.
Developed Sensors in the Class 10 Cleanroom facility at Research Park, State College.
Publications and Patents Summary
He has published 8 international journal papers and 3 conference papers.

Additional Experience

Training / Seminars
He has delivered training seminars to Corporate Clients. This is based on a neuroscience based profiling tool called Emergenetics from the USA.
Vendor Selection
Done throughout career as engineer until 1997. Thereafter delegated to his engineers.
Marketing Experience
He developed technology roadmaps for business development purposes i.e. solicit funds for projects with clients. Business trends, forecasting and market share analysis undertaken.
Other Relevant Experience
The Expert obtained a PhD in 1994 for developing a mathematical model for computational mechanics of laminated fibre-reinforced composites. Thus, extensive modelling and simulation experience. He has also recently undertaken simulation and modelling based on the Monte Carlo Method. Thus, depending on the complexity and relevance of project, he may decide to take up an assignment in the area.

Language Skills

Language Proficiency
English Advanced
Bahasa Malaysia Limited

Fields of Expertise

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