Interim CFO or Part Time CFO - Bob Pickens

Bob brings over 35 years management experience in companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 250. For the past 18 years, Mr. Pickens has focused his energies on the entrepreneurial world as CEO, COO, or CFO of start-ups and emerging growth companies in both the traditional and high-tech industry sectors. He has experience in merger and acquisitions on both the buy and sell side, IPO's, and other forms of capital fund raising. Mr. Pickens' primary focus is in the areas of strategic assessment and planning, financial forecasting, and fund raising, primarily geared to helping companies grow from early and mid-stage status.

Since 2005, Mr. Pickens has consulted with various Research Triangle Park emerging growth companies, most recently serving as CFO of Virtual Heroes Inc. and First Research, which he helped company management sell to Dun and Bradstreet in 2007. He has served on Boards of Directors, Advisory Boards, and as strategic advisor to 12 companies during the past 15 years. As a human resource-focused manager, he has also developed the curriculum and presents a training and development program geared to training first and second line supervisory/management personnel, especially in technology fields. Currently, Mr. Pickens serves as Director of Entrepreneurship at the Council for Entrepreneurial Development, the largest non-profit support organization for early stage entrepreneurs in the US.

Bob holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Davidson College and has completed substantially all coursework for a Master's in Applied Behavioral Science from Johns Hopkins University. Additionally, he is a former member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO), a world-wide organization dedicated to educating C-Level executives.

Professional Career Highlights:

• Early-on career development was with Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation where Mr. Pickens spent 17 years in increasingly responsible management positions.
• During his career, Mr. Pickens has raised over $100 million in company fundings, rescued and revived a near bankrupt company, and sold or assisted in the sale of three companies at premium valuations.