Jump to main content Jump to page navigation Jump to search

Expert Topic

Balancing the Project Portfolio to Reflect Corporate Objectives

Project portfolio management, or PPM, is similar in purpose to financial portfolio management.

As with financial portfolio management, your company's project portfolio should balance investment to assure the greatest chance of achieving your unique company goals. This typically means investing in a mix of types of projects with varying risks and payoffs.

When used correctly, project portfolio management will align your projects with your overall corporate goals, will make your strategy stronger and allow you to implement your strategy better.
More▶

Related Topics

Meet the Expert

Larry Pendergrass

Consultant Larry Pendergrass
Principal, TecZecs
San Francisco, CA
  • English
Expert Topic:

About Larry

  • More than 30 years in the high tech industry, including 17 years in management and 14 years in science and engineering, working for companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Agilent Technologies, Keithley Instruments, Tektronix and Danaher Corp.
  • Experience spans a wide range of industries (semiconductors and other discrete devices, materials research, test and measurement, wireless, medical products and software) and a diverse set of technologies (electronics, optics, acoustics and magnetics). 
  • Specializes in corporate and product strategy, project portfolio management and fast cycle time product development. Also, highly experienced in NPI processes and R/D metrics, creating an innovation culture, cross-geographic development and manufacturing, project valuation, project platform management, talent acquisition and management, change management, and acquisition targeting, valuation and roadmap integration.
  • MBA in management from Case Western Reserve University and MA in physics from University of California, Davis.

Experience

Principal Consultant • TechZecs, LLC
May, 2012 — Present
  • TechZecs is comprised of about 15 senior executives, serving C-level executives from high tech companies. Responsible for business development, fulfillment of consulting contracts, and interim executive management.
  • Contracts have included identification of M&A/partnerships, strategy training and assessment, project portfolio management, operations execution improvement and leadership development. About 30 assignments over 2 years.
Executive VP of New Products • Keithley Instruments/Tektronix (a Danaher Co.)
May, 2003 — May, 2012
  • Served as VP of New Products, CTO, executive team member and company officer at Keithley Instruments (8 years).
  • Became senior director of engineering at Tektronix after sale of Keithley to Tektronix/Danaher.
  • Directed 200 people in U.S., China and India with $27M/yr budget. Partnered with marketing on portfolio/product strategy and roadmaps.
Director of Strategy/R&D • Agilent Technologies
1999 — 2003
  • As R&D section manager for Agilent's Wireless Network Test Division (WNTD), directed 55 people with a budget of $10M/yr on 6 R&D sites in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Grew division to $75M/yr in three years.
  • Owned P/L for drive test and base station test. Included product strategy and product development.
  • Leader of business team responsible for developing hardware/software for wireless service providers and for design, installation, maintenance of cellular networks.
Manufacturing Project Manager • Hewlett-Packard
1982 — 1999
  • As Manufacturing Project Manager (1995-1999): Responsible for engineering efforts for $300M/yr product line; redesign of existing products and introduction of new products. Also, responsible for test process software development, quality/cost improvements, assurance of supply.
  • As Lead Product Engineer (1992-95): Responsible for acoustic imaging for cardiology and radiology; transducer model development, design, DSP, material development. Challenged existing hypotheses for system design, creating ultra-wide bandwidth transducers, aided with digital receive system/DSP.
  • As Senior Engineer/Scientist (1982-92): Invented, designed, fabricated and tested new-to-the-world components, including electronic (ICs, FETs, diodes), acoustic (SAW, STW, BAW), magnetic (YIG, BaFe), photonic (modulators, detectors). Responsible for device model development and design, process development, material research. 

Education

Case Western Reserve University, Weatherhead School of Management
MBA, Business Administration, 2009

Academic Honors

Deans List, Beta Gamma Sigma
University of California, Davis
MA, Physics, 1980

Thesis

Time Correlation Spectroscopy Studies of Crystal Nucleation Inhibition by Antifreeze Proteins
San Diego State University
BS, Physics, 1978

Academic Honors

Honors, with Distinction

Thesis

Design and Fabrication of a Far Infrared Laser
Stanford University School of Business
Stanford Executive Program, Strategic Marketing Management, Business Administration, 2006
Stanford University School of Business
Stanford Executive Program, AeA/Stanford Condensed MBA, Business Administration, 2005

Awards

R&D 100 Award Winner (Team Award), R& D Magazine:
  • 2005: Keithley 6221/2182A AC and DC Precision Current Source with Nanovoltmeter
  • 2006: Keithley Series 2600 System Source Meter Instruments
  • 2008: Keithley 4x4 MIMO RF Test System
  • 2011: Keithley 4225 PMU Ultra Fast IV Module

Product of the Year Award Winner (Team Award), Electronic Products Magazine
  • 2007: Keithley 2810 Vector Signal Analyzer and 2910 Vector Signal Generator

Editor’s Choice Award Winner (Team Award), Portable Design Magazine
  • 2008: Keithley 4x4 MIMO RF Test System

Best in Test Award Winner (Team Award), Test and Measurement World Magazine
  • 2003: Keithley S600DC/RF DC and RF automated parametric test system
  • 2008: Keithley 4x4 MIMO RF Test System, Honorable Mention

EDN Hot 100 Product Award Winner (Team Award), Electronic Design News Magazine
  • 2008: Keithley 4200-SCS KTEI 7.1

Test of Time Award Winner (Team Award), Test and Measurement World Magazine
  •  2006: Keithley 2400 SMU

Lifetime Honor Society Membership Award
  • International Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society, the honor society for exceptional business students in business programs accredited by AACSB International.

Boards

Advisory Board Member - Eywa Tech Media Innovations (Digital Marketing Startup)

Publications

Packages with Larry starting from $400

Your Expert Package Includes:

Best Practices

Access to ALL Best Practices authored by TrustedPeer Expert Larry Pendergrass on this topic.

Pre-Meeting Discovery Process
Review and analysis of your issue with pre-meeting discovery questions by Larry, followed by a 30- or 60-minute one-on-one call. Sample

One+-on-One Call

Your (+colleagues) meeting is directed and focused from the first minute.

Meeting Summary Report

After your call, Larry completes a Meeting Summary Report to provide you with the session’s discussion topics, analysis, assessment and recommendations for next steps. Sample

Post-Meeting Engagement

After your meeting, continue your relationship with Larry on your own, or with TrustedPeer’s support.
Loading...