Experience

July 2000 - present
Internet Consultant and Volunteer

Volunteer with San Luis Obispo Coast District California State Park Docents
Proprietor morro-bay.com -- Community Service Website for Morro Bay, CA USA
Partner in Los Altos Incubator -- Internet consulting and investing
Author of new book, 2003--  Engineering Your Start-up:  A Guide for the High-Tech Entrepreneur  -- all new 2nd Edition

April 1999 - July 2000
Ask Jeeves, Inc., Emeryville, CA    
Vice President, Web Site Engineering
5858 Horton Street, Suite 350, Emeryville, CA 94608
Ask.com ask.com
Grew ask.com from a MediaMetrix # 67 web site to a # 12 Web Site in June 2000
AJKids.com ajkids.com 
Acquired The Evergreen Project, 2/15/2000
Personal Jeeves pj.ask.com 
"Built and Launched PJ"  1/20/2000
Answer Point  answerpoint.ask.com "Launched Community Answers" 3/6/2000

Snap-on Incorporated (and subsidiaries)
Snap-on, a $2+ billion company, is the leading supplier of high-tech, Internet-centric, networked business management systems, test and measurement systems, and online repair information systems, for the automotive service industry.  
Key member of the management teams for three high-tech companies acquired by Snap-on.

• Led all of Snap-on's industrial, government, International, and OEM Web-based B2B e-commerce Internet and Extranet initiatives (see related case study, detail) , including development of Snap-on's first e-commerce venture at http://nutech.snapon.com/, and the Equipment Solutions program at http://oem.snapondiagnostics.com/.  Responsible for major portion of Snap-on's Intranet.
• Snap-on recognized as an E-business leader by Information Week as a result...(see related On-link article)
• Determined technical strategy worldwide, and gave direction to 370 engineers. Managed two advanced R&D labs (California, United Kingdom).  Injected Internet and next-generation software technologies into all PC-based products. 
• Personally built Snap-on's first Intranet collaboration site http://www.snaponcto.com, which was the primary mechanism for coordinating the work of seven worldwide engineering groups.
• Managed highly profitable Custom Solutions P&L center http://www.snaponsolutions.com.   Captured first multi-million dollar national account at Firestone.

1995-1996
Edge Diagnostic Systems, Sunnyvale, CA    (since acquired by Snap-on, Inc.)
Interim Vice President of Engineering
Key member of a successful management team, delivering integrated high-tech Internet-based diagnostic systems.  Took over role of  an absent engineering VP, re-positioning company, leading to the sale of this profitable $15 million start-up to Snap-on one year later in 1996.  Captured and managed three multi-million dollar OEM accounts (Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Toyota).  Personally built company's first web site www.edgediagnostics.com  (content moved to http://www.snapondiag.com/ ).

1994
FMC Auto. Service Equip. Div., John Bean Co., Conway, AR    (since acquired by Snap-on, Inc.)
Reported to the President, as a Strategic Business and Technology Consultant to this $60 million FMC subsidiary, for whom I also worked during 1985-1990.  Developed "integrated Internet-based service bay of the future," and personally built FMC's first Internet web presence for downloading vehicle alignment specifications (one of the industry's first successful Internet applications), leading to the acquisition of this division by Snap-on in 1996.  http://www.johnbean.com.

1993-1994
Computer Aided Service, San Jose, CA   (since acquired by Snap-on, Inc.)
Vice President of Engineering
Key member of a successful investor directed turnaround management team, leading to the sale of the company to Snap-on in 1997.  Developed a successful "Internet-based systems integration" strategy repositioning CAS as a high-tech leader.  Grew revenues from $1 million to $10 million  http://www.casworld.com.

1985-1990
FMC Corp. Tech Center, San Jose, CA   (related division acquired by Snap-on, Inc.)
Product Development Manager
Key technologist, responsible for managing the highest "net present value" project in FMC's history -- the very successful robot-controlled "Crop Care System" http://www.fmc.com.

1994-1995
First Online, Inc., Los Altos, CA
Founder and CEO of one of the first Internet professional services, Internet access, e-commerce, and Internet investment firms.  Realized one of the world's first B2B e-commerce plays by providing specifications online for OEM automotive service equipment users (e.g., downloaded specifications on-demand for wheel aligners, engine analyzers...).  Personally developed company's web presence http://firstonline.com.  Incubated and co-founded Hipbone Inc., http://hipbone.com, a successful B2B play, with investors who today  include Ben Rosen and Eric Schmidt.

1990-1992
Flexis Control, Inc., Hayward, CA
Vice President of Engineering - 1990-1991
Vice President of Marketing - 1991-1992
Key member of an investor directed re-start management team for a troubled Unix & Windows-based software development tool company.  Wound up company for investors, minimizing investor losses.

1981-1985
Schlumberger, Ltd. (and subsidiary)
Key Technologist, R&D Labs, Palo Alto, CA
Vice President of Engineering, Contrex, Inc., San Jose, CA


Based on my published Schlumberger research work, I helped spin-off a Contrex, Inc. subsidiary to develop an advanced semiconductor automated inspection manufacturing product, positioning Schlumberger's Fairchild Automated Test Equipment division as a leader in this technology  http://www.slb.com/research/.

Education and Other

Recent Papers by Mike Baird

• Role of the Internet In Enhancing Technician Productivity (presentation)
• Enhancing Technician Productivity via the Internet -- One Year Later (you now need PowerPoint to read this)
• Year 2000 Integrated Diagnostic System

Recent Patents:

• Docket 2469CIP1 "System and Method for Distributed Computer Automotive Service Equipment." Oct. 31, 1997.    "...The system of the present invention utilizes World Wide Web technology, which enables the use of universal and widely compatible programming tools and techniques for efficient and fast system development." "...system to access remotely located computer systems to retrieve or exchange data and/or software applications, or to undergo live or real-time and two-way interaction..."
• Docket 2469CIP2 "Improved Computerized Automotive Service Equipment."  February 26, 1998.  "[related to]...the exchange and sharing of information on the Internet...
• Docket US5054918: Light scanning system for measurement of orientation and physical features of a workpiece
• United States Patent 6,285,932 September 4, 2001 -- "Computerized Automotive Service System" -- The present invention is directed to computerized vehicle servicing and diagnostic systems that communicate with or access remotely located computers via the Internet that have pre-stored data or utilize pre-store data and parameters. The present system provides a navigational framework with two modules, the Menu Mode (random) and the Wizard Mode (sequential). The Menu Mode provides direct access to any required process and Wizard Mode provides a flexible control of process sequences and allows for user modification.
• United States Patent 6,859,699 Feb. 22, 2005 "Network-based method and system for distributing data."

Revised 27 Mar 2007

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