John Lester Miller
Infrared and Electro-Optics Consultant
CEO and Board member with a track record of serving both non-profit and private companies. Specialist in mergers and acquisitions, business turn-around, spin-offs and market expansion. Expertise in electro optics, laser and infrared business. Recognized leader in go-to-market strategy development, product development, and government contracts. Visible high-impact client relations executive and credible senior executive representative to the marketplace. Broad executive leadership experience from start-up to S&P 500 organizations including; solution development, M&A, R&D exit strategies, PAC guidance and full profit and loss responsibility. John is a firm believer in the intertwine between science, technology, politics, engineering and profits.
Position Targeted
Board of Directors position where my industry, technology, marketing, M&A and business development expertise will be leveraged to infuse insight and accelerate growth in collaboration with other Directors.
Selected Achievements
- Key team member of 11 successful Mergers and Acquisitions and Spin Offs at Lockheed Martin, FLIR Systems and The Research Triangle Institute.
- 35 years of experience growing electo-optical technologies into successful businesses
- Team member that took FLIR systems form a NASDAQ delisted company to a 1.6 billion dollar per year S&P 500 company
- CTO of FLIR Government Systems and Surveillance
- Experiences IP and Patent Advisory and execution, advising on the creation of over 100 patents
- Author of four books, over 100 papers and multiple patents
- 37 years of transitioning electro-optics R&D into business success
- Excellent track record of hiring people, with over 90% staying over 10 years
- Provided technical insight to technology trends, future global developments and what FLIR should invest in, helping FLIR grow from a $35M company to a $1.6B company.
Education
BS – Physics
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Ca
MBA – Management of Technology
Regis University, Denver, Colorado
Graduate Studies: Cal State Long Beach and University of Hawaii
Governance & Board Positions
- NIBTEC –Chairman of the board, Director, Board-of-Directors
- Episensors –Director, Board-of-Directors, CTO
- Cascade Electro Optics –CEO, Chairman of the Board
- SCD- Board monitor and Advisor
- FLIR Systems – CTO of largest division, participated in corporate board meetings
- Co-ordinated worldide R&D and international product and component development
- SPIE and SENSIAC—Served on numerous confrences committees
Clearance
Previous: TS, SCI, SECRET, WINTEL, CNWDI, COMSEC
Books & Papers Authored
Principles of Infrared technology, Elsevier Publishing, ISBN 0-442-01210-1, 1994
Photonics Rules of Thumb, McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-044329-7, 1996
Optical Communication Rules of Thumb, McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-138778-1, 2003
Photonics Rules of Thumb, Optics, Electro-Optics, Fiber Optics and Lasers, McGraw Hill, ISBN-0-07-138519-3, 2004
Authored over 100 Papers included in Journal of Optical Engineering, proceedings of SPIE, Proceedings of the Military Sensing Symposia and Trade Journals
Patents
4 Granted, 6 Pending
- Image Correction Across Multiple Spectral Regimes, 7,515,767 April 7, 2009
- High and Low Resolution Camera Systems, 7,663,662, Feb 16, 2010
- Gimbal System with Airflow, 7,671, 311, March 2, 2010
- Image Detection Improvement Via Compensatory High Frequency Motions of An Undedicated Mirror, 7,862,188 Jan 4 2011
Professional Experience
Runs a consulting company for executives in Infrared, electro-optics and Laserss, providing clients with rapid solutions at a effective price point.
Directed numerous electro-optical programs, including: 180 degree FOV military security systems, advanced image processing, degraded visual environment sensors, 3-dimensional stereographic imaging, including the 1st infrared binoculars and goggles, large ceramic telescopes, aircraft monitoring systems, IRSTs, specially purpose cameras, the Multi-Mode Sensor System (a 3d LIDAR imager and HD Infrared), and scintillation mitigation. Served as Technical Lead on patent strategy and patent execution. Help strategize product and technology roadmaps. Determined technologies for investment. Managed small rapid prototyping group. Became main corporate liaison to national laboratories.
- Provided technical lead and assistance on numerous Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) that excelled FLIR’s vertical integration and market penetration.
- Participated in several proposals efforts, with over 50% win rate, serving as expert at ghosting, red-teaming and executive summaries.
- Participated in PAC committee political briefings and activities, promoting infrared
- Led technology development efforts, successfully introducing new technologies into products when market was optimal.
- Developed the world’s 1st infrared binoculars and helmet mount LWIR goggles.
- Provided technical insight to technology trends, future global developments and what FLIR should invest in, helping FLIR grow from a $35M company to a $1.6B company.
- Developed the world’s 1st 1280 by 720 LWIR SLS sensor system.
- Developed and patented a FOVIAL infrared system mimicking the architecture of the human eye. Developed and patented a frequency hopping scintillation mitigation technique, an innovative cooling method for infrared gimbals, and an off-axis reflective telescope with an active tertiary mirror.
- Discovered an interesting infrared phenomena when ice forms on an aircraft surface, patent pending.
- Led several advanced image processing activities, including: scintillation reduction, sub pixel detection, aided target detection, video analytics, intent detection, and advanced temporal local area processing.
- Oversaw effort to integrate an uncooled hyperspectral sensor into a militarized handheld camera.
Served as General Manager of RTI’s Portland Office. Functioned as subject matter expert in infrared lasers and electro-optics. Assisted and supported 2 successful company spin offs.
- Investigated low scatter black infrared coating, developing new coating and enabling a new instrument.
- Supported infrared sensor development, refurbishing and testing at NASA Ames Research Center.
- Supported infrared sensor development and testing at NASA Langley Research Center.
Led system engineering group of approximately 20 people. Served as Lead Technical Architect on advanced missile warning sensors, specialized cameras, mine detection systems, advanced image processing engines, scanning and staring IRSTs. Contributed as part of a team that integrated GE Aerospace into Martin Marietta.
Served as infrared / electro optical lead on several SDI programs, including Kinetic Energy Weapon, Brilliant Pebbles, NASA programs, classified programs and Brilliant Eyes. Held key positions in several successful proposals some valued over a billion dollars, others a few hundred thousand. Participated in mergers and acquisitions.