About

Dr. John B. Fenn Jr. is an industrial Leader recognized for technical innovations, corporate management skills, sales and marketing competence. He managed two divisions of major corporations from start-up to profitability and founded two companies that later sold for more than three times original capital investment. He is experienced in negotiations in both domestic and international marketplaces and has a broad technical understanding complemented by financial, marketing and strategic planning skills.

He was elected President of the Society of Vacuum Coaters in 2002, and in 2003 presented the Nathaniel Sugerman Memorial Award for lifetime achievement. He received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Purdue University, in 1972 and was a Post Doctoral Fellow at the UCLA Chemistry Department.

In 1983 Dr. Fenn co-founded and managed Andus, a high technology vacuum coatings manufacturing company. The company raised over $6 million in venture capital. It very quickly established a worldwide reputation for technical excellence and product quality. Under his direction Andus captured a 10% share of the Far East market for their major product lines. He grew company to $2.5 million annual sales with an EBIT of 10% in five years and negotiated the sale of the company for $18 million after six years.

He was President of a $40+ million subsidiary of Leybold Technologies (a German vacuum capital equipment manufacturer). Dr. Fenn also was Director of Market Development for Courtaulds Performance Films, a $100+ million British company specializing in vacuum coating, solvent coating, laminating and diffusion dyeing of plastic films where he reported directly to the President with responsibility for strategic market, technology and product development. He started a new electronic materials business division with first year’s sales of $1 million and had overall responsibility for developing the Far East market activity for company’s industrial products division, resulting in $3 million growth in annual sales after first year. As President of Courtaulds Defense Products, Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary established to market Courtaulds’ products and technologies to U.S. military and aerospace contractors) he grew the company’s annualized sales to excess of $5 million by second year. He directed an R&D staff of 25 with a $2.6 million budget and a Sales and Marketing group of 17 with a budget of $2 million.

In 1997 Dr. Fenn founded NeoVac whose mission was to design, develop and commercialize thin film products based on vacuum coating processes. The company achieved annualized sales of $3.6 million in its fourth year. NeoVac achieved at least 10% market share worldwide with its first commercial product line of transparent conductive films for use in touch panels and displays. It established a strong presence in the Far East and enjoyed a reputation as a can do company with a high level of quality and customer service. NeoVac was sold to Innovative Specialty Films (which later became Bekaert Specialty Films LLC ) in April of 2001.

Dr. Fenn is also a Director and consultant of Venture Technology Inc..