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When asked, I like to tell people I never climbed the career ladder, I took the stairs instead. Along the way I have done just about everything a person could do in marketing and management. Whether it’s launching lines of business in foreign markets, working to get competitors to build compatible products, or trekking around the developing world searching for where people get their water, I have been constantly on the move.
Major career accomplishments
- Made Bluetooth a mainstream technology
- Helped over a million people get safe water
- Advocated social and institutional change as candidate for U.S. Congress
- Serial disruptor in the technology and non-profit sectors
For the past several years I have been semi-retired, have run for U.S. Congress, and now work for Virtual Management as a hosted leader of trade groups like the NFC Forum, IOWN Global Forum, HAPS Alliance, and OWASP Foundation. Before that, I was on the leadership team that launched Matt Damon’s Water.org, directing grassroots advocacy and fundraising efforts while closely collaborating with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, building innovative ways to connect with supporters. My role was to exploit the intersection of marketing and technology to help end the water crisis.
Over my thirty year career in technology and nonprofit I have directed teams that have defined, product managed, launched, and marketed dozens of new products around the globe. I have worked in an internet startup (before there were such things), for the Fortune 50, and on international assignments all spanning the public, private, and non-profit sectors.
As the former CEO and Executive Director of the Bluetooth SIG, I was responsible for defining a business environment that created a $25B industry – one populated with component, system suppliers, end product manufacturers, service industries and iconic brands like Nokia, Sony, Microsoft, Intel, IBM, and Ericsson.
What’s my passion? Connecting people through technology. If after reading something here you feel compelled to write, drop me a line at mike (at) mccamon.org. If you’re an old (or perhaps new) friend, give me call during US central time hours at 913.940.2737. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Virtual, Inc.
January 2019 to Present [Wakefield, MA]
Virtual enables associations, standards organizations, consortia, startup advocacy groups, and professional societies to achieve their goals and make a mark on the world. My role is to help leaders imagine their futures and then help their organizations navigate through change for growth. Standards organizations, non-profits, and high growth technology companies have been where I’ve championed change for good in both developing and developed economies worldwide.
- Develop, manage, and execute Strategic Goals and Objectives of the Forum
- Facilitate redesign of Certification Program business model
- Lead trademark work including design of updated corporate and wayfinder tap mark
- Lead annual consumer adoption and awareness studies.
- Ambassador of the Forum to members, partners, and press.
- Created and implemented organizational wide Operating and Project Planning
- Led migration and launch of 25M annual visitor website to Github Pages
Candidate for U.S. Congress Kansas 3rd District
February 2018 to August 2018
- Finished 4th place in field of six Democratic Primary.
- Innovative use of digital marketing led to highest donor ROI of all candidates in field.
- Wrote and self-produced weekly video blog featuring stories and people in District.
- Hyperactive social media advocate of #aroundTheThird including Facebook Live.
- Hosted over 210 meetings with local leaders in the District.
SpiderOak
November 2014 to January 2017 [Kansas City, MO]
Best known for its personal backup solution, SpiderOak advocates for and builds products to protect information in the cloud. Recruited to the corporation in 2014 to co-lead corporate reboot that would diversify product offerings and enter new market categories, retool and strengthen business operations, all the while delivering revenue and user growth with legacy product offerings.
President & CMO
- Established budgeting, forecasting, accounting, treasury management, and human resource functions and procedures for the organization.
- Led marketing team’s efforts on messaging, promotion, pricing, social media, advertising, trade events, email marketing, customer engagement, enterprise sales support, and online marketing.
- Oversaw development and implementation of corporate and product line roadmaps for the business.
- Managed the design, visual identity, and user experience of the corporate brand, marketing executions, and product design.
- Frequent thought leadership through writing, press/analyst briefings, and speaking engagements.
- Delivered double digit growth while launching new products in new problem categories.
- Instrumental in closing $4.25M Series B Round institutional and private equity funding.
Water.org
February 2009 to October 2014 [Kansas City, MO]
Co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, Water.org pioneers innovative, community-driven, market-based solutions that help people gain access to safe water and sanitation. Over the past two decades Water.org has helped thousands of communities in Africa, Asia, and Central American with safe water solutions.
- Planned, managed, and executed a full recast of grassroots engagement to digital.
- Grew grassroots fundraising results by over 600% while decreasing cost-per-dollar raised eight-fold.
- Designed, managed, and led award-winning industry-recognized digital advocacy efforts.
- Grew e-mail address and social media audiences by 20x and 10,000x respectively.
- Achieved these results following an entire renaming and rebranding of the organization in July 2009.
- Conceived and led the team that invented the “donate your voice” meme with over 80,000 online donors.
- Led cause marketing efforts partnering with some of the largest consumer and online brands.
- Defined, managed, and produced the creative print, online, audio, and video assets.
- Design and project manage technology initiatives for Water.org and partner organizations including a beneficiary facing real-time SMS water quality reporting system for Haiti.
Limestone Partners LLC
August 2004 to present [Overland Park, KS]
Offering marketing, trade association and program management consulting to tech and wireless markets and industry associations.
Executive Director, UWB Forum [client]
- Planned and managed the startup of the Corporation handling the affairs of the trade association.
- Led the trade association and its membership drive acquiring over 140 members in less than six months.
- Quoted ambassador for the UWB Forum in domestic and international press.
- Led re-branding of the association including figure mark design and website redesign.
- Oversaw the worldwide trademark strategy and implementation efforts.
- Developed and managed marketing plans.
Marketing Services, IEEE-ISTO [client]
- Developed and managed execution of a short-term marketing plan designed to raise visibility of this services company to the standards market.
- Developed and launched online blog in standards market to increase voice of authority for the IEEE-ISTO.
- Designed and led development of various marketing collateral tools including direct mail, email and press releases.
Sprint/Embarq Communications
January 2006 to January 2007 [overland park, ks]
Formerly Sprint”s landline operation, Embarq is one of the country”s largest providers of high speed internet and good old fashioned dial tone to over seven million customers in 18 states. As part of its spin-off from Sprint, Embarq intends to launch a wireless business as an MVNO carrier of choice in their local markets.
Group Manager, Wireless Product Development
- Directing development and launch plan for consumer fixed mobile convergent devices and services.
- Manage all wireless Product Development for the company from idea conception to market launch with a strong focus on products that integrate wireline and wireless services.
- Serve as a content area expert on personal area wireless technologies and trends in the market and it”s impact on our markets and competitiveness.
Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG)
April 2002 to August 2004 [San Diego, CA and Overland Park, KS]
The standard wireless connection for mobile products, Bluetooth technology is managed by this not-for-profit trade association. The growth over my tenure was unprecedented; from a base of less than a million per week to surpassing the milestone of well over ten million products shipping per month. Marketing, targeted PR and a focus on product interoperability through programs such as “Five Minute Ready” drove this growth.
CEO & Executive Director
- Planned and managed the startup of the Corporation handling the affairs of the trade association.
- Lead the trade association and its members in their drive to over ten million products shipping per month.
- Conceived the highly successful “Five Minute Ready” program that improves device interoperability.
- Widely quoted ambassador for the Bluetooth SIG in domestic and international press.
- Oversaw the worldwide trademark strategy and implementation efforts.
- Developed and managed annual budgets, staffing, operational, marketing, technology and product plans.
- During first year increased membership approval ratings to over 90%
Intel Corporation
March 2000 to April 2002 [Santa Clara & San Diego, CA]
As the largest manufacturer of microprocessors in the world, Intel through it’s marketing programs such as “Intel Inside” and branding campaigns for “Pentium” and “Centrino” has established itself as a household name. My role at Intel was to manage our evangelism efforts in standards organizations like GSMA, Wi-Fi Alliance and the Bluetooth SIG influencing their direction favorable to the PC market and Intel’s product plans. I was also a contributor on the marketing team that developed the Centrino branding campaign.
Manager Wireless Evangelism
- Corporate representative to Bluetooth SIG Board of Directors.
- Chairman of the Bluetooth SIG Marketing Committee, 2002.
- Member Wi-Fi Alliance Marketing Committee.
- Developed brand strategy for trademarks, annual marketing plans and budgets.
- Chairman of the Bluetooth User Experience Team Working Group.
- Coordinated and facilitated Intel Bluetooth marketing and messaging efforts.
Product Marketing Engineer
- Recruited to new business venture to develop and market wireless products.
- Created marketing strategies, pricing, positioning and feature set requirements for future and existing products.
- Developed and managed product roadmap and brand identity of retail and embedded products.
- Directed research efforts into new product opportunities, customer behaviors and preferences.
- Forecasted demand and product line profitability
Iomega Corporation
September 1997 to March 2000 [San Diego, CA and Geneva, Switzerland]
Iomega was the world leader in removable storage products for the PC industry. As a member of the team that developed Clik! our aim was to leverage the success of the Zip Drive technology for mobile products. Later at Iomega I worked in an ex-patriot assignment in Geneva, Switzerland. There I launched our optical product line while managing the Clik! business for the geo. During my short time in Europe my product line revenue grew nearly 500% in part due to our pricing and promotional strategy for the optical business line.
European General Manager – Mobile & Optical Products
- General Manager with P&L responsibility of forecasted FY2000 $70MM European business.
- Manage brand identity of two product lines in European market.
- Develop marketing strategies, pricing and positioning for product line.
- Define requirements for program management, marketing, press relations and creative staffs.
- Grew 1H99 Revenue of $1.5M to $8.6M 2H99.
- Member of Iomega International, S.A. Board of Directors.
Director Future Products
- Developed product requirements, product managed and launched eleven new retail products into domestic, European and Asian markets.
- Co-Developed two products with Japanese licensees.
- Developed and managed product roadmap and brand identity of retail and embedded products.
- Directed research efforts into new product opportunities, customer behaviors and preferences.
- Created marketing strategies, pricing, positioning and feature set requirements for future products.
- Forecasted demand and product line profitability.
Visual Components (acquired by Sybase)
October 1995 to September 1997 [Overland Park, KS]
During the mid-90s there was growing interest in component based software for the PC industry. Visual Components designed software development tools for the Windows operating system. As the internet boomed we ported our products to Lotus Notes, Netscape and then Java. While Director of Products & Marketing I managed a portfolio of fifteen products growing our business to gain the attention of Sybase whom acquired us in 1997.
Director Products & Marketing
- Startup software developer of Java, component software and software development tools.
- Increased product portfolio sales over 50% in FY97.
- Generated a 250% increase in sales leads.
- Manage product portfolio of fifteen products.
- Direct efforts of product management, marketing, press relations, marketing programs and creative staffs.
- Lead contact and negotiator for licensed technologies.
- Corporate spokesman for industry press, trade and customer events
Apple Computer
November 1989 to October 1995 [Overland Park, KS & Dallas, TX]
Apple remains the icon of innovation in the technology industry. Veterans normally mark their tenure by product launches: I was there from the IIcx through the PowerPC and Performa launches. Along the way we saw the introduction of the Powerbook and demise of Newton. Having spend most of my time in the field I called on corporate accounts, the channel and served an account team as a Systems Engineer. Also spent a year in the Executive Briefing Center program – wow, talk about a new challenge every day.
Account Executive
- Lead Apple contact for named accounts in Kansas, Kansas City metro and Nebraska
- Consult with major customers regarding Apple and industry trends.
- Recommend tactical and strategic directions for our corporate customers.
Business Sales Executive
- Manage and leverage relationship with local resellers in geography.
- Increased territory performance by 32% for FY 1994.
- $22 million quota responsibility over three state area.
Senior Technology Consultant – Executive Briefing Center
- Consult with major customers regarding Apple technology and industry trends.
- Consult with corporate product management to incorporate customer feature requirements into future products.
- Recommend tactical and strategic directions for our corporate customers.
- Develop presentations and prototype applications
Senior Systems Engineer
- Awarded AUSA EMD Vice President’s Impact Award, October 1992
- Nominated for 1991 AUSA Systems Engineer of the Year.
- Awarded Great Plains Regional Manager Impact Award, Summer 1991.
- Act as the technical resource for a sales team that serves a set of target accounts.
- Develop presentations and prototype applications.
January 1988 to November 1989 [Lenexa, KS]
Back in the day of database wars, Informix decided to merge with Innovative Software; the logic was this would allow each company to leverage their core competencies in database and, what we called then, workstation-based software. Having started in technical support for a DOS-based integrated Office product called SmartWare I was recruited to join marketing and there I worked on the team that brought Wingz to market.
Product Manager
- Created marketing strategies, pricing and feature set specifications for future software developer products.
- Developed demonstrations and applications that featured the functionality of existing and future products.
- Provided technical sales support to publications, high-end users and sales force.
- Demonstrated products to Fortune 500 businesses, large computer user groups, and trade shows.
Advanced Technical Support Engineer
- Provided technical support for dealers, consultants, and end-users
- Supplied on-site custom programming, installation, and training for special projects.
Patent
System and method for managing radio systems, United States 8,223,677, Issued July 17, 2012
A system and method for switching between radio systems of a wireless device. The wireless device may include a first radio, a second radio, and a third radio. The radios may be configured to communicate using a first, a second, and a third communications protocol, respectively. Circuitry in communication with the radios may be configured to activate the first radio when a signal using the second communications protocol is not detected and to switch activation of the first radio to the third radio in response to detecting a signal using the second communications protocol.
Education
- Associate of Arts, Math & C.S., Wichita State University
- Bachelor History, University of Kansas
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