Title: Director, Commercialization Practice
Category: Managing Professional
Education: Ph.D., Chemistry
Dr. Al Poskanzer is a seasoned professional with a combination of business and academic qualifications and experience spanning 31 years that is truly unique. With a Ph.D. in physical chemistry, Al has 11 years successful industrial R&D experience, including eight years as research group leader and research manager at the Dynachem Division of Morton- Thiokol. During that time, Al and his team developed over 60 new chemical products for the printed circuit and microelectronics industries, several of which set the industry standard. Al then spent 7 years in industrial sales and marketing, including as chief operating officer of a small startup company producing and selling products he developed. Al is a technologist with 20 years experience assessing and evaluating new technologies as a technology assessment consultant. He has spent eleven years in academia managing a broad portfolio of technologies, negotiating and closing complex licensing deals. With technology licensing experience at the University of California and Arizona State University, Al directed the licensing office at Arizona State University, the 4th largest University in the US. He has licensed patented technologies ranging from rechargeable lithium battery technology to anti-cancer pharmaceuticals. Under his watch, ASU became 10th in the nation for new inventions disclosed by the faculty and 7th in the nation for new company startups. Al has most recently served as Director, Technology Licensing at Boeing where he licensed important composite molding and drilling technologies for a broad variety of Boeing products including the C-17, the F-22 and Boeing's new 787 jetliner. Al has authored over 120 papers and publications in the specialty chemicals industry and is the recipient of the coveted “Gold Medal Award” from the American Electroplaters Society. Al is also the recipient of the 1999 Chairman's Award from the Arizona Governor's Strategic Partnership for Economic Development for his contributions in creating and implementing the Intellectual Property Policy of the Arizona Board of Regents, one of the most progressive in the nation.
Al has done many projects for Foresight primarily concentrating on Deal Advisories, Technology Niche Assessments and various reports for Northern Arizona University where he manages the technology transfer program. Al is a generalist having assessed many technologies ranging from healthcare and life sciences to engineering to software.