Jack Vinson, Ph.D.

Contact me via a feedback form or via email on jackvinson AT jackvinson DOT com.

I am now a product manager at Aspen Technology, an engineering software company. I focus on products associated with batch process development, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry.

I have been a knowledge management advocate and technology enthusiast and the president of Knowledge Jolt, Inc., a knowledge management consultancy (2004 - 2007). I am also an advocate for the Theory of Constraints (TOC). It is an excellent way -- possibly THE way -- to think about business change. I was part of a team that implemented critical chain project management where we generated great improvements in our ability to get work done, particularly with aggressive goals and heavy oversight.

TOC and Knowledge Management are means to an end -- tools. First examine the needs for your business, then look for tools that will help you get there.

Jack's Bio

As a consultant, I work with a wide variety of companies, but all of my work reflects either my interest in Knowledge Management, or in Theory of Constraints, or both.

I am also an adjunct faculty member in the Center for Learning and Organizational Change at Northwestern University. I teach a course on knowledge management and advise several master's students in their final capstone projects.

I spent eight years in the pharmaceutical industry at Searle / Pharmacia / Pfizer, initially working in process development and biotechnology, putting to use my Ph.D. in chemical engineering.  In that role, I was primarily a expert at modeling and simulating chemical processes to optimize the processes and troubleshoot problems.  I also worked with industry-university collaborations at Purdue, the Technical University of Denmark, University College London and Imperial College to develop and test new computer-aided process engineering methodologies.  

In the last several years at Pharmacia / Pfizer, I was the knowledge manager for our biotechnology unit.  I had the responsibility for developing knowledge strategies and fitting them into the overall strategies of the organization as the organization wrapped up several high profile drug development projects.  I was also responsible for ensuring smooth connections between the biotech organization and supporting technology as well as with the larger corporate directives around compliance (21 CFR Part 11) and budget control.  Continuing my industry liaison role, I worked with CENSA around developing standards for electronic lab notebook systems.

Since starting my own business in 2004, I have focused on helping organizations understand how they use their information.  I worked with an insurance company and their call center to implement a content management vision as part of a large group of technology and business people.  I have also worked with small firms to start the discussion around how they want to use their knowledge and the ever-changing horizons of technology on the offer.  I continue to evangelize the importance of personal knowledge management to build individual and group effectiveness.

Prior to my industry work, I did a PhD in chemical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania with a strong focus on the intersection of artificial intelligence and chemical engineering.  Following the Ph.D., I had a post-doctoral research appointment at the University of Massachusetts, working on an expert system for chemical process synthesis.  My undergraduate studies were at The Ohio State University.