Engineering leadership is the most challenging and satisfying area that I've worked in. I strive to be the best leader I can. When I succeed, it's rewarding because leadership is about helping people be successful in today's job and helping them be better prepared for tomorrow's. This year's new product will be next year's old news, but helping someone grow in their career gives a reward that endures. The last several years I've concentrated on applying leadership skills to project management. So much of project management teaching is oriented towards the hard skills: planning, measuring, following up, and reporting. But hard skills alone won't bring success. The PM also needs the soft skills: communication, vision, and connecting with people. When project managers are coached simultaneously in soft and hard skills--in total leadership--they become better project managers and they grow into future leadership positions. One of the most important parts of engineering leadership is identifying those individuals capable of leading and helping them grow into those roles. I'm fascinated by the intersection of project management and leadership, but I've found so little written on it that I decided to write a book a year ago. Today I have a publisher and the book is moving well. I most enjoy the learning--although I've worked in new product development projects for three decades, there has been so much to learn by diligently researching this topic and putting it down on paper. I also enjoy absorbing a new approach and then applying it with my team. We have made many advances by applying modern project management techniques to real world problems. I'll be returning to the US in July. We haven't figured out exactly what I'll be doing when I go back, but I'm excited about the possibilities. The only thing I'm sure about is I'll be leading a team of engineers somewhere and we'll be developing new products. The rest we'll figure out as we go.

VP Engineering, Industrial Automation EU @ Leading team of 30-35 Engineers in Germany and Czech Republic. Disciplines in group include firmware, electronic hardware, motor design, motor test, and project management. On a three-year assignment in Dusseldorf with my wife Regina and daughter Rachel. From 2012 to Present (3 years) Dusseldorf, GermanyDirector, Kollmorgen Test Engineering @ Lead team of 11 Engineers. Disciplines in group include firmware test and factory test. From 2010 to 2012 (2 years) Radford, Virginia

Master of Science (MS), Electrical and Electronics Engineering @ Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University From 1977 to 1983 Master's degree, Electrical and Electronics Engineering @ Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University From 1977 to 1980 George Ellis is skilled in: Automation, Motion Control, Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Servo, Engineering Management, Cross-functional Team..., Kaizen Leadership, Product Development, Testing, Engineering, Embedded Systems, Control Systems Design, Continuous Improvement, Sensors, Project Management, Project Portfolio..., Manufacturing, Lean Manufacturing, Leadership