About Chase Wickersham
Founder & Principal of Sunrise Associates

A career growing small businesses and working with entrepreneurs:

• General Manager of a family owned metal working company with 20 employees. The company had recently been purchased as an investment and was unprofitable and struggling to grow. Chase expanded sales, developed estimating and project tracking procedures, regained profitability, and hired a new staff.
   
• General Manager of a medical device manufacturer with 60 employees in turmoil after a labor dispute. A second-generation, family-owned business with the husband and wife running the companies. Restructured the manufacturing company, developed internal employee committees, new manager training, reduced turnover from 20% per month to 5% per year, improved profitability, and expanded company to 100 employees. Position expanded to Chief Operating Officer of the parent company. Company grew from $5 million to $20 million and was sold.
    
• General Manager of an industrial process instrument company that expanded with new products and new distribution from $4 million to $18 million. New marketing and sales programs motivated inside and outside sales and invigorated distribution. Expanded international sales while improving profitability. Company sold to a European manufacturer after five years.
   
• President of an industrial piping and instrument subsidiary of a large $2 billion European company. The subsidiary expanded from $35 million to $40 million with new products new salesmen and a renewed marketing program. Met profit goals and developed a business plan for future growth using the distribution and creative marketing.
   
• President of a startup company in the executive training field. Organized sales and marketing of a standardized training package developed by behavioral consultants. Using seminars, direct mail and basic networking, expanded seminar attendance and the resulting consulting revenue.
   
• Co-founder and Executive Vice President of an industrial process instrument company. A startup with a marketing concept that developed into a $6 million manufacturing business in only four years using a virtual corporation model. Developed marketing and promotional programs, established distribution nationally and internationally, and developed control programs for profitable contract manufacturing.
   
• Executive Vice President and General Manager of a sales subsidiary of a European company in industrial process components. Reorganized and motivated the sales force for an immediate 40% increases in the first year to $27 million. Developed new training, communication and marketing for the subsidiary. Reorganized distribution network and initiated promotional programs.
   
• Principal and minority stockholder of a control system integrator and process fabricator. Reorganized financial and marketing programs with immediate sales results. Grew sales from $900,000 to $4.1million in four years. New controls focused on project profitability and continuous improvement with solid financial results.

Additional background:  Chase graduated from Claremont McKenna College BA and USC Marshall Business School MBA. Served as a Lieutenant in the US Army in Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star. Lives in Newport Beach with his wife of 34 years. Has two grown sons. Active in local community affairs.