 Hamsa
Thota, Ph.D.
District 6920 Chair
Dr. Thota is an internationally recognized product and
technology innovation performance management expert with extensive
leadership experience in research, new product development, technology
commercialization, and innovation performance management. His expertise
is in the application of results driven NPD and innovation management
best practices to achieve high performance in the USA, India and China.
He has deep and substantial experience in the manufacture, marketing and
sale of innovative products and services in the US Food Industry. He
worked for Rich Products Corporation, Buffalo, New York during
1976-2000, 0btained 10 US Patents during that period and commercialized
over 200 food products as a member of the Rich Product’s leadership
team. He founded the Innovation Business Development, Inc. to assist
clients in the manufacture and sale of innovative products after his
retirement as VP of Research, Development and Commercialization at Rich
Products Corporation in 2000.
Dr. Thota played a key role in transforming the Product Development and
Management Association (PDMA) into a global organization during
2000-2007 serving as a member of its Board, Vice President of
Conferences, President and Chairman of the Board. He Co-Chaired several
prestigious PDMA conferences and conducted workshops on product
development and innovation management in China, India and the USA during
2001-2007. He successfully championed the formation of PDMA-China in
2007 and PDMA-India in 2006.
Dr. Thota’s contributions to China’s independent innovation began in
2005 when he signed a memorandum of understanding with the Wuhan
University of Technology to form PDMA affiliate in China. Examples of
his contributions to China during 2005-2007 include: serving as the
Co-Chairman of Product Development Excellence Week 2006, transforming
from “made in China” to “made by China”, in November 2006, in Shanghai,
China; conducting a two day workshop on “Managing Front End of Product
Development”, in November, 2006 in Shanghai, China; and conducting two
workshops on “People Centric Innovation: How to build and achieve
innovation capability”, in October 2007 in Beijing and November 2007 in
Shenzhen, China. He also gave a seminar on how Shenzhen Hi-Tech
executives can lead innovation and, an open lecture on how to innovate
in Shenzhen at the invitation of Department of Science and Technologies
of Nanshan District in May 2007. He gave lectures on innovation trends
and best practices to faculty and students at the Hangzhou University
(2006) and Tianjin University (2007). He was a closing keynote speaker
at the 5th International Symposium on Management of
Technology (ISMOT) at the Hangzhou University in June 2007.
Dr. Thota is a member of the US National Innovation Initiative Strategy
Council and contributed to the US Council on Competitiveness “innovation
metrics” and “the future of U.S. manufacturing.” Dr. Thota serves on the
Advisory Council of the Creativity Connection, Americans for the Arts
and the Billion Minds Foundation to apply arts based creativity in
innovation practice.
Dr. Thota is active in several professional associations and served on
the Professional Development Panel of the American Association of Cereal
Chemists, Food Safety and Health subcommittee of Georgia FoodPac, as a
member of the Institute of Food Technologists Theme Championship Team
and Counselor of the Marketing and Management Division of the Institute
of Food Technologists. He is a life member of Sigma Xi, The Scientific
Research Society.
Dr. Thota’s academic affiliations include delivery of guest lectures on
product development and innovation management at the University of
Georgia and the Georgia Institute of Technology (2001-2004). He is a
Senior Fellow at the Kellogg Innovation Network, Northwestern University
and an adjunct faculty at the Federal Executive Institute, Center for
Organization Performance.
Dr. Thota is a member, past director and past president of the Rotary
Club of St. Simons Island. In 1985, Dr. Thota received the Rotary
International District 6920 Governor's New Club Builder Award. During
1986-1988, Dr. Thota served as the coastal Georgia Area Coordinator for
the Polio Plus Campaign. During 1989, he served as the District Group
Study Exchange Chairman, an Educational Activity of the Rotary
Foundation. The St. Simons Rotary Club recognized Dr. Thota as 1991 Man
of the Year for outstanding service to Rotary and community. In 2002 he
received the Four Avenues of Service Citation from Rotary International.
He was a Line Trustee of the Georgia Rotary Student Program (GRSP) for
six years and served as the District 6920 GRSP Endowment Vice-Chairman.
He is currently serving as the District 6920 GRSP Chairman.
He is married, has two children and lives in St. Simons Island with his
wife Dr. Sindhu Thota. |
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