NineSigma Expands Board with Lauded Automotive R&D Executive

CLEVELAND, Oct. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- "Speed happens through external collaboration," says Dr. Alan Taub, who has joined the Board of Directors of NineSigma, Inc., the leading innovation partner to organizations worldwide. Taub retired from General Motors in April 2012 where he spent eleven years and most recently served as Vice President, Global Research & Development, leading GM's advanced technical work activity, seven science laboratories around the world, and seven global science offices.  

Taub knows firsthand how organizations can leverage open innovation (OI) to look outside their own walls for technologies, solutions, and ideas that enable them to go to market faster and achieve or maintain competitive advantage. While at GM, Taub was a NineSigma client for ten years, overseeing an extensive technology outreach program. He credits the relationship with NineSigma as a key part of changing the culture of R&D at GM.

"NineSigma has long been a pioneer in OI, and I am excited to join its Board of Directors," said Taub. "As a client of NineSigma's, I was impressed with the reach of their global network, their streamlined work processes, and how easy it was to partner with them. Today, many large corporations still have reservations about putting their needs out to the global innovation community, and I look forward to helping NineSigma convince large corporations that they can achieve great benefits from an open culture while maintaining rigorous standards of excellence."

Before joining GM, Taub spent 15 years in research and development at General Electric, where he was awarded 26 patents and authored more than 60 papers in the area of materials engineering, specifically the performance of metal alloys. He also worked at Ford Motor Company for eight years, where he led the vehicle crash safety team and Lincoln vehicle engineering group after serving as manager of the materials science department. 

"Alan has a personal appreciation of how OI and innovation communities like NineSights™, the first open innovation social media destination, can facilitate lucrative connections between large corporations and external innovation resources," said Andy Zynga, NineSigma's CEO. "In his role on the Board, we look forward to leveraging his vast experience as we continue to grow our client base across industries and geographies."

Taub joined the University of Michigan College of Engineering as Professor of Materials Science and Engineering in August 2012. In this role, he will be conducting research in advanced materials and processing and leading a new initiative to establish an Advanced Manufacturing Center within the College of Engineering.

Taub received his bachelor's degree in materials engineering from Brown University and master's and Ph.D. degrees in applied physics from Harvard University. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2006.

About NineSigma
NineSigma connects organizations with external innovation resources to accelerate innovation in private, public and social sectors. The company provides open innovation services to organizations worldwide, including Kraft, Philips, Siemens, and Unilever, to solve immediate challenges, integrate new knowledge, fill product pipelines, and stay ahead of the competition. Named to the 2012 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private U.S. companies, NineSigma's proprietary process has produced billions of dollars in value for its clients. NineSigma has the largest open global network of solution providers and an extensive database of existing solutions spanning numerous industries and technical disciplines. NineSigma's online innovation community, NineSights™, is the world's first open innovation social media destination, connecting innovators of all sizes with resources and relationships to drive growth. Learn more at www.ninesigma.com and www.ninesights.com. 

Media Contact: 
Jackie Lucas, Warner Communications, [email protected], (978) 255-1159.

SOURCE NineSigma