Brian Degen Biography
Prior to forming Fieldstone Advisors, I served for seven years as CEO, CFO, and Lead Board Director of a highly innovative IOT water-tech company. Working closely with company founders and board directors, I led the growth of the company from the early technology R&D phase to the product engineering, organizational development, market development, and full commercialization phase. Together we raised $10 million in investment capital, overcame many technical hurdles in product development and manufacturing, developed a pioneering customer-facing Web App, launched the product with strong market acceptance, and successfully sold the business and extensive IP portfolio to an industry-leading firm with a long heritage in worldwide water analytics markets.
I began my career with six years in high tech manufacturing in both corporate and plant-level positions where I became proficient in advanced manufacturing techniques such as Just in Time Manufacturing, Total Quality Management, Time-based Competition, and Activity Based Costing. This strong operational foundation served me well when I joined Fidelity Investments as an Operations Consultant and went on to successfully lead a cross-company business process reengineering effort across ten Fidelity organizations.
I then launched operating divisions at Fidelity Investments and the international market research firm IDC where we implemented rapidly emerging electronic publishing, digital media, and eCommerce strategies, business models, and technologies. As a VP of Consulting for Learning Objects Network I assisted clients in adopting advanced Internet-based content management strategies.
After serving as an eCommerce Strategy Consultant to major brick and mortar retailers, I was recruited to a multifaceted position as COO/CFO and Director of Marketing of an environmental services company, and then COO of a solar power company with responsibility for corporate administration, sales/distribution support, materials, installation, human resources, and information systems.
My skills in private investing and owner/entrepreneur coaching were developed as a partner of a buy-side private equity advisory firm, advisor to consulting clients looking to sell their businesses or raise capital, through many years of advising early/growth stage company owners in raising equity capital, and as Founding Managing Director of a Vermont-based private equity firm.
In addition to my work with Fieldstone Advisors, I am honored to serve on the Advisory Board of The Ascend Group – a financial consultancy focused on providing fractional CFO, finance, and accounting services to businesses in a wide variety of industries throughout New England.
I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial and Operations Engineering (BSIE) from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA), Strategic Marketing, from the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time in nature – winter mountaineering, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, biking, kayaking, and gardening – and cherish time with my wife and two adult children. I stay grounded, healthy, and present for others through daily mindfulness, meditation, and yoga practice.
For more information, please visit my LinkedIn profile.
