Raja M. Parvez
Raja Parvez focuses on identification of growth strategy investments and opportunities in select technology sectors, including advanced materials, energy, opto-electronics and solid-state lighting industries. Mr. Parvez is an innovative and results-driven global CEO with a deep technical background and comprehensive understanding of business and cultural practices in the Pacific Rim, Eastern Europe, Russia, Mexico and Israel. He has thirty years of experience in leading and cultivating new products, processes and customer relations while building partnerships with global corporations.
Previous to joining CMA, Mr. Parvez was CEO and President of Rubicon Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: RBCN), a sapphire crystal growth manufacturer, where he led a successful hands-on turnaround from significant operating losses with negative gross margins when recruited in, to sustained profitability and a successful IPO at ~$300MM enterprise value in 18 months. As President and Board Member of Optigain, Inc., a manufacturer of fiber amplifiers for communications systems, Mr. Parvez spearheaded operational and strategic initiatives leading to a five-fold increase in revenues and establishment of joint North American Product Realization Center for Furukawa Electric and Optigain. The company was acquired by Furukawa, a Japanese public company.
Mr. Parvez, as COO at CyOptics, Inc., an R&D start-up located in Israel, established the infrastructure to manufacture robust optical chip components. He collaborated with others on successful rounds of venture financing, key strategic acquisitions that eventually resulted in a sale to Avago Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO). Mr. Parvez spent sixteen years at Bell Laboratories, most recently as Consulting Member and Distinguished Member of Technical Staff.
Mr. Parvez is a board director for Xerion Advanced Battery Corp., a developer of lithium-ion batteries and serves as an advisory board member at SiNode Systems, Inc. (a developer of silicon-graphene batteries), Shasta Chrystals, Inc. (a manufacturer of optical fiber lasers) and MVPIndex, Inc. (social media analytics).
Mr. Parvez earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Peshawar and an MS in Management Science and an MS in Industrial Engineering, both from New York University.