Mazen Skaf

Mazen Skaf is a Managing Director and Partner at L.E.K. Consulting and a member of the Energy & Environment practice. He has more than 17 years of strategy consulting experience and has advised clients in a variety of sectors including energy, technology, and private equity. His areas of expertise include strategy development and execution, business model innovation, corporate development, and strategic portfolio management. Prior to joining L.E.K., Mazen served as a Partner and Managing Director at Strategic Decisions Group (SDG). Previously, he was the Chief Business Officer at TRACON Pharmaceuticals where he directed overall corporate strategy and business development activities. Prior to that, he was a member of the start-up team and a senior director of product marketing at Rapt Technologies, a leader in web media price optimization and analytic solutions, which was acquired by Microsoft. Mazen holds a B.S. in engineering, summa cum laude, from The University of Texas and an M.S. and a Ph.D. in engineering-economic systems from Stanford University. Together with his client Donald W. Spillman from Shell Oil Co., he received the first INFORMS Decision Analysis Society Practice award for their work in portfolio management. He is a Fellow of the Stanford Center on Conflict Resolution and Negotiation and also a Fellow of the Society of Decision Professionals. Mazen is a Wall Street Journal expert panelist on topics related to energy. His research and work have been featured on CNBC and in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, and several other publications.

An international management consulting firm focused on strategy development and implementation for Fortune 500 and Global 2000 companies in a broad range of industries. Member of the Board of Directors, Nov. 2006 – Aug. 2020 Partner & Managing Director, Nov. 2006 – Sep. 2019 Practice Building and Firm Development:  Launched the EMEA Practice and built it into the second largest practice in the firm; delivered 50% to 80% of the firm’s profit consistently in the period 2011 – 2017.  Elected to the Executive Committee in 2016 while leading key global practices including Energy & Environment and Analytics & Decision Support. Business Model Innovation and Solutions Development:  Expanded SDG’s business into big data analytics and web-based decision support solutions; built a platform that secured recurring fees.  Directed the design and development of a web-based dashboard and decision support system for executive decision-makers at a sovereign producer of a key energy commodity.

Chief Business Officer, September 2005 – October 2006 * Directed overall corporate strategy and business development activities from technology and program identification and evaluation through negotiation and final definitive agreements * In-licensed two clinical oncology therapeutics for TRACON and one preclinical technology platform to round out the portfolio enabling the company to raise $20 million in capital * Led the development of the product strategy and financial valuation for each asset in the portfolio working closely with the clinical development and regulatory teams. * Developed and implemented TRACON’s corporate marketing strategy and its positioning for the medical community, investors, patients, and technology innovators * As a member of the founding team, developed and implemented the key business processes for the organization. * Built a pipeline of assets to enable Paramount Biosciences (PB), the venture capital and merchant banking firm behind TRACON, to seed several other biotech companies. This involved identifying, screening, and evaluating over 70 therapeutic candidates in CNS, oncology, autoimmune, and cardiovascular therapeutic areas. * After rounding out TRACON’s portfolio of assets, assisted PB in recruiting a new CEO and management team to replace the founding team.

Rapt is a provider of pricing optimization software and analytic solutions to leading organizations in the high tech, web services, and media industries. Funded by Accel Partners, Chase H&Q, and Summit Ventures. Sr. Director, Product Marketing & Industry Solutions, December 2000 – March 2002 * Developed the solution roadmap and product strategy for Rapt’s pricing optimization solution. The solution delivered on average 2% to 4% revenue uplift for Rapt’s customers. * Managed a team of industry experts, solution engineers, product marketing staff, and market analysts Director, Business Development, May 2000 – December 2000 * Advised CEO and Board of Directors on strategic initiatives and corporate development opportunities; worked closely with Rapt CFO and lead investors on financing rounds. * Led business development with IBM, Accenture, Ariba, and SynQuest and contributed to the success of Series B financing in August 2000 (over $25 million raised).

 Conducted a portfolio analysis for one of GM’s largest manufacturing divisions.  Worked with a multi-functional team across GM to develop a vehicle architecture and manufacturing management system to reduce costs through common parts and processes while increasing product differentiation.

 One of 15 engineering students selected nation-wide to participate in this internship sponsored by engineering societies and the private sector  Worked with government officials and executives in the private sector to identify and analyze policy options for prioritizing national investments in critical technologies. Published the findings, analysis and recommendations in a final report "Critical Technologies: Implications in U.S. Technology Policy;" ASME Government Relations Office Publication, July 1992, [used in position statements to the U.S. Congress].