Experience

Expert Witness Consulting Services ("EWCS"​)

• President and Co-founder

  • Jun 2016 - Present

  Expert Witness Consulting Services, LLC is an organization focused on Expert Consulting and Expert Litigation Support, especially in Finance, Healthcare and Intellectual Property. EWCS’ mission is to work diligently with law firms’ clients and mediators to provide exceptional work product in an efficient manner – starting with finding the right expert for each case. We have extensive experience in providing financial opinions, often in highly complex and prominent matters and have delivered and defended our opinions in the context of corporate transactions as well as other litigation proceedings. We have assembled a world-class team of Experts, both internal and as affiliates, who can meet your needs for Expert Consulting or an Expert Witness to support your Litigation or Arbitration. 💻 http://www.ewcsllc.com/lawfirms/ Show less



FSR, Inc.,

• United States
• Freight and Package Transportation

• President

  • Jan 2002 - Present

  FSR, Inc., is a private consulting business with multiple clients. One of those clients was a manufacturer of a natural juice product. It was originally marketed as a supplement and the company was censured by the FDA for failing to comply with the regulations for manufacturing supplements. Advised the company with FDA compliance and succeeded in getting them trained and validated with an FDA compliant Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) manufacturing process, updated their HACCP and advised them on filing an appeal to the FDA injunction that had been recorded earlier. Brought in as an advisor the retired FDA executive who wrote and implemented the FDA’s HACCP program. Show less



National Consulting Company

• United States
• Investment Banking

• Senior Consultant

  • Jan 2013 - Jul 2014

  Hickel was hired as a Senior Consultant and rose from initial hire to the number one consultant out of 200. Advised companies in energy, construction and other types of businesses. Helped them with devising appropriate sales and marketing to ensure success. Consulting clients were primarily in the western part of the United States. Three clients were in the oil field services business and, as a result, Mr. Hickel learned about these business operations in the Bakken, Uintah and Permian Basin. Hickel was hired as a Senior Consultant and rose from initial hire to the number one consultant out of 200. Advised companies in energy, construction and other types of businesses. Helped them with devising appropriate sales and marketing to ensure success. Consulting clients were primarily in the western part of the United States. Three clients were in the oil field services business and, as a result, Mr. Hickel learned about these business operations in the Bakken, Uintah and Permian Basin.



TheraBiogen, Inc.

• United States
• Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

• Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

  • Mar 2008 - Dec 2012

  Raised almost $4 million of a combination of debt and equity; created and managed the national launch of new homeopathic pharmaceutical formulations; launched national sales and marketing program; launched social media program including all online outlets including Facebook; Twitter; YouTube; including ad on Jumbo Screen in Times Square with street teams and capture of consumer response to product distributed on social media sites. Sold product to major drugstore chains nationally, as well as other regional retailers. Spent the first 12 months getting FDA approval as a supplement at a time when other supplement companies were being shut down by the FDA, TheraBiogen managed the approval process including all necessary science and studies for complete including perfection of the intellectual property through patenting of the formulas and technology. Show less



Environmental Testing and Research Laboratories, Inc.

• United States
• Environmental Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

  • Jan 2005 - Jan 2009

  Acquired, funded and managed $3m annual sales laboratory for environmental compliance testing. Customers included commercial clients, environmental consultants, oil and gas companies and state and local governments. Acquired, funded and managed $3m annual sales laboratory for environmental compliance testing. Customers included commercial clients, environmental consultants, oil and gas companies and state and local governments.



The Tyree Company

• United States
• Industrial Machinery Manufacturing

• Chairman, CEO and Chief Restructuring Officer

  • Feb 2005 - Jun 2006

  Arranged $30 million bridge financing, restructured capital base, ownership and company operations. Tyree was the largest environmental response and gas station services company in the Northeastern US, maintaining retail petroleum outlets for mechanical, electrical and environmental compliance. Designed Business Process Reorganization of customer service operation utilizing GPS and digital delivery; designed and implemented automated system for Customer Response Management for over 2000 retail petroleum dealer service sites. Show less



Maxwell Technologies

• United States
• Appliances, Electrical, and Electronics Manufacturing
• 100 - 200 Employee

• President, Information Systems Division

  • Oct 1993 - Dec 1997

  Helped restructure the company working with the Board of Directors and the CEO. Organized and launched new business, deploying defense contractor strengths into information technology market. Focused Division on two market niches: as systems integrator, delivering industry’s first client server technology Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) for state government; and on Networking and Internet. Developed the first traffic management system and launched it in California. In 1996, Maxwell was the #1 best performing stock in California and the 9th best performing NASDAQ stock. Maxwell stock went from $6 per share to $66 per share creating $100 Million of new value. Show less



Graphic Information Systems International

• President

  • Jan 1991 - Jan 1993

  Managed completion of the first national GIS-based data map and information system for the oil industry. National marketing campaign to oil industry. Found investors and sold company through Chapter 11 process to one of the major oil companies who used it to devise the drilling strategies that led to horizontal drilling and fracking, resulting in the recent production growth in the US. Managed completion of the first national GIS-based data map and information system for the oil industry. National marketing campaign to oil industry. Found investors and sold company through Chapter 11 process to one of the major oil companies who used it to devise the drilling strategies that led to horizontal drilling and fracking, resulting in the recent production growth in the US.



Miniscribe Corporation

• President

  • Jan 1990 - Jan 1991

  Brought in as President when this Fortune 500, Computer Winchester Disk Drive Manufacturer was victim of massive fraud by prior management. 5500 employees, $500 million Revenue, with largest factories in Singapore and Hong Kong. Reduced losses from $33 Million quarterly to break even and positioned for profitability. Cash flow streamlined to an 11-day cash-to-cash cycle worldwide. Customers in Europe, Asia and US were computer manufacturers and distributors, including the top computer manufacturers worldwide. Directly managed, through daily global meetings, a global sales organization in six countries and used the team as a resource to sell the products at the highest price and shortest payment cycle to computer manufacturers and distributors worldwide. When refinancing became impossible due to nature of legal problems, executed a 364B sale in Chapter 11, accomplished in record 94 days. Substantial return for lenders, bondholders and shareholders through $900 Million Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding. Testified in multiple Bankruptcy Court Hearings. Show less



Scribe Systems Inc.

• United States
• Medical Practices

• President

  • Jan 1985 - Jan 1989

  Built $1 Million service business into $10 million software company in Technical Documentation segment of the Electronic Publishing industry. Sales to Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Grumman and other aerospace customers. Sold to public company for $13 million based on the IP position. Built $1 Million service business into $10 million software company in Technical Documentation segment of the Electronic Publishing industry. Sales to Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Grumman and other aerospace customers. Sold to public company for $13 million based on the IP position.



Industrial Automation Group, GCA Corporation

• President

  • Jan 1986 - Jan 1987

  $140 M rights offering of $200M revenue Wafer-Stepper Lithography manufacturer. Converted Robotics division from $17M loss on $35M annual revenues to break even and sold division at premium to book value. Recovered $15 Million for owners. Accomplished these by personally managing sales to Ford Motor Company and other large industrial clients. GCA was voted “turnaround of the year” in 1988 by the Trade Press. $140 M rights offering of $200M revenue Wafer-Stepper Lithography manufacturer. Converted Robotics division from $17M loss on $35M annual revenues to break even and sold division at premium to book value. Recovered $15 Million for owners. Accomplished these by personally managing sales to Ford Motor Company and other large industrial clients. GCA was voted “turnaround of the year” in 1988 by the Trade Press.



Perq Systems Corporation

• President

  • Jan 1981 - Jan 1985

  Hired as salesman in local office. Promoted to President based on performance of outselling production capacity. Increased revenues 800%, from $5M to $40M. One of first three computer workstation startups. Built the industry’s first Distributed Networked Operating System and licensed the technology to IBM. Sold company assets and IP Portfolio to maximize return to lenders and investors who received 100% of their loan or investment. The buyers were Europe’s then-largest computer manufacturer and Japan’s then-largest pre-press manufacturer. Show less



Texas Instruments

• United States
• Semiconductor Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Manager Marketing

  • Apr 1977 - Oct 1979

  In 1975, Hickel joined Texas Instruments as a salesman in the Consumer Products Division. His responsibilities included sales of the newly launched TI line of professional calculators to and through college bookstores. He was promoted to Sales Manager in 1976. In 1977 he was asked to take over the national accounts for TI’s digital systems group including Sears, then the largest retailer. Mr. Hickel convinced Sears to replace their Catalog Order Entry system’s IBM minicomputers with TI’s, thereby closing the largest order for minicomputers TI ever had. The sales effort included Vice Presidents in both of these large companies. Hickel was promoted to a Sales Manager in TI’s Consumer Products division, then a $500,000,000 revenues division. He subsequently joined a high tech company as described above. Show less