Meet the Management Team
Dave Tracy - CTO
Dave is Co-Founder and CTO of TraTech Specialty Optical Fibers LLC (TSOF) and now XSOF™. With over 25 years working in the field of high-power fiber optics, Dave has broad experience in design, manufacture, and problem solving with specialty optical fiber assemblies. Dave's company TFI formed the kernel of TSOF by its acquisition in 2018. Dave remained becoming TSOF's and now XSOF™'s CTO. Dave's entire career has been related to laser transmission through fiber optics, and he is responsible for the design of several fiber terminations now in common use in the industry. As CTO Dave is responsible for all laser applications but he is also active in new product design including robust water cooling and other active heat management systems, as well as all our fused or laser welded products and all the Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF) and Hollow Core Photonic Crystal Fiber (HCPCF) devices.
Derick Scherberger - COO
Derick is COO of both the R Specialty Optical Fibers LLC, VA site and TraTech Specialty Optical Fibers LLC, OR site. Derick brings 23 years of ever-increasing responsibilities and experience in operations management and fabrication of Specialty Optical Fibers devices and assemblies.. Derick prides himself on being a hands –on operations leader and an asset for our customers.
From one-off prototyping to production volumes of hundreds of thousands, Derick has demonstrated the skill to manage operations over a complete product life cycle while also complying with ISO quality standards and managing an active CAPA system. Derick’s role as COO gives him the responsibility and authority to guide projects from first build and to ensure that customer needs are met, scheduling is accurate, and delivery promises are kept while supporting strict quality standards and implementing cost controls.
Lisa Young - VP Sales
Lisa is a Co-Founder of RSOF and now VP of Sales for both RSOF and TSOF now dba XSOF™. Lisa brings 30 years of ever-increasing responsibilities and experience with more than 20 years of problem solving and sales of Specialty Optical Fiber devices and assemblies. Lisa’s extensive background in various roles enables her to view solutions with a customer centric focus.
From concept to product and from prototype to production, Lisa has demonstrated the skill to solve customer problems by bringing to bear the resources and capabilities of her technical and fabrication teams. Lisa has managed products over entire life cycles and, achieves optimal results keeping customer success foremost in her mind.
Lisa’s role as VP of Sales gives her the responsibility and authority to ensure that customer needs are met, scheduling is accurate, and delivery promises are kept while supporting strict quality standards and meeting cost targets.
Shannon Fields - Special Advisor
Shannon is a Co-Founder and Special Advisor to the CEO of XSOF™. With over 36 years of engineering and manufacturing experience, Shannon co-developed the first hermetically sealed airbag initiator and seatbelt pretensioner, the world’s first self-leveling 4 beam laser used in the construction industry, and he was a key member of Apple’s engineering staff developing and manufacturing I/O connectors. Shannon also did significant work for the Department of Defense on laser-initiated explosives through fiber optics. Shannon is the inventor or co-inventor on multiple US patents. More recently, Shannon has held positions as Product Manager, Operations Manager, and COO, for entities manufacturing high-power laser products and optical metrology fiber optic devices. Shannon’s role as Special Advisor allows him to leverage all his experience to the benefit of XSOF™ and its Customers.
Neal Robinson - Of Counsel / Business Strategy
Neal is a Co-Founder, Of Counsel and VP of Strategic Opportunities of SOF which holds XSOF™. While continuing to practice law specializing in corporate structure, strategy, finance and M&A, he is also engaged in various entrepreneurial endeavors. Neal began his career in corporate America becoming the CFO of Braniff Airlines when he was only 29 years old and is widely credited with inventing the airline industry’s loyalty program that is now commonly referred to as frequent flyer miles.
Since then, Neal has started or acquired, operated and sold or merged, various entities across many industries including voice recognition software, pay-day loans, and telephone arbitraging founding the company that became SPRINT. Neal has also consulted with, or acted as legal counsel for, dozens of major entities ranging from casino operations to fiber optic manufacturing, and on topics including corporate structure, operations, finance, IPOs, M&A, and IP.
Neal is a CPA (Dallas University), JD and MBA (both from The College of William and Mary).
Nancy Gsell-Webb - CFO
Nancy is a Co-Founder and CFO of SOF, TSOF, RSOF and by extension now XSOF™. Managing the financing and financial health of the entities, TSOF in Bend, OR and, RSOF in Williamsburg VA, Nancy ensures the entities have the financial resources they need to meet the seen and unforeseeable. Prior to that she was a co-founder and CFO of RoMack Inc., a specialty fiber optic entity that she helped grow and operate for 15 years prior to its sale to a multi-billion dollar multi-national, Leoni Fiber Optics GmbH a subsidiary of LEONI AG. Nancy has a passionate devotion to customers and "doing it right the first time". Her continuous leaning in point of view focuses on organizational strength which she sees as perhaps the strongest asset for a company to maintain as it grows. Nancy has developed a proven track record of success working with small, fast moving, highly entrepreneurial, highly technical entities where infrastructure is lagging and adapting to an ever changing landscape of unpredictable financial demands are to be expected. Nancy has a BS from Radford University.
Matt Webb - CEO
Matt is a Co-Founder of SOF, TSOF and RSOF which now dba XSOF™ . Matt is a serial entrepreneur, manager, technologist, sales person and businessman with a passionate devotion to problem solving, customer success, quality, and continuous organizational improvement. Over 4 decades of entrepreneurship, including co-founding C-Technologies Inc., Pro-Optical Technologies Inc., RoMack Inc., Webb Holdings LLC, and 5 years as CEO of Leoni Fiber Optics Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Leoni Fiber Optics GmbH, Matt's experience starting and building high technology teams and, his experience on both the buy and the sell side of high technology transactions in the specialty fiber optic solutions space, has demonstrated a unique combination of skills that benefit the companies he has led, and their customers. Matt has also built, operated and continues to manage, companies in diverse areas including commercial real estate, craft brewing, finance and investing. Matt has developed a proven track record of success working on the national and international level. Matt is a USAF Veteran and has a BA in Natural Sciences and Mathematics (Thomas Edison University) and an MBA (The College of William and Mary).