Age: 44
Title: Chief executive
Company: Fallbrook Technologies
Bill Klehm has been closely involved in the automotive business for more than 20 years. He held numerous positions at Ford Motor Co. before serving as president of Newgen Results Corp., an automotive customer-relations firm. In 2004, he was named to head San Diego's Fallbrook Technologies, which has developed a continuously variable transmission.
How does Fallbrook's innovative transmission qualify as green technology?
Our NuVinci CVP design represents the first fundamental breakthrough in mechanical transmission design in 60 years. It helps machines powered by humans or engines use less energy by optimizing power. It can potentially improve fuel economy in cars and trucks by 25 percent, with a corresponding drop in tailpipe emissions. It helps light electric vehicles go farther on a single charge, and even helps bicyclists by providing a smoother way to pedal.
We also see clean tech applications. The NuVinci CVP can help wind turbines generate electricity more efficiently.
What is your role at GEO2 Technologies in Woburn, Mass., and how is that green?
I helped create the company and serve as a board member. Four years ago, an inventor came through my door with a piece of ceramic tile. He told me it was a great way to remove polluting emissions from cars and trucks. I liked the idea so much that I helped fund it. GEO2 has developed an affordable filter that dramatically cuts emissions from any internal-combustion engines.
Is there a common theme in the creation of these two companies?
Both companies have technology that represents a fundamental shift in thinking about what is possible. Vehicle designers now have a new “canvas” on which to practice their art. Both are technology development companies that rely on licensing as a key aspect of the business model. We also sought funding from a large group of sophisticated angel investors, instead of from traditional venture-capital firms. These private investors have funded both companies with almost $50 million over the past three years.
What about your job keeps you up at night?
Letting people down. Investors have provided me with their ultimate trust – their money. The teams we've hired are some of the best people we could find, and they all look to me for answers.
What aspects of your job do you brag about?
Our bicycle drive train recently won the 2007 Technology of the Year award in The Netherlands, which has the world's highest per-capita bike ownership.
Can the U.S. auto industry adjust to current challenges, or are we looking at a replay of the U.S. steel industry in the 1980s?
There are some great people working in this industry. But many people in the car business have forgotten that yesterday's successes happened yesterday, and you must win again today. In my heart, I think the industry leadership will eventually get its head around the real sacrifices that must be made to climb out of the hole they've created. In my head, I'm concerned that the arrogance and sense of entitlement of organized labor and management will not be overcome fast enough to stop the hemorrhaging.
– BRUCE V. BIGELOW
