Marie Herry

My professional career spans more than 35 years on 3 continents, Australia, China and USA.

Starting with 14 years in manufacturing in Eastman Kodak, 4 years of which was on the U.S. Technology Transfer team in southern China to build a new factory to manufacture silver halide consumer products. 

After completing the Technology Transfer with Eastman Kodak in China, I decided it was time to do something completely different. I stayed in China. I studied Mandarin for 6 months and worked on several apartment and villa renovation projects to improve my language and multicultural skills. It was a fabulous change.

And so, I continued to evolve personally and professionally, adapting, adding wide-ranging competencies, co-founding and building a number of businesses including:

Fashion accessories (China), Design and Manufacturing: 

• consumer product design, 
• custom component sourcing / fabrication, 
• manufacturing, 
• sales and marketing, 
• export, 
• pricing.

Italian Restaurant (China), Hospitality and Service: 

• renovation, 
• responsible for overall operations, 
• sales and marketing, 
• customer relations, 
• supplier management, 
• employee hiring/training/mentoring (in Mandarin)

Honflex Printed Circuit Board, Technology Transfer and Manufacturing (China): 

• Motorola Mobility PCB supplier qualification,
• technology transfer 
• leading to a successful IPO qualification on the Shenzhen stock exchange
• employee mentoring (in Mandarin)

Blumaka (China), Innovation and Patented Technology Commercialization: 

• commercialization of footwear IP, 
• a >85% recycled waste foam sustainable technology, 
• building the factory from ideation to a fully functioning semi-automated operation,
• production output (in the first 6 months after scale-up): 1000 pairs per day in an 8-hour shift,
• in-house mold design and fabrication, 
• employee hiring/training/mentoring (in Mandarin language).

DATCH LLC (USA), Innovation and Technology Commercialization: 

• development of footwear with unique cushioning properties, 
• sustainably made with 100% compostable TPU, 
• process design with USA manufacturing in mind, no waste, no chemicals

DATCH LLC (USA) 

Cofounder, May 2023 – to present

BLUMAKA (China/USA)

Co-founder, October 2018 – November 2022

HON FLEX (China)

Lead Technical Business Development, July 2015 – September 2018

MAMMA MIA ITALIAN RESTAURANT (China) 

Manager, April 2005 – September 2015

CHINA HORIZONS PTY LTD (China/Australia) 

Co-founder, February 2003 – February 2011

EASTMAN KODAK 

Technology Transfer Lead / Quality Manager, April 1998 – December 2001 (China) 

Technical Specialist January 1988 – March 1998 (Australia)

Bachelor of Science (Physics), RMIT, Melbourne, Australia