Alejandro (Alex) Tkaczevski

• Enthusiastic, energetic leader and creative thinker who effectively inspires and directs teams of graphic artists, writers, musicians and actors. Provides vision and successfully fulfills corporate goals and client needs.
• Consistent success in establishing and implementing high-quality standards and processes to ensure expeditious production.
• Capacity for designing wholly original product concepts with a special knack for interrelating ideas and technologies in innovative combinations, anticipating challenges and planning accordingly.
• Demonstrated professional talents in music composition and audio production; multi-disciplined, multi-cultural critical thinking and communication skills.
• Fluent in Russian, Spanish and French. Familiar with other Slavic and Romance languages.

Professional Experience

Fisher-Price, East Aurora, NY 2001 – 2009

Senior Manager, Audio Dept.

Directed audio production that effectively supported marketing and design team objectives. Successfully led, developed, coached and managed performance of a group of sound designers, composers and speech editors. Engaged and managed contractors, talent agencies and recording studios throughout the United States and Europe. Established and monitored compliance with standard processes and procedures. Created and managed budgets and sought cost effective ways to deliver services. Contributed to over 200 products.

Selected Accomplishments 

• Provided creativity and vision to design team brainstorming sessions; effectively collaborated with artists, content developers, and electronics engineers; provided creative and effective audio-based solutions.
• Negotiated and delivered international agreement between Mattel subsidiary office and recording studios in Europe that streamlined process, reducing production time and cost. 
• Co-led Kaizen event project team that improved audio talent selection process across all teams.
• Utilized creativity and resourcefulness to build audio studio at minimal cost.

Fujitsu Interactive, San Francisco,CA 1996 – 1998

Creative Arts Manager

Successfully completed several titles within corporate mandated schedules and budgets. Anticipated and solved potential problems in design phase of projects. Met or exceeded deadline expectations while maintaining a high standard of technical and aesthetic quality. Effectively directed and managed team of writers, graphic artists, web masters, sound designers and composers by providing clear vision and maximizing their talents.

Selected Accomplishments 

• Successfully negotiated product feature changes and development on two occasions as part of US-based team sent to corporate offices in Japan.
• Persuaded management to adapt new technologies and re-process existing assets of Fujitsu-Interactive’s premier product, which increased marketability by meeting industry quality and resolution standards.
• Built audio production studio by researching department needs, proposing budget and design, and managing completion; studio increased department productivity and functionality.

Brøderbund Software, Novato, CA 1992 – 1996

Senior Sound Designer

Successfully completed numerous titles well within deadlines while meeting or exceeding corporate quality standards. Researched, proposed and employed newest technologies in order to fulfill design requirements. One major project included effectively managing and directing 10 sound designers and 45 voice-over actors. Designed audio specifications, composed music, created sound effects and recorded/edited dialogue.

Selected Accomplishments 

• Trained outside production teams in Los Angeles, Germany and England to expedite major international product and meet corporate quality standards.
• Redesigned product specifications in collaboration with producer to rescue ailing product; successfully completed within schedule and budget targets.

Education

Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

Doctor of Musical Arts (1992)

Master of Arts in Music Composition (1987)

Selected Courses: 

Computer Music Synthesis, Psycoacousitcs, History of Music Theory, Conducting, Shakespeare

Bachelor of Music (1985)

Selected Courses: 

Electronic Music, Compositional Techniques, 20th c. Ear Training, Philosophy of Language

• Aspen Music Festival, Center for Advanced Compositional Studies, Aspen, CO (1990)
• Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Young Composer’s Program, Boston, MA (1981)
• Manhattan School of Music, Preparatory Division, New York, NY (1981)