NAATBATT - Key Persons
Andrew Tattersall is the Siemens Industrial Vertical Market Lead for Batteries in the US. As a thought leader, he brings innovation and technology into the Building Envelope that impacts the facility environment, safety, and product quality. He has been delivering programs across the Battery, Automotive, Semiconductor and Chemical industry for 9 years with Siemens. Andrew graduated from the US Naval Academy and served as an Engineering Officer in the US Navy for almost 8 years before joining Siemens.
Job Titles:
- Chief Research and Development Officer
Ann Schoeb is the Chief Research and Development Officer and Business Leader for Energy Systems at Birla Carbon. Ann has primary responsibility for all aspects of global R&D aligned with the business strategy and growth targets. Ann earned a BS degree in Chemistry from Minnesota State University, a MS, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University.
Job Titles:
- Vice President for Sales and Marketing at Piedmont Lithium
Austin Devaney is the Vice President for Sales and Marketing at Piedmont Lithium. There he is responsible for working with automotive, battery and materials companies to deliver lithium for electric vehicles. Austin has over twenty-five years of experience in the chemical industry leading lithium-related technical sales and product management efforts most recently at Albemarle and Rockwood Lithium.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director IBEW - NECA California and Nevada
Bernie Kotlier directs the development, promotion, and delivery of sustainable energy training for electricians, and business development programs for electrical contractors in California and Nevada including energy auditing, energy efficiency, photovoltaics, electric vehicles, energy storage and micro-grids. Bernie has been a member of the California Public Utilities Commission Advisory Committee on Energy Efficiency Workforce Development, the PUC Working Group on Lighting, and the State of California Schools of the Future Initiative Advisory Committee.
Job Titles:
- CEO & President of Digatron Power Electronics, USA
Bjoern Stoll is the CEO & President of Digatron Power Electronics, USA, and Quench Americas. He is an accomplished business leader with a significant international experience. Bjoern's expertise spans the cryogenic sector, energy, battery, and charging infrastructure industries. Bjoern previously served as COO and a Board Member of the largest cryogenic valve company in India and Southeast Asia. He now spearheads advancements in EV Charging Infrastructure, Energy storage, and Battery Manufacturing Equipment throughout the Americas.
Job Titles:
- President
- Business Development Manager for Amphenol Advanced Sensors
As Business Development Manager for Amphenol Advanced Sensors, Brian Engle is responsible for developing new technologies and partnerships to address emerging sensor needs across various industries.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer ( CEO ) of Polypore International, LP
Mr. Schuchmann spent more than nine years in the United States Navy before transitioning to lithium battery materials operations at Celgard, LLC, a Polypore International Company. He progressed through many functional roles across all Polypore businesses.
Job Titles:
- Consulting
- Principal Consultant & Founder of Ratel Consulting
Charlie Parker is Principal Consultant & Founder of Ratel Consulting. Ratel Consulting provides market intelligence and advisory services to clients throughout the energy storage value chain with a focus on commercialization and growth strategies in emerging battery technology for startups, corporations, and universities as well as government, industry groups, finance, and professional service providers.
Job Titles:
- VP of Business Development at Omega Harvested Metallurgical
Chris Kahl serves as the VP of Business Development at Omega Harvested Metallurgical. Omega Harvested Metallurgical is one of the leading eco-friendly end-of-life processors of lithium-ion batteries. Chris has spent over 12 years in senior positions in the recycling industry, creating efficient, cost-effective, sustainable pathways for manufactures. He has successfully overseen the recycling of 60+ million pounds of batteries and production scrap since his engagement in the battery industry.
Job Titles:
- Chief Technology Officer ( CTO ) at Inventus Power
Chris Turner is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Inventus Power and responsible for developing and integrating new technology into next-generation products and systems. He has over 20 years of multi-disciplined battery industry experience including battery technology development and strategic development of rechargeable power systems from companies such as Sony Ericsson, AER Energy Resources and SAFT Aerospace Batteries (formerly Gates Aerospace Batteries). Mr. Turner holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of South Carolina and holds several patents related to battery technology.
Craig Rigby joined Johnson Controls, the predecessor of Clarios, in 2007 and currently serves as the Advanced Market & Technology Strategist for Power Solutions. In this role, Rigby focuses on macro level drivers that shape the energy storage market with the goal of delivering a technology strategy that aligns with our customers' long-term needs and objectives. In addition, he investigates and evaluates new technology opportunities for partnerships or acquisitions to support the technology strategy.
Job Titles:
- Vice President and General Manager of Avery Dennison Performance Tapes
Dave Collins was appointed vice president and general manager of Avery Dennison Performance Tapes, North America in June 2022. Based in Northeast Ohio, Dave leads the business's commercial teams, drives top and bottom line growth, holds profit and loss responsibilities and oversees the organization's long-term business strategy. Dave joined Avery Dennison in 2007 and has held positions of increasing responsibility in Label and Graphic Materials.
Job Titles:
- Principal Engineer at Amphenol Advanced Sensors
Dave Geer is a Principal Engineer at Amphenol Advanced Sensors. A sensing company headquartered in St. Marys, Pennsylvania. Advanced Sensors services the sensing industry with temperature, contact and not contact, pressure, NDIR gas, and humidity sensing solutions, along with cell connection assemblies and remote data bridges from BMS to cloud data. Dave has 37 years of experience in sensors and sensor design, with his primary background focusing on sensing temperature in automotive applications. Dave has had 5 patents relating to the sensing industry granted over his career.
Dave McMurtry is an experienced high-tech executive with expertise in renewable energy, hardware & software, product development, banking/M&A, and international market development. For the last 25 years he has held multiple executive positions in both startups and Fortune 500 organizations.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
- President - Elect
David is the Chief Executive Officer of Cirba Solutions. His impressive, over 25-year career is in research & development, operations, commercial, and strategic leadership roles across numerous innovative industries, including the global lithium business, energy storage, and several specialty materials industries. While working at Piedmont Lithium, Albemarle, and Dow Chemical he had expansive assignments in Spain, Switzerland, Australia, and China, that brought out his passion for travel and culture. He is a Chemical Engineer with an Executive MBA in Global Management, and focuses on safety, operations, talent development, and innovation.
Job Titles:
- CEO of Spiers New Technologies Inc.
Dirk Spiers is the CEO of Spiers New Technologies Inc. (SNT). He is a pioneer in the life cycle management of advanced battery packs and in the second life use of automotive lithium-ion packs and cells for non-automotive applications. SNT is based in Oklahoma City, OK, with a second facility scheduled to open soon in California. SNT is the leading supplier of advanced battery repair, remanufacturing and refurbishing services for OEM manufacturers of xEV's.
Job Titles:
- President and Co - Founder of Dreamweaver International
Dr. Brian Morin is President and co-Founder of Dreamweaver International, a Lithium-ion and Supercapacitor separator manufacturer. Brian CEO of Innegrity LLC from 2004 - 2010. Brian previously spent nine years in the Research Division of Milliken & Company. Brian received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in physics from The Ohio State University. He received his B.S. degree in physics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus
- Member of the Officers Team
- Energy R & D Consultant
Dr. Davion Hill is an experienced energy R&D consultant, serving as Principal Investigator on ARPA-e, NYSERDA, and the California Energy Commission technical R&D programs related to battery energy storage performance and safety. Dr. Hill has spearheaded efforts to qualify and test battery systems for maritime hybrid vessels and offshore battery applications. Dr. Hill has led, chaired, or participated in multiple panels on the topics of battery safety with NYBEST, NAATBatt, and ESA. He is has authored 30+ peer reviewed publications and articles.
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- VP Engineering of Forge Nano
Dr. James Trevey is the VP Engineering of Forge Nano, a leading company in nano-coating technology specializing in Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD). Dr. Trevey has a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado-Boulder and is an expert in electrochemistry. He is responsible for leading new technology research and development, as well as scale-up and new systems implementation at Forge Nano.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus
- Chief Customer Officer
- Member of the Officers Team
Dr. John Warner is the Chief Customer Officer of American Battery Solutions. He is the author of "The Handbook of Lithium-Ion Battery Pack Design: Chemistry, Components, Types and Terminology" and "Lithium-Ion Battery Packs for EVs". John previously held leadership positions at Xalt Energy, Ener1/EnerDel, Magna Steyr Fuel & Battery Systems and Boston-Power.
Job Titles:
- President & MD of Customized Energy Solutions India Pvt. Ltd.
Dr. Rahul Walawalkar is President & MD of Customized Energy Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. He leads the Emerging Technologies domain for Customized Energy Solutions globally. Rahul founded the India Energy Storage Alliance in 2012 and serves as its President. He served as board member for Energy Storage Association, USA during 2009-15 and as the Chair for Global Energy Storage Alliance during 2018-20.
Job Titles:
- Chief Science Officer
- Member of the Officers Team
Dr. Stan Whittingham is a key figure in the history of the development of lithium batteries and received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work in 2019. He is currently a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering at SUNY Binghamton, where he serves as Director of both the Institute for Materials Research and the Materials Science and Engineering program.
Dr. Stephen Feldbauer joined Abbott Furnace Co in 2002 where he is currently the Director of Research and Development. Dr. Feldbauer is also a Senior Adjunct Faculty member in Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University. He is the author of numerous articles, publications, and has been awarded eight patents. He is an active member of the MPIF, American Welding Society's C3 Committee, and Automotive Industry Action Group on Brazing.
Job Titles:
- Principal and Founder of EAS Advisors
Eddie Sugar is the Principal and Founder of EAS Advisors. He has more than 25-years of experience in commodities and related sectors. Prior to EAS Advisors, Eddie was the Managing Director of Jefferies & Co. in New York from 1999 until 2008, responsible for international equity sales and trading. Prior to Jefferies, Eddie worked as Managing Director for Marc Rich & Co. in Sydney, Australia.
Ellen Carey is the VP for Global Policy and Public Affairs at Circulor, where she engages with corporations, policymakers, NGOs, and press on Circulor's ability to bring transparency to complex industrial supply chains. Ellen has over 15 years of experience running campaigns for clean energy technologies, such as electric vehicles and renewable energy. She has held senior positions at Samsung, Audi of America, and SAFE and the Electrification Coalition.
Eric Yoshimura Hitachi High-Tech America, Inc.
Eric Yoshimura has worked a career ranging in industries from consumer electronics, semiconductor processing equipment, industrial microwaves, renewable energy, and automotive supply chain. At Hitachi High-Tech America, Inc., Eric is at the forefront of the Business Development group and discovering new opportunities using the battery Life Cycle Management (LCM) to enhance business partners both environmental and economic challenges.
Frank Billotto is responsible for driving DuPont's vision and business strategy for the Transportation Assembly sector in the Americas. Within the Transportation & Industrial business, he identifies and develops new opportunities for business growth and leads the execution of marketing strategies in these regions.
Greg Heald is the CEO of ATC Drivetrain, the global partner of choice for remanufacturing solutions. Mr. Heald has over 20 years of automotive industry experience, serving in global leadership positions in North America, Europe, and Asia-including his first position at Ford Motor Company, working in finance and purchasing. A visionary leader, Mr. Heald is focused on providing the most comprehensive portfolio of battery lifecycle management services, supported by industry leading innovations and technology, to support customer programs of any size, anywhere in the world.
Job Titles:
- Chief Growth Officer of Anovion Battery Materials
Ian McCallum is the Chief Growth Officer of Anovion Battery Materials. He has spent over 25 years in advanced materials manufacturing, energy storage, and transportation industries, including over a decade in the battery materials and electrochemical energy storage industries. Leadership roles include business strategy, marketing/sales, R&D, engineering, and operations at Amsted Graphite Materials, Alcoa, UCAR/GrafTech, Celgard and Asahi Kasei.
Jim Greenberger has served as Executive Director of NAATBatt International since co-founding the organization in 2008. He was previously a partner in the Chicago office of the law firm of Reed Smith LLP, where he his practice concentrated in commercial finance, venture capital and cleantech. He received his B.A. from Haverford College and his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.
Job Titles:
- Industry Director and Business Advisor at Rockwell Automation
Jamie Nelson is an industry director and business advisor at Rockwell Automation, where he works with business leaders to adapt to their ever-changing manufacturing challenges. He has 20 years of experience in the automation industry, and has held a variety of roles in engineering, sales, and leadership.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus
- Member of the Officers Team
- International Business Development Director for Great Wall Motor 's Battery Business Unit
Jeff Yambrick is the International Business Development Director for Great Wall Motor's Battery Business Unit known as SVOLT. Jeff is on several SAE International Battery Standards committees and has served in leadership positions at Xalt Energy and Magna eCar / Steyr Battery Systems.
Job Titles:
- General Manager for the Energy Storage Solutions
Jim Cushing is currently the General Manager for the Energy Storage Solutions group and is responsible for establishing Applied Materials business footprint in the fast growing Li-ion battery market. Prior to joining the CTO organization, Jim worked in Italy managing the Baccini business unit building metallization equipment for solar cells which grew to over $1B. In 22 years at Applied Materials, Jim has held General Manager, Product Management, Technical Development, and Business Management leadership positions in Energy Storage, Solar, Display, and Semiconductor. Jim is a strong proponent of collaborative customer engagement in the process of developing world class products.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Officers Team
Joe LoGrasso is the Director of Engineering at Polaris Industries Inc. He has over 40 years of experience in advanced product technology development, manufacturing and commercialization including hybrid and electric vehicle energy storage and charging systems. Joe is a 30 veteran of General Motors and FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus
- Member of the Officers Team
- Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of EnerSys
Joern Tinnemeyer is Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of EnerSys, where he is responsible for global engineering, technology development, quality and operations engineering. Joern studied applied mathematics and electrical engineering at the University of Toronto and holds a MSc in Astronautics and Space Engineering. He is chairman of the SAE Battery Management Committee developing international standards for the automotive industry.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Battery Market at Airgas
John Burgess is the Director of the Battery Market at Airgas. Airgas provides gas in any supply mode, plus associated equipment and services used throughout the entire battery. Over his thirty-year career with Air Liquide and now Airgas, John has excelled at providing customers with value-based solutions that improve efficiency and sustainability.
Job Titles:
- Global Technical Director for Mobility at Dow
John McKeen is Global Technical Director for Mobility at Dow, working across Dow's businesses and technologies to partner with Mobility customers to develop materials that meet their application needs. John holds BS ChemE, BS EE, and MS EE degrees from the university of Minnesota and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Caltech.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Secretary
- Partner at the Law Firm of Snell & Wilmer
John Platt is a partner at the law firm of Snell & Wilmer and a proud member of NAATBatt. He advises and represents clients with intellectual property strategies, audits, contracts, due diligence and litigation. John also handles licensing agreements and patent and trademark prosecutions.
John's patent practice involves Alternative Energy Technologies, using his dual degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering to assist his clients with protecting their intellectual property. He has prosecuted patents in solar, wind, micro-grid, hybrid vehicle electric motors, generation, power regulation and energy storage.
Job Titles:
- President and CEO of Lithium Americas
Jonathan Evans, President and CEO of Lithium Americas, was previously VP and GM for the Lithium Division at FMC Corporation, and COO of DiversiTech Corporation. Jon has also held executive management roles at Arysta LifeScience, AMRI Corporation and General Electric. He holds a BSc in mechanical engineering from Clarkson University and an MSc from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Global Business for Albemarle 's Advanced Energy
Jorge Diaz Schneider is Vice President of Global Business for Albemarle's Advanced Energy Storage Materials platform. Jorge is responsible for commercializing Albemarle's portfolio of next-generation battery materials. He has spent the last 7 years bringing new products to the e-mobility space. He holds an MBA from the University of Maryland and a degree in Electronics Engineering from Del Valle University in Guatemala.
Justin Britt is the General Manager leading Bechtel's global semiconductor and electric vehicles business. Over his Bechtel career, he has held project management, strategy, commercial, and financial leadership roles on three continents. Justin is passionate about building the global battery supply chain covering components, cells, recycling, and charging infrastructure.
Katharina is the Customer Engagement Lead for the Battery Vertical at Siemens DISW. With her 15+ years of experience in the battery industry ranging from the direct lithium extraction to dry battery electrode process, her mission is to bring value to the wide range of battery companies. In addition to her role at Siemens, Katharina is a Co-chair of the "Electrode Materials Committee" at NAATBatt International and an advocate for the U.S. Battery Machine Builders Coalition.
Kathleen T. Quick, is the Senior Automotive Director for Applications Development at Daikin America, Inc. Ms. Quick has decades of experience leading teams in manufacturing (component and vehicle assembly), quality (internal and supplier), purchasing, supply chain, advanced product marketing, corporate strategy, research and applications development at Denso, General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Daikin America, Inc. She has a Master's of Business Administration and a Bachelor's of Science degree in Economics.
Kenan Sahin is an award winning academic, scientist, inventor, technologist, serial entrepreneur and philanthropist. Educated at MIT, he has served on the faculties of MIT, University of Massachusetts and Harvard. In 1984, Dr. Sahin founded Kenan Systems, growing it into an international company before selling it to Lucent/Bell Labs. In 2002 he started TIAX where he formulated a cluster of business models and practiced them to mature early stage technologies to be IP protected, de-risked and production ready. In 2014, he spun out of TIAX CAMX Power, a leader in the development of advanced cathode materials for lithium-ion battery applications in the automotive and high-end portable electronics markets.
Kevin McLaughlin is the CEO of Flexo Concepts, a global manufacturing company and market leader of high performance TruPoint doctor blades for roll doctoring and cleaning. With over 30 years of experience in the coating and lamination market, Kevin is an international expert in doctor blades, anilox rolls, and gravure cylinders. He has developed and implemented innovative strategies to improve safety, productivity, and quality standards.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Precision Roll Grinders
Larry Butkovich is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Precision Roll Grinders. Larry's previous experience includes engineering at a vehicle OEM and battery manufacturer. He also managed operations at an electrical device manufacturer producing DC quick chargers for electric vehicles. Larry brings a unique blend of 25 years' experience supporting automotive and battery manufacturing through engineering, operations, product management and sales.
Job Titles:
- Sustainability and Recycling Manager
Laura Wagner is the EV Battery Sustainability and Recycling Manager at General Motors, developing strategies for circularity, recycling, and tracking of batteries throughout their lifecycle. Laura spent her early career in purchasing and holds two patents in supply chain solutions. She brings over twenty years of non-profit board experience, including executive positions, and is currently an advisory board member to The Battery Show.
Lie Shi is the CEO of AM Batteries, a pioneer in the field of lithium-ion dry-electrode technologies. Prior, Shi served as President of Celgard, a world-renowned battery separator company that invented and commercialized a solvent-free process to produce microporous membranes for lithium-ion batteries. He also served as the Global Head of Separator Business Development for Asahi Kasei Corporation, Celgard's parent company. He received his B.S. in Physics from Kyoto University and M.S. from the University of Michigan.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Business Development for Electrada
Margaret O'Riley is Vice President of Business Development for Electrada, which provides electrification-as-a-service to fleets, municipalities, and other private and public customers. Prior to Electrada, Margaret spent five years at Duke Energy with economic development, and on the fleet electrification team. For over 30 years, Margaret has worked in a variety of executive and leadership level economic development roles. She is a proud MSU Spartan.
Mike Canada is the COO of KORE Power, Inc. Mr. Canada has over 25 years of global leadership in international business specializing in manufacturing, strategy, operational excellence, and execution. He has spent more than 13 years in the lithium-ion battery space growing business, leading technology transfers, and scaling manufacturing. He has held various roles including C-suite positions of early-stage and leadership of Fortune 500 companies.
Mike Sandoval is the Vice President - Business Development at Maccor, Inc. He is a twenty-year veteran of the automated battery-test industry. His experience includes technical business-to-business capital equipment development, marketing, and sales and has substantial skills in software programming, manufacturing, and product development.
Mike Uhl - CEO, President
Mike Uhl is the President & CEO of A&D Technology, a test automation company who delivers integrated battery lab solutions and services. Offering a wide range of applications related to electrification including hardware & software-in-the-loop. Mike and been involved with battery R&D, validation, and manufacturing testing solutions across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Naoki Ota is the President & CEO of 24M Technologies. He is a recognized global expert in lithium-ion batteries, having been present at the birth of the technology in Japan 30 years ago. Mr. Ota co-founded Quallion, the first lithium-ion manufacturer in the US, serving the medical and aerospace industries. Subsequently, as CTO and COO of Enerdel, he led the HEV, PHEV, EV, and grid storage product lines and developed a 1GWh production capability.
Nathan J. Silvernail is a leader in the materials chemistry industry with over 15 years of experience in the development of novel materials for the automotive and industrial coatings segments. His expertise and management have led to numerous patents, publications, and the commercialization of new innovative products.
Job Titles:
- SVP and CTO for Cabot Corporation
Patricia Hubbard is the SVP and CTO for Cabot Corporation, developing the strategic technical agenda within the company and driving corporate and business-focused R&D to ensure long-term growth. Patricia earned a BS in chemistry from Case Western Reserve University and a Ph.D. in polymer science from the University of Akron.
Job Titles:
- Director of Member Services
Paula Szyper served as Director of Meetings at NAATBatt for eight years before being promoted to Director of Member Services. Paula has worked for more than 15 years in the meetings management business for companies ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups. She is a certified project manager having received her PMP in 2015. She holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Saint Xavier University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of KATOP, Responsible for the Sales
Peter Chou is the vice president of KATOP, responsible for the sales center and strategic product department. He has 17 years of technical and management experience in new energy industry. Since joining KATOP in 2009, Peter has used his rich technical experience in key LIB equipment, such as dry electrode equipment, hydrogen energy, solid state, powder equipment, and material equipment, as well as forward-looking industry technologies, to lead the global development of KATOP.
Job Titles:
- Senior Staff Engineer and Manager of the HazMat & Recycling Compliance Team
Phil Cozad is a Senior Staff Engineer and manager of the HazMat & Recycling Compliance Team. He serves as the N.A. Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Leader as well as the N.A. HazMat & Recycling Product Leader for Honda operations ensuring product chemical compliance. Phil serves on many industry action groups, in addition to his role as Board Member and Secretary for the Responsible Battery Coalition.
Prasanna Srinivasan is the head of sales, marketing and BD for GFCL EV. He is responsible for growing Gujarat Fluorochemicals' battery business in the Americas. Previously he led marketing and BD at Parker Hannifin and DuPont focused on the automotive market. Prasanna has a MBA from Duke and MS from NC State.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus
- Vice President
- President of ZAF Energy Systems
Randy A. Moore is the President of ZAF Energy Systems, a developer of Nickel Zinc and Zinc Air batteries. He previously served as President of EaglePicher Technologies. Prior to EaglePicher, Mr. Moore served as Executive VP/GM of Kollsman, Inc. and Vice President and General Manager of Kaman Aerostructures & PlasticFab, Inc. Mr. Moore served in the United States Air retiring as a lieutenant colonel. Mr. Moore received an MBA from SIUE and a BA degree from TLU.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus
- Member of the Officers Team
- Technical Expert
- Technical Expert, Advanced Battery Recycling at the Ford Motor Company
Renata Arsenault is a Technical Expert, Advanced Battery Recycling at the Ford Motor Company, where she has been interfacing closely with battery suppliers and recyclers since 2006. She also works with USABC where she manages numerous development programs.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus
- Chief Technology Officer
- Member of the Officers Team
- President of Galyen Energy
Bob Galyen is the President of Galyen Energy and the retired Chief Technical Officer of CATL, the largest lithium-ion battery manufacturing company in the world, where he was employee #2. Bob is the Chairman of the SAE International Battery Standards Steering Committee and serves as Liaison to the MVC and China Automotive Advisory Councils for SAE International. He has worked for four decades in the battery industry and serves on the boards of multiple corporations and not-for-profit associations in the United States.
Job Titles:
- CEO of Controlled Thermal Resources
Rod Colwell is the CEO of Controlled Thermal Resources. Rod combines twenty-five years of experience in the property and energy sectors to lead the development of CTR's Hell's Kitchen Lithium and Power project in Imperial Valley, California. These world-scale facilities will set new environmental standards for the delivery of battery-grade lithium products and baseload renewable power.
Simon Price is the CEO of Exawatt - part of the CRU Group - which provides strategic consulting, detailed cost forecasting and supply-chain analysis in sectors that are united by common theme: decarbonisation through electrification. These include energy storage, electric vehicles (EV), power electronics and solar PV. Exawatt's customers span the entire supply chain, from mining companies to major solar/storage developers and EV manufacturers. The company was acquired by CRU Group, a provider of commodity-related market intelligence, in early 2023.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus
- Director of Marketing
Stephen L. Vechy is the Director of Marketing-Critical Power Division of Concentric. He previously served as Senior Director, Global Product Portfolio Management at EnerSys and Chairman of the BCI Industrial Battery and Charger committee. Steve holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University, and an MBA in Management from Lewis University.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Open Innovation at Kimberly Clark Professional
- Professional
Steve Becker is Associate Director of Open Innovation at Kimberly Clark Professional. He has over 20 years of experience leading innovation programs in the Automotive, Currency Handling, and Hygiene Solutions industries. Steve is a former Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Continental Automated Buildings Association working to improve collaboration and solution interoperability across the smart buildings industry. At Kimberly Clark Steve is responsible for innovation partnership development activities spanning across Kimberly Clark Professional's business.
Steve Heir is the CEO of EnerDel, he has over 30 years' experience in the energy storage industry with diverse industry experience in lithium and lead acid batteries, charging and energy management systems across industrial markets with EnerSys, Ultralife, C&D Technologies, Exide and Saft.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board of Directors of Stryten Energy
Tim Vargo is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Stryten Energy, a U.S.-based manufacturer of stored energy solutions for the renewable energy, industrial, transportation and military and government markets. Stryten Energy helps solve the world's most pressing energy challenges with advanced lead, lithium and vanadium flow battery solutions. Mr. Vargo has more than 40 years of leadership and managerial experience in stored energy solutions, automotive supply chain and process improvement.
Job Titles:
- Ecobat 's Vice President of Global
Tom Schaefer serves as Ecobat's vice president of global lithium business development. He brings diverse experience working with electric vehicle OEMs and, most recently, with Amphenol, one of the world's largest providers of high-technology interconnect, sensor, and antenna solutions. He is a proud veteran of the US Navy, serving as a submarine officer before completing his MBA at Kellogg School of Management. Tom's work further pushes the company using its decades-long battery recycling history as a leader of the circular and sustainable battery ecosystem.
Job Titles:
- Director With Citi Research
Vikram Bagri is a Director with Citi Research covering the Alternative Energy, Renewables and Refining sectors in North America, having re-joined the firm in 2023. Prior to this role, he has over a decade of experience on sell-side covering Engineering & Construction, Exploration & Production, Midstream Energy and Refining sectors at firms such as Citi, Jefferies and Needham & Company. Vikram was recognized as a rising star of Wall Street in Institutional Investor America poll in 2017.
Job Titles:
- Founder, Chairman and CEO of Pro
Vincent Yang is the founder, chairman and CEO of ProLogium Technology, specializing in both R&D and manufacturing of solid-state battery since 2006. Combing his over 20 years of experience in lithium battery and manufacturing experience from his years at Foxconn and LCD industry, Vincent has led the team to obtain 500 more patents.
This is Vivian Yu's 6th year editing the NAATBatt Weekly. She has been a proud owner of the all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV since 2012, racking up over 56,000 miles to date. Vivian is a CPA. She received her B.S. degree in Accounting and International Business from New York University .
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus
- Managing Director of Distributed Energy Technology for Duke Energy
Zachary Kuznar works in the Renewable Generation Development Group at Duke Energy. In this role he focuses on business case development and regulatory initiatives for Distributed Generation in Duke Energy's regulated service territory (CHP, Energy Storage, Micro-Grids). Zak holds an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Yale University.
Zachary Kuznar is Managing Director of Distributed Energy Technology for Duke Energy. In this role Zak leads a team responsible for developing and executing the strategy to create an investment portfolio for Combined Heat and Power, energy storage and microgrids for all of Duke Energy's regulated companies. Previously he worked in Duke's Emerging Technology Office. Zak holds an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Yale University.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director for Government Affairs in CATL
Ziyu Liu is the Deputy Director for Government Affairs in CATL with five years' experience in policy and regulation of the EV and battery industry. Liu joined CATL in 2017. From 2020, Liu's responsibility extended to the regulations and policies in Europe and North America. Currently, he is also leading the research on regulations for GHG, Carbon Footprint, recycling and battery passport in CATL.