STELLANT - Key Persons
Adam Erskine is the interim General Manager of the Stellant Systems facility in Folsom, CA where he is responsible for the design, test and manufacture of RF linearizers, linearized channel amplifiers, up/down converters, and passive RF products. The Folsom facility supports military and commercial space communications, military aircraft RF systems, missile systems and ground applications. A Veteran of the US Marine Corps, Adam has over 25 years experience in management, program leadership and business development roles with Airborne Systems, Parker Aerospace and Meggitt. Adam holds BS degrees in Finance/Risk and Business Administration and an MBA.
Benjamin Stoney is currently the Director of Operations of Stellant Systems where he is responsible for manufacturing strategy and operations execution of cutting-edge RF products supporting space, air, sea and ground communications, radar systems, secure communications, electronic warfare and medical applications across the space, defense and medical sectors. Prior to this role, he served as the Global Business Transformation Leader at Eaton Aerospace where he led the planning and execution of an enterprise-wide business system transformation spanning 37 locations. Also with Eaton, Stoney led complex manufacturing operations as General/Plant Manager to achieve sustained profitable growth in both up and down cycles. Stoney has over 17 years of experience in general management, manufacturing operations and supply chain functions and has held executive leadership roles with Eaton, as well as other roles with GE Aviation, Precision Castparts and Firth Rixson. Over the past 10 years, he has assembled a track record of building strong teams, delivering enhanced financial results and executing strategic manufacturing plans in low volume, high mix environments. Stoney holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a Master's in Supply Chain Management from the Pennsylvania State University.
Charles Barakat is Director of Quality, EH&S, Facilities and Security, and manages multiple Stellant sites. He provides leadership, sets goals, monitor work, and evaluates results to ensure that departmental and organizational objectives and operating requirements are met and are in line with the needs and mission of the organization. Mr. Barakat is responsible for supporting the CEO and other Executive Leadership Team members in all aspects of strategic and operational planning guidance, and by ensuring that required infrastructure and support are in place. Charles provides overall direction and guidance to the Quality organization activities, with the objective of maximizing growth and profitability as well as day-to-day leadership and management to all company quality, EH&S, facilities and security functions. Mr. Barakat has over 35 years experience in managing corporate business and integrated technologies to support operational, and Quality organizational requirements. Recognized for unique disciplined business skills in both military, and commercial industry practices. Mr. Barakat also held the position of VP of Quality Assurance at Ortel \ Agere \ Lucent technologies West coast Division. During this period, he was responsible for managing and establishing a Product Development framework to rapidly introduce design to production and deployment to meet market demand, cost, technology, Quality and reliability. Before joining Lucent , Mr. Barakat was the Associate Division Head of Quality, Reliability & Manufacturing at the Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake where he held several position with the DOD since he was hired in 1989 as a civil service. He managed the Product Assurance Division in support for various military systems. His specialties are education and associations. Mr. Barakat holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electronics from Pennsylvania State University (1985). Navy / DOD (1997), he is Certified level III System Planning, Research Development and Engineering.
Job Titles:
- Director, Human Resources
Geri Brewster is currently the Director, Human Resources of Stellant Systems where she is responsible for leading the Human Resources and Organizational Development functions for all divisions. Brewster is an experienced senior leader with a proven track record of combining expertise in operational, legal, human resources and organizational development leadership to drive and support profitable growth. She started her career as an attorney in private practice, then spent the next 20 years with Toyota and Lexus Financial Services where she held various positions including Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development, Head of Toyota Financial Savings Bank, Chief Information Office and Group Vice President and General Counsel. After Toyota and Lexus Financial Services, Brewster then held executive operations, human resources, legal and compliance leadership roles with a private equity owned logistics company and a financial investment technology start-up. Brewster holds a BA in Political Science from West Virginia University and a Juris Doctorate from West Virginia University College of Law.
John Hahn is CFO for Stellant Systems. He has more than 35 years of executive, program, and financial management experience in the aerospace and defense industry. Before his current position, John served as Vice President of Finance for L3Harris' Defense Electronics Systems where he supported several divisions including Interstate Electronics Corporation (Anaheim, Ca), Fuzing and Ordnance Systems (Cincinatti, Oh) and Space and Navigation Systems (Budd Lake, NJ). Prior to his roles at L3Harris and Stellant Systems, John held leadership positions at GE Aviation Systems as the President of Landing Gear and Role Equipment in Santa Ana, Ca as well as the Vice President of Finance for Hydraulic Unit Inc. (Thrust Reverser Actuation System) in Duarte, Ca. John holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Business Administration from California State University Long Beach.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Contracts
Mark Hyun Choi is the Vice President of Contracts where he is responsible for leading the contracts and compliance for Stellant Systems, Inc. Stellant Systems, Inc. is a cutting-edge RF Products business supplying RF Amplifiers and Passive RF products to support Space Communications, Radar, Secure Communications, Electronic Warfare and Medical applications. In his role as Vice President of Contracts, Mark is responsible for all aspects of the business contractual arrangements with customers. Prior to his current role, Mark was the Program Contracts Manger for the Family of Systems Program at Raytheon Space and Airborne System. He led the negotiations for this new complex program which enabled synergies across multiple product lines. Also during his tenure at Raytheon, Mark led the contracts group for the Navigation Systems Product Line providing GPS products to both the US Government and commercial customers. Prior to his industry experience, Mark was a Contracting Officer for the Air Force for multiple weapons systems satellite programs including GPS III, SBIRS, and AEHF. Mark held an unlimited warrant and negotiated the $3 billion SBIRS Production Contract on behalf of the Air Force. Mark entered USG civilian service as a Presidential Management Fellow. Mark holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from UCLA and a Juris Doctorate US Hastings, College of the Law.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development
Nick Gritti is Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for Stellant Systems. He has more than 35 years of executive, program, and business development management experience in the defense industry. Before his current position, Gritti served as Vice President of Business Development for L3Harris Technologies, Inc. Aerospace Products Sector where he supported the turnaround of the sectors largest division to profitable growth and development of new products for Space and Secure communications, Radar, Electronic Warfare and Medical applications. Prior to his roles at L3Harris and Stellant Systems, Nick served in several executive positions at Northrop Grumman Technology Services, Mission Systems and Aerospace Systems sectors, as well as leading ISR program development efforts at SAIC/Leidos. He played a key role in the turnaround of an underperforming business unit at Northrop Grumman and led innovative mission improvement efforts for the DoD. Nick holds a Bachelor's degree from Texas Christian university and a Master's Degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. He is a retired Air Force officer with over 1000 combat flight hours and is a graduate of the USAFs prestigious Weapons School.
Paul Russell is currently the CEO of Stellant Systems where he is responsible for leading a cutting RF Products business, supply RF Amplifiers and Passive RF products to support Space Communications, Radar, Secure Communications, Electronic Warfare and Medical applications. Prior to this role, Paul served as the Vice President and General Manager of the L3Harris Electron Devices Division where he led the turnaround of the division to profitable growth and development of new products to support the high throughput communications satellite and electronic warfare markets. Paul has over 35 years' experience of general management, engineering and operations functions and has held executive roles with Northrop Grumman and Maxar Corporation. Over the past 15 years, he has had a successful track record of turning around struggling businesses in the RF Products, Signals Intelligence Products and Solar Power industries. Paul holds a BA in Physics from Willamette University and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering Degree from Santa Clara University.
Roman Fry is the Director of Engineering at Stellant Systems with full responsibility for a cross-disciplinary engineering organization enabling contract execution and future growth through the implementation of a technology roadmap in collaboration with production operations, quality, supply chain, and business development organizations. Most recently, Roman was the deputy site director and chief of engineering at a restricted US Government facility overseas with Northrop Grumman. With over thirty years of combined military and cross-functional experience in the defense industry, and tenures at Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and Hughes Space and Communications, Roman brings a systems engineering approach to solving challenging technical issues in support of Stellant Systems programs. Roman holds a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, a Masters in Space Systems Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, and an Executive MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Prior to transitioning to the private sector, Roman served his country as a United States Marine in support of various training and combat operations.
In November 2020 Mr. Shpock was named the General Manager of the Williamsport Pennsylvania facility and has full P&L responsibility for an integrated engineering and manufacturing site that produces high power microwave vacuum-based devices that serve both the Defense and Commercial market sectors. Previously from 2017 to 2020, he functioned as the L3Harris Aerospace Sector VP Engineering, VP Engineering of the Electron Devices Division and as the CTO for the Space and Power Sector of L3. The focus of those technology positions was developing new and innovative products that drove top line growth, increased market share along with margin expansion. Prior to that, Steve was Division President for L3 Narda-MITEQ located in Hauppauge, New York from 2014 to 2017. In this capacity, he had total P&L responsibility for all Narda-MITEQ as well as Narda-ATM activities including six manufacturing facilities located in New York, Costa Rica, Germany and Italy. He fully integrated the family owned MITEQ into L3 Narda and was also primarily responsible for the acquisition of ATM and its integration into the Division. Mr. Shpock has worked in the RF and Microwave business for over 35 years of his career holding positions of increasing technical and management responsibility with L3, Vitec Group, Thales, Cobham and CPI. As such, Steve has a very strong business background with extensive hands-on professional experience. Mr. Shpock holds BE, ME and Doctorate level degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology and the University of Utah respectively as well as an MBA from the University of Rochester.
Susan Sloan is the Director of Programs at Stellant Systems. She is responsible for the company's portfolio of programs for RF Amplifiers and Passive RF products to support Space Communications, Radar, Secure Communications, Electronic Warfare and Medical applications. With nearly four decades of experience in commercial and government aerospace arenas, Ms. Sloan has held various vice president and executive level positions for Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Boeing, both domestically and internationally. In addition to her extensive aerospace experience, Ms. Sloan has worked in technology startups in aviation and automobiles, including founding her own company. Ms. Sloan earned her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and MBA from the University of Southern California. She also completed executive leadership programs at Wharton, University of Chicago, St. Louis, and in Brazil, during her tenures and Raytheon and Boeing.