Alumni Spotlight is pleased to announce The Top 100 Engineers of 2022. These individuals have played a significant role in the technology and development of today’s modern world. Through research and development in their respective technical field or through their leadership of an enterprise, they have excelled in their industry. The word engineer was derived from the Latin words ingeniare, meaning create, generate, contrive, or devise; and ingenium, meaning cleverness. These awardees embody the very meaning of the word. They are innovative, determined and are dedicated to solving significant problems. This year’s awardees span nearly all industries including medical devices and healthcare, manufacturing, biofuels, television, and media, and more.

Awardees include Cristos Goodrow, Vice President of Engineering at Google, who has responsibility over the Search and Discovery features and the Main App of YouTube; Rachel Solomon, Division Vice President of Engineering Operations for Comcast, who is responsible for leading the organization for 14 states, 450 physical locations, and 355 team members serving over 6 million subscribers; and Paul Penzes, Vice President of Engineering at Qualcomm, who uses his expertise in strategic innovation, scalability, product design, and disciplined execution to lead the semiconductor company’s engineering developments.

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This year’s awardees are critical in the implementation of complex projects from initial concept to delivery at top companies across the world. They act as leaders and role models in their communities. Please join us in celebrating the achievements of The Top 100 Engineers of 2022.

 

1. Dean Barker
Vice President of Product Engineering at UnitedHealth Group
Concordia University-Wisconsin

Dean Barker is the Vice President of Product Engineering at UnitedHealth Group. He first joined the company in 2011 as a senior director of technology engineering. UnitedHealth Group is a health care and well-being company with a mission to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. They deliver care aided by technology and data, empowering people, partners and providers with the guidance and tools they need to achieve better health. UnitedHealthcare offers a full range of health benefits, enabling affordable coverage, simplifying the health care experience, and delivering access to high-quality care.

Previously, Barker was an instructor at the University of Minnesota and before that a director of user experience at Sage Software. Earlier in his career he worked with Computer Extras, Inc. as a sales consultant and trainer. Barker earned an MS in software engineering from the University of Minnesota and an undergraduate degree in business management and communications from Concordia University-Wisconsin.

 

2. Kate Bergeron
Vice President of Hardware Engineering at Apple
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Kate Bergeron is the Vice President of Hardware Engineering at Apple. She first joined the company in 2011 as a senior director of Macintosh product design. Bergeron leads the multinational corporation with their consumer electronics and high-volume projects including AirPods, HomePods, SoftGoods, packaging, retail product display, and the Product Realization Laboratory. Her experience primarily is focused on international design teams, OEMs, and vendors across Asia.

Previously, Bergeron was an instructor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Earlier in her career she worked with Flextronics as a mechanical engineer. Bergeron earned an MBA from an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MS in mechanical engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder.

 

3. Sang Won Son
Vice President of Engineering at Samsung Electronics
University of California - Berkeley

Sang Won Son is the Vice President of Engineering at Samsung Electronics. Samsung Electronics, the South Korean multinational electronics company, provides consumer electronics, information technology, mobile communications, and device solutions to individuals and businesses worldwide. The company develops, manufactures, and sells various consumer products from mobile phones, tablets, and televisions to washing machines, ovens, and more. Son has over 20 years of experience. He began his career in 2002

Before joining Samsung Electronics, Son was a senior department manager at MediaTek and before that, a staff design manager at Marvell. Son graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a PhD and undergraduate degree in electrical engineering.

 

4. Cristos Goodrow
Vice President of Engineering at Google
Cornell University

Cristos Goodrow began his professional career over 31 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering at Google. In his role, Goodrow is responsible for Search, Discovery, and the Main App of YouTube. He was previously responsible for Google Shopping, formerly named Google Product Search. His mission is to increase the value that viewers and society get from YouTube, while minimizing the risks.

Goodrow first got his start in 1991 as a senior consultant at Andersen Consulting. From there, he went on to Impresse, before eventually rising to become a director of search engine software at A9.com, his most recent position prior to joining Google. Goodrow graduated from UC Santa Barbara with an MA in mathematics and from Cornell University with an undergraduate degree in mathematics and computer science.

 

5. Neil Archambo
Principal Nuclear Engineer at Duke Energy
University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Neil Archambo is a Principal Nuclear Engineer of Duke Energy. Duke Energy is one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. They are executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve goals of net-zero methane emissions from their natural gas business and at least a 50% carbon reduction from electric generation by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 2050 net-zero goals also include Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 emissions. In addition, they are investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear. Archambo has 35 years in the utilities industry. He began his career in 1987

In addition to his roles with Duke Energy, Archambo is the owner of his own engineering and consulting business in North Carolina. Archambo graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering.

 

6. Bob Serr
Vice President of Engineering at Microsoft
University of Michigan

Bob Serr is the Vice President of Engineering at Microsoft. He first joined the company in 2019 as partner general manager of engineering. Serr leads the Intelligent Communications and Collaborations Cloud (IC3) Developer Platform that powers Microsoft Teams and empowers developers to build communications workflows into their products.

Previously, Serr was a director of software development at Amazon and before that, the chief technology officer and VP of engineering at Double Down Interactives at IGT. Earlier in his career he founded Experio Technologies where he served as the CEO. Serr earned an MBA in entrepreneurship, strategy, and finance from Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management and an undergraduate degree in computer software engineering from the University of Michigan.

 

7. Rachel Solomon, PhD
Vice President, Engineering Operations/Headends at Comcast
Virginia Tech

As the West Division Vice President for Engineering Operations/Headends, Rachel leads the Systems Integration, Critical Infrastructure, and Headend teams. Her 353 employees and 200 plus business partners build and maintain a 24x7 Network in 13 states. Prior to this role, Rachel led Comcast’s Technical Operations for the Twin Cities Region, responsible for the 700+ agents, technicians, and business partners focused on dispatch and field fulfillment for business and residential customers in 4 states.

During her career, Rachel also worked for General Dynamics Information Technology and Verizon leading teams in Operations, Strategic Planning, Cyber Security, Network Operations, FIOS Installation/Maintenance, Copper Installation/Maintenance, Construction, Proactive/Preventive Maintenance, and Bill Payment. She holds a PhD in Organization and Management with a Specialization in Leadership with her dissertation on Emotional Intelligence and its correlation to Leadership style. She is ITIL Expert certified, PMP certified, a graduate of the Tuck Executive Leadership Program, a graduate of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute, and a published author. Rachel and her husband Sam are avid adventure seekers who love skiing, hiking, biking, golfing, participating in IronMan races, and traveling with their dogs. Rachel is a native of the Northern Virginia/Washington DC area but loves calling Denver her home now!

 

8. CJ Huang
Vice President of Engineering at PayPal
Cornell University

CJ Huang began his professional career over 25 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering of PayPal. At PayPal, they believe that now is the time to democratize financial services so that moving and managing money is a right for all citizens, not just the affluent. They are driven by this purpose, and they uphold their cultural values of collaboration, innovation, wellness, and inclusion as their guide for making decisions and conducting business every day.

Huang first got his start in 1997 as a software design engineer at Microsoft. From there, he went on to TextPayMe, before eventually rising to become the director of engineering at Amazon Web Services, his most recent position prior to joining PayPal. Huang graduated from Cornell University with an MS and undergraduate degree in computer science.

 

9. Yael Maguire
Vice President of Engineering at Meta
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Yael Maguire is the Vice President of Engineering at Meta. Meta is a social technology company that enables people to connect, find communities, and grow businesses. Previously known as Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg announced the company's rebrand to Meta in 2021 at the company's annual Connect Conference. The company’s goal is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. Maguire has over 18 years of experience. He began his career in 2004.

Before his current role, Maguire was a director of engineering at Facebook and before that a visiting scientist at MIT. Earlier in his career he worked with ThingMagic as a CTO. Maguire graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a PhD and from Queen's University with an undergraduate degree in engineering physics.

 

10. Jagannath Keshava
Vice President of Engineering at Intel
The University of Texas at Austin

Jagannath Keshava began his professional career over 31 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering at Intel. Intel is building on its unrivaled history of innovation to power the future of computing and communications. They help their customers find the technologies and solutions that allow them to transform their businesses and gain market advantage. Intel is on a journey from a PC-centric company to a data-centric company. Their unmatched depth of experience and scope of vision allows them to create a world where they power the future of computing and communications, including powerful processors and accelerators that unlock the full potential of data.

Keshava graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with an MS and from Stanford University with an undergraduate degree in program in innovation and entrepreneurship.

 

11. Kang Guo
Vice President of Engineering at Goldman Sachs
University of Virginia

Kang Guo is the Vice President of Engineering at Goldman Sachs. He first joined the company in 2014. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is a leading global investment banking, securities, and investment management firm. Headquartered in New York, they maintain offices in all major financial centers around the world. Their mission is to advance sustainable economic growth and financial opportunity across the globe.

Guo joined Goldman Sachs immediately after graduation from the University of Virginia. He previously served the position of engineering analyst and engineering associate before taking on his current role. Guo earned an undergraduate degree in commerce and computer science.

 

12. Lisa Hornschemeier
Vice President, OCI Engineering at Oracle
Miami University

Lisa Hornschemeier is the Vice President of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Engineering. The Oracle Corporation is an American, multinational, computer technology corporation headquartered in Austin, Texas. In 2020, Oracle was the second-largest software company in the world by revenue and market capitalization. The company sells database software and technology, cloud engineered systems, and enterprise software products. Hornschemeier is responsible for the subscription, rating and billing platforms and services that manage Oracle’s cloud product revenues. Hornschemeier has 18 years of work experience in information technology and engineering. She is an experienced hi-tech engineering leader with a successful history and track record. She began her career in 2004 with the General Electric Company in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Before joining Oracle, Hornschemeier was a product and engineering leader at Microsoft where she led commerce and partner solutions for Azure. She also helped accelerate the Azure business by showcasing the expansive and complicated Microsoft SAP environment. Hornschemeier graduated from Xavier University - Williams College of Business with an MBA and from Miami University with an undergraduate degree in Management Information Systems, carrying a computer science minor.

 

13. John Paul “J.P.” Kurpiewski
VP of Global Engineering for Assembly Technologies at Emerson Automation Solutions
Columbia University in the City of New York

J.P. Kurpiewski became the Vice President of Global Engineering for Assembly Technologies at Emerson Automation Solutions in 2019. In this role, he leads the engineers who innovate, develop, and sustain Branson products and advanced core technology, from concept through successful launch and impact. Branson solutions deliver proven performance, unequaled application expertise, and the broadest technology portfolio for plastic joining, ultrasonic metal welding, and ultrasonic cleaning. Branson products automate manufacturing of N95 and surgical facemasks, COVID test kits, wearable medical devices, electric vehicle batteries and charging stations, lightweight automotive components, and electronics.

Kurpiewski previously was Director of Engineering for Assembly Technologies at Emerson Automation Solutions, responsible for the execution of key projects and growth programs. Prior to that, he was Director of Global Product Management, developing and executing a global Branson product portfolio strategy that leveraged synergies, platform products, and common tools and processes. He first joined Emerson in 2010 as a Technology Business Analyst in St. Louis and lived in Wales from 2012-2014 as a Program Director at Control Techniques. From 2005-2010, Kurpiewski was a Sr. Mechanical Engineer / Project Lead at Raytheon. Kurpiewski’ s background is in a variety of industries including Industrial Automation, Renewable Energy, Aerospace & Defense, Nanotechnology, Automotive, and Medical. He is an ally and champion of STEM education and Women in STEM. He holds an MBA from MIT Sloan, an MS in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Science, with a major in mechanical engineering and minor in economics, from Columbia University in the City of New York.

 

14. Dave Prakash
Aerospace Technical Engineer at Northrop Grumman
The Johns Hopkins University

Dave Prakash began his professional career over 19 years ago. Today, he is the Aerospace Technical Engineer at Northrop Grumman. Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

Prakash first got his start in 2003 as a resident at Bassett Hospital. From there, he went on to the United States Air Force before eventually rising to become the staff vice president of technology at Anthem, his most recent position prior to joining Northrop Grumman. Prakash graduated from the State University of New York Upstate Medical University with an MD in aerospace physiology and medicine, from Stanford University with a master's degrees in public policy and management, and from The Johns Hopkins University with an undergraduate degree in chemistry.

 

15. Paul Penzes
Vice President of Engineering at Qualcomm
Caltech

Paul Penzes is the Vice President of Engineering at Qualcomm. He first joined the company in 2013. Qualcomm is an American fabless semiconductor company that designs, manufactures, and markets digital wireless telecommunications products and services. It produces processors and connectivity solutions, displays, software, and charging products. The company is focused on various industries including automotive, education, healthcare, internet, mobile computing, networking, smart cities, smart homes, wearables, and more.

Previously, Penzes was an associate technical director at Broadcom and before that, a senior engineer at Myricom. Penzes earned a PhD in computer science, a master’s degree in computer science and an undergraduate degree in engineering and applied sciences from Caltech.

 

16. Mark Salzman
Vice President of Engineering at Medtronic
University of Wisconsin - Madison

Mark Salzman is the Vice President of Engineering at Medtronic. Medtronic develops healthcare technology to treat chronic diseases. Its medical technology is providing lifelong solutions for people with chronic pain. The company is committed to improving lives through its medical technologies, services, and solutions. They have four main business units which include the Minimally Invasive Therapies Group, the DiabetesGroup, the Restorative Therapies Group, and the Cardiac and Vascular Group. Salzman has over 22 years of experience. He began his career in 2000.

Prior to his current role, Salzman was a senior engineering director at Medtronic and before that, an operations manager at Progress Casting Group. Salzman graduated from the University of St. Thomas - Opus College of Business with an MBA in operations and finance and from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with an undergraduate degree in materials science engineering.

 

17. Takashi “Tak” Mishima
VP and Engineering Director at Kajima Building & Design Group, Kajima Associates, Inc.
Columbia University in the City of New York

Tak Mishima began his professional career over 24 years ago. Today, he is the Engineering Director of Kajima Building & Design Group (KBD Group) in Atlanta, GA. For 50 years, KBD Group has been designing and constructing manufacturing, distribution/supply chain, food and beverage, mission critical and interiors projects in the United States. He is leading the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering design team at KBD Group as well as managing the project design team nationally and internationally for automobile battery plant and data center projects for the clients including some of Fortune 500 companies.

Mishima first got his start in 1998 as an electrical engineer at Kajima Corporation in Tokyo Japan. He graduated from Columbia University in the City of New York with an MS in civil engineering, construction engineering and management and from The University of Tokushima with master’s and undergraduate degrees in electrical and electronics engineering.

 

18. Devon Rollins
Vice President of Cyber Engineering and Machine Learning at Capital One
Carnegie Mellon University

Devon Rollins began his professional career over 12 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Cyber Engineering and Machine Learning at Capital One. Capital One, incorporated in 1994, is a diversified banking company focused primarily on consumer and commercial lending and deposit origination. In his role, Rollins leads multiple cross-functional teams in building best-in-class solutions in the areas of cyber investigations, analytics, and risk management.

Prior to Capital One, Rollins managed large-scale cyber transformation projects and served as a technical advisor to law enforcement on several high-profile cyber cases. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a master’s degree in information security policy and management and from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with master’s and undergraduate degrees in computer science.

 

19. Scott Goldstein
Vice President of Engineering at Salesforce
University of California, Los Angeles

Scott Goldstein is the Vice President of Engineering at Salesforce. He is responsible for driving an engineering organization of 100+, responsible for multiple areas of Salesforce’s flagship, $5B Sales Cloud product line, including Sales Cloud SFA, the $4B industry-leading sales management solution. Goldstein has over 20 years of experience in the software engineering industry. He began his career in 2001.

Goldstein first got his start as a software engineer with Vignette Corporation, formerly known as Epicentric, where he spent time developing a web application used to build intranet and extranet web portals. He later moved on to NextLabs where he served as an engineering manager and led a development team building a next generation information compliance product suite. He is a current board member of Sea Save Foundation, a science based, not-for-profit, ocean conservation organization that leverages the power of education, imagery, and critical calls to action to catalyze ocean protection on the regional, national, and international stages. Goldstein graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and from the University of Michigan with a master’s degree in computer science and engineering.

 

20. David Weinstein
Vice President of Engineering at Adobe
University of Maryland

David Weinstein is the Vice President of Engineering of Adobe. Adobe is the global leader in digital media and digital marketing solutions. Their creative, marketing, and document solutions empower everyone – from emerging artists to global brands – to bring digital creations to life and deliver immersive, compelling experiences to the right person at the right moment for the best results. Adobe is everywhere and they’re changing the world through digital experiences. Weinstein has over 25 years of experience. He began his career in 1997.

Before joining Adobe, Weinstein was a VP of engineering at Demdex and before that, a director of engineering at Yahoo!. Earlier in his career he worked with the Washington Post and Newsweek as a web developer. Weinstein graduated from the University of Maryland with an undergraduate degree in economics.

 

21. Walter Harley
Vice President of Engineering at Salesforce
The Johns Hopkins University

Walter Harley is the Vice President of Engineering at Salesforce. He first joined the company in 2009. Salesforce is a global cloud computing company that provides business software on a subscription basis. It is best known for its on-demand customer relationship management solutions. It offers users a customer community, partner community, developer community, and an app exchange marketplace. Salesforce provides its products and services to various industries, including healthcare, finance, life sciences, automotive, media, retail, manufacturing, and communications.

Previously, Harley was a developer lead at Eclipse and before that a senior transparency engineer at Terracotta. Earlier in his career he worked with Microsoft as a software design engineer. Harley earned a PhD in cognitive psychology from Johns Hopkins University.

 

22. Juan Rocha
Vice President of Engineering at Applied Materials
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Juan Rocha is the Vice President of Engineering at Applied Materials. Applied Materials is the leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. Their expertise in modifying materials at atomic levels and on an industrial scale enables customers to transform possibilities into reality. At Applied Materials, their innovations make possible the technology shaping the future. Rocha has over 22 years of experience. He began his career in 1999.

Rocha graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with an MS and an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.

 

23. Sanaya Khaneja
Vice President of Solutions Engineering at BlackRock
University of Virginia

Sanaya Khaneja began her professional career over 9 years ago. Today, she is the Vice President of Solutions Engineering at BlackRock. BlackRock's business is investing on behalf of their clients, from large institutions to parents and grandparents, doctors and teachers who entrust their savings to them. Their promise is to offer their clients the clearest thinking about what to do with their money and the products and services they need to secure a better financial future. Investors around the world have made BlackRock the world’s largest asset manager, entrusting them with trillions of dollars and their biggest financial challenges.

Khaneja first got her start in 2013 as a financial analyst at UVA Departmental Computing Support. She joined BlackRock in 2016 as an analyst and later an associate before moving on to her current role. Khaneja graduated from the University of Virginia with an undergraduate degree in economics and leadership.

 

24. Frederick Smith
Vice President of Engineering at Mastercard
Morgan State University

Frederick Smith is the Vice President of Engineering at Mastercard. He first joined the company in 2019. Mastercard provides payment processing products and solutions, and related consulting services. It serves consumers and businesses in the United States and internationally. The company offers credit, debit, prepaid, personal, commercial, chip, contactless cards, and more. It also provides payment processing solutions and payment security and fraud management solutions to monitor, detect, and fight fraud through the transaction lifecycle.

Previously, Smith was a senior director of IT at Inovalon and before that, an applications development manager at Rockwood Pigments. Smith earned an MS in computer system management from the University of Maryland Global Campus and an undergraduate degree in business administration from Morgan State University.

 

25. Bryan Rowe
Vice President of Engineering & Product at Asurion
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Bryan Rowe is the Vice President of Engineering & Product of Asurion. He first joined the company in 2019. Asurion is a leading provider of device insurance, warranty, and support services for cell phones, consumer electronics, and home appliances.

Previously, Rowe was a head of engineering and e-commerce at Alaska Airlines and before that, a software engineering manager at Expedia. Earlier in his career he worked with Quad/Graphics as a software engineer. Rowe earned an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an undergraduate degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

 

26. Ron Thomas
Vice President of Manufacturing and Engineering at Rolls Royce Nuclear Services
Purdue University

Ron Thomas is the Vice President of Manufacturing and Engineering at Rolls Royce Nuclear Services. Rolls-Royce remains a leader in the global nuclear instrumentation and controls sector through its business based in Grenoble. It also provides services to UK new build and existing power stations, with two major contracts at Hinkley Point C to supply backup power systems and heat exchangers. Thomas has over 16 years of experience. He began his career in 2006.

Before joining Rolls Royce Nuclear Services, Thomas was a vice president of engineering and manufacturing at R Brooks Associates. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with degrees in ocean engineering, ship design and material engineering. Thomas also graduated from Purdue University with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.

 

27. Tom Bourquin
Vice President of Engineering at Nidec Motor
Washington University in St. Louis

Tom Bourquin began his professional career over 22 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering at Nidec Motor. Nidec Motor is a manufacturer of commercial, industrial, and appliance motors and controls. Their product line features a full line of high efficiency motors, large and small, which serve industrial, residential, and commercial markets in applications ranging from water treatment, mining, oil and gas, and power generation to pool and spa motors, air conditioning condensers, rooftop cooling towers and commercial refrigeration.

Bourquin first got his start in 1999 as an application engineer at Emerson Motor Company. From there, he went on to Emerson Appliance Solutions, before eventually rising to become a senior product manager of electric valves and electronics at Parker Hannifin, his most recent position prior to joining Nidec Motor. Bourquin graduated from Webster University with an MBA and from Washington University in St. Louis with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.

 

28. John Wickstrom
Senior Vice President of Engineering at Publicis Groupe
Northwestern University

John Wickstrom is the Senior Vice President of Engineering at Publicis Groupe. He first joined the company in 2011. Publicis Groupe is the third largest communications group in the world, a leader in marketing, communication, and digital business transformation. As a platform at the intersection of marketing and digital business transformation, driven through the alchemy of creativity and technology, Publicis Groupe is built on The Power of One. Publicis Groupe offers its clients seamless access to the expertise of its 80,000 talents across four solution hubs including Publicis Communications, Publicis Media, Publicis Sapient, and Publicis Health. The company’s agencies are present in over 100 countries around the world.

Previously, Wickstrom was a senior director of product engineering at Thomson Reuters Healthcare and before that, a director at Braun consulting. Wickstrom earned an undergraduate degree in computer engineering from Northwestern University.

 

29. David Choate
Vice President of Engineering at American Water
Duke University

David Choate is the Vice President of Engineering at American Water. American Water is a water and wastewater utility company. They provide drinking water, wastewater and other water related services to an estimated 15 million people in more than 30 states and in two Canadian provinces. The company operates in two segments, the Regulated Businesses and the Market-Based Operations. In 2013, the company announced that it completed the acquisition of the water system assets from the city of Whitwell in southeast Tennessee. Choate has over 26 years of experience. He began his career in 1995.

Before joining American Water, Choate was an engineering manager at Veolia North America and before that, he served in various engineering positions with Chester. Choate graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with an MSE and from Duke University with an undergraduate degree in engineering.

 

30. Thomas Wilkerson
Vice President Fuel Engineering at Framatome
Virginia Tech

Thomas Wilkerson began his professional career over 42 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Fuel Engineering at Framatome. Framatome is a major international player in the nuclear energy market, recognized for its innovative solutions and value-added technologies for designing, building, maintaining, and advancing the global nuclear fleet. The company designs, manufactures, and installs components and fuel for nuclear power plants and offers a full range of reactor services.

Wilkerson graduated from the University of Virginia with a master’s degree in applied mechanics and from Virginia Tech with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.

 

31. Andy Chang
Vice President of Play Engineering at the LEGO Group
University of California, San Diego

Andy Chang is the Vice President of Play Engineering at the LEGO Group. At the LEGO Group, their mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow. They believe in the power of learning through play to shape children’s future. Through play, children learn skills such as problem-solving, communication, creativity, collaboration, and resilience that will help them reach their full potential. Chang has over 15 years of experience. He began his career in 2007.

Before joining the LEGO Group, Chang was a VP of software products and R&D at KUKA and before that, a senior manager and academic researcher at National Instruments. Chang graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a PhD in mechanical engineering, from the University of Michigan with an MS in mechanical engineering, and from the University of California, San Diego with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.

 

32. Frank Lo
Vice President of Engineering at GameStop
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Frank Lo began his professional career over 16 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering at GameStop. GameStop offers games, entertainment products, and technology through its ecommerce properties and stores. GameStop is a family of specialty retail brands that makes the most popular technologies affordable and simple. It is a global retailer of multichannel video games, pop culture collectibles, consumer electronics, and wireless services, operating more than 6,900 stores in 14 countries across Europe, Canada, Australia, and the United States.

Lo first got his start in 2006 as a director at FreeRide Corporation. From there, he went on to Digitas, before eventually rising to become a senior director of engineering and data science at DraftKings, his most recent position prior to joining GameStop. Lo graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

 

33. Luke Waltz
Vice President of Engineering at Crown Equipment
The Ohio State University

Luke Waltz is the Vice President of Engineering at Crown Equipment. He first joined the company in 2000 as mechanical engineer. Crown’s approach to industrial product design builds upon advanced ideas for lift truck operator productivity, safety, and product life span. Their dedication to researching the human-to-forklift relationship produces forklifts designed with the highest capacities and speeds. Incorporating direct operator feedback into their innovative development process, they can address the issues that matter most to their customers. Headquartered in New Bremen, Ohio, Crown’s products are defining the future of warehouse logistics throughout the world.

Previously, Waltz was a mechanical engineer at AGCO Corporation. He earned an undergraduate degree in agricultural engineering from The Ohio State University.

 

34. Joel Hooper
Vice President of Engineering at Generac Power
University of Michigan

Joel Hooper is the Vice President of Engineering at Generac Power. Generac has earned a reputation as the company that home and business owners turn to when the power goes out. The first to engineer affordable home standby generators, along with the first engine developed specifically for the rigors of generator use, they now sell more home standby generators than all their competitors combined. They revolutionized the commercial market with the first cost effective product line meeting the needs of small and mid-sized businesses. Hooper has over 24 years of experience. He began his career in 1998.

Before joining Generac Power, Hooper was a chief engineer and director of new product delivery at Harley Davidson Motor Company and before that, an owner and president at Michigan Solar Power. Earlier in his career he worked with Eaton Corporation as a chief engineer and engineering manager. Hooper graduated from the University of Michigan with an MBA and from Lawrence Technological University with an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering.

 

35. William Lambrite
Vice President of Engineering for Prepared Foods at Tyson Foods
Miami University

William Lambrite began his professional career over 24 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering for Prepared Foods at Tyson Foods. Tyson Foods was founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas. They are currently one of the world's largest processors and marketers of chicken, beef, and pork, as well as prepared foods. The company provides products and services to customers throughout the United States and more than 90 countries. The company is also a provider of protein to many national restaurant chains including quick service, casual, and fine-dining restaurants.

Lambrite first got his start in 1997 as a director of engineering and maintenance at Bil Mae Foods. From there, he went on to Sara Lee Foods, before eventually rising to become the VP of engineering at Hillshire Brands, his most recent position prior to joining Tyson Foods. Lambrite graduated from Miami University with an undergraduate degree in manufacturing engineering.

 

36. Eric Pierce
Vice President of Solutions Engineering at Epsilon
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Eric Pierce is the Vice President of Solutions Engineering at Epsilon. He first joined the company in 2014 as a client integration engineer. Epsilon is an all-encompassing global marketing company, a leader in creating connections between people and brands. They find, acquire, and retain customers for brands around the world. They are the first of a new breed, harnessing rich data, groundbreaking technologies, engaging creative and transformative ideas to get the results their clients require. They employ over 7000 associates in 70 offices worldwide and are recognized as one of the world largest CRM/direct marketing companies.

Previously, Pierce was a technical consultant at HP. He earned an MS in data science and artificial intelligence from Northwestern University and an undergraduate degree in sociology and computer science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

 

37. Harpreet Sandhu
Vice President of Engineering at Veeva
University of California, Berkeley

Harpreet Sandhu is the Vice President of Engineering at Veeva. Veeva Systems is a leader in cloud-based software for the global life sciences industry. Committed to innovation, product excellence, and customer success, Veeva has over 400 customers, ranging from the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies to emerging biotechs. Founded in 2007, Veeva is a publicly held company headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices in Philadelphia, Barcelona, London, Paris, Beijing, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Sandhu has over 22 years of experience in the software development industry. He began his career in 2000.

Before joining Veeva, Sandhu was a group technical director at AKQA and before that a senior software engineer at Organic Inc. Earlier in his career he worked with Nightfire Software Inc., as a software engineer. Sandhu graduated from the University of California, Berkeley.

 

38. Scott Ward
Vice President of Engineering at Aerojet Rocketdyne
University of Virginia

Scott Ward began his professional career over 36 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering at Aerojet Rocketdyne. Aerojet Rocketdyne is an innovative company delivering solutions that create value for its customers in the aerospace and defense markets. The company is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader that provides propulsion and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, tactical systems and armaments areas, in support of domestic and international markets.

Ward first got his start in 1986 as an engineer in the Aerodynamic Design Department at McDonnell Douglas Corporation. From there, he went on to become a director of engines and motors at United Launch Alliance, his most recent position prior to joining Aerojet Rocketdyne. Ward graduated from Stanford University with an MS in aeronautics and astronautics and from the University of Virginia with an undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering.

 

39. Bob Brashear
Vice President of Engineering at Sonoco
Princeton University

Bob Brashear is the Vice President of Engineering at Sonoco. He first joined the company in 2022. Founded in 1899, Sonoco is a leading manufacturer of consumer, industrial, healthcare, and protective packaging. With more than 19,000 employees working in 34 countries, Sonoco serves many of the world’s best-known brands. Their integrated packaging solutions help define brand personalities, create unique customer experiences, and enhance the quality of products and the quality of life for people around the world.

Previously, Brashear was a plant manager at Ball Metalpack and before that, a manager of customer and technology development at Ball Corporation. Earlier in his career he worked with United States Can Company as an associate director of production engineering. Brashear earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University.

 

40. Mark Adams
Vice President of Technology and Engineering at Peraton
The Johns Hopkins University

Mark Adams is the Vice President of Technology and Engineering at Peraton. At Peraton, they are at the forefront of delivering the next big thing every day. They are the partner of choice to help solve some of the world's most daunting challenges, delivering bold, new solutions to keep people around the world safer and more secure. Adams has over 32 years of experience. He began his career in 1990.

Before joining Peraton, Adams was a chief engineer at Northrop Grumman. Earlier in his career he worked with Software Technology, Inc as a VP of space systems. Adams graduated from The Johns Hopkins University with an MS in electrical and computer engineering and from Geneva College with an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and mathematics.

 

41. John Quanci
Vice President of Engineering & Technology & CTO at SunCoke Energy
Princeton University

John Quanci is the Vice President of Engineering and Technology and the Chief Technology Officer at SunCoke Energy. He first joined the company in 2010. SunCoke Energy has become the largest independent producer of high-quality metallurgical coke in the Americas and has over 45 years of metallurgical coke production experience. They are internationally recognized as a leading provider of heat recovery coke making technology that meets or exceeds applicable environmental standards and that produces some of the highest coke quality in the market.

Previously, Quanci was a process technology manager at Sunoco and before that, a technical manager at Rohm and Hass Electronic Material. Earlier in his career he worked with Mobil Research and Development Corp as a research engineer of modeling, reforming, hydroprocessing, isom and hydro-dewaxing. Quanci earned a PhD in chemical engineering from Princeton University and an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Cooper Union.

 

42. Robert Lyons
Vice President of Engineering at Medidata Solutions
Georgetown University

Robert Lyons is the Vice President of Engineering at Medidata Solutions. Helping clinical researchers reduce trial cycle times, achieve early visibility to reliable clinical data, and maintain strict fiscal responsibility, Medidata Solutions delivers innovative technology to safely accelerate the process of bringing life-enhancing treatments to market. Lyons has over 33 years in the software development industry. He began his career in 1989.

Before joining Medidata Solutions, Lyons founded Epiphanous Consulting where he served as the CEO. Prior to that, Lyons was a senior architect at Athlinks, a LifeTime company. Earlier in his career he worked as a research associate for the Center for the Study of Testing, Evaluation and Educational Policy at Boston College. Lyons graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a PhD in economics and from Georgetown University with an undergraduate degree in international relations.

 

43. Chris Melcer
Vice President of Engineering at Ichor
University of California, Berkeley

Chris Melcer began his professional career over 30 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering at Icho. Ichor was founded in 1999 and is a global leader in the marketplace for critical subsystems and process equipment. Every major semiconductor capital equipment manufacturer uses Ichor’s gas or liquid delivery systems to help their customers achieve a better time-to-market for their products. Manufacturing locations in California, Oregon, Texas, Singapore, Malaysia, and the UK are strategically located to support their customers with solutions ranging from product concept to turnkey manufacturing and legacy service.

Melcer first got his start in 1992 as a senior mechanical engineer at Water Specialties. From there, he went on to Strasbaugh, before eventually moving on to Applied Materials, his most recent position prior to joining Icho. Melcer graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.

 

44. Rob Kendrick
Vice President of Engineering at Rust-Oleum
University of Michigan

Rob Kendrick is the Vice President of Engineering at Rust-Oleum. He first joined the company in 2014 as director of engineering. Rust-Oleum offers solutions for metal productions and gives a training program for floor productions, roof productions, and metal productions. They offer color service for painting work and give building materials for construction work. Since 1921 Rust-Oleum has been a home of trusted quality and powerful solutions.

Previously, Kendrick was a director of engineering at SC Johnson. He earned an MBA in business administration and management from Marquette University and an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan.

 

45. Emily Parker
Vice President of Systems Engineering & Integration at Illumina
University of Colorado Boulder

Emily Parker began her professional career over 22 years ago. Today, she is the Vice President, Systems Engineering and Integration with Illumina. At Illumina, their goal is to apply innovative technologies and revolutionary assays to the analysis of genetic variation and function, making studies possible that were not even imaginable just a few years ago. These studies will help make the realization of personalized medicine possible. With such rapid advances in technology taking place, they believe it is mission critical to have solutions that are not only innovative, but flexible, scalable, and complete with industry-leading support and service.

Parker first got her start in 2000 as a research engineer at SRI International. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a PhD in mechanical engineering, from Stanford University with MS in aerospace engineering, and from the University of Colorado Boulder with an undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering.

 

46. Moe Farhat
Vice President of Engineering at Commercial Vehicle Group
University of Michigan

Moe Farhat is the Vice President of Engineering at Commercial Vehicle Group. Commercial Vehicle Group designs and manufactures cab related products. Their key products include cab structures, controls and switching, interior and exterior trim, mirror systems, seating, wire harnesses and wiper systems. They serve OEM and aftermarket vehicle customers around the world in the agricultural, bus, construction, heavy truck, industrial, marine, military, municipal, recreation and specialty vehicle segments. Farhat has over 10 years of experience. He began his career in 2012.

Before joining the Commercial Vehicle Group, Farhat was an engineering manager at Flex. He graduated from Harvard Business School with an MD in business administration and management and from the University of Michigan with an undergraduate degree in biomedical and medical engineering.

 

47. Amy Wilson
VP & Business Unit Leader for Engineering, Construction, & Remediation at TRC Companies
Lehigh University

Amy Wilson began her professional career over 20 years ago. Today, she is the Vice President and Business Unit Leader for Engineering, Construction, and Remediation at TRC Companies. TRC Companies has been a pioneer in groundbreaking scientific and engineering developments since the 1960s. They are a national engineering services, consulting and construction management firm that provides integrated services to the energy, environmental and infrastructure markets. TRC serves a broad range of clients in government and industry, implementing complex projects from initial concept to delivery and operation.

Wilson first got her start in 2002 as a staff engineer at Ebasco Environmental. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a PhD in civil and environmental engineering and from Lehigh University with an undergraduate degree in civil engineering.

 

48. Todd Lutz
Vice President of Engineering, Quality, & Training at Putzmeister America
Milwaukee School of Engineering

Todd Lutz is the Vice President of Engineering, Quality and Training at Putzmeister America. He first joined the company in 2020 as chief operating officer. Putzmeister America is a global leader in concrete and material placing equipment with a worldwide reputation for quality, durability, and innovation, which makes work easier for the concrete placing industry. The Putzmeister Advantage provides technology, longevity, and support across all their product lines, including truck-mounted concrete boom pumps, truck-mounted telescopic belt conveyors, concrete transit mixers, trailer-mounted concrete pumps, mortar, grout, plaster, fireproofing, and more.

Previously, Lutz was a director of engineering at Maysteel Industries and before that, a director of engineering at Ultra Tool & Mfg. Earlier in his career he worked with Wacker Corporation as a R&D manager. Lutz earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Milwaukee School of Engineering.

 

49. Diane Davis
Vice President of Engineering at Sargento Foods
Michigan State University

Diane Davis is the Vice President of Engineering at Sargento Foods. With more than 2,000 employees and net sales of more than $1 billion, Sargento Foods is a family-owned, privately held company that has been an innovator in cheese for more than 65 years. Founded in 1953 in Plymouth, Wisconsin, Sargento created the world’s first successful pre-packaged sliced and shredded natural cheeses. Today, Sargento Foods is still based in Wisconsin, where they manufacture and market amazing shredded, sliced and snack natural cheese products, as well as ingredients and sauces. Davis has over 30 years of experience. She began her career in 1992.

Before joining Sargento Foods, Davis was a senior director of advanced engineering at Whirlpool Corporation and before that, a chief engineer and engineering lean leader at Navistar Inc. Earlier in her career she worked with Ford Motor Company as a tooling/floor engineer for injection molding. Davis graduated from Stanford University with an MS in mechanical engineering and from Michigan State University with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.

 

50. Sean Mansubi
Senior Vice President of Engineering at Riverbed Technology
San Jose State University

Sean Mansubi began his professional career over 22 years ago. Today, he is the Senior Vice President of Engineering at Riverbed Technology. Riverbed’s family of performance products include solutions for branch offices, mobile workers, private data centers, private clouds, and cloud computing. The company’s products include Steelhead products and Cascade product line. The company’s solution, the Riverbed Optimization System (RiOS), consists of hardware and software products that address the fundamental performance limitations of distributed computing environments. Riverbed’s flagship Steelhead products enable its customers to improve the performance of their applications and access to their data across WANs, by increasing transmission speeds by 5 to 50 times and in some cases by up to 100 times.

Mansubi first got his start in 2000 as a senior director of engineering at HP. From there, he went on to become an advisor to the CEO at Napa Technology, his most recent position prior to joining Riverbed Technology. Mansubi graduated from San Jose State University with an MS in networking and data communication and with an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering.

 

51. Allan Lin
Vice President of Engineering at Marvell Semiconductor
University of California, Berkeley

Allan Lin is the Vice President of Engineering at Marvell Semiconductor. He first joined the company in 2016. At Marvell, they believe that infrastructure powers progress, execution is as essential as innovation and that better collaboration builds better technology. Marvell is an American company, based in Delaware, developing and producing semiconductors and related technology. Founded in 1995, the company had more than 6,000 employees as of 2013, and 10,000 patents worldwide and annual revenue of $2.9 billion.

Previously, Lin was a VP of engineering at eASIC and before that, an engineering director at Lattice Semiconductor. Earlier in his career he worked with National Semiconductor Inc as a senior engineering manager. Lin earned a MSEE from the University of California, Berkeley.

 

52. Dan Lonborg
Vice President of Engineering at Guidewire
Brown University

Dan Lonborg is the Vice President of Engineering at Guidewire. He first joined the company in 2012. Guidewire provides technology solutions to the property, casualty, and workers compensation insurance industry. It offers ClaimCenter, a Web-based claims system that supports various lines of personal, commercial, and workers' compensation insurance; BillingCenter, a Web-based enterprise application for coordinating, executing, and recording receivables transactions; and PolicyCenter, a Web-based underwriting and policy administration system for personal and commercial line carriers. The company also offers implementation and assessment services for property and casualty companies in North America.

Previously, Lonborg was a lead software engineer and technical team lead at AOL and before that a senior software engineer at Guidewire. Earlier in his career he worked with Kana as a senior software engineer. Lonborg earned an undergraduate degree in computer science from Brown University.

 

53. Annie Kao
Vice President of Engineering at Simpson Strong-Tie
University of California, Berkeley

Annie Kao is the Vice President of Engineering at Simpson Strong-Tie. A leader in structural systems research and technology, Simpson Strong-Tie is one of the world's largest suppliers of structural building products. Simpson Strong-Tie is committed to providing exceptional products and services to its customers, including engineering and field support, product testing, and training. Simpson Strong-Tie has been creating structural products for more than 50 years. They help people build safer and stronger homes and buildings and are considered a leader in structural systems research. Kao has over 19 years in the wholesale building materials industry. She began her career in 2003.

Before joining Simpson Strong-Tie, Kao was a project engineer at Ficcadenti Waggoner and Castle Structural Engineers. Kao graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with an MS in structural engineering and from Harvey Mudd College with an undergraduate degree in engineering.

 

54. Abe Ghanbari
Vice President of Engineering Technology at Onto Innovation
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Abe Ghanbari began his professional career over 16 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering Technology at Onto Innovation. Onto Innovation is a leader in process control, combining global scale with an expanded portfolio of leading-edge technologies that include un-patterned wafer quality, 3D metrology spanning chip features from nanometer-scale transistors to large die interconnects, macro defect inspection of wafers and packages, metal interconnect composition, factory analytics, and lithography for advanced semiconductor packaging. Onto Innovation’s software brings an understanding of how individual processes affect the overall product, enabling customers to improve product quality and reliability.

Ghanbari first got his start in 2006 as a VP and GM at VLOC. From there, he went on to NovaSolar Technologies, before eventually rising to become a VP of technology and innovation at Materion Precision Optical Coating, his most recent position prior to joining Onto Innovation. Ghanbari graduated from Cornell University with a PhD in applied and engineering physics and from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with an MS in plasma science and engineering and an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering.

 

55. Justin Bowker
Vice President of Engineering at TDIndustries
The University of Texas at Austin

Justin Bowker is the Vice President of Engineering at TDIndustries. He first joined the company in 2001 as mechanical engineer and designer. TDIndustries delivers a comprehensive approach to facility services and mechanical construction. They partner with clients across the entire life cycle of a facility from engineering and construction to operations and maintenance. Since 1946, TDIndustries has provided innovative design and performance of world-class engineered systems which serve healthcare facilities, hotels, schools, mission critical, and industrial complexes.

Previously, Bowker was a mechanical designer at Wieland Lindgren Engineers and before that a mechanical designer at Parsley Engineering. Bowker earned an MBA from The University of Texas at Dallas and an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.

 

56. Regu Ramoo
Vice President of Engineering at Altair Engineering
The Ohio State University

Regu Ramoo is the Vice President of Engineering at Altair Engineering. Altair Engineering, formerly known as A-Star Training & Consultancy Pte Ltd., is one of the leading providers of high-end consulting, training, and inspection solutions in conventional and Advanced NDT applications. They conduct their business in Asia Pacific, Middle East, and South Asian countries. They are involved with industries in oil and gas, offshore, petrochemical, refinery, ship building and more, where NDT is the primary method for assuring the product integrity. Ramoo has over 34 years in the oil and gas industry. He began his career in 1987.

Ramoo graduated from The Ohio State University with an MSc in mechanical engineering and from the University of Mississippi with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.

 

57. Cynthia Tee
Senior Vice President of Engineering at Smartsheet
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cynthia Tee began her professional career over 30 years ago. Today, she is the Senior Vice President of Engineering at Smartsheet. Smartsheet is the best way to plan, track, automate, and report on work, enabling users to move from idea to impact quickly. This cloud-based work management platform empowers collaboration, drives better decision making, and accelerates innovation for over 70,000 brands in 190 countries, including more than 50% of the Fortune 500. Named by Forbes as one of the world’s top private cloud companies, Smartsheet complements existing enterprise investments by deeply integrating with applications from Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, Atlassian, and many others.

Tee first got her start in 1992 as a software engineer at Schlumberger. From there, she went on to Microsoft, before eventually rising to become a VP of technology and commerce at Nordstrom, her most recent position prior to joining Smartsheet. Tee graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a master's degree in computer science.

 

58. Christopher Pierce
Vice President of Engineering at Renewables POWER Engineers
The Ohio State University

Christopher Pierce is the Vice President of Engineering at Renewables POWER Engineers. He first joined the company in 2014 as senior project engineer. POWER Engineers is a global consulting engineering firm specializing in the delivery of integrated solutions for energy, food and beverage, facilities, communications, environmental, and federal markets. POWER Engineers offers complete multidiscipline engineering, architecture, and program management services. Founded in 1976, it is an employee-owned company with more than 2,300 employees and over 45 offices throughout the United States and abroad.

Previously, Pierce was a substation automation systems architect at ABB and before that a distribution automation engineer of grid management deployment at American Electric Power. Pierce earned an MBA from The Ohio State University and an undergraduate degree in mathematics with a focus in power and control systems from Ohio University.

 

59. Matthew Schultz
Vice President of Product Engineering at Forrester
Columbia University in the City of New York

Matthew Schultz is the Vice President of Product Engineering at Forrester. Forrester is one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. They help business and technology leaders use customer obsession to accelerate growth by putting their customers at the center of their leadership, strategy, and operations. Through Forrester’s proprietary research, consulting, and events, leaders from around the globe are empowered to be bold at work, to navigate change and chart new paths. Their unique insights are grounded in annual surveys of more than 700,000 consumers, business leaders, and technology leaders worldwide, rigorous and objective methodologies, over 70 million real-time feedback votes, and the shared wisdom of their clients. Schultz has over 19 years of experience. He began his career in 2003

Before joining Forrester, Schultz was a software engineer and marketing scientist at Monitor Group and before that a senior software engineer at Analytic Business Services. Schultz graduated from Cornell University with an MS in computer science and from Columbia University in the City of New York with an undergraduate degree in computer science.

 

60. Colin Sanford
Vice President of Engineering at Mycronic
University of California, Berkeley

Colin Sanford began his professional career over 30 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering at Mycronic. Mycronic has been a trusted partner to electronics and display manufacturers worldwide for over 40 years. Today, leaders in the SMT, semiconductor, and automotive industries use their innovative products, services, and solutions to create tomorrow’s electronics from advanced displays to life-saving medical implants and the next generation of satellites. Mycronic has four divisions including Pattern Generators, Assembly Solutions High Flex, Assembly Solutions High Volume and Assembly Solutions Global Technologies. Headquartered in Sweden, they are a global organization with subsidiaries, agents, and distributors in more than 50 countries.

Sanford first got his start in 1992 as a director of engineering at KLA-Tencor. From there, he went on to Helix Technology, before eventually rising to become a director of hardware engineering at L3 Technologies, his most recent position prior to joining Mycronic. Sanford graduated from Cornell University with a PhD in physics and from the University of California, Berkeley with an undergraduate degree in physics.

 

61. Michael Cooper
Senior Vice President of Engineering at Mavenir
Tulane University

Michael Cooper is the Senior Vice President of Engineering at Maven. He first joined the company in 2018. Mavenir is the industry's only end-to-end, cloud-native network software provider. Focused on accelerating software network transformation and redefining network economics for Communications Service Providers (CSP) by offering a comprehensive end-to-end product portfolio across every layer of the network infrastructure stack. From five service layers to packet core and RAN, Mavenir leads the way in evolved, cloud-native networking solutions enabling innovative and secure experiences for end users. Mavenir accelerates network transformation for more than 250+ CSP customers in over 130 countries, serving over 50% of the world’s subscribers.

Previously, Cooper was a COO and executive VP at Prodea Systems and before that, a VP at Nortel Networks. Earlier in his career he worked with Bell Northern Research as a senior member of scientific staff. Cooper earned an undergraduate degree in engineering from Tulane University.

 

62. Mary Williamson
Senior Vice President and Petroleum Engineer at Comerica Bank
The University of Texas at Austin

Mary Williamson is a Senior Vice President and Petroleum Engineer of Comerica Bank. Comerica is a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It has retail banking operations in Texas, Michigan, Arizona, California, and Florida, with select business operations in several other U.S. states, as well as in Canada and Mexico. Williamson has over 20 years of experience. She began his/her career in 2022.

Before joining Comerica Bank, Williamson was a VP and senior petroleum engineer at Bank of Texas and before that a senior petroleum engineer at Wells Fargo Energy Group. Earlier in her career he worked with DeGolyer and MacNaughton as a VP and petroleum engineer. Williamson graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with an undergraduate degree in petroleum engineering.

 

63. David Danitz
Senior Vice President of Engineering at Pulse Biosciences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

David Danitz is the Senior Vice President of Engineering at Pulse Biosciences. Pulse Biosciences is a novel bioelectric medicine company committed to health innovation that has the potential to improve the quality of life for patients. The company’s proprietary Nano-Pulse Stimulation technology delivers nano-second pulses of electrical energy to non-thermally clear cells while sparing adjacent non-cellular tissue. Their CellFXSystem is the first commercial product to harness the distinctive advantages of NPS technology to treat a variety of applications for which an optimal solution remains unfulfilled. Danitz has over 22 years of experience. He began his career in 2000.

Before joining Pulse Biosciences, Danitz was a vice president of research and development for custom products at EarLens Corporation and before that a vice president of research and development at Gynesonics. Earlier in his career he worked with Novare Surgical Systems as a vice president of research and development. Danitz graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in mechanical engineering and from UC Santa Barbara with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.

 

64. Ed Valdivia
Vice President of Engineering at OpenTable
University of California, Berkeley

Ed Valdivia began his professional career over 29 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering at OpenTable. OpenTable operates as an online restaurant booking service. Its platform enables guests to discover and book tables every time they dine. Its growing number of international teams and offices are helping connect restaurants and diners with their communities worldwide. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Valdivia first got his start in 1993 as a software engineer at Qualimatrix. From there, he went on to Wink Communications before eventually rising to become an engineering manager at OpenTV, his most recent position prior to joining OpenTable. Valdivia graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with an undergraduate degree in computer science.

 

65. Chris Carney
Vice President of Engineering at Accruent
Florida State University

Chris Carney is the Vice President of Engineering at Accruent. He first joined the company in 2013 as an engineering manager. Accruent is the world’s leading provider of intelligent solutions for the built environment, spanning real estate, integrated technology systems, and the physical and digital assets they connect. Accruent continues to set new expectations for how organizations can use data to transform the way they manage their facilities and assets and is transforming the way people and systems work together. With major office locations in Austin, New Orleans, London, and Amsterdam, Accruent serves more than 10,000 customers in a wide range of industries in more than 150 countries around the world.

Previously, Carney was a manager of information management at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Carney earned an undergraduate degree in business management from Florida State University.

 

66. Kurt Zarefoss
Senior Vice President of Engineering at Brightcove
The Johns Hopkins University

Kurt Zarefoss is the Senior Vice President of Engineering at Brightcove. Since 2004, Brightcove has helped customers experience the incredible potential of video, empowering organizations in over 70 countries to touch audiences in bold and innovative ways. They achieve this with fierce technology, exceptional customer support and the expertise of a global infrastructure. Video is the world’s most compelling medium, and Brightcove exists to demonstrate that video means business. Zarefoss has over 32 years in the online audio and video media industry. He began his career in 1990.

Before joining Brightcove, Zarefoss was a vice president of platform solutions at Ellucian and before that a senior director at Deltek. Earlier in his career he worked with IBM as an associate developer. Zarefoss graduated from Johns Hopkins University and Towson University with degrees in computer science.

 

67. Claus Moberg
Vice President of Engineering at Roblox
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Claus Moberg began his professional career over 17 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering at Roblox. Roblox is a platform where people come together virtually to share experiences. Every day, tens of millions of people from around the world come to Roblox to play, learn, work, and socialize in immersive digital experiences all built by a global community of creators.

Moberg first got his start in 2005 as a research assistant at Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment. From there, he went on to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, before eventually rising to become a CEO at SnowShoe Stamp, his most recent position prior to joining Roblox. Moberg graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an MS in atmospheric and oceanic sciences and with an undergraduate degree in political science, economics, and environmental science.

 

68. John Dupont
Vice President of Engineering at Borrego Solar
Stanford University

John Dupont began his professional career over 12 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering at Borrego Solar. Borrego is a leading developer, EPC and O&M provider accelerating the delivery of large commercial, community solar, and utility-scale solar and energy storage projects in the United States. Established in 1980, they bring deep technical expertise to projects, reducing risk, and proactively helping their partners capitalize on opportunities and make better decisions throughout a project’s lifetime. They’re a collaborative team of innovative thinkers, driven by their mission to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy and focus on building long-term relationships with their customers and their employees.

Dupont first got his start in 2010 as an energy engineer and project manager at EnerNOC. Dupont graduated from Stanford University with an MS in management science and engineering and with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.

 

69. Kevin Pohlman
Vice President of Engineering at InVue
University of Dayton

Kevin Pohlman has served as the Vice President of Engineering at InVue since 2021 where he leads a global and multi-disciplinary engineering team with design and manufacturing capabilities in North America and Asia. InVue is a technology company who provides the world’s most valuable brands with innovative merchandising, security and IoT solutions. Their products seamlessly protect and promote their customers’ most valuable assets, leading to improved operations and an enhanced user experience.

Prior to this, Pohlman most recently served as the VP of engineering for Techtronic Industries, a publicly traded global manufacturer of Electric Power Tools since 2018. Immediately preceding this, Pohlman served as director of cordless technology and electrical engineering since 2017. Before joining Techtronic Industries, Pohlman was previously employed by Chemring Sensors and Electronic Systems, the leading supplier of chemical, biological, and explosive detection, and identification systems. Throughout his tenure in the defense industry, which dates to 2004, Pohlman held various positions of increasing responsibility in engineering, quality, and program management. Pohlman holds an MS from University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he also served as an Adjunct Electrical Engineering Instructor, BS in electrical engineering from the University of Dayton, and a professional engineering license in the State of South Carolina.

 

70. Krishna Sai
Group Vice President of Engineering at SolarWinds
Louisiana State University

Krishna Sai is the Group Vice President of Engineering of SolarWinds. SolarWinds is a leading provider of powerful and affordable IT management software. Their products give organizations worldwide, regardless of type, size, or complexity, the power to monitor and manage their IT services, infrastructures, and applications; whether on-premises, in the cloud, or via hybrid models. They continuously engage with IT service and operations professionals Sai has over 28 years of experience. He began his career in 1994.

Before joining SolarWinds, Sai was a head of engineering at Atlassian and before that a co-founder and CTO at EtherLabs (acquired by Atlassian). Earlier in his career he worked with AtLightSpeed as a software engineer. Sai graduated from Louisiana State University.

 

71. Chris Titterton
Vice President of Engineering at Zendesk
Cornell University

Chris Titterton is the Vice President of Engineering at Zendesk. He first joined the company in 2019 as a senior director of engineering productivity. Zendesk started the customer experience revolution in 2007 by enabling any business around the world to take their customer service online. Today, Zendesk is the champion of great service everywhere for everyone, and powers billions of conversations, connecting more than 100,000 brands with hundreds of millions of customers over telephony, chat, email, messaging, social channels, communities, review sites, and help centers.

Previously, Titterton was a senior director of consumer engineering at NerdWallet and before that an engineering manager at Under Armour. Earlier in his career he worked with Booz Allen Hamilton as a senior consultant. Titterton earned an undergraduate degree in English and economics from Cornell University.

 

72. Michael Yip
Vice President of Engineering at Coalfire
The Ohio State University

Michael Yip is the Vice President of Engineering at Coalfire. Coalfire is the cybersecurity advisor that helps private and public sector organizations avert threats, close gaps, and effectively manage risk. By providing independent and tailored advice, assessments, technical testing, and cyber engineering services, they help their clients develop scalable programs that improve their security posture, achieve their business objectives, and fuel their continued success. Coalfire has been a cybersecurity thought leader for more than 20 years and has offices throughout the United States and Europe. Yip has over 23 years of experience. He began his career in 1999.

Before joining Coalfire, Yip was a senior director of software engineering and product development at Forcepoint and before that, a senior director of engineering at Juniper Networks. Earlier in his career he worked with Alcatel-Lucent as a director of engineering and operations. Yip graduated from Northeastern University with an MS in computer systems engineering and from The Ohio State University with an undergraduate degree in computer science.

 

73. Robert Gamble
Vice President of Engineering at NuScale Power
University of California, Berkeley

Robert Gamble began his professional career over 19 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering at NuScale Power. NuScale has designed a new kind of nuclear power plant that is smarter, safer, cleaner, and more cost competitive than the large gigawatt nuclear power plants of the past. At the heart of the NuScale power plant is the NuScale Power Module™ (NPM), a small modular reactor that brings together traditional components like the reactor vessel, steam generator, pressurizer, and containment, into a single, simplified, and fully factory-fabricated unit. Their scalability feature is unique to NuScale and allows for customization of facility output to match demand and project economics.

Gamble first got his start in 2003 as a manager of ESBWR engineering at General Electric Nuclear Energy. From there, he went on to AREVA NP Inc before eventually rising to become a general manager at AREVA Solar, his most recent position prior to joining NuScale Power. Gamble graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a PhD, MS, and an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.

 

74. Mark Barrett
Vice President of Engineering at Inkcups
University of New Hampshire

Mark Barrett began his professional career over 40 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering at Inkcups. Inkcups is a rapidly growing, private, specialty imaging company. Numerous markets and applications are served with their core technology leading the world in digital cylinder decorating and printing. Barrett drives change from a partner/contract driven R&D group to a high value-add development center. He has assisted the company with moving their manufacturing from a high cost area to high quality, low cost partners in China, saving the company more than 25% while improving product quality, consistency, and documentation.

Barrett first got his start in 1980 working for Compugraphic Corporation before it was acquired by Agfa Gevaert. He stayed with the company for several years serving in executive leadership roles including director of marketing and field service, vice president of product development, and division vice president. He briefly served in leadership roles with Northrop Grumman Corporation and General Dynamics Corporation before returning to Agfa to serve as the vice president of equipment engineering and manufacturing, his most recent position prior to joining Inkcups. Barrett graduated from Boston College with an MBA, from the University of Massachusetts Lowell with an MS in electrical engineering, and from the University of New Hampshire with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.

 

75. Majid Emami
Vice President of Engineering at SoundHound
Stanford University

Majid Emami is the Vice President of Engineering at SoundHound. At SoundHound, they believe every brand should have a voice. As the leading innovator of conversational technologies, they’re trusted by top brands around the globe. Houndify, its independent voice AI platform, with 70,000+ users, allows brands to create custom voice assistants that deliver results with unprecedented speed and accuracy. Their mission is to enable humans to interact with the things around them in the same way they interact with each other, by speaking naturally. They are making that a reality through their SoundHound music discovery app and Hound voice assistant, and through their strategic partnerships with brands like Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Deutsche Telekom, and Pandora. Today, their customized voice AI solutions allow people to talk to phones, cars, smart speakers, mobile apps, coffee machines, and every other part of the emerging ‘voice-first’ world. Emami has over 15 years in the software development industry. He began his career in 2007.

Emami graduated from Stanford University.

 

76. Scott Harger
Vice President of Engineering at Saatva
Carnegie Mellon University

Scott Harger began his professional career over 23 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering at Saatva. In 2010, Ron Rudzin founded Saatva on the principle that luxury sleep should be available to everyone. Since then, as an online-only retailer, they’ve been able to offer three luxury mattresses including the Saatva Classic innerspring, Loom & Leaf ultra-premium memory foam, and Zenhaven all-natural latex, all at a price much lower than comparable brands found in traditional mattress retailers.

Harger first got his start in 1999 as a product architect at Vignette. From there, he went on to Pinpoint Insight, before eventually rising to become the CTO and VP of engineering at Perception Software, his most recent position prior to joining Saatva. Harger graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with an undergraduate degree in applied mathematics and computer science.

 

77. Mario Negri
Vice President of Engineering at Sportech
Washington University in St. Louis

Mario Negri is the Vice President of Engineering at Sportech. He first joined the company in 2012. At Sportech, they are experts at designing and manufacturing comprehensive accessory product portfolios that help their customers and end-users get more from their vehicles and equipment. Their world-class, OEM production-audited facility, just north of Minneapolis, encompasses 200,000 square feet of engineering and production space.

Previously, Negri founded tm2 Corporation. Earlier in his career he worked with Bridge Design as a product designer. Negri earned an MBA in business administration and management from London Business School and an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis.

 

78. Drew Moore
Vice President of Engineering at Costa Coffee
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Drew Moore began his professional career over 30 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering at Costa Coffee. Costa Coffee is a British coffeehouse chain with headquarters in Dunstable, England. Costa Coffee was founded in London in 1971 by Sergio Costa as a wholesale operation supplying roasted coffee to caterers and specialist Italian coffee shops. Since being bought by The Coca Cola Company in 2019 its global growth mission commenced. They now have over 3,800 stores across 32 countries and over 8,300 Costa Express self-service units.

Moore first got his start in 1992 as a design engineer at Design Continuum. From there, he went on to Dell, before eventually rising to become a VP of engineering and service at Briggo, his most recent position prior to joining Costa Coffee. Moore graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.

 

79. Justin Jaeck
Vice President of Engineering at Sani-Matic
University of Wisconsin - Madison

Justin Jaeck is the Vice President of Engineering at Sani-Matic. Sani-Matic designs and manufactures sanitary process cleaning systems and solutions. They manufacture cleaning systems for the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, nutraceutical, and personal care industries. Today, they offer a full line of sanitary components and equipment, including Clean-In-Place Systems, Clean-Out-of-Place Parts Washers, cabinet washers, tunnel washers, strainers, spray balls, and more. Jaeck has over 25 years of experience. He began his career in 1997.

Before joining Sani-Matic, Jaeck was a vice president of services at Sonic Foundry. Earlier in his career he worked with Generac Power Systems. Jaeck graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering.

 

80. Kent Wilson
Vice President of Sales Engineering at SimSpace
Duke University

Kent Wilson began his professional career over 29 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Sales Engineering at SimSpace. SimSpace delivers the most comprehensive cybersecurity risk management platform, instilling confidence in an organization’s cybersecurity talent and technologies. With SimSpace, security teams, operational processes, and environments are continuously tested, readily available, and optimally tuned to defend against advanced adversaries.

Wilson first got his start in 1993 as an infantry squad leader in the United States Army. From there, he went on to Symantec, before eventually rising to become a VP of customer experience at Bricata, his most recent position prior to joining SimSpace. Wilson graduated from Duke University with an undergraduate degree in economics.

 

81. Austen Portz
Senior Vice President of Engineering at Sonic Foundry
University of Wisconsin - Madison

Austen Portz is the Senior Vice President of Engineering at Sonic Foundry. He first joined the company in 2006 as a hardware engineer. Sonic Foundry is the trusted global leader for video capture, management and webcasting solutions in education, business, and government. The patented Mediasite Enterprise Video Platform transforms communications, training, education, and events for more than 4,700 customers in 65 countries. For nearly three decades, thousands of schools, businesses, and healthcare organizations globally have trusted Sonic’s Mediasite video capture, management, and streaming solutions to even the playing field for learning worldwide.

Portz earned an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

 

82. Catherine Falbo
Vice President of Engineering at Tensentric
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Catherine Falbo is the Vice President of Engineering at Tensentric. Tensentric’s focus is on the design and manufacturing of medical devices and in vitro diagnostic systems. This narrow focus and expertise is tailored to meet the specific needs of each of their clients, allowing them to design as efficiently as possible. Tensentric manages the development of a medical device from initial concept through design verification and small quantity-controlled builds for clinical trials. Tensentric's team of engineers average over 20 years of professional experience and have collectively worked on over 200 medical device design and development projects with over 75 patents to their credit. Falbo has over 12 years of experience. She began her career in 2010.

Before joining Tensentric, Falbo was a senior systems engineer at Beckman Coulter. Falbo graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering.

 

83. Scott Snyder
Executive Vice President of Engineering at Salient
University of Michigan

Scott Snyder began his professional career over 35 years ago. Today, he is the Executive Vice President of Engineering at Salient. Established in 2008, Salient has supported high growth, pre-IPO VC backed software vendors build their sales and go-to-market teams across APJ, and the rest of the world. Their people, network, industry knowledge, and track record differentiate and define their ethos.

Snyder first got his start in 1987 as a manager at IBM. From there, he went on to Trilogy Software, before eventually rising to become the VP of software and retail operations at Briggo, his most recent position prior to joining Salient. Snyder graduated from the University of Michigan with an MS in engineering.

 

84. Emily Arnold
Vice President of Engineering at 8minute Solar Energy
Milwaukee School of Engineering

Emily Arnold is the Vice President of Engineering at 8minute Solar Energy. She first joined the company in 2017 as director of optimization engineering. As a record-breaking, unrivaled technology leader, 8minute Solar Energy is championing the clean energy transition in the United States and shaping the future of energy through its next generation of smart solar power plants. By prioritizing technology and engineering innovation, 8minute’s best-in-class team has continued to set new industry records, developing the largest solar plant in the nation starting in 2011, delivering the first operational solar plant in the U.S. to beat fossil fuel prices in 2016, and securing a deal to deliver solar with storage at record-low prices in 2019.

Previously, Arnold was a senior engineer and associate at Recurrent Energy. Arnold earned an MS in civil and environmental engineering from Stanford University and an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Milwaukee School of Engineering.

 

85. Benjamin Klam
Vice President of Engineering at Extreme Engineering Solutions
University of Wisconsin - Madison

Benjamin Klam is the Vice President of Engineering at Extreme Engineering Solutions. Extreme Engineering Solutions (X-ES) is a leader in the design, manufacture, and support of standard and custom embedded computing solutions used in a wide range of compute intensive military, communications, commercial, and industrial applications. X-ES provides an extensive portfolio of commercial and ruggedized Single Board Computers, mezzanine modules, FPGAs, I/O modules, SSD storage, rugged systems and enclosures, development chassis, Ethernet switches, and power supplies. Klam has over 19 years of experience. He began his career in 2022.

Klam graduated with an MD and undergraduate degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

 

86. Kevin Prince
Vice President of Engineering at Gibbs & Cox
University of Michigan

Kevin Prince is the Vice President of Engineering at Gibbs & Co. He first joined the company in 2004 as an assistant vice president for engineering services. Gibbs & Cox is an engineering and design firm specializing in naval architecture, marine engineering, and consulting engineering. The firm is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia with offices throughout the country. The firm is focused on growth in emerging maritime programs in systems engineering, platform design, sustainment, and life-cycle extension for both government and commercial market sectors. The core of the firm's staff is experienced in naval architecture, engineering, design, and management support services to U.S. Government and international government clients.

Previously, Prince was a marine engineer at BMT Syntek Technologies. Prince earned an undergraduate degree in engineering from the University of Michigan.

 

87. Dave Spinks
Vice President of Engineering at The Auto Bolt Company
The Ohio State University

Dave Spinks began his professional career over 8 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering at The Auto Bolt Company. Auto Bolt is a cold-heading manufacturer with over 70 years of experience in quality bolt-making. All of their products are made domestically in their Cleveland, Ohio facility. They are a leading provider of fasteners for many industrial markets, including automotive, agriculture, military, transportation, sports vehicles, and material handling.

Spinks graduated from The Ohio State University.

 

88. David Blaker
Vice President of Engineering at Luna Innovations
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

David Blaker is the Vice President of Engineering at Luna Innovations. He first joined the company in 2015 as the director of engineering. Luna Innovations Incorporated is a leader in optical technology, committed to serving its customers with unique capabilities in high-performance, fiber-optic-based sensing, measurement, testing and control products for the aerospace, transportation, infrastructure, security, process control, communications, silicon photonics, defense, and automotive industries, among others. Enabling the future with fiber, Luna’s business model is designed to accelerate the process of bringing new and innovative technologies to the market.

Previously, Blaker was a VP of engineering at Centice and before that a director of customer solutions at Nextreme Thermal Solutions. Earlier in his career he worked with Nokia Mobile Phones as a senior system engineer. Blaker earned an MS in electrical and electronics engineering from Lehigh University and an undergraduate degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

 

89. Bill Scott
Vice President of Engineering at Bosch Security
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Bill Scott is the Vice President of Engineering at Bosch Security. At Bosch, protecting lives, buildings, and assets is their primary goal. Their product portfolio includes video security, intrusion detection, fire detection and voice evacuation systems as well as access control and management systems. Scott has over 40 years of experience. He began his career in 1982

Before joining Bosch Security, Scott was a vice president of engineering at Telex Communications and before that, a president at Crinis Networks. Earlier in his career he worked with Contel ASC as a vice president of engineering and manufacturing. Scott graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with an MS in electrical engineering and computer science and an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering.

 

90. Ed Ognibene
Vice President of Engineering and Product Development at Covaris
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ed Ognibene began his professional career over 27 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Engineering and Product Development at Covaris. Covaris provides tools and technologies to improve pre-analytical sample preparation, enable novel drug formulations, and manage compounds in the drug discovery process. The Covaris technological foundation is based on its proprietary and patented AFA™ technology. AFA enables a vast array of non-contact, isothermal processes to be developed for use in a broad range of applications in genomics, proteomics, cell biology and drug discovery, and formulation.

Ognibene first got his start in 1995 as a program manager and mechanical engineer group leader at Satcon Technology Corporation. From there, he went on to Waters Corporation before eventually rising to become a senior engineering leader and head of unmanned robotic systems at Qinetiq North America, his most recent position prior to joining Covaris Stony. Ognibene graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a PhD in mechanical engineering and from Stony Brook University with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.

 

91. Supreet Oberoi
Senior Vice President of Engineering & Product at BriteCore
The University of Texas at Austin

Supreet Oberoi is the Senior Vice President of Engineering and Product at BriteCore. He first joined the company in 2021. BriteCore was built from the ground up using the latest modern technology. Deployed using the Amazon Web Services cloud, their enterprise-level software is continually updated to guarantee maximum security, efficiency, and durability at scale. More than 60 insurance carriers, MGAs, and start-ups rely on BriteCore to increase speed to market, improve competitive position, and support growth.

Previously, Oberoi was a senior vice president of engineering and head of engineering at Demandbase and before that, a vice president of IoT and big data applications at Oracle. Earlier in his career he worked with Agile Software (acquired by Oracle) as a director of engineering. Oberoi earned an MD in computer science from Stanford University and an undergraduate degree in computer science from The University of Texas at Austin.

 

92. Jeremy Loomis
Vice President of Engineering at NextGen Federal
University of Dayton

Jeremy Loomis is the Vice President of Engineering at NextGen Federal. NextGen is an award-winning IT solutions and services provider. NextGen is a fast-growing company that employs agile and mature processes in areas of innovation, research and development, program management, systems engineering, and technology commercialization. Current customers include the Department of Defense, Federal Government, and commercial companies. Loomis has over 32 years of experience. He began his career in 1990.

Before joining NextGen Federal, Loomis was a chief engineer at Ultra Electronics and before that, a systems developer at SAS. Earlier in his career he worked with University of Dayton Research Institute as a research programmer. Loomis graduated from The Ohio State University with an MS in computer science and from the University of Dayton with an undergraduate degree in computer science

 

93. Brian Perea
Vice President of Product Engineering at HeadSpin
University of California, Berkeley

Brian Perea began his professional career over 5 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Product Engineering at HeadSpin. HeadSpin is the world’s first digital experience AI platform combining cloud-hosted and on-prem global device infrastructure, test automation, and ML-driven performance and quality of experience analytics for mobile, web, audio, and video. HeadSpin empowers engineering, QA, operations, and product teams to assure optimal digital experiences throughout the development lifecycle

Perea graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a PhD in chemical and biomolecular engineering and from Arizona State University with an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering.

 

94. David Cusumano
Vice President of Engineering at Saline Lectronics
University of Michigan

David Cusumano is the Vice President of Engineering at Saline Lectronics. He first joined the company in 2013. Saline Lectronics combines the latest technologies with personal attention to each customer to provide the highest-quality circuit board assemblies. They’ve earned a reputation for accommodating last-minute orders and late design changes, and they work diligently with their customers to ensure their circuit board assemblies perform to the required specifications. Their 110,000 square-foot static-controlled production facility houses the latest technology with a knowledgeable staff to meet the most demanding project requirements.

Previously, Cusumano was an engineering manager and lead mechanical engineer at Havis Inc. Earlier in his career he worked with Northern Telecom as a senior design engineer. Cusumano earned an MSE and an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan.

 

95. Guil Orihuela
Vice President, Project Manager & Mechanical Engineer at Glumac
University of California, Los Angeles

Guil Orihuela is the Vice President, Project Manager and Mechanical Engineer at Glumac. Glumac, a Tetra Tech Company, is a global leader in building engineering, committed to delivering a low carbon future for all. They provide mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design, sustainable building consulting, carbon consulting, energy modeling, low voltage design, architectural lighting design, and building commissioning. The goal of these teams is to collaborate with architects, contractors, owners, and developers, to create healthy, equitable, and resilient communities. Orihuela has over 26 years of experience. He began his career in 1995.

Orihuela graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.

 

96. Michael Standley
Vice President of Business Development & Engineering at Pentaflex
The Ohio State University

Michael Standley is the Vice President of Business Development and Engineering at Pentaflex. He first joined the company in 2019. Pentaflex is a contract manufacturer of medium to heavy gauge stampings and assemblies with a focus on deep drawn parts. Their primary industries include agriculture, automobile commercial trucking, energy, medical, off-road, and more. Their team enjoys and welcomes the challenge of converting a casting to a lower cost, lower weight stamping to aid companies competing in a cost-conscious environment.

Previously, Standley was a national sales manager at American Trim and before that, a quality manager at Westinghouse/Sundstrand. Standley earned an MBA from Ashland University and an undergraduate degree in engineering from The Ohio State University.

 

97. David Ting
Senior Vice President of Engineering at Nylas
University of California, Los Angeles

David Ting is the Senior Vice President of Engineering at Nylas. Developers around the world use Nylas to quickly and securely build email, scheduling, and work automation features into their applications. With Nylas, developers at innovative companies like Upwork, Wix, Freshworks, Lever, Dialpad, Ceridian, and Move.com get unprecedented access to rich communications data from their end-users, pre-built workflows that automate everyday tasks, embeddable UI/UX components for fast front-end development, and comprehensive security features, all delivered via a suite of powerful APIs that make integration easy. Ting has over 31 years in the software development industry. He began his career in 1991.

Before joining Nylas, Ting was a VP of engineering at DataVisor and before that a general manager of North America at NetEase. Earlier in his career he worked with IBM as an advisory engineer. Ting graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering.

 

98. Todd Meek
Vice President and Director of Engineering at Geotechnical Consultants
The Ohio State University

Todd Meek began his professional career over 13 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President and Director of Engineering at Geotechnical Consultants (GCI). GCI is a professional geo-engineering firm headquartered in greater Columbus, Ohio. They provide geotechnical and environmental engineering services, and construction engineering and materials testing services. Their clients are owners, developers, contractors, governmental agencies, and their business partners. They work on wide-ranging projects including higher education, K-12 schools, health care facilities, governmental properties, commercial, industrial, and residential development properties.

Meek first got his start in 1991 as a staff engineer at Dunbar Geotechnical Engineers. He graduated from The Ohio State University with an undergraduate degree in civil engineering.

 

99. Scott Igl
Vice President of Engineering at Phoseon Technology
University of Wisconsin - Madison

Scott Igl is the Vice President of Engineering at Phoseon Technology. He first joined the company in 2007. In 2002, Phoseon Technology pioneered the use of LED technology for UV curing applications and has now expanded into life sciences. As the world leader in UV LED technology, Phoseon provides patented LED technology to deliver rugged, high-performance products for application specific solutions. The company is focused entirely on LED and provides worldwide sales and support capabilities.

Previously, Igl was a director of engineering at nLight and before that a senior engineer at 3M. Igl earned an MS in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

 

100. Navid Aghdaie
Vice President of Engineering at Astronomer
University of California, Los Angeles

Navid Aghdaie is the Vice President of Engineering at Astronomer. Astronomer is the driving force behind Apache Airflow, the de facto standard for expressing data flows as code. Airflow is downloaded more than 4 million times each month and is used by hundreds of thousands of teams around the world. For data teams looking to increase the availability of trusted data, Astronomer provides Astro, the modern data orchestration platform, powered by Airflow. Astro enables data engineers, data scientists, and data analysts to build, run, and observe pipelines-as-code. Aghdaie has over 24 years of experience. He began his career in 1998.

Before joining Astronomer, Aghdaie was a senior director of engineering at Electronic Arts and before that a VP of technology at Ask.com (Ask Jeeves). Earlier in his career he worked with Liquid Market (acquired by and continued as Snap.com, Xoom.com, NBCi) as a software engineer. Aghdaie graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a PhD and MS in computer science and with an undergraduate degree in computer science.