People in Composites: February 2022

Lockheed Martin names Jay Malave as chief financial officer

Jay Malave, Lockheed Martin CFO.

On Feb. 1 Lockheed Martin (Bethesda, Md., U.S.) announced that Jesus “Jay” Malave will be the company’s next chief financial officer (CFO), effective immediately.

Malave most recently held the positions of senior vice president and CFO for L3Harris (Melbourne, Fla., U.S.). Prior to that, he served as vice president and CFO of Carrier Corp. (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., U.S.), an operating unit of United Technologies Corp. (UTC, Waltham, Mass., U.S.). During his more than 20 years at UTC, Jay also served as vice president and CFO of UTC Aerospace Systems and head of Investor Relations.

“As we work to advance the capabilities that will serve our customers throughout the 21st century, Jay’s leadership will be instrumental to our continued growth and performance,” says Lockheed Martin chairman, president and CEO, James Taiclet. “He brings a wealth of insight and expertise about our industry and customers as we chart the course ahead for success.”

John Mollard, who served as acting CFO on an interim basis, will continue as vice president and treasurer.

Thermwood announces internal promotions

Jim Bullis, Thermwood vice president of sales.

Thermwood (Dale, Ind., U.S.) announces several promotions for long-time employees. 

Jim Bullis has been promoted to the vice president of sales position. In his new role, Jim will oversee the sales and operations of the Machining Products Division at Thermwood.

Jim is a long-standing employee with more than 26 years of experience at Thermwood. He has held numerous positions, initially starting as a field service technician to trade show manager and over the last 19 years as an account manager. 

Brendan Haas, Thermwood account manager.

Brendan Haas has been promoted to an account manager position within the Machining Products Division. In his new role, he will be responsible for sales and dealer relationships over his designated areas, which is approximately half of the U.S.

Brendan initially started at Thermwood as a field service technician, and over the last three years, as an upgrade specialist in the Retrofit Department for Technical Services. 

Pete Riddle, Thermwood upgrade service specialist.

Pete Riddle has been promoted to upgrade service specialist in the Retrofit Department. In his new role, Pete will be responsible for sales of upgrades, retrofits, refurbished machines and the Advanced Support Program.

Pete is a long-standing employee with approximately 21 years of experience at Thermwood. He has held numerous positions, initially as a field service technician, and then as programming support. For the last 11 years he has acted as training instructor. 

Archer Aviation appoints new Board of Directors member

Archer Aviation Inc. (Palo Alto, Calif., U.S.) has appointed Barbara Pilarski to its Board of Directors. Currently the global head of business development at Stellantis N.V. (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Pilarski is a seasoned leader with more than 35 years’ experience in the automotive sector and has a diverse background in the areas of business development, finance and human resources. Pilarski will serve as an independent director and on Archer’s Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee.

“We couldn’t be happier that Barbara, with her multifaceted experience, has chosen to join the Archer board as we continue on our journey to change the future of transportation,” says Brett Adcock, co-founder and co-CEO of Archer. “Defining industry-changing partnerships will be a core component of our strategy in the next few years and we’re looking forward to realizing the benefit of Barbara’s wealth of talents in this area.”

Pilarski joins Deborah Diaz, former CTO and deputy CIO of NASA (Washington, D.C., U.S.), Maria Pinelli, former global vice chair of E&Y (London, U.K.), Fred Diaz, former CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America (Franklin, Tenn., U.S.), Oscar Munoz, former United Airlines (Chicago, Ill., U.S.) chairman and CEO, Michael Spellacy, CEO of Atlas Crest Investment Corp. (Palo Alto, Calif., U.S.), plus co-founders and co-CEOs Brett Adcock and Adam Goldstein, who were appointed to Archer’s Board of Directors in 2021.

Engel North America appoints new board to lead business

Engel North America management board (left to right): Johann Dastl (CFO), Vanessa Malena (COO), Benjamin Lettner (CSO), Mark Sankovitch (CEO).

Under the direction of Mark Sankovitch (CEO), working for Engel North America (York, Penn., U.S.) for more than 15 years, the company has appointed a new board to lead the business. This move reaffirms the continuous commitment of Engel to support its customers in the U.S. and Canada. “We promoted from within,” states Sankovitch. “Engel North America focuses on developing employee talent — from our successful apprentice program up through the ranks.”

The management board consists of Vanessa Malena (COO) leading after sales service, automation and engineering, Benjamin Lettner (CSO), responsible for sales, marketing and application engineering and Johann Dastl (CFO), continuing to manage finance, HR and IT. “This team of talent is ready to work long into the future for many years to come supporting our customers with effective decision making and drive,” emphasizes Sankovitch.

Paul Caprio has left Engel North America effective Jan. 31, 2022. The company is grateful for the role he has played in the last two years.

Vectorply hires advanced composites business development manager

Toby Jacobson, Vectorply advanced composite business development manager.

Vectorply Corp. (Phenix City, Ala., U.S.) recently announced the hire of automotive industry expert Toby Jacobson as the company’s advanced composite business development manager. In his new position, Jacobson will focus on carbon fiber and other advanced material business development across a multitude of markets including automotive, aerospace, industrial and others.

Jacobson is a long-time proponent of Vectorply who played an integral role in the development of what is said to be the automotive industry’s first curved, pultruded composite component; and the rear bumper beam of the mid-engine Chevrolet C8 Corvette produced with Vectorply carbon fiber by his previous employer Shape Corp. (Grand Haven, Mich., U.S.). 

Jacobson’s career began with Johnson Controls (Cork, Ireland) in 1996 where he held multiple engineering and leadership positions during his 10-year tenure. He provided technical leadership for a team of more than 50 employees and his project management for injection molding operation consolidation led to a Global Merit Award.

In 2007. he made the move to Shape Corp., a Tier 1 automotive supplier who supports several automobile producers with key components and structures. As an R&D product manager and product engineering manager with Shape, Jacobson led teams of product engineers, tooling engineers, process engineers and product designers. His passion for innovation and a relentless approach to technical innovations led to his selection as Shape’s first “Innovator of the Year” recipient in 2017. Jacobson has built a strong foundation in thermoplastic and thermoset materials with a deep knowledge of mechanical performance and testing, recycled materials, laminate design and characterization of materials for CAE/FEA.

Vectorply CEO and President Trevor Humphrey is excited about the addition of Jacobson and his deep knowledge of composite materials. “Toby has been a friend to Vectorply for many years and we have seen first-hand his extensive knowledge of composite materials, specifically in the automotive industry,” Humphrey says. “We are excited that he is joining our team of technical solution providers who are focused on helping our customers achieve their goals.”

Teijin Automotive Technologies announces leadership transition

Teijin Automotive Technologies’ Steve Rooney.

At the beginning of fiscal year (FY) 2022, Teijin Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) andTeijin Automotive Technologies (Auburn Hills, Mich., U.S.) will undergo a series of leadership transitions.

Effective April 1, 2022, Teijin Ltd. will name Akimoto Uchikawa as its new president and CEO, replacing Jun Suzuki who will remain with the company as chairman of the board.

Steve Rooney, who today serves as CEO of Teijin Automotive Technologies and general manager of the Composites Business Unit (CBU), will be retiring from the organization effective March 31, 2023. To ensure a smooth leadership transition, Teijin is announcing that Chris Twining has been promoted from COO, Teijin Automotive Technologies, to president of Teijin Automotive Technologies North America and COO of the CBU, effective April 1, 2022. Twining will continue report to Rooney, who will maintain his current roles until his retirement next year.

Chris Twining, president of Teijin Automotive Technologies North America and COO of the CBU.

“Chris and I are closely aligned with our strategic direction and vision for the organization,” says Rooney. “This transition period prior to my retirement will enable Chris to continue his oversight of the manufacturing side of the business while taking on an even greater leadership role. I am confident that Teijin Automotive Technologies will continue to be a recognized global leader in sustainable, lightweight composites under Chris’ capable leadership.”

Twining, who has been with the company since 2001, has served in a variety of leadership positions, most recently as COO, and previously as vice president of operations, and regional director of operations. He has worked closely on the operations side of the business with Rooney over the past 11 years and will continue to oversee the operations of all North American and global facilities, as well as taking on additional leadership responsibilities.

The strategic direction of the company will remain the same during this transition period, with a continued focus on sustainability, materials R&D and applications engineered to meet the rapidly changing needs of the mobility industry.

Looking forward, Teijin Automotive Technologies is optimistic about its continued growth, with a number of key new business wins, and recently announced materials and technology developments geared toward ACES (Autonomous, Connected, Electric, Shared) mobility, including entire electric vehicle (EV) battery enclosures, ultra-lightweight Class A body panels and advanced composite materials that meet low VOC, flammability and thermal runaway requirements.

Gen 2 Carbon appoints technical sales consultant

Tim King, Gen 2 Carbon technical sales consultant.

As part of Gen 2 Carbon’s (Coseley, U.K.) strategic plan to develop markets in both the U.K. and overseas, the company’s first appointment of 2022 sees Tim King join as technical sales consultant. With a broad experience of composites in multiple sectors, Tim comes to Gen 2 Carbon from MTAG Composites (Coningsby, U.K.). His previous roles within the composites industry include project engineering, innovation, project development and technical sales.

As an early advocate of recycled nonwoven carbon fiber, Tim worked on the R&D to vacuum infuse the nonwoven material into a commercially viable product, having successfully substituted glass fiber-based infusion products with Gen 2 Carbon’s 100% carbon product. Tim also led the RS Electric Boats’ “Pulse 63” project which now incorporates the same 100% carbon fiber material within the zero-emission electric rigid inflatable boats (RIB).

Using his manufacturing process, application knowledge and sales acumen, Tim hopes to develop considerable uptake of the materials manufactured by Gen 2 Carbon into several key sectors in the U.K. and global composites market. Supporting existing commercial functions, Tim aims to capitalize on the developments the business has made since its transition from ELG Carbon Fibre, helping to secure the future of recycled carbon fiber products as a staple material in the world of composites manufacturing and beyond.

New managing director appointed for CoLT Prüf und Test GmbH

Martin Mistlberger, managing director of CoLT Prüf und Test GmbH.

Martin Mistlberger has taken over the position of managing director at CoLT Prüf und Test GmbH (Sankt Martin im Innkreis, Austria) as of February 2022. The subsidiary of FACC AG (Ried im Innkreis, Austria) is a specialist in the testing and certification of lightweight components and state-of-the-art materials.

“Martin Mistlberger, a recognized expert for lightweight construction and interior products, has taken over the management of CoLT Prüf und Test GmbH.,” says Robert Machtlinger, CEO of FACC AG. “This will give us further impetus to strengthen our research activities.”

Martin Mistlberger is a qualified chemical engineer and plastics technician. He began his career at FACC in 2013 as a materials and process engineer. In 2015, he started to manufacture lightweight components for international racing as production manager at Peak Technology (West Conshohocken, Penn., U.S.) together with his team. In 2017, Martin Mistlberger returned to FACC as senior manager production.

“I am very much looking forward to our cross-company collaboration, which will allow us to make an important contribution to quality assurance and product development to the benefit of our customers,” says Mistlberger. “We stand for outstanding quality and high-precision testing methods, and I wish to continue this in the future.”

Eviation announces leadership reorganization

On Feb. 14 Eviation (Arlington, Wash., U.S.) announced a leadership reorganization, under which Gregory Davis has assumed the role of interim-CEO as part of a planned succession process that reflects the company’s transition to the production phase of the all-electric Alice aircraft. He replaces outgoing CEO and co-founder Omer Bar-Yohay. Omer will be joining Eviation’s board and is deeply committed to the company’s long term success.

Gregory Davis brings extensive aerospace and international business development experience from companies including Viking Air Ltd. (Sidney, Canada) and Marshall Aerospace (Cambridge, U.K.). As president of Eviation prior to this new role, he is fully versed in the company’s strategy and operations.  

Eviation says it has retained a world-class executive search agency to identify a leader to power the company into its next phase, including a broader program for the certification and production readiness of Alice in three formats — cargo, commuter and executive cabin.

“Eviation expects to make the first flight of Alice in the upcoming weeks, having completed many preliminary milestones including initial taxi and flight test preparations,” says Dominique Spragg, chairman of Eviation. “As we complete the technical demonstration phase, Eviation is now preparing for production to make affordable regional air travel a reality in the coming years.”

“We wish to express our appreciation to Omer for his contributions as a co-founder and executive of Eviation,” Spragg adds. 

New Asia-Pacific director joins Wisk 

Wisk Aero (Mountain View, Calif., U.S.), announced at the end of January that Catherine MacGowan has joined the company as its new Asia-Pacific region director.

In her new role, MacGowan will serve on Wisk’s Executive Leadership Team and oversee all operations in Australasia, as well as the expansion of Wisk’s presence in the wider Asia-Pacific region. She will also be responsible for overseeing key existing projects, including Wisk’s airspace integration trial — a program that will reportedly advance the broader advanced air mobility (AAM) industry — and the company’s social acceptance work in the region.

In addition to Wisk’s U.S. focus, the Australasia region remains a core element in Wisk’s broader strategy and will play a key role in the company’s growth and go-to-market efforts announced in its recent funding announcement.

“We are excited to have Catherine join our team,” says Gary Gysin, CEO of Wisk. “Since Wisk’s arrival in New Zealand, our work in this progressive part of the world has made a significant contribution to the development of our all-electric, self-flying air taxi. Catherine’s strong leadership skills and her in-depth understanding of the aerospace environment will be of huge value to Wisk and our mission to make safe, everyday flight a reality.”

Prior to joining Wisk, Catherine was a group captain in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and has held several leadership positions across the New Zealand Defence Force. Catherine has also served in a number of senior leadership roles for the New Zealand Government.

“It’s a privilege to be joining Wisk, a leader in AAM, who are pioneering an entirely new way to fly,” says MacGowan. “Wisk’s commitment to safe, sustainable and accessible travel is something that really resonates with me and I’m excited to be part of such a passionate and highly-skilled team.”

Trelleborg promotes Castleman to director, mergers and acquisitions, for Marketing Americas Industrial

Heather Castleman, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions’ director, mergers and qcquisitions, for Marketing Americas Industrial.

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions (Fort Wayne, Ind., U.S.), a developer, manufacturer and supplier of precision seals, bearings and custom-molded polymer components, announces the appointment of Heather Castleman as director, mergers and qcquisitions, for Marketing Americas Industrial.

In this new role, Castleman will focus on accelerating growth through acquisitions in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Brazil. While Trelleborg is not new to acquisitions, Castleman’s work in this role will deliver a step-change improvement in both the development and implementation of a holistic acquisition strategy, as well as managing targets all the way through the acquisition process.

“Trelleborg Sealing Solutions is geographically expanding its business,” acknowledges Lina Muroski, president of Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Market Americas and Global Healthcare & Medical. “Within the Americas, Heather will explore our footprint for production and other adjacencies. She will also work to acquire local distributors to serve strategic customers through our ServicePLUS integrated solutions model.”

Along with her new position, Castleman will continue in her current role as senior director, strategy and marketing, for Marketing Americas, in which she identifies, researches and recommends opportunities to achieve business goals.

Castleman has been with Trelleborg since 2004. She has experience in strategic planning, continuous improvement, service leadership, training and coaching. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in professional and technical communications from Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.

Ingersoll Machine Tools CEO takes on new role 

Jeff Ahrstrom, new president and CEO of Ingersoll Machine Tools.

The Camozzi Machine Tool (CMT) Group, consisting of Ingersoll Machine Tools Inc. (Rockford, Ill., U.S.), and Innse Berardi (Brescia, Italy) has announced that the CEO of Ingersoll Machine Tools has taken on a new role within the group, and has appointed a new CEO to lead Ingersoll. These moves are focused on bringing the power of Ingersoll and Innse into further strategic alignment to allow the CMT Group to better serve its global customers.

Chip Storie, who has been Ingersoll CEO since 2018, has been appointed as the Camozzi Machine Tool Group executive. Storie will focus on the strategic growth of the group. Chip has extensive experience in oversight of multi-national operations and will use this to integrate the strategic plan of the group worldwide.

Jeff Ahrstrom, who has been Ingersoll’s COO, has accepted the position of president and CEO of Ingersoll Machine Tools. Jeff’s experience within the machine tool industry, and his time as CEO of previous manufacturing companies, positions him to step into this role and make an immediate impact. The Ingersoll Machine Tools Inc. board will consist of Lodovico Camozzi, Chip Storie, Jeff Ahrstrom and Daniele Pecchini.

In these roles, Storie and Ahrstrom will work together to achieve the strategic vision of the CMT group, and Ingersoll Machine Tools. Both Ingersoll and Innse designs and manufacturers advanced machine tool technology solutions, and Ingersoll manufactures automated fiber placement (AFP) machines. It’s employees reportedly excel at providing innovative engineered processes for complex manufacturing problems. This value comes in the form of the supply of large metal cutting machinery, composites automation, 3D printing, contract manufacturing, digital innovation and associated services.

Teijin Ltd. reports personnel changes

On Feb. 4 Teijin Ltd. made the following personnel changes, effective as of April 1, 2022: