Matthew Eric Memmer

Director of Engineering and Program Management, TREMEC®

Matthew Memmer is the Director of Engineering and Program Management at TREMEC. In this role, he is responsible for all global engineering and program management activities. Matthew joined TREMEC in 2016 as the Program Director for Dual Clutch Transmissions before moving to his current position in 2017. He previously spent 10 years at Eaton Corporation in various positions within the fuel emissions business and before that served in roles at Eaton, Cummins, Visteon Corporation, and Siemens VDO Automotive. Matthew holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA from the University of Michigan as well as a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.

Andrea Casas Ocampo

Sustainability Specialist, CIC energiGUNE

Andrea Casas Ocampo serves as a Sustainability Specialist for CIC energiGUNE. She is a professional with experience in sustainability strategies in different sectors, contributing to the identification of pivotal points and baselines. Andrea’s expertise lies in integrating life cycle assessment into processes and products, utilizing it as a pivotal decision-making tool, particularly within the dynamic landscape of the energy storage sector. She has participated in the development of Product Category Rules (PCR) across various sectors and has experience in the strategic application of sustainability certifications, such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), in different sectors. Andrea’s expertise extends beyond project management to include a thorough comprehension of the changing regulatory environment in Europe, particularly those pertaining to batteries.

Christian Theeck

Global Business Development Manager, TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH

Christian Theeck is an industrial engineer with focus on electrical engineering who serves as the Global Business Development Manager for New Energy Services at TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH where he has worked since 2013. He previously managed the TÜV SÜD Battery Testing GmbH from 2015 to 2021. Since 2022, Christian has developed and scaled new services in the energy environment globally and is the global project leader of the EU Battery Regulation project groups.

Sergiy Kalnaus, Ph.D.

Senior Staff Scientist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Dr. Sergiy Kalnaus is a Senior Staff Scientist within the Materials Science and Technology Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where he has worked since 2009. His interests are in mechanics of materials and numerical simulations of mass and charge transport to improve battery performance and safety. Sergiy holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Kharkiv Polytechnic University and a Ph.D. from the University of Nevada. He holds seven patents and was the recipient of the 2017 R&D100 award for the development of impact-resistant electrolyte. Sergiy co-authored the Handbook of Solid State Batteries.

Shay Ellafrits

Research Engineer, NASA Glenn Research Center

Shay Ellafrits is a Research Engineer at NASA Glenn Research Center, where he leads the battery work on NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project. He began his career at NASA as a Pathways intern while he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Penn State University, and he is currently working on a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Cleveland State University. Shay has been involved in module-level battery design for electrified aircraft, identifying and testing additive manufacturing techniques for aerospace use, and development of crashworthiness standards for the transition to electrification of the aerospace sector.

Martin Dumberger

Managing Director, Micro-Epsilon America

Martin Dumberger is an expert on sensors and measurement systems, who serves as Micro-Epsilon America’s Managing Director. With more than 30 years of experience in the sensor business, he manages the company’s measurement division for the western hemisphere. Martin is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, from where he and his team tackle complex and demanding measurement applications for almost any industry.

Theodore Bohn

Principal Electrical Engineer, Argonne National Laboratory

Theodore Bohn is a Principal Electrical Engineer in the EV-Smart Grid Interoperability Center of the Center for Transportation Research at Argonne National Laboratory. In his role, he identifies and validates interoperability issues related to PEV charging systems. Theodore actively serves on SAE, IEEE, and EV charging standards committees including safety standards. His current area of focus is high-power (megawatt level), multi-port charging systems with integrated storage and active load management for DC distribution topologies. Theodore leads U.S. national working group for weights and measures related to commercial dispensing of electricity as a fuel. He bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he also serves on the adjunct faculty, developing and delivering EV charging safety-related education and training materials.

Brian Engle

President, NAATBatt; Chair, SAE Battery Standards Steering Committee; Director, Amphenol

Brian Engle is the Director of Business Development, Electrification, for Amphenol’s Advanced Sensors. In this role, he is responsible for a complete portfolio of battery and electrification sensor technologies, including robust early detection of battery thermal runaway, coolant breach detection, non-contact HV connection monitoring, and a variety of thermal sensing solutions, as well as development of new and emerging sensor technologies in the field. In addition, Brian helps lead research efforts in battery failure physics, including arcflash and VCE, as well as through technical advisory roles for GTR-20/R100, FPRF, NFPA research. He is the President of NAATBatt International, a leading global battery industry association comprised of more than 370 industry members, and serves as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s “LiBridge” Initiative to accelerate adoption and deployment of EVs and battery technologies within the U.S.—including workforce development, partnering with international NGOs and governmental entities to prepare today’s workforce for this technology transition. As Chair of SAE’s Battery Standards Steering Committee, Brian supports the work of 30 SAE Standards Committees and 1,100 volunteer technical professionals, supporting approximately 70 separate published and draft battery related standards and publications. He also serves as chair of the SAE First & Second Responders Task Force, working to enhance the safety of new energy vehicles.

Kevin N. Wood, Ph.D.

Director of EBIx, Voltaiq

Dr. Kevin N. Wood is the Director of EBIx and an Electrochemistry Expert for Voltaiq. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor of mechanical engineering at San Diego State University. Before joining Voltaiq, Kevin spent time as a Professor and CTO, managing dozens of government- and industry-sponsored Li-ion battery research projects. He has five patents in the energy storage space and more than 25 peer-reviewed journal articles focused on electrochemical data analysis. Kevin’s technological advances in characterization and electrochemical analysis have been highlighted by multiple national news outlets. In 2018, his advances were awarded “Impact Paper of the Year” by Nature Publishing for Future Lithium-based Batteries. Kevin also gave a TEDx talk on “The Coming Battery Revolution.”

Celina Mikolajczak

Chief Battery Technology Officer, Lyten

As Chief Battery Technology Officer at Lyten, Celina Mikolajczak leads the battery engineering team in commercializing and manufacturing the first North American-based, lithium-sulfur cell technology at scale. Having been a battery technology executive at some of the top companies in the industry, such as Tesla, Panasonic, Uber, and Quantumscape, Celina has unparalleled experience and knowledge in the highly sophisticated areas of material engineering, cell engineering, manufacturing engineering, manufacturing operations, supply chain, and battery regulatory strategy that work in concert to deliver commercially viable, high-quality, and qualified battery architectures for the automotive, aerospace, micromobility, and consumer electronics sectors. Developing a fully US-based battery supply chain has been a passion of Celina’s for years as she recognizes the opportunity to accelerate the dimensions of sustainability, safety, and the re-shoring of critical North American cell manufacturing jobs at a time of significant geopolitical and supply chain risk. As an expert in the field of new battery technology, Celina has contributed to dozens of papers and delivered numerous speeches in the automotive, battery, and clean tech industries. She essentially wrote the book on battery safety (Lithium-ion Batteries Hazard and Use Assessment). She is currently a member of multiple advisory boards in the battery field and is the Manufacturing & Infrastructure Committee Chair at the Li-Bridge Initiative. For her accomplishments, determination, and vision, Celina has become a renowned international business leader, influencer, and role model, especially for women in engineering. She was most recently named to Business Insider’s 2022 Top 100 People Transforming Business list and was named by the Silicon Valley Business Journal as one of its Women of Influence for 2022. In 2020, she also was named to Automotive News’s 100 Leading Women in North America. Celina holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering and applied science from the California Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University.

Erik G. Herbert, Ph.D.

Senior Staff Scientist and Group Leader, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Dr. Erik G. Herbert is a Senior Staff Scientist and the Group Leader of Mechanical Properties & Mechanics at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His expertise lies in the systematic development of methodical, repeatable, verifiable, and hypothesis-driven experiments designed to fill critical knowledge gaps related to structure-property-processing relationships. Before joining ORNL, Erik held a tenured position as a Professor of materials science and engineering at Michigan Technological University. He also spent more than 10 years in industry with Nano Instruments, Inc. Erik holds a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of Tennessee, where he studied under Drs. Warren C. Oliver and George M. Pharr, both international visionaries and pioneers in the field of small-scale mechanical behavior and nanoindentation.

Steve Demaagd

Business Development Manager – eMobility, Energy Storage, and Automotive, Avery Dennison

Steve DeMaagd is a Business Development Manager for Avery Dennison Performance Tapes, with a focus on e-mobility, energy storage, and automotive applications. Steve works with companies across the automotive value chain to generate and execute opportunities featuring PSA tapes.

Scott Krusinski

Market Manager – Energy Storage and Automotive, Avery Dennison

Scott Krusinski is a Market Manager for Avery Dennison Performance Tapes, with a focus on energy storage and automotive applications. In this role, Scott manages the products and growth strategy for the company's automotive, energy, and transportation segment portfolios including electric vehicle battery applications. He brings eight years of automotive pressure-sensitive tape experience, having previously served as an application engineer, business development manager, and product manager.

Russ Gaubatz, SME, EE

Senior Applications Engineer, EA Elektro-Automatik

Russ Gaubatz is a Senior Applications Engineer at EA Elektro-Automatik and manages the Troy, MI Training and Test Center. Russ is part of the team leading the advancement in battery testing technology, including the recently developed EA-BTS 10300. When not leading webinars or contributing to various electronic industry publications, Russ can be found at the training center delivering both virtual and in-person demonstrations.

Erin Renoll

Senior Product Manager, Ground Vehicle Professional Development, SAE International

Erin Renoll is a Senior Product Manager for Ground Vehicle Professional Development at SAE International. In this role, she identifies training needs within the mobility industry and builds courses with subject matter experts to address these gaps. She has more than seven years of experience within the mobility industry, covering a range of product offerings, including publications and preprint servers, in addition to professional development. She holds a bachelor's degrees from Penn State University and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.

Sharaine Eldafrawy

Product Manager, Sustainable Mobility Solutions, SAE International

Sharaine Eldafrawy is a dynamic leader and accomplished product management professional, who currently heads the Product Management team for SAE International's innovation unit, Sustainable Mobility Solutions. With a keen focus on clean transportation, she spearheads the development and management of cutting-edge products, programs, and services that drive the future of sustainable mobility. Sharaine skillfully navigates the product and business-planning process, collaborating with cross-functional teams within SAE and external stakeholders to ensure successful execution. With a solid background in technology consulting and account management in the private sector, she brings a wealth of industry experience and strategic insights to her role. Sharaine holds a degree in management information systems and business analytics from Drexel University and is a certified Product Manager.

Olivia Campbell

Lead - Public Policy & Market Development, ABB E-mobility

Olivia Campbell leads state public policy and market development for ABB E-mobility, the world’s leading EV charger manufacturer. Prior to joining ABB, she advanced renewable electricity, heating, and EV policies as Executive Director of Renewable Energy Vermont. Focusing on environmental and fiscal sustainability and energy issues at all levels of government, Olivia's career also includes time with former Congressional Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Maryland’s Governor, and the National Wildlife Federation. She holds degrees from Vermont Law School and Gettysburg College. Olivia is an enthusiastic EV driver who lives on a solar-powered, organic berry and flower farm with her family.

Daniel Mikat, Ph.D.

Senior Program Manager - Technical Standards and Regulatory Affairs, Toyota Motor North America

Dr. Daniel Mikat is the Senior Principal Engineer for Technical Standards and Regulatory Affairs at Toyota Motor North America. He has served in numerous SAE, ISO, and IEC Standards’ Committees, where he has authored, co-authored, and contributed to over 100 Standards. Dr. Mikat's technical expertise in automotive engineering and electrified vehicles has proven valuable in many of these committees. During his more than 25 years of experience working at Toyota, he has worked on vehicle development programs and electronics systems for the Avalon, Camry, Sequoia, Tundra, Tacoma, RAV4, Prius, Sienna, Venza, and a number of Lexus and Scion vehicles. Dr. Mikat is a certified DRBFM expert at Toyota and has been awarded Toyota Volunteer of the Year and SAE's 2022 “Contributor of the Year.”

Dave Hurst

Manager – Model e Energy Services, Ford Motor Company

Dave Hurst serves as the Manager of Model e Energy Services at Ford, where he works on vehicle and grid integration. Dave is focused on customer experience and utility-managed charging programs within Ford’s Energy Services team. He also has worked on Ford’s public charging customer experience and shared mobility research. Prior to joining Ford, Dave conducted market analysis in the EV and clean energy markets for more than 20 years with NextEnergy, Guidehouse (formerly Navigant Research), and other research firms.

Andrew Corselli

Moderator, SAE Media Group

Andrew Corselli is a Digital Content Editor for SAE Media Group.

Amanda Hosey

Moderator, SAE Media Group

Amanda Hosey serves as the Editor of Custom Content for SAE Media Group.

Kaitlyn Sommer

Moderator, SAE Media Group

Kaitlyn Sommer is the Director of Marketing for SAE Media Group.

Thomas Pilette

Chief Executive Officer

Thomas Pilette has served as the Chief Executive Officer at Zeta Energy Corp. since January 2023. He previously was Zeta’s COO and Vice President of Product Development and Product Strategy and, prior to that, served as the Global Vice President of Product and Process Development and Business Development for Magna International, where he worked from 1994 through 2017 in various senior management positions. Throughout his more than 39-year automotive career, Tom has gained extensive product development, advanced material, and manufacturing experience, focusing in the areas of advanced light weighting, body structures, energy management systems, and new technology implementation. He studied mechanical engineering and engineering technologies at Oakland Community College and Central Michigan University and holds several patents in the areas of battery energy storage, automotive products, systems, and modular assemblies.

John Warner, Ph.D.

Chief Customer Officer, American Battery Solutions

Dr. John Warner is a well-recognized figure in the battery industry and an authority on EV batteries. He is an experienced sales, business development, strategic marketing, and product management executive with more than 30 years of combined automotive and battery industry experience and is the author of three successful books on EV batteries. Today, John serves as one of the Co-Founders and Chief Customer Officer for American Battery Solutions, a lithium-ion battery pack manufacturer based in Michigan and Ohio where his focus is on- and off-road mobility battery development. He also is Founder and President of Warner Energy Consulting. Previously, John served as Chief Marketing Officer for Ener1, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for XALT Energy, Director of Sales and Marketing for Magna Steyr Battery Systems NA, and Director of Product Management at Boston-Power, in addition to nearly 20 years in the auto industry, much of that with General Motors where he served in a wide variety of leadership roles. John published his first book, “The Handbook of Lithium-Ion Battery Pack Design,” in 2015 with a second edition set to launch in Q2 2024. His second book, “Lithium-Ion Chemistries: A Primer,” was published in 2019. John’s books focus on simplifying the complex topics around battery chemistries, making it easily understandable by a wide audience — for both entry-level engineers and all non-engineering professionals.

Christian Löew

Solution Manager, Pack and Module Test, Keysight

Christian Löew is a Solution Manager within Keysight’s Automotive and Energy organization, where he focuses on battery pack and module test solutions and is responsible for the launch and market acceptance of new concepts. Prior to his portfolio management role, he was part of Keysight’s sales organization, taking care of automotive accounts in Germany and battery laboratory definitions across Europe. Christian holds a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Ulm.