SENIOR MANAGEMENT
Ake Severinson Co-Founder
As co-founder of OMNEX and President of OMNEX Control Systems through July 2006, Ake Severinson has championed the OMNEX vision from humble basement beginnings in 1986,
to today’s multi-million dollar enterprise. Åke’s breadth of experience in radio communications spans nearly three decades and ranges from microwave component design, to consulting in radio and satellite communications systems architectures. Åke holds five patents and has honed his skills at companies such as Harris Farinon, GTE Lenkurt Electric Canada, and MPR Teltech. Today, he remains closely involved with OMNEX as a board member and R&D consultant, focusing on defining technical requirements, performance specifications and standards.
Åke holds an M.Sc.EE degree from Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden,
is a regular on the speaking circuit, and sits on the Board at WINA and the SP100 Committee.
Len Dueckman Co-Founder
As co-founder and Vice President, R&D through July 2006, Len Dueckman personally designed OMNEX’s first-generation product line, and has been instrumental in the evolution of OMNEX technology toward the Trusted Wireless™, frequency-hopping spread spectrum radios for which the company is recognized today. Len’s design engineering background reaches back to 1972, following a diploma in Electrical and Electronic Technology from BCIT, and includes progressively senior positions with GTE Lenkurt Electric Canada and its successor, MPR Teltech, where he specialized in microwave radio and satellite modem design.
Len holds three patents and today remains closely involved with OMNEX as a board member and consultant, focusing on product system design and implementation.
Brad Palmer Vice President, General Manager
Joining the OMNEX team as Vice President and General Manager in October 2006, Brad provides overall business leadership to further the company’s position towards market dominance. He has more than twenty-five years of experience leading multidisciplinary teams and driving the development of new businesses, and fifteen years of experience as a General Manager in the high tech industry. Prior to joining OMNEX, Brad held a general manager position at Kodak, where he was responsible for leading the company’s worldwide ink-jet proofing and colour management businesses. He previously served as a Corporate VP at Creo Inc. where he led the inkjet printing division and was responsible for developing the company's innovative digital offset printing (DOP) business. Earlier in his career he built a business specializing in developing and custom manufacturing metallized ceramic components for the electronics industry and became the VP and GM of ThermicEdge Corporation.
Brad holds a Bachelor of Science (Chemical Physics) degree from Simon Fraser University and is also a member of the OMNEX Board of Directors.
Randy Klassen Director, Sales & Marketing
For the past ten years, Randy has been spearheading OMNEX’s innovative go-to-market strategies, seeing the company’s industrial wireless products achieve double and triple digit annual growth. Upon joining the team in 1996, Randy pioneered OMNEX’s TRUSTED WIRELESS™ product launch, strategically developing a global market for frequency-hopping spread spectrum radios, while successfully introducing the technology to heavy industry and the plant floor. Randy’s diverse background includes Business Development and Sales, Marketing with a specialization in disruptive technology, and front-line experience in heavy industry.
Randy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia, is a regular speaker and moderator at ISA wireless conferences and seminars, and is an active member of WINA.
Don Wadsworth Director, Industrial Wireless Business Unit
Bringing nineteen years of experience in instrumentation and automation to his role, Don provides strategic direction and overall leadership for OMNEX’s Industrial Wireless product families. He began his career at OMNEX in 2005 as Industrial Wireless Sales Manager, managing key relationships with technology and OEM partners, developing sales and marketing programs and strategies, resulting in double digit sales growth of OMNEX TRUSTED WIRELESS™ products in North America through 2006. Prior to joining OMNEX, Don managed the automation division of an instrumentation and automation manufacturer’s representative firm in Western Canada that specialized in SCADA and control systems for the process industries. He also spent seven years as Project Manager and Designer of automation and control systems for a Vancouver-based engineering firm.
Don has a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the British Columbia Institute of Technology and Sales and Marketing Management Diploma from the University of British Columbia.
Chris Allen Director, Mobile Wireless Business Unit
A newcomer to the OMNEX team, joining in June, 2007, Chris, a mechanical design engineer, brings over eleven years of experience ranging from product development and management to setting global business strategy in high technology environments. Chris has held equivalent roles in industries ranging from Graphic Arts (Creo Inc.) to Biotech (Agrisoma Biosciences Inc.) where he successfully managed operations and conducted market analysis and future
product evaluations. His ability to lead business development and technical research teams will be highly valued, as OMNEX continues to forge ahead in wireless technology.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of British Columbia. He has additional training in the mechanical design field as well as in team leadership development, economic thinking and project management.
Bruce Milton Director of Engineering
In March, 2007 Bruce joined the OMNEX team. Still a relative newcomer, he already has made a significant impact bringing his many years of experience and technology know-how. Some of that experience was gained from his tenure as the Director of Proofing and Colour Technology at Kodak Graphic Communications (formerly Creo Inc.).
Bruce holds a Ph.D. designation in Physics from Michigan State University.
Bob Zezulka Director of Quality Assurance
A recent addition to the OMNEX team, joining in April, 2007, Bob is responsible for overseeing and implementing quality improvements, making sure that standards such as ISO 9000 & 140000 are met. As the training and mentoring resource, customer liaison and supplier performance monitor, Bob ensures that OMNEX products meet the exacting standards our customers require. His many years of experience, most recently as Director of QA for the Defense and Medical Products divisions of EaglePicher Corporation, a diversified manufacturer of industrial products for the automotive, defense, aerospace and other industrial markets worldwide, will prove him to be an asset to the OMNEX team.
Bob is a MIL-STD-2000 Class “C” Instructor/Examiner, qualified at China Lake, California. He attended the Alberta Microelectronic Centre at the University of Alberta and is qualified from SPSE Bratislava, Slovak Republic (Electro technical Institute) SVST Elektrotechnicka’ Fakulta, Slovak Republic (Part of Komensky University). He is also a 3M-trained Six Sigma Green Belt and Champion with ASQ Black Belt training.
Ian Rumley Applications Manager, Mobile Wireless Business Unit
Ian Rumley, a software engineer and designer in communications and control systems since 1984, is the technical interface between OMNEX and the company’s radio remote control customers. Ian joined OMNEX in 1999, and as Applications Manager for the company’s Remote Control Business Unit, leads a growing team of engineers and technicians who work closely with OMNEX customers, conducting needs analyses and customizing OMNEX products to fit specific application requirements with a goal of reducing costs and increasing productivity.
Ian holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering and a Certificate in Software Engineering from the University of British Columbia.
Mike Drebot Manager, Customer Service
Mike Drebot joined OMNEX in January 2005, bringing 20 years of support management experience to his position as Manager of the company’s Customer Service unit. In this role, Mike provides leadership and direction to a team of eight that is well known for delivering great customer service. Mike’s challenge is to ensure OMNEX customers get excellent value from the products and services they purchase.
Mike has held senior roles in software and hardware industries related to telecom, banking, and printing systems. Prior to joining OMNEX, Mike was VP of Customer Support at Inetco systems and was responsible for developing/driving technical support processes and business activities. Other positions include World-Wide Section Head for Customer Support
at Creo, and Director of Customer Support at Starvision Multimedia.
Mike holds a Diploma in electronics from the British Columbia Institute of Technology, and a Sales and Marketing Management Diploma from the University of British Columbia.
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