Eclipse Aviation
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Eclipse Leadership

Eclipse Leadership

The Eclipse Aviation board of directors and management staff is comprised of leaders who have spearheaded successes and innovations at companies including Ford, Pilatus, United Airlines, Raytheon, Northrop, and Dell.

Roel Pieper

Chairman of Eclipse Aviation Corp.
Chairman of ETIRC Aviation
CEO of Eclipse Aviation Corp

Harold A. Poling

Retired CEO and Chairman,
Ford Motor Company

Daniel Bolotin

President,
ETIRC Aviation

Kent Kresa

Chairman Emeritus,
Northrop Grumman Corporation

Alfred Mann

Chairman and CEO,
MannKind Corporation

Bios of Exec Team
Roel Pieper - CEO and President, Eclipse Aviation

In his role as CEO and President, Roel Pieper will focus on taking Eclipse Aviation to the next level of growth and operational excellence. Pieper has extensive international management experience, having served as President and CEO of Tandem Computers, President and CEO of UNIX System Laboratories, President and CEO of Ungermann-Bass, Senior Vice President of Strategy at Philips N.V. of The Netherlands and Chief Technology Officer at Software AG of Germany. He has also served as Director of Computer Associates and Veritas Software. He is currently Chairman and Founder of European Technology and Investment Research Center (ETIRC) Aviation, a company organized to provide business communities with affordable, on-demand, point-to-point air-taxi jet travel. ETIRC is also the largest shareholder in Eclipse Aviation.

Mike McConnell - President and General Manager, Customer Division

Michael McConnell is responsible for marketing, sales, customer support, product support, and flight training at Eclipse Aviation. McConnell, who previously served as Eclipse Aviation’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, has more than 15 years of management experience in the high-tech industry and 7 years in the aerospace industry. Prior to Eclipse Aviation, he served as Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning for Mooney Aircraft where he was responsible for worldwide marketing, sales and customer support activities. Prior to joining Mooney, he was founder and president of an authorized distributor for Mooney aircraft. McConnell held key management positions in his more than 10 years at Dell Computer Corporation, where he contributed to Dell's record growth from $250 million to approximately $30 billion in annual revenue.

J. Mark Borseth - Sr. VP and Chief Financial Officer

J. Mark Borseth is responsible for all financial planning, management and reporting at Eclipse Aviation. Borseth joins Eclipse Aviation following a 23-year career at 3M, where he most recently served as vice president of global business processes. Borseth also served as the company's corporate treasurer. Among his accomplishments as corporate treasurer was the successful implementation of a stock split. He also served as president and general manager of 3M's Canadian operation. Borseth held Product and Liability responsibility for the entire operation. Prior to that, Borseth held a variety of executive leadership roles at 3M, including: healthcare market controller, director of corporate financial services, international finance manager and area financial manager for Asia Pacific. Borseth earned a bachelor's degree in management and industrial relations, and an MBA in general management from Mankato State University in Minnesota.

Dr. Oliver Masefield - Senior Vice President, Senior Fellow

Dr. Oliver Masefield joined Eclipse in 2000 and led the design and development of the Eclipse 500™ jet prior to being named a Senior Fellow in 2004. Previously, Masefield was VP of Research and Development of Pilatus Aircraft, where he was responsible for technical innovation for Pilatus products worldwide. During his tenure at Pilatus, Masefield managed development and certification of the highly successful PC-12 corporate/utility aircraft as well as the development of the PC-7 and PC-9 military training aircraft. Before joining Pilatus in 1973, he was a Project Engineer on advanced Harrier V/STOL fighter aircraft for Hawker Siddeley Aircraft Ltd. Masefield holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Aeronautical Engineering and a PhD in aerodynamics from the Loughborough University of Technology.

Raymond Barratt – Vice President, Chief Information Officer

Raymond Barratt is responsible for Eclipse Aviation's information systems. Before joining Eclipse, Barratt was the head of IT governance for the Office for National Statistics in the United Kingdom, where he guided IT strategy and project prioritization. Barratt also founded and was president of Brivea, LLC, which provides business intelligence products and services to Fortune 500 companies. Earlier in his career, Barratt served as the CIO of CDI Corporation, BOC Industrial Gases and W. R. Grace and Company. Barratt holds aDegree in International Law from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom.

Patrick Duffy – Vice President, Product Development and Engineering

Pat Duffy is responsible for managing product development, engineering, certification, and flight test. Duffy joins Eclipse Aviation following a successful career as a program manager and flight test pilot for the U.S. Air Force. His extensive leadership experience spans more than 27 years and includes command at the squadron, group, and wing levels. He served as Vice Commander of the Air Force's Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, where he was responsible for the development of all Air Force aircraft. Duffy is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and received a Boeing Endowment for Excellence award to complete a Master's Degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Washington. He is a qualified test pilot with extensive engineering and flight test experience, accumulating more than 3,500 hours in over 52 aircraft types. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.

Todd Fierro - Vice President, Manufacturing

Todd Fierro is responsible for all aspects of high-rate production for the Eclipse 500. Fierro joins Eclipse Aviation following a long and successful career at Ford Motor Company, where he ascended rapidly and most recently served as plant manager for the company's Sterling Heights, Michigan production facility. At his 18 years at Ford, Fierro was known for his commitment to aggressive process improvement and his ability to increase production capability while maintaining a very lean operation. Early in his tenure at Ford, Fierro was appointed to lead the launch of the F Series truck. In 1997, Ford chose Fierro to lead its global dimensional control efforts, where he worked closely with the company's European and Asian operations. Two years later, he became the body area manager, and was responsible for all body module fabrication of the Ford Focus product line. Ford soon promoted Fierro to lead final assembly for the Ford Taurus, where he oversaw a plant that produced 74 Taurus vehicles an hour. In 2004, Fierro implemented lean processes at the Cleveland engine plant, giving working groups greater responsibility for their decision making. Fierro's earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Wayne State University.

Andrew Kamm - Vice President, Finance

Andrew Kamm is a Certified Public Accountant with more than 20 years of experience in financial and regulatory reporting, financial transactions and analysis, and forecasting and auditing. He graduated with honors from the University of New Mexico, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. His previous professional positions include Vice President of Finance and Director of Accounting for Furr's Supermarkets, Inc., which comprised 69 stores with $800 million in annual sales. Kamm oversees Eclipse's treasury management, financial planning and analysis, and taxes and reporting.

Edward M. Lundeen - Vice President, International Business

Ed Lundeen is responsible for the expansion and development of Eclipse's international business activities and is presently working with Eclipse's partner, ETIRC, on the establishment of a factory in Russia in conjunction with the expansion of sales, marketing and services operations in Europe. During his 27+ year career, Lundeen has served as Vice President, Contracts for Eclipse Aviation; Director of Contracts for Iomega Corporation; Regional Director, Supply Chain Management for Phelps Dodge Mining Company; and, Manager of Purchasing for San Diego Gas & Electric. Ed has an MBA from Western New Mexico University and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Arizona State University. He has published papers on outsourcing, contracting, procurement, reverse auctions, buyer training, and ERP selection and implementation. Lundeen has also taught business courses at the university level.

Bruce E. Castle - Vice President, General Counsel

Bruce Castle manages all of Eclipse Aviation's legal and regulatory functions. Castle's experience includes general counsel of Campbell Corporation, an investment and holding company. Prior to this position, Castle was general counsel for SBS Technologies, Inc., and primary counsel for GE Fanuc Embedded Systems. Castle is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law.

John Ricciardelli - Vice President, Ownership Experience and Product Support

Ricciardelli joins Eclipse Aviation following a long and successful career at both Bell Helicopter and Honeywell. Under his leadership at Bell Helicopter as executive director of commercial development programs, Ricciardelli's cross-functional team won the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter Program. They delivered a flying development aircraft in less than nine months, paving the way for a successful certification program and future deployment using the Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) Bell 407 platform. At Honeywell, Ricciardelli was responsible for establishing a support network for multiple turbofan engines used in business aircraft. This included a successful entry into service launch of the TF7000 in 2003. Ricciardelli ascended the management ranks quickly while spending time in engineering, operations, product line management and customer support. John received his Six Sigma Black Belt certification, enabling him to successfully deploy numerous process improvements and develop an innovative worldwide support team that delivered a proactive approach to preventing defects in products and services. Ricciardelli held a variety of leadership roles at Honeywell, including: director of business aviation customer support, manager customer support programs, and product support engineer. Ricciardelli earned a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1983, and an Executive MBA in general management from Texas Christian University in 2006.

Tina Rulo - Vice President, Human Resources and Administration

In her tenure as Vice President of Human Resources at various high-technology companies, Tina Rulo has created and led the implementation of worldwide staffing and training programs, professional and leadership development institutes, and employee retention plans. Rulo directs Eclipse Aviation's continued efforts to establish the culture and supporting policies to attract and retain highly skilled employees. She is also responsible for overseeing all aspects of the human resources discipline, including the company's compliance with regulations at federal, state, and local levels. Rulo previously served as Vice President of Human Resources for high-growth companies including Western Multiplex, Hyperion Solutions, and VLSI Technology, Inc.

Andrew Vikta - Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer

Andy Vikta is responsible for accounting, reporting and budgeting activities at Eclipse Aviation, as well as the company's compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Before joining Eclipse, Vikta managed several multi-million dollar divisions for Kraft Foods International in France, Turkey, and Lithuania. He has owned and managed a real estate development company in Santa Fe, NM; served as the CFO for Mission Electronics Corp. in California; and was an audit consultant at Cargill, Inc. Vikta received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Bios of Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors

Roel Pieper

Roel Pieper - Chairman of Eclipse
Roel Pieper founded European Technology and Investment Research Center (ETIRC) Aviation to provide business communities with affordable, on-demand, point-to-point jet travel that drives productivity. The company is headquartered in Luxembourg and has offices in Moscow, Istanbul, and Cyprus.

Mr. Pieper has served as Senior Vice President of Strategy at Philips N.V., President and CEO of Tandem Computers Inc., and Chief Technology Officer at Software AG. He was formerly a Director of Computer Associates (CA) from 1999-2002 and Veritas Software (VRTS) from 1991-1998.

Mr. Pieper received his doctoral in computer science and mathematics from the University of Delft, Netherlands, where he graduated summa cum laude. He was an early stage investor in Lightstream (sold to Cisco), Globeset (sold to Trintech), Seebeyond (NASDAQ: SBYN) and Tivo (NASDAQ: TIVO). He has advised the Dutch government on technology related projects such as the Dutch Roadpricing project and the Dutch Broadband Strategy. Today, he is a part-time Professor of computer sciences and business administration at the University of Twente, Netherlands.

Mr. Pieper is Chairman of Favonius Ventures, a professional Investment Firm, based in Amsterdam and London. Favonius Ventures is backed by financial institutions such as ABN AMRO, ING, CALPERS as well as several private institutions.

Harold "Red" Poling

Harold "Red" Poling - Director of Eclipse
Harold Poling, former Chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Company, has more than 35 years of leadership experience. Poling's successful innovation and leadership in the automotive industry serve as a strong foundation for Eclipse as it continues to establish itself as the platform to revolutionize air transportation.

Poling was named CEO of Ford Motor Company in 1984 and was elected chairman of the board in 1990. He had served on Ford's Board of Directors since 1979 and, prior to his tenure as CEO, served as chief operating officer and vice chairman. His leadership and dedication to the advancement of the automotive industry shaped Ford into the modern company it is today.

Well-respected in management and financial circles, Poling has received numerous awards for his achievements. These include the Automotive Hall of Fame's 1986 Distinguished Service Citation award, which is presented to individuals who “have contributed significantly to the success of the automotive industry and to the communities in which they live.” In May 1987, Poling earned the Leadership Award from the Engineering Society of Detroit. He was named 1988 “Man of the Year” by Automotive Industries magazine. In addition, he was chosen as the 1991 recipient of the prestigious Horatio Alger award, received the 1993 University of Michigan Business Leadership award, and was named 1993 Industry Leader of the Year by the Automotive Hall of Fame. In November 1993, Poling was named Honorary Knight Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Sir Robin Renwick, British Ambassador to the United States. Also in 1993, he received the Albert Schweitzer Leadership award.

Alfred E. Mann

Alfred E. Mann - Director of Eclipse
Alfred E. Mann is a physicist recognized around the world for successfully creating a broad range of medical devices including heart pacemakers, cochlear implants that provide hearing for thousands of formerly deaf children, and tiny, implantable pumps. He brings insight to the Board, based on his track record of successfully translating high-technology concepts into profitable enterprises.

Mann is the Chairman and CEO of MannKind Corporation; the founder, Chairman, and co-CEO of Advanced Bionics Corporation; the founder and Chairman Emeritus of MiniMed; the founder and former CEO of Pacesetter Systems; the founder and former CEO of Spectrolab; and the founder and former CEO of Heliotek.

Kent Kresa

Kent Kresa - Director of Eclipse
Kent Kresa is Chairman Emeritus of Northrop Grumman Corporation and is Senior Advisor to the Aerospace and Defense group at the Carlyle Group. Kresa is credited with providing the leadership that has made Northrop Grumman one of the world's premier high-technology companies. He has had a distinguished career in both government and industry. He is an honorary fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of the National Academy of Engineering, among other notable affiliations. Kresa also serves on numerous boards including Caltech's Board of Trustees, MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, and General Motors.

Daniel Bolotin

Daniel Bolotin - Director of Eclipse
Mr. Daniel Bolotin has long been active as a business person and executive in various countries across Europe, especially in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Israel. Mr. Bolotin has successfully developed business in various forms of cooperation between local administration and financial institutions. Mr. Bolotin brings his network of associates and personnel into the ETIRC network especially in Russia.