Board of Directors

 

 

Ross Hangebrauck

A former Navy SEAL, Mr. Hangebrauck is the CEO and a founder of North Vector, a private company that services multiple U.S. agencies and military commands as well as corporations around the world.

While in the Special Forces community, he served in various operational theaters on multiple continents. After leaving the military, he worked in a management capacity with a Silicon Valley communications firm, and then worked in Merrill Lynch’s portfolio management division, advising companies and high net-worth individuals.

As the CEO of North Vector, Ross has overseen international training and operations, patent and technology development, and generated several rounds of financing.

 

Joseph Moran

Mr. Moran is the lead angel investor and co-founder of Zajac Motors, President and founder of The Moran Foundation, and Principal Engineer and co-founder of Legato Systems (LGTO, purchased by EMC in 2003).  Prior to co-founding Legato, Joe was a technologist with Sun Microsystems (JAVA), Hewlett Packard (HPQ) and International Business Machines (IBM).

Joe architected, designed, and implemented several significant portions of Legato's software and hardware products, SunOS Virtual Memory  and SunOS on multiple computer architectures.  As lead technologist, Joe coordinated advanced technical relationships with multiple vendors for numerous projects and led various aspects of the software development process.  He also worked on defining and implementing real-time OS's, programming languages and applications.  Joe holds four patents for computer software/hardware solutions.

 

Joel O'Driscoll

In a business environment of short-term, transaction oriented thinking, Mr. O'Driscoll has established long-term relationships with senior executives in the software, systems and clean/green automotive sectors. Clients value his objective, principled advice and clarity of insight in areas of corporate and sales strategy, operations and new growth opportunities.

With 18 years experience and an entrepreneurial bias towards developing new business, Joel has advised and assisted clients with corporate direction, go-to-market strategies, segmentation, and revenue analysis in advance of seeking funding or acquisitions. He provides a clear scope of understanding diverse operational models, technology and the people required to create a successful company.

Joel's hands-on style and ability to perform at the highest levels in sensitive, charged environments provides clients with an even keel for achieving results in challenging circumstances. Clients benefit from his extensive contribution to senior leadership and management practices across industries.

A veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, Joel served a year in Afghanistan leading a combined, joint team and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

 

John Zajac

Mr. Zajac is the Principle Technologist, the inventor of the company's Intellectual Property and founder of Zajac Motors.

John is known for his entrepreneurial approach to identifying and developing advanced technology.  With over 30 years experience in the semiconductor industry employing "Out of the Box" creativity with proven success in implementing productivity-enhancement systems, he has been VP and/or Head of R&D for such leading companies as Tegal/Motorola, General Signal, D &W Eaton, and Electrotech.

John has over forty patents issued in the field of thermodynamics, engine design, mechanics, physics, electronics, diagnostics and chemistry and an additional dozen patents pending.

 

 

Technical Advisor Board

 

Raymond Morris, SAE International

Ray Morris, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers) retired in April of 2008 on his 34th anniversary.  Morris was also President of the Performance Review Institute at the time of his retirement.  As a supporter of SAE’s global activities, Morris has traveled to more than 35 nations in support of SAE.

Morris was also formerly on the boards for the Automotive Hall of Fame, the American National Standards Institute, and the International Federation of Automobile Engineering Societies Council where he served as Vice President.  Morris is a past president of the Pittsburgh Society of Association Executives and currently serves on the board of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, America on Wheels Museum, and the Doyle Center.

Mr. Morris is known to have physically visited virtually every dynamometer doing serious work in the United States and to have close relationships with key executives of engine manufacturing companies in many nations.

 

Dr. Drazen Fabris, Consultant

Dr. Drazen Fabris is an Associate Professor, Associate Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Associate Director for the Center for Nanastructures at a major university in the Bay Area.  Dr. Fabris’s research interests include electronics cooling, fundamental fluid dynamics, and nanoscale heat transfer.  In the area of electronics cooling, Dr. Fabris’s research focuses on experimental understanding of bubble and droplet dynamics during rapid and small-scale phase change processes relating to feedback controlled two-phase spray cooling systems.

 

Chuck Howett, Vice President and General Manager, Stillen Sports Parts

Mr. Howlett is a veteran of the automotive, consumer, and chemical products industries who has previously held positions of Vice President & General Manager of CSF Inc., General Manager & COO of Polymer Engineering Corporation, Vice President & General Manager of Wynn Oil Co., Vice President & General Manager of Houghton Chemical, and Division Business Director of BASF Corporation.  Chuck is a visionary leader with a proven profit & loss track record of increasing sales and reducing expenses to improve profits.  He has developed marketing and sales programs through OEM’s, retailers, distributors, and Fortune 500 accounts.

Bill Rimkus, Consultant

Bill Rimkus is an engineering consultant with 16 years of system engineering experience with OEMs and suppliers in North America, Europe and Asia.  Primary consulting activities focus on emission formation and measurement, engine design, and after-treatment development.  His contact network encompasses major OEMs, component manufacturers and high-quality test facilities.  Additionally, he possesses an understanding of OEM business activities with respect to product cycle-time, quality requirements, engineering specifications, and certification and compliance.  Bill holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois.

Ron Shaver, Shaver Racing Engines

For the past 30 years, business owner Ron Shaver has been the leading engine builder for many of the championship winning teams in the World Of Outlaws, Allstars, NARC, CRA, SCRA, NCRA, USAC, NHRA, and SCORE.
 
The Shaver family has been involved in racing since the 1930's when Offenhauser racing engines came to them for manufacturing and machining.  Continuing through the 1950's with drag racing engine work for Drake Engineering.  In 1976 Ron Shaver began engine development for his first sprint car engine built for Tom Hunt of Hunt Magnetos, and then later Dean Thompson and Bruce Bromme.  Research and development efforts were enhanced with the addition of state of the art diagnostic equipment and through a collection of some of the industry's most accomplished technical staff.

Ron has grown Shaver Racing Engines to be one of the premier race engine builders with the most advanced equipment and testing facilities. He and his Shaver Racing Engine teams have compiled over 30 open wheel championships through the 1980's and 1990's.  Now, in the 21st century, Shaver engines have proven themselves time and time again.  Claiming victories at the most prestigious races across the country, including the Knoxville Nationals, King's Royal, The World 100, The Gold Cup, The DIRT Cup, and Syracuse.  Shaver has become the name top racers could count on to know how to build demanding engines for consistency and reliability with unmatched horsepower.