Named FuelCell Energy's Chief Executive Officer at the start of 2006, and Chairman in January 2007, Mr. Brdar has an extensive track record as a member of the company's management team. During his tenure, he led manufacturing, sales and marketing, and product development operations, and was responsible for the company's successful cost-out efforts.
Mr. Brdar has 24 years of combined technology development and new product introduction experience in a variety of executive positions around the industry. Prior to joining FuelCell Energy, he held management positions at General Electric, where he focused on new product introduction programs for its GE Power Systems business unit, and was product manager for its gas turbine technology. Prior to GE he was Associate Director, Office of Power Systems Product Management, at the U.S. Department of Energy where he was responsible for directing the research, development and demonstration of advanced power systems including advanced gas turbines, gasification systems and fuel cells.
He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 1981.
Mr. Gerson is a private investor. He was Vice President of Oppenheimer & Co. (formerly Fahnestock & Co., Inc.) from March 1993 until April 2003, where he held a variety of positions in the corporate finance, research, and portfolio management areas. Mr. Gerson also serves as a Director of American Power Conversion Corp. and Ciprico, Inc. and is Chairman of the Board of Evercel, Inc.
Mr. Kempner has been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Loeb Partners Corporation since 1979 and a general partner of Loeb Investors Co. LXXV, an investment partnership and an affiliate of Loeb Partners Corporation. Mr. Kempner is also a Director of IGENE Biotechnology, Inc., Intermagnetics General Corporation, Dyax Corporation, Intersections, Inc. and Director Emeritus of Northwest Airlines, Inc.
Mr. Lawson has been President of W.A. Lawson Associates, an industrial and financial consulting firm, since 1987. Mr. Lawson is past Chairman of the Board of Directors of Newcor, Inc.
Mr. Petty was President and Chief Executive Officer of Telus Corporation, a Canadian telecommunications company, from 1994 to 1999. Previously, he was Vice President of Global Business Service for AT&T and Chairman of the Board of World Partners, the Global Telecom Alliance. Mr. Petty is a Director of Enbridge, Inc., Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P, Enbridge Energy Management, Inc. and Enbridge Energy Company, Inc.
Mr. Rolls has been President, Chief Executive Officer and a principal investor in Thermion Systems International since 1996. He is a Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Bowater Inc. and of MBIA Inc. Mr. Rolls was President and Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Bank North America from 1992 through 1996. From 1986 through 1992, Mr. Rolls was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for United Technologies Corp. Previously, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of RCA Corporation.
Mr. Epstein was the Chairman and CEO of Intermagnetics General Corporation. He began his career as an engineer at General Electric before moving to the U.K. to take on progressive management roles with Oxford Instruments plc. He was recruited to Intermagnetics in 1997 as President and COO, took over as CEO in 1999 and was elected Chairman in 2002. Mr. Epstein led Intermagnetics through multiple years of high growth and expansion until negotiating the sale of Intermagnetics to Royal Philips for $1.3 billion last year. He recently left Philips after leading a successful integration of both companies MR imaging businesses.
Richard Bromley recently retired as Vice President Law and Government Affairs at AT&T. Mr. Bromley began his career at the law firm of Riddell, Riddell & Williams in Seattle, Washington, before joining AT&T in 1965. During his 38-year career at AT&T, he served as an attorney for Pacific Northwest Bell, Western Electric, Bell Labs, and as a general attorney in AT&T's New York headquarters. As VP-Law and Government Affairs, Mr. Bromley was responsible for all of AT&T's legal, regulatory and governmental matters west of the Mississippi. He is a member of the bar in California, New York, Washington, and Oregon, as well as the United State Supreme Court.
Mr. von Branconi is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Tognum AG's Onsite Energy Systems & Components Division. Prior to Tognum AG, Mr. von Branconi was the Chief Operating Officer for Lurgi AG, a Frankfurt, Germany company specializing in chemical plant engineering, including renewables, synthesis gas, hydrogen, carbon monoxide as well as sulfur recovery. Mr. von Branconi's prior roles at Lurgi included Manager of Controlling and Business Development. He was a regional director for ThyssenKrupp HiServe in Oberhausen, Germany as well as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer on the Executive Board for Technology and Commercial at Polyamid 2000 in Brandenburg, Germany.
Togo Dennis West, Jr.
Chairman of TLI Leadership Group and of Noblis, Inc.
Mr. West was U.S. Secretary of the Army and U. S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He has practiced law as a partner in the New York law firm of Patterson, Belknap, Webb and Tyler and was of counsel to the D.C. based law firm of Covington & Burling. Mr. West also served as General Counsel to the Departments of Defense and the Navy. Prior to his appointment with the Army, he was Senior Vice President for Government Affairs with Northrop Corporation. More recently, he was President and CEO of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Mr. West serves on the boards of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. and AbitibiBowater Inc.
A publicly traded company since 1992, FuelCell Energy is listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol FCEL...