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.
Christopher R. Bentley
Executive Vice President, Government R&D Operations, Strategic Manufacturing Development
Mr. Bentley has been responsible for Government Research and Development Operations and Strategic Manufacturing Development since January of 2005. He joined FuelCell Energy in 1990 to develop manufacturing and operations capability in support of the DFC commercialization initiative. He served on the Board of Directors from 1993 to 2004.
Prior to joining FCE he was Director of Manufacturing (1985), Vice-President and General Manager (1985-1988) and President (1989) of the Turbine Airfoils Division of Chromalloy Gas Turbine Corporation, a major manufacturer of gas turbine hardware. From 1960 to 1985 he was with the General Electric Company where he served a four-year apprenticeship and completed the GE Manufacturing Management Program prior to a series of increasingly responsible manufacturing positions.
Mr. Bentley received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University in 1966.
Bruce A. Ludemann
Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Bruce A. Ludemann is FuelCell Energy's Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing. His responsibilities encompass all the company's business development activities across global markets.
Prior to joining the company in 2006, Mr. Ludemann was a senior marketing and sales executive with Siemens. Over an eight year period there, he designed, expanded and oversaw sales and marketing efforts for the firm's Power Generation and Transmission & Distribution business units. Earlier, he was with ABB Power Transmission & Distribution Inc., the industrial control firm Square D, and Swiss electrical equipment manufacturer BBC Brown Boveri. He also served four years in the U.S. Navy specializing in electric power generation and distribution systems. Mr. Ludemann holds an Executive MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.
Mr. Mahler joined FuelCell Energy in October 1998 as Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Secretary, and Treasurer. Mr. Mahler's responsibilities include finance, accounting, corporate strategy, treasury, information systems and human resources.
Mr. Mahler was Vice President-Chief Financial Officer at Earthgro, Inc. from 1993 to 1998 and worked at Ernst & Young in the New York and Hartford offices from 1974 to 1992. He was a partner in the Hartford Office's Entrepreneurial Services Group. Mr. Mahler received a B.S. in Accounting from Boston College in 1974.
A publicly traded company since 1992, FuelCell Energy is listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol FCEL...