Leadership Profiles

Vatche Artinian

Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Vatche Artinian is a Co-Founder, the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer of Calnetix Technologies and its subsidiary Access Energy. He is also the Chairman of Calnetix affiliate company Upwing Energy and subsidiary Sapphire Technologies.  Mr. Artinian has over 30 years of experience in establishing and building businesses specializing in innovative technologies. Mr. Artinian gained his extensive experience in electric machines, electromechanical systems and magnetic bearings while working for AlliedSignal (Honeywell) and AVCON, Inc., during which he directed major programs for Lockheed Martin, Allied Signal Automotive and Ford Motor Company. Mr. Artinian holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California, a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from California State Polytechnic University.

 

Ian Hart

Chief Financial Officer and Human Resources Manager

Mr. Ian Hart is the Chief Financial Officer of Calnetix Technologies and its subsidiaries, Sapphire Technologies and Access Energy. Mr. Hart has nearly 40 years of experience in finance, accounting, strategic planning and operations. He joined Calnetix in 2005 and has managed several departments within the company, including finance, human resources and operations. Prior to joining Calnetix, Mr. Hart held senior level positions in finance and operations for public and private companies in their start-up or turnaround stage. He began his career in public accounting with Ernst & Whinney (now known as Ernst & Young). Mr. Hart holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. He also obtained licensure from the DOI, DRE and NASD.

 

Andrea Matiauda

General Counsel and Company Secretary

Ms. Andrea Matiauda joined Calnetix in 2005 as the company’s first General Counsel and is currently the acting General Counsel and Company Secretary for Calnetix Technologies and its subsidiaries Sapphire Technologies and Access Energy. Ms. Matiauda has played a key role in financing, M&A activity and establishment/sale of subsidiaries for the Calnetix group of companies. Ms. Matiauda began her legal career as a transactional attorney at Latham & Watkins. She earned her Juris Doctorate at the University of California, Los Angeles and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Duke University.

 

Larry Hawkins

Co-Founder, Director of Technology, Magnetic Bearings

Mr. Larry Hawkins is a Co-Founder and the Director of Technology, with an emphasis on magnetic bearing development, at Calnetix Technologies. Mr. Hawkins has played a key role in the company’s research and development efforts since Calnetix’s inception in 1998. He has 28 years of industrial experience, holds multiple patents and publications in the high speed turbomachinery field, and is recognized globally for his contributions to rotordynamics and magnetic bearing technology. Mr. Hawkins held positions at the Rocketdyne Division of Rockwell International and Avcon, Inc. Mr. Hawkins holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Auburn University.

 

Co Huynh

Co-Founder, Business Unit Leader

Mr. Co Huynh is a Co-Founder of Calnetix Technologies and a Business Unit Leader focused on the company's aerospace business. Mr. Huynh has over 25 years of experience in designing and developing advanced motors, generators and electromagnetic devices for commercial, aerospace and subsea applications. After founding Calnetix and serving as Vice President of Engineering, Mr. Huynh transferred to its subsidiary, Direct Drive Systems (DDS), in 2008 to lead a subsea pump development project.  In 2009, DDS was purchased by FMC Technologies, where Mr. Huynh served as Manager of Special Projects.  Prior to founding Calnetix, Mr. Huynh worked for Allied Signal Aerospace Company, Hughes Research Laboratories and Avcon, Inc. He has been granted multiple patents in the area of electric machines and electromagnetic devices.  He has a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California, a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University and is a long-time member of the IEEE committee.

 

Venkateshwaran “Venky” Krishnan

Executive Vice President and Business Unit Leader

Mr. Venkateshwaran Krishnan is the Executive Vice President for Calnetix Technologies and a Business Unit Leader focused on the company's industrial business.  Mr. Krishnan joined Calnetix Technologies as the Director of Programs in 2010 and has over 25 years of experience in systems engineering and program management within the marine and defense industries. Prior to joining Calnetix, he was the Director of Programs at Direct Drive Systems (DDS), a former subsidiary of Calnetix and FMC Technologies. Mr. Krishnan was a graduate of the National Defense Academy in India and an officer in the Indian Navy. He holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering with a focus on Control Systems from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and a Master of Business Administration from the Institute of Indian Management Association.

 

Iris Shiroma

Vice President of Business Development

Ms. Iris Shiroma is the Vice President of Business Development for Calnetix Technologies focused on the company’s defense and aerospace markets. Ms. Shiroma previously served as the Defense Business Unit Leader. Ms. Shiroma has over 20 years of experience in program management with diverse knowledge in technology driven products within the energy and aerospace industries. Prior to joining Calnetix, she held the position of Vice President of Program Management and Engineering Shared Services for Stanley Black & Decker, where she focused on leading project management and engineering transformations. Prior to that, Ms. Shiroma was the Program Manager for UTC Aerospace Systems (now Collins Aerospace), where she managed multiple production and development programs for the Aerospace and Defense markets. Ms. Shiroma holds both an M.B.A and B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

 

Ken Demirjian

Vice President of Operations

Mr. Ken Demirjian is the Vice President of Operations for Calnetix Technologies.  Mr. Demirjian previously served as Chief Operating Officer of VYCON.  He has over 20 years of experience in plant management, operations and supply chain management within a diverse range of manufacturing environments. His prior experience includes serving as a Global Vice President of Operations and Supply Chain for a subsidiary of Dover Corporation.  Mr. Demirjian has a Master of Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering from California Polytechnic State University.

 

Justin Nielsen

Director of Engineering

Mr. Justin Nielsen is the Director of Engineering for Calnetix Technologies. Leading the Electrical, Mechanical, Controls and Test Engineering teams, he joined Calnetix in 2024.  Mr. Nielsen has over 20 years of experience leading design, integration, validation and manufacturing of highly engineered products for Aerospace, Defense, Automotive and Consumer Electronics industries.  Prior to joining Calnetix, Mr. Nielsen worked for Apple, General Motors, Honeywell, and Cadence Design Systems in various engineering and leadership roles. Mr. Nielsen has an MBA from Indiana University, and both an MS and BS in Electrical Engineering from California State University Long Beach.

 

Octavio Solis

Director of Defense and Space Programs

Mr. Octavio Solis is a Director of Defense & Space Programs at Calnetix Technologies. He has been at Calnetix for over 20 years, focusing on program management, engineering development, and after-market support, most recently focusing on defense and aerospace programs. Octavio manages the High Efficiency Super Capacity (HES-C) Navy shipboard chiller program at Calnetix, a highly successful program in production since 2016. Among other career achievements, Octavio was heavily involved in managing the final assembly, test, integration, and commissioning of the Calnetix FBCO2 blower operating on the ISS. Prior to Calnetix, Octavio was the Director of Japan Sales for Capstone Turbine Corporation where he worked for over 8 years and was responsible for managing all applicable accounts. Octavio holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Loyola Marymount University.

 

Rasish Khatri

Director of Programs for Mission Critical Systems

Mr. Rasish Khatri is the Director of Programs for Mission Critical Systems at Calnetix Technologies and also serves as the functional lead for the company’s Active Magnetic Bearing (AMB) programs. In this dual role, he is responsible for strategy, execution, and cross-functional coordination while providing leadership across the development and delivery of AMB products.  With 15 years of experience in magnetic bearings, rotordynamics, vibrations, and controls, Rasish has led the development of AMB-supported turbomachinery across various industries. Over his 13 years at Calnetix, he has held roles spanning engineering, systems integration, and program management.  He has authored more than 30 technical publications focused on qualification, testing, and field performance of AMB systems and serves on the ISO 14839 international standards committee for magnetic bearing technology.  Rasish also previously worked in the Synchrony Magnetic Bearings business unit at Dresser-Rand as a Systems Engineer. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University.