John directs all aspects of the ACE business at Ontario Tech University. In the frontier years of ACE, he led and was responsible for the final design, build, completion and startup of the $100 million-plus project. He directs the business plan, engineering and financial management of ACE, including key partnership negotiations and relationships. He recently led a $20 million-plus expansion of ACE aerodynamics, acoustics and autonomous vehicle technologies, zero-emissions technology (including hydrogen), and the development of an enhanced Climatic Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel (CAWT).
John works to grow, diversify and foster new opportunities and market segments for the university and strengthens ACE’s utilization for product commercialization, diversification, education, research and the local community engagement. He has been employed in the automotive/testing industry since 1981. Prior to joining Ontario Tech University, he worked for General Motors and has extensive, diverse, and international experience in engineering from components to final assembly, from concept to advanced engineering, research, development and testing. He brings this breadth of experience to his staff, and to clients, collaborators and researchers of ACE and Ontario Tech Univesity. He directs research, advanced development and testing procedures that deliver collaborative solutions for Industry and Academia.
John has won a number of awards and has authored, and continues to contribute technical research papers on a variety of topics, including automotive research and development. He is a graduate of Ketering University in Flint, Michigan and McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario where he earned a Master of Mechanical Engineering (MEng) degree.