CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
RUSS NIELSEN
GENERAL MANAGER , Aero-Plastics
Russ Nielsen has been employed in the manufacturing industry since 1985 , working for both Aerospace and Commercial based companies . From 2005 to 2015 he was the Americas / Western Region Sales Manager for Pexco LLC . In June 2015 Russ joined the Aero-Plastics team as the Director of Business Development before transitioning into the General Manager role in January 2024 .
JON OSTROWER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF , The Air Current
Jon Ostrower is Editor-in-chief of The Air Current . Prior to that , Ostrower served as Aviation Editor for CNN Worldwide , reporter for The Wall Street Journal covering Boeing , and editor of FlightBlogger focusing on aircraft development . He is an instructor at the University of Southern California ' s Aviation Safety and Security Program .
TYLER PAINTER
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER , Wisk
Tyler leads Wisk ’ s finance , accounting , corporate development , and information technology teams and is responsible for overseeing the company ’ s financial planning and objectives . Tyler brings a strong history of commercializing new technologies and new business models and has extensive financial and operational management experience across private , public and Fortune 500 companies . He has held multiple leadership positions including CFO of Surf Air Mobility , CFO of Fair Financial Corp , CFO and COO of Solazyme , and Corporate Treasurer and VP of Finance for Wind River Systems .
DR . BILL PROVAZNIK
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR , IDEA Central , Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship , Central WA University
Dr . Bill Provaznik , Director at Central Washington University ' s Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship , is a professor in Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship . His research on CEO cognition , competitive performance , and regional strategies has been utilized by entrepreneurs , communities , and federal agencies for accelerating growth by anticipating change .
ALEX RAMIREZ
PRESIDENT , Collinear Group
As President at Collinear Group , Alex Ramirez leads vision and strategy for the company . Alex has more than 20 years of industry experience ranging from engineering and certification , to manufacturing and aftermarket operations at the highest levels of aerospace and defense . He has served in an array of innovation and technology leadership roles across global organizations including Boeing , Airbus , Raytheon , Crane Aerospace , and the US Department of Defense .
PHONTEL SHAMI
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR OF ENTERPRISE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT , Blue Origin
Phontel leads Enterprise initiatives focused on deploying industry best practices and standards that ensure superior program performance , enabling Blue Origin to scale through rapid growth . Prior to that , Phontel was an Executive leader at Boeing for over nine years . Her last position there was as the Director of Program Management for Manufacturing , Safety and Quality .
90 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS
PNAA ADVANCE / 2024