Meet the Team
Raul Pereda
President and CEO, Mitsubishi Power Aero LLC
President and CEO, Energy Services LLC
Raul Pereda was named President and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Aero LLC in 2017 and serves as President and CEO of Energy Services LLC, an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firm affiliated with Mitsubishi Power Aero. He is Executive Vice President for Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc., which provides him a holistic view of all three companies' strategies, resources, and capabilities.
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For 35 years, Raul has held positions of increasing responsibility throughout his career in the gas turbine industry. His previous roles include engineering, sales, and international business development.
Raul holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Miami and a Master of Business Administration from the Florida Institute of Technology, and he is a graduate of the DoD's Defense Systems Management College.
Raul volunteers for The Salvation Army and serves on its Greater Hartford Area Services Advisory Board.
Todd B. Emery, P.E.
Vice President, Programs and Operations
Todd Emery has served as Vice President since 2013. He directs the FT8® and FT4000® aero-derivative gas turbine programs, managing all aspects including new project installation, overhaul shop operations, spare parts, procurement, quality, and EH&S.
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Prior to joining the company in 2004, Todd worked for General Electric and Energy Services, Inc., in roles ranging from service engineer to general manager.
Todd has extensive aero-derivative gas turbine power industry experience including field service, customer service, operations and maintenance, overhaul and repair, and program management.
Todd holds a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering Systems from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in New York and a Master of Business Administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He served as an engineering duty officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve, supporting shipyard overhaul and repair commands before retiring at the rank of commander. He earned his U.S. Coast Guard engineer license and is a registered Professional Engineer.
Todd serves on the Board of Directors for Wood Group Pratt & Whitney Turbine Engine Services, LLC.
David J. Maher
Vice President, Engineering
David Maher is responsible for all aero-derivative product engineering. He has been with the company since 2000.
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He most recently served as director of next-generation products, where he managed the design, development, and validation of the FT4000® aero-derivative gas turbine, which was successfully introduced in 2015.
In an earlier role, David oversaw the successful development and introduction of the FT8-3, including the operations ramp up and subsequent overall project execution.
Prior to 2000, David held management positions within Pratt & Whitney's commercial aerospace businesses that included customer and airframer field assignments.
David holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University.
Harsh N. Shah
Vice President, Sales and Business Development
Harsh Shah was appointed Vice President in 2018, where he leads global sales and business development. Harsh most recently served as director of strategy, business development, and commercial operations and has managed business activities in the Asia Pacific region.
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Prior to joining the company in 2010, Harsh held leadership roles at several United Technologies business units. He led teams across multiple functional disciplines and geographies during his 15-year tenure with the company. His background includes program and operations management, strategic sourcing, business development, cost reduction, program development, and general management.
Harsh earned dual Master of Science degrees in Manufacturing and Management from Syracuse University. He also holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Gujarat University, India.
Christopher D. Jones
Chief Financial Officer
Chris Jones was appointed CFO in 2018 after managing the company's finances in various capacities since 2004. Prior to his current role, he was director of program finance, overseeing all program financial activities for the FT8® and FT4000® products. This included the aero-derivative and industrial gas turbine aftermarket services business units and Energy Services LLC.
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Before his career in finance, Chris worked as an engineer for Pratt & Whitney, supporting commercial and military engine development. During this time, he was awarded the prestigious UTC George Mead Award for Outstanding Engineering Achievement. He holds five U.S. patents.
Chris has a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Tennessee, a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a Master of Business Administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Raul Romero
Vice President, Aftermarket Services
Raul Romero is responsible for all aspects of the FT8® and FT4000® aftermarket business, including customer service, spare parts, overhaul and repair, field service, and service agreements.
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Prior to joining the company in 2014, Raul held management and executive positions at Wood Group Gas Turbine Services and ProEnergy. In addition to aftermarket services, his background includes international sales and contracts.
Raul served in the U.S. Army and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Air Assault, Parachutist, Pathfinder, and Ranger schools. He is also a recipient of the Expert Infantryman Badge.
He earned his Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management with a Civil Engineering track from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and he holds a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University Bloomington.
Stefan L. Zavatone
Vice President, Marketing, Communications, and Commercial Operations
Stefan Zavatone is Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Commercial Operations for Mitsubishi Power Aero. He is responsible for setting and implementing Mitsubishi Power Aero's global marketing and communications strategy, as well as supporting sales and business development objectives. Prior to his current role, Stefan held a variety of engineering, construction, project management, and program leadership positions at Mitsubishi Power Aero and other power industry companies.
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Stefan has held management roles within the company for more than 20 years. He managed contract execution on all new FT8® and FT4000® projects and was responsible for proposal development and implementation of upgrade projects for the FT8® fleet.
Stefan's background also includes roles in engineering, construction/commissioning, and project management.
Stefan holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University and an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Information Technologies from New York University.
James L. Amarel, P.E.
Vice President and General Manager, Energy Services, LLC
James Amarel has overall management responsibility for Energy Services LLC, an engineering, procurement, and construction company affiliated with Mitsubishi Power Aero.
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Since joining Energy Services' West Coast operations and maintenance business in 1995, Jim has held several positions of increasing responsibility, including Operations Manager, Director of Projects, and General Manager.
Prior to joining Energy Services, Jim was a Technical Manager for the U.S. Navy at the China Lake Weapons Center. He held several positions in the U.S. Naval Reserves (USNR) before retiring as an Engineering Duty Officer in 2006.
Jim is a registered professional engineer who holds a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from California State University, Northridge.
Nimesh Patel
General Counsel
Nimesh Patel manages contract negotiations, corporate governance, dispute resolution, and other legal matters for Mitsubishi Power Aero including the development and protection of intellectual property.
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Nimesh has over a decade of experience in the power generation and aerospace industries. He began his legal career as an attorney in the business transactions practice group of a major New England law firm and previously served as in-house counsel to a global diversified chemicals company.
Nimesh earned his Juris Doctor Degree from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Boston University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Connecticut School of Business.
Kimberly L. Johnson
Manager, Human Resources
Kim Johnson is responsible for Mitsubishi Power Aero and Energy Services' global Human Resources function, focused on talent management, workforce diversity, employee relations, total rewards, and employee experience.
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Kim has been with the company for over 25 years. She began her Human Resources career at Pratt & Whitney in 2003 in East Hartford, Connecticut, and held positions in the Government Security and Human Resources departments. Kim earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Baker University. She is also a certified ACE Associate and trained with the Mental Health First Aid USA® Certification Program.
John J. Beardsley
Manager, Information Technology
In his role as IT Manager, John Beardsley is responsible for the supervision, implementation, and maintenance of the company’s computing needs. He facilitates the secure and effective operation of all computer systems, related applications, hardware, and software, and manages developers, network, and help desk personnel.
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John has been with Mitsubishi Power Aero for over 16 years, previously serving as IT Project Manager, Product and Process Quality Engineer, and Solumina Project Manager. Before joining Mitsubishi Power Aero, John worked for over 11 years in various roles at Hamilton Sundstrand in the Manufacturing Engineering and Quality departments.
John earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University and a Master of Science in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.