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Vice President of Professional Engagement & Programs SAE International
Chris Ciuca is the Vice President of Programs at SAE International. In this role, Chris is responsible for the strategic direction of SAE’s programmatic portfolio serving the mobility community through SAE membership, aerospace and ground vehicle standards development and pre-professional educational workforce development initiatives.
Chris joined SAE in 2006 and led SAE’s educational outreach initiatives to recognition as a National Science Board Public Service Award winner and has since built infrastructure that services over 120,000 students each year through SAE STEM outreach programing. Under his leadership, SAE has grown the outreach portfolio to service students in 31 counties through workforce development initiatives focused on cybersecurity, software development, simulation, and systems integration of connected and automated vehicle technologies.
In the broader community, Chris serves in advisory roles for the National Science Foundation, National Academy of Engineering and other private and publicly funded STEM projects, is a published author on educational strategies and techniques for delivering classroom-based instruction and serves as a recognized expert on multiple preK-16 STEM projects.
HR Business Partner, SAE International
Karen Conroy, SHRM-CP, PHR, is the HR Business Partner for SAE International. Responsibilities in this role include working closely with SAE leadership to deliver value-added HR services to the organization including strategic workforce planning. This includes working with leaders to develop strategies for recruitment, retention, training, succession planning, coaching and knowledge management in alignment with SAE’s business and strategic objectives.
She is passionate about trust and transparent communication, providing development opportunities for staff and identifying opportunities to improve engagement and staff satisfaction.
Karen has over 17 years of experience in Human Resources. She’s worked with SAE’s affiliate, The Performance Review Institute, as Manager of HR since 2005 where she gained valuable experience and knowledge in all areas of HR including strategic workforce planning, employee relations, recruiting, talent development, performance management, succession planning, etc. She also worked with the EVP to support the PRI Board of Directors where she gained invaluable insights into the strategic direction of the organization. Prior to this role, she supported the operations of the automotive business sector of SAE International. For 8 years where she was involved in events management for WCX as well as supporting several member committees and boards. Karen holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Robert Morris University. She also maintains both SHRM and PHR certifications and memberships.
President SAE Media Group
Joe Pramberger is President of SAE Media Group (SMG). In this role, he is responsible for the growth and strategic direction of SAE’s media portfolio, including the magazines and newsletters published by Tech Briefs Media in New York, and the networking events and conferences produced by SMi Group in London. SMG serves the information needs of nearly one million technical professionals and business managers worldwide.
Over the last four decades, Joe has successfully launched dozens of engineering and scientific publications in a variety of fields including aerospace, electronics, medical, and advanced manufacturing. Recent introductions include magazines covering ADAS/autonomous vehicles and battery & electrification technology. Joe is one of the architects of the Create the Future Design Contest, recognized as the premier global product design competition for engineers and students. As the media industry has evolved, he has led the transformation of SMG into a digital-first business, expanding into online events, webinars, interactive multimedia magazines, and video products.
Joe was formerly the editor of NASA Tech Briefs magazine and received a Civil Service Medal from the National Aeronautics & Space Administration for his work in disseminating NASA technologies to the private sector. He is also the co-author of an award-winning book on the impact of space technology to life on Earth. Joe holds a B.A. in Journalism, Magna Cum Laude, from Fordham University.
Vice President, Sales and Service SAE International
David Kurywchak is the Vice President of Sales and Service of SAE International. In this role, David is responsible for leading the global sales teams for SAE International’s information products, professional development offerings, and events sponsorship and exhibitions as well as a dedicated team of Customer Service Specialists who support all of SAE International’s customer needs.
David’s focus is on the total customer experience whether it is an individual purchasing just one SAE standard, or a corporation or university engaging with multiple SAE products and services. His experience in organizational design has enabled him to create the appropriate sales and service organizations to achieve organic growth and market penetration. His focus has always been on the consultative sales process centered around customer needs which he considers critical to achieve SAE’s growth objectives and expanding our mission.
David has over 25 years of sales and management experience, most recently with Elsevier servicing private and public education institutions in the US and Canada. Over his 20+ year career, he has served in a variety of roles in sales, business development, and sales management. David holds a B.A in English from the University of Pittsburgh and an M.B.A from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.
Vice President of Finance SAE International
David Struth is the Senior Director of Finance for SAE International. In this role, David leads the organization's overall financial and tax strategies and policies, accounting practices, and relationships with lending institutions. David works directly with the SAE Finance Committee and Investment Advisor to oversee the Enterprise's investment portfolio. David is also a member of SAE’s strategy team and has assisted in the development of SAE’s strategic plans and annual business plans.
David joined SAE in November 2015 and has over 35 years of for-profit and not-for-profit experience, both domestically and internationally. After having spent his early career in public accounting, David later worked for Salem Corporation, Anker Energy Corporation, Allegheny Energy, Crown Castle International and Select Energy Services in senior financial leadership roles with responsibility for financial accounting and reporting, tax planning and compliance, corporate governance and merger and acquisition due diligence and integration.
David received his B.S. degree in business administration/accounting from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, his M.S. degree in Taxation from Robert Morris University and is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA).
Assistant General Counsel and Vice President of Legal Services SAE International
Emilie B. Delo, Esquire, is the Assistant General Counsel and Director of Legal Services for SAE International. In her role, Emilie is responsible for supporting and managing global legal and risk management matters, including advising and counseling business leaders on business affairs, contracts, licensing, IP, M&A, data privacy, corporate governance, joint ventures, competition and other compliance matters.
Emilie has over 12 years of private and corporate practice and prior to joining SAE International, Emilie was a Shareholder at Dentons Cohen & Grigsby, P.C. Emilie is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association and is a graduate of their Women's Institute for Leadership in Law Program. Emilie holds a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from The Ohio State University and Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Duquesne University. Emilie is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Emilie and her husband, Micah, enjoy traveling and sports and Emilie has visited every state in the continental US (and Hawaii) and every province in Canada. They also keep busy with their three young daughters, Marah, Maelyn and Miriam.
Vice President, Digital Products and Innovation SAE International
Anthony (Tony) Chough currently serves as the Vice President of Digital Products and Innovation at SAE International®. His Team is charged to be the agent of change spear-heading the digital transformation of SAE’s solutions and elevate our value to our customers, their partners, and the future of mobility. Tony joined SAE in 2021 and brings his twenty-two plus years of experience driving innovation and maximizing business value with leading edge technologies. He is recognized as a tech savvy leader with a history of commercializing digital products, forming global product teams, implemented agile processes, and leading organizations through dynamic change. He is known for leading by example, bridging communication gaps, and facilitating a culture of accountability.
Prior to joining SAE International, Tony served as the Chief Technology Officer at VeroVic, LLC helping companies commercialize their digital products, raise digital maturity, and raise their value for successful exits. Tony also served as the Executive VP of System Solutions at WPS Health Solutions, Chief Design Officer at HHS Technology Group, Chief Product Officer at American HealthTech (division of CPSI), Chief Information Officer at Health Market Science (a LexisNexis Company), and Chief Information Officer at PNC Wealth Management (Division of PNC).
Tony received a Bachelor or Science degree from the Eberly College of Science at Penn State University. He currently serves as a board member for SAE Industrial Consulting Services and previously served as a board member of MIT’s Center for Information Systems Research. Tony is an avid reader who’s enjoys healthy living and golfing when time permits.
Director of Software Engineering SAE International
Nick Pazzaglia is the Director of Software Engineering of SAE International. In this role, he is supporting the organization's strategic goals through technology products and applications. In addition to his role for SAE International, he is also responsible for the web technology platform as well as the enterprise data program across all affiliates.
Nick is an established leader across multiple industries and has proven experience integrating technology and business solutions, serving as an executive partner to define strategic plans, develop roadmaps and drive business transformation through engineering. He adds value to the organization as a strong leader of cross-functional, global teams, providing the necessary coaching and mentoring necessary to maximize performance at the individual, team, and business unit levels.
Nick has over 19 years of engineering experience in a variety of roles and earned his Bachelor of Science in Applied Computer Science from Indiana University.
Executive Administration SAE International
Chief Executive Officer
David Schutt, Ph.D., is the Chief Executive Officer of SAE International®. He oversees the global management and operations of the +$160M SAE Group, consisting of SAE International (SAE), Performance Review InstituteSM (PRI), SAE Industry Technologies Consortia® (SAE ITC) and several subsidiaries and joint ventures.
SAE International is a not-for-profit educational and scientific organization dedicated to advancing mobility technology and design engineering to better serve humanity. Its more than 128,000 members, including engineers, business executives, educators, and students from more than 100 countries, develop technical standards, publish authoritative literature, and share information and exchange ideas for advancing the engineering of mobility systems. SAE is the world's resource for designing, building, maintaining, and operating self-propelled vehicles for use on land or sea, in air or space.
Performance Review Institute is a trade association that advances the interests of industry through development of performance standards and administration of quality assurance, accreditation, and certification programs, as well as related activities for the benefit of industry, government, and the public. It provides a full range of programs and services designed to improve manufacturing process and product quality by adding value, reducing total cost, and promoting collaboration between global stakeholders in the mobility and other interested industries.
SAE Industry Technologies Consortia (SAE ITC) is a trade association with a mission to build industry infrastructure tailored to the respective technology, market and industry member groups while satisfying time horizons and providing the responsible resources to enable achievement of industry objectives. Within SAE ITC, Defense Automotive Technologies Consortium™ (DATC), administers as an Other Transaction Authority (OTA), a US Government mechanism to engage non-traditional defense contractors to integrate innovative automotive technologies quickly and efficiently into military ground vehicles, ultimately resulting in speed of adoption of commercial technologies and improved defense capabilities.
Dr. Schutt serves on a variety of not-for-profit and for-profits boards, national commissions, and local business organizations. Prior to joining SAE International in 2007, Schutt worked at the American Chemical Society (ACS) in several executive management positions.
Dr. Schutt holds a Doctorate in Chemistry and Chemical Physics from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Calvin College. He also earned an M.B.A. from Johns Hopkins University.
Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Secretary
Gregory Bradley, Esquire, is the Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Secretary of SAE International. In this role, Greg is responsible for the organization’s legal, intellectual property, risk management and corporate governance affairs. Greg has over 30 years of experience in private and corporate practice and, prior to joining SAE International, was Chief Intellectual Property Counsel for a medical device company in Pittsburgh and General Counsel for one of its divisions. Greg was also in private practice with intellectual property and general practice law firms in Chicago and Pittsburgh.
Greg is a founding member of the Q. Todd Dickinson (Pittsburgh) Intellectual Property Chapter of the American Inns of Court and a Past President of the Pittsburgh Intellectual Property Law Association (PIPLA). He is also a member of the Association General Counsel Forum, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), and the Advisory Committee for the Study of the Local Patent Rules for the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Greg holds Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) and Juris Doctor (JD) degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a registered patent attorney and is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Minnesota, and the District of Columbia.
Chief Information Officer
Rich Wilkie is the Chief Information Officer of SAE International. In this role, he is responsible for supporting the Organization's strategic goals through technology products, applications, and infrastructure.
Prior to joining SAE International in 2018, Rich held Executive IT Management roles at several Fortune 500 companies including Hewlett-Packard, Nortel Networks, ECI Telecom, Apollo Education Group, and most recently with Opus Global. In these roles, he was responsible for building and supporting numerous enterprises, carrier and consumer products for the financial services, telecom, education, and medical industries.
Rich earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts.
Chief Financial Officer
Brian Trybend is the Chief Financial Officer of SAE International. In this role, Brian is responsible for the organization's overall financial strategies and policies, accounting practices, and relationships with lending institutions and the financial community. With respect to investments, Brian works directly with the SAE Finance Committee and Investment Advisor to oversee the Enterprise's investment portfolio of more than $160M.
Brian is a key member of SAE’s strategy team and has been instrumental in developing SAE’s strategic plans and annual business plans. In addition, he has led many of SAE’s acquisition efforts and played a key role in establishing SAE’s global operations in China. Brian has over 30 years of for-profit and non-profit experience, both domestically and internationally.
Prior to joining SAE in June 2000, he worked in public accounting, providing both audit and tax services to a diverse client base including individuals, for profit, not for profit, and governmental entities. After public accounting, he moved into a lead tax position with a multi-billion-dollar health system and then held a similar role with a multi-billion-dollar power generation company. In both roles, his focus was on mergers and acquisitions.
Brian received his B.A. degree in accounting from Washington and Jefferson College and is a Certified Public Accountant. He is a member of the Pittsburgh Society of Association Executives (PSAE), the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives (CESSE), and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
Chief HR Officer
In over two decades working in corporate and manufacturing environments, Elizabeth Jones has established herself as proven leader, executive partner, and strategist who leverages her experience and knowledge to drive positive outcomes. A creative, collaborative, results-oriented executive, she has the capacity to identify and implement strategy and priorities in dynamic work environments. She also thrives in creating, aligning, and supporting high-performing cultures to recruit, develop and retain top talent.
Prior to joining Fullsight, Elizabeth began her professional career in 2005 with Pittsburgh-based Nova Chemicals, serving in various roles including Benefits Analyst, Employee Services Representative, and Human Resources(HR) Administrator. In 2010, she joined Talisman Energy USA, Inc. (later acquired by Repsol Oil & Gas USA, LLC) in Warrendale, Pa., as Human Resources Business Partner for the company’s Marcellus Delivery Unit. In this role, she acted as a strategic business partner to the Vice President and leadership team, while partnering with North American and Global Human Resources Centers of Excellence to implement HR programs at the local level. She also served as leader of the Marcellus People & Organization and Building Services teams, where she mentored and developed team members, partnered with senior leaders on HR initiatives, and strategized with leadership at all levels on organizational design to support successful business outcomes. In addition, she participated as a member of a global HR team to develop, plan and locally implement all aspects of HR policies and compliance.
In 2017, Elizabeth joined Microbac Laboratories, Inc., in Pittsburgh as Senior V.P. of People and Culture, and eventually became Chief Culture & Customer Success Officer. In these roles she provided leadership in various areas including executive strategy, HR, company culture, customer success, communications, crisis response, and safety. As a key member of Microbac’s Senior Executive Team, Elizabeth was involved in strategic business decisions and planning, coaching leaders at all levels on business alignment to company strategy and performance to overall goals, and spearheading change-management planning and execution across the organization. She was also responsible for leading the strategic review, planning, and implementation of all HR functions, as well as developing multi-year plans including cost projections and budget management.
Providing oversight on the company’s culture, Elizabeth created and implemented Microbac’s Employee Resource Council structure to engage employees in key cultural cornerstones: Inclusion and Belonging, Community Relations, Safety, and Wellbeing. She also oversaw annual goal setting and achievements of the councils, led integrated committee meetings to ensure effective partnerships, and developed communication strategies to keep all levels of the organization informed of achievements.
Elizabeth is a graduate of Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, where she earned a B.A. in Organizational Leadership and graduated Magna Cum Laude. She also earned a certificate in Labor Studies and Employment Relations from Penn State University.
In over two decades working in corporate and manufacturing environments, Elizabeth Jones has established herself as proven leader, executive partner, and strategist who leverages her experience and knowledge to drive positive outcomes. A creative, collaborative, results-oriented executive, she has the capacity to identify and implement strategy and priorities in dynamic work environments. She also thrives in creating, aligning, and supporting high-performing cultures to recruit, develop and retain top talent.
Prior to joining Fullsight, Elizabeth began her professional career in 2005 with Pittsburgh-based Nova Chemicals, serving in various roles including Benefits Analyst, Employee Services Representative, and Human Resources(HR) Administrator. In 2010, she joined Talisman Energy USA, Inc. (later acquired by Repsol Oil & Gas USA, LLC) in Warrendale, Pa., as Human Resources Business Partner for the company’s Marcellus Delivery Unit. In this role, she acted as a strategic business partner to the Vice President and leadership team, while partnering with North American and Global Human Resources Centers of Excellence to implement HR programs at the local level. She also served as leader of the Marcellus People & Organization and Building Services teams, where she mentored and developed team members, partnered with senior leaders on HR initiatives, and strategized with leadership at all levels on organizational design to support successful business outcomes. In addition, she participated as a member of a global HR team to develop, plan and locally implement all aspects of HR policies and compliance.
In 2017, Elizabeth joined Microbac Laboratories, Inc., in Pittsburgh as Senior V.P. of People and Culture, and eventually became Chief Culture & Customer Success Officer. In these roles she provided leadership in various areas including executive strategy, HR, company culture, customer success, communications, crisis response, and safety. As a key member of Microbac’s Senior Executive Team, Elizabeth was involved in strategic business decisions and planning, coaching leaders at all levels on business alignment to company strategy and performance to overall goals, and spearheading change-management planning and execution across the organization. She was also responsible for leading the strategic review, planning, and implementation of all HR functions, as well as developing multi-year plans including cost projections and budget management.
Providing oversight on the company’s culture, Elizabeth created and implemented Microbac’s Employee Resource Council structure to engage employees in key cultural cornerstones: Inclusion and Belonging, Community Relations, Safety, and Wellbeing. She also oversaw annual goal setting and achievements of the councils, led integrated committee meetings to ensure effective partnerships, and developed communication strategies to keep all levels of the organization informed of achievements.
Elizabeth is a graduate of Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, where she earned a B.A. in Organizational Leadership and graduated Magna Cum Laude. She also earned a certificate in Labor Studies and Employment Relations from Penn State University.
Chief of Staff
Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Jay Solomond is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Performance Review Institute (PRI). Jay is responsible for leading PRI in modernization and growth/diversification, with a strong focus on understanding the current and future needs of PRI’s stakeholders.
Jay’s experience includes more than 25 years in design, development and manufacturing across multiple industry and military OEM and Tiered suppliers. Prior to joining PRI, Jay served as a Senior Vice President of Product Development and Engineering for Lippert Automotive.
Jay’s commitment to innovation and quality is long-standing and is grounded in global experience. He has established and lead various teams in multiple countries including China, Germany, India, and Mexico. Jay has been a member of various industry consortiums that sought to grow and strengthen industry capabilities and drive common practices. Most recently, as a member of the Detroit-based LIFT (Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow) Consortium, he challenged industry norms related to ductile iron castings and presented innovative techniques to lighten key automotive components.
Critical to innovation and quality is teamwork and Jay brings serious commitment to developing, coaching, and leading diverse teams who are empowered to bring their best efforts forward for a meaningful customer experience.
Jay has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Ceramic (Materials) Science and Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. He also has a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University. He holds four patents where he is the primary inventor.
Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
As Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, Fabian Koark leads SAE Industry Technology Consortia, the consortia entity of the Society of Automotive Engineers. In this role, Fabian leads the effort to identify and mitigate the primary and secondary issues of mobility worldwide.
Prior to his current position, Fabian Koark managed CARIAD’s Center of Expertise for software development. In this position, Fabian developed the software competence in his organization to achieve engineering excellence for automotive software. All members of this center develop automotive software features for charging and energy management for multiple Volkswagen brands.
Before Fabian joined CARIAD SE he was CEO of INVENSITY Inc. in Detroit, Michigan. As a consultant, Fabian executed over 75 engineering and engineering management projects for clients like Daimler, BMW, SAIC, ZF, Bosch, Continental, Lear, AAM and Dräxlmaier - in Germany, the USA and China. He shared his expertise as SAE referent, host, and the author of multiple publications.
Fabian started his professional career after graduating from TU Darmstadt/Germany & UCSB/USA with a Master in Science. In 2011, he established the Center of Excellence for Organizational Change. After spending time in Shanghai China to start INVENSITY’s operation in Asia in 2014, he prepared the further expansion in North America.
As volunteer, Fabian supports the non-profit GAMIC (Global Automotive and Mobility Innovation Challenge) as start-up supporter, coach and judge. To support the development of the City of Detroit, Fabian acts as founding Member of Corktown Historic Development and Beaubien Property Acquisitions.