The Novarc team is made up of engineers, software developers, welders and robotic enthusiasts (yes, they exist) with automation and robotic specializations. With extensive experience in the robotics automation industry, we draw inspiration from engineering projects that were previously written off as impossible. Because we’ve worked everywhere from agile startups to enterprise corporations, we believe in innovation, collaboration and making a meaningful impact.
Soroush Karimzadeh
CEO & Co-Founder
Soroush is the CEO and Co-Founder of Novarc Technologies. Soroush has over 15 years of experience in the commercialization and product development of industrial automation, focusing on collaborative robotics, machine vision, machine learning and welding. Soroush holds an MBA in Strategy and Finance from the University of British Columbia and is a professional engineer as well as a CFA charterholder. He holds a Master of Applied Science in electrical engineering from the University of British Columbia and a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Sharif University of Technology.
Sina Firouz
CTO
With 15 years of experience working in technical leadership roles, Sina has made significant contributions to renowned tech companies including Google, Meta (formerly Facebook), Amazon, and Uber. He has a proven track record in building, scaling, and supporting engineering and product teams, successfully delivering impactful products to millions of users. Sina earned a Doctorate degree from Stanford University and a Bachelor's degree from Sharif University, both in Electrical Engineering.
Haley Grewal
CFO
Haley is the Chief Financial Officer of Novarc. Haley has more than 12 years of experience working as a finance executive with early-stage startups to venture-backed scale-ups. Prior to Novarc, he was a founder at Upstation, where he focused on supporting dual-sided marketplaces, Industry 4.0, AgTech and direct-to-consumer startups. Haley holds a BBA in Finance and Accounting from Simon Fraser University and a CA designation from KPMG.
Arash Nejad
CRO
Arash is the Chief Revenue Officer of Novarc. Arash has more than 18 years of experience working in S&P 500 corporations, where he was responsible for global sales and strategic marketing. Prior to joining Novarc, Arash held senior roles at General Electric (GE) and Rockwell Automation. Nejad holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Calgary, an Advanced Executive Training Certificate from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Certificate in Leadership Principles from Harvard Business School.
Jean-Michel Logan
VP Customer Success
Jean-Michel is the Vice President of Customer Success at Novarc. He started his career almost 20 years ago as a machinist in British Columbia. Over the years he returned to school to progressively grow his skill sets and grow as a professional as his interests expanded with his experience. Prior to joining Novarc, Jean-Michel was, amongst other things, Senior Project Manager for a Clean Energy company, in charge of the clean-energy portfolio for a large North American forestry company, maintenance supervisor of a large sawmill, owner and operator of a clothing company, and has provided training and consulting on Project Management skills and processes. Jean-Michel holds a Technologist Diploma from Camosun College, a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Victoria, a Master's in Clean energy Research from the University of British Columbia, and is a registered Project Management Professional and Professional Engineer in British Columbia.
Dave Birkenheuer
VP of Supply Chain and Manufacturing
Dave is the Vice President of Supply Chain and Manufacturing at Novarc. He has 20+ years experience in the High-Tech industry with senior leadership roles in operations and supply chain management. During that time, he has managed the manufacturing and supply chain operations for industrial, medical, military and consumer products in USA, Canada, China, Taiwan and Mexico along with B2B and D2C fulfillment and distribution channels in North America and Europe. Dave has served at large established companies along with helping early-stage companies scale the operations for growth.
Len Zapalowski
Advisor
Len has extensive entrepreneurial success in enterprise software, web infrastructure, robotics, AI, electronics, communications, printing, and clean tech. One of his key strengths is to conceive and implement transformative business, technology, product and marketing strategies. Len has an impressive record in discovering new markets, driving new revenue streams and successfully positioning companies for acquisition. Len held key executive positions as Senior Vice President of CRM Products/CDC Software Corp. (previously Pivotal Corp.), Senior Vice President of Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies, CEO of Mazza Innovation and Executive in Residence at Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre. He’s a team builder with strong global networks in the entrepreneurial, angel and technology communities. Len graduated with a BSc and MSc from Imperial College, London.
Mahyar Asadi
VP Innovation
Mahyar is the Vice President of Innovation at Novarc. Before joining Novarc, Mahyar was the Advanced Engineering Manager at Applus Canada, providing innovation-based services focusing on cyber-manufacturing using computational modeling, machine learning, digital twins, IIoT, and simulation tools for welding production and welded products, including metal additive manufacturing.
Mahyar has a Ph.D. in Computational Weld Mechanics and more than 15 years of experience applying his knowledge to the automotive, aircraft, marine, medical devices, energy, oil & gas, and heavy machinery industries. He holds a Professional Engineering Licence, PMP certificate, IWE designation, ASME FFS, Digital Twins, and Machine Learning Certificates. He is also an adjunct professor in the Materials Department at the University of British Columbia, teaching a signature course on "Welding and Joining of Materials”.
Asadi's portfolio consists of more than 110 publications. He is the recipient of significant awards from IIW, CWB, ASME, and NSERC for innovative work and peer recognition.
Ringo Gonzalez
Director of Welding Innovations
Ringo Gonzalez is the Director of Welding Innovations at Novarc, and the Welding technologist, Welding Consultant, and Welding Instructor at British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). Ringo has worked internationally in diverse fields of welding technology from ship building to aerospace, military and private. He has been welding since 2001, and a Journeyman since 2006. Ringo has an “A” Level certification from Kwantlen university college, and a Provincial Instructor Diploma (PID) from Vancouver Community College (VCC).
Autumn Dhaliwal
VP Human Resources
Autumn brings 18 years of Human Resources experience, working for multinational organizations in various industries including telecommunications, consumer soft and hard goods, and manufacturing. She has worked in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, supporting organizations through change management, cultural transformation, mergers and acquisitions, organizational design, and talent mapping. She’s passionate about fostering an environment in which individuals flourish and has designed and implemented best-in-class talent management and leadership development programs that increase engagement and create high-performance organizations. Autumn holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University and a CPHR designation.
Melissa Bayanzadeh
VP of Marketing
Melissa is the Director of Marketing at Novarc. She started her career as a Chemical Engineer and worked in the pharmaceutical industry for over four years. In 2014, she Co-Founded Pet Remedies Pharmaceuticals, providing medications for animal hospitals in BC. After completing her MBA she pursued a marketing career in software and technology. Prior to Novarc she was the Marketing Manager at Evident Point Software, a leading provider of professional digital publishing solutions worldwide, overseeing brand identity, social media and content strategy, paid media, partnerships, influencers, and events. Melissa has a bachelor’s degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of British Columbia specializing in Marketing and Strategy.
Reza Abdollahi
Emeritus CTO
Reza is the Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder at Novarc. Prior to Novarc, he was the chief engineer at a Vancouver based Robotic welding company, called Roboweld, for 10 years where he designed and built fixed automation and robotic solutions. Prior to Roboweld he was the managing director and chief engineer at Part Mashad where he designed and built automated machineries and equipment for various industries. He is an accomplished mechanical engineer with extensive experience in the full life cycle of the design and manufacturing process. Reza holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in mechanical engineering from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad.
Cassandra Chan
Director of Supply Chain
Cassy is the Director of Supply Chain and Program Manager at Novarc. She started her career at BlackBerry and Contigo Systems in product testing and qualification. Prior to joining Novarc, she was part of Recon Instruments, innovator of the world's first wearable heads-up display for action sports, initially as a Junior Hardware Designer and then moved onto being a manufacturing and product compliance specialist. In 2015, Recon Instruments was acquired by Intel Corporation and Cassy moved onto being the Engineering Program Manager and Product Compliance Specialist, managing manufacturing requirements, production lines, and product compliance of the Recon Jet and accessories. Cassy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Electrical Engineering from the University of British Columbia.
Ahmad Ashoori
Director of Robotics
Ahmad is the Director of Robotics at Novarc. He started his career as an automation engineer developing PLC and HMI programs in automotive industry, and has more than 8 years of experience in design, commissioning, and robot programming. Prior to Novarc, he founded a startup technology company creating a medical device to assess and quantify Parkinson’s disease severity. Ahmad has successfully completed Fanuc robot programming and industrial system electrical design. He is registered as Professional Engineer (P.Eng) and is also a Functional Safety Engineer (TÜV Rheinland). He has a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tehran and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of British Columbia.
Christine Hartmann
Chief of Staff
Christine has over 15 years of HR and operations experience having worked in both small entrepreneurial companies and Fortune 500 corporations. Having started a successful business at 14 years old; she was able to earn Bachelor’s degree in both Business Administration and Strategy and Risk. Christine then moved into Operations Optimization consulting where she worked with a variety of small and large businesses to improve processes and profitability; while completing her MBA. In 2019, she transitioned into leadership development coaching and HR. Her focus at Novarc includes creating a great work culture and helping our Novarcians achieve their goals.
Joel Armstrong
Product Manager
Joel Armstrong graduated from LeTourneau University in December of 1996 with a double major in Welding Engineering Technology and Industrial Management. He earned his MBA from the University of Texas at Tyler in 2002. He has over 20 years of experience in the welding and fabrication industry as a Fabrication Supervisor, Welding Engineer, Project Manager, and Sales Engineer. Joel has been a CWI since 1998 and a Senior CWI since 2016. He's been married to Courtney for 25 years and they have three children, Reagan who is a junior at Dallas Baptist University, Mallory who is a freshman at Howard Payne University and Preston who is a junior at Pine Tree High School in Longview. Joel enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his family.
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