Other HPI Key Personnel
Richard Armstrong - CPA
Richard Armstrong, CPA, serves as Director of Finance for HPI. He joined HPI in November of 2010. He has overall responsibility for all accounting and finance functions of the company. Prior to joining HPI, Richard spent several years as the Vice President of Corporate Development for BMP, LLC focusing primarily on acquisitions, capital management, corporate forecasting and tax planning. Richard served as the Controller for El Dorado Communications and was primarily responsible for supervising the accounting functions and production of the monthly financial statements. Before entering the private industry sector, Richard also spent several years in public accounting with Arthur Anderson LLP and Mann Frankfort Stein & Lipp Advisors Inc. Richard is a proud alumnus of Mississippi State.
Thaddeus Berry - Business Development Manager
Thaddeus Berry is Business Development Manager for HPI and a key member of the HPI team since 2006. Prior to joining the company, he was an officer in the United States Marine Corps, attaining a rank of Major. His occupational specialty was piloting helicopters, but he had several ground duties including Logistics Officer, Assistant Operations Officer, Air Group Future Operations Officer, and Director of Safety and Standardization. During his eleven years in the Marine Corps, he gained deep expertise with gas turbines and various mechanical and electrical systems. The constant travel and challenges complemented the requirements of HPI’s Business Development Team. He has worked on several projects internationally and domestically that have proven HPI’s enhanced capabilities and fast track project philosophy.
Kelly Fels - Financial Controller
Kelly Fels is Financial Controller for HPI. She has over 20 years experience in the accounting field, with the past 10 years having been spent working in the Oil & Gas and Power industries. Ms. Fels joined HPI from Hinz Automation of Denver in February 2007 as Controller, and has since developed and implemented various accounting and control functions that have been integral in cost management throughout the company. Her responsibilities include overseeing the accounting departments in our corporate headquarters in Houston, offices in the UK and Egypt, as well as for HPI Technologies, a consortium of EPC companies to which HPI provides project management and accounting services.
Robert Hopwood – Managing Director, HPI Energy Services Ltd
Robert Hopwood is Managing Director for HPI Energy Services Ltd where he is responsible for HPI Operations in Europe and Offshore North Sea. Mr. Hopwood began his career in the Royal Navy as Marine Engineering Technician. In this role, he specialized in diesel and gas turbine propulsion plant. Being involved in the Type 22 frigate build and sea trails. After 15 years, Service in Royal Navy, Mr. Hopwood was a Commissioning Engineer at European Gas Turbines, Lincoln England. He later joined General Electric Marine & industrial Gas Turbines a as Senior Field Service Representative which evolved to Field Services Leader at GE Power Systems responsible for Offshore Field Service, and Commissioning and Mapping of DLE Aero Engines. As a Marine Engineer Mr. Hopwood has been involved in commissioning and sea trails of propulsion systems for cruise ships for Royal Caribbean International and Cunard.
Mr. Hopwood graduated from GE Power Systems Field Engineering Programme at Power Systems University CTEC Evendale Ohio. He is registered as an Incorporated Engineer with the UK Engineering Council, a member of the Institute of Engineers & Technicians, holds a BTEC HND in Electro Mechanical Engineering from Cornwall College, and a BTEC National Certificate in Marine Engineering.
Eduardo Inciarte - Operations Manager
Eduardo Inciarte is Operations Manager for HPI. He is responsible for the technical and commercial development of the full range of automation solutions of his group and very interested in the professional growth and development of his personnel. Mr. Inciarte obtained 11 years of experience in the area of Steam and Gas Turbines control and electrical systems working for the Venezuelan west state of Zulia electricity Authority (former Enelven). He then moved from Maracaibo to Houston, TX to join Vosper Thornycroft Controls (Formerly Hawker Siddeley Dynamics Engineering) in 1999 where he performed the roles of commissioning engineer and control systems engineer for a vast range of gas turbines. In 2003 Eduardo joined HPI where he has progressed from commissioning engineer, to turbine control systems engineer, then project management. Later he took on commercial responsibilities as the Latin American Business Development Manager, and from there transitioned to his position as Operations Manager in charge of the company’s controls group. Mr. Inciarte holds a B.S. in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from Rafael Urdaneta University (Venezuela) where he later obtained an MBA.
Stephen Jackson - Engineering Manager
Stephen Jackson is the Engineering Manager for HPI with over 20 years experience in the gas turbine controls industry, including design, installation, commissioning and sales. Mr. Jackson is responsible for all aspects of the engineering design and development carried out by HPI, in addition to providing the engineering input in to all sales activities.
He began his work on the nuclear submarine program for Vickers Shipbuilding in the UK, and transitioned into the gas turbine industry at Ruston Gas Turbines. There he rapidly advanced to Principal Controls Engineer within the Rustronic group where he was responsible for the development of controls systems across the Ruston fleet, with emphasis on the GE LM5000 and LM6000 gas turbines. After five years with Ruston’s, Mr. Jackson moved to Hawker Siddeley Dynamics Engineering to broaden his range of gas turbine experience as the company’s Applications Manager, where he was involved in the move away from the ‘black box’ DIGICON® range of controllers, to the use of modern off-the-shelf PLC’s. After a short period with Innovative Controls Systems (ICS), Mr. Jackson joined the HPI team in 2006 where he has played a key role in expanding the company’s portfolio to include steam turbines, reciprocating engines and complete control room modules.
Ray Jilley - Global Director of Sales
Ray Jilley is the Global Director of Sales for HPI. He has over 30 years of experience in the Oil & Gas, and Marine industries and began his career in the European Oil & Gas industry, managing Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) projects. Over the course of 15 years, Mr. Jilley performed various roles from engineering to Site Installation & Commissioning projects worldwide. In 1998 he joined the marine company Vosper Thorneycroft Controls PLC in their UK office, where he was responsible for Offshore/FPSO Sales & Marketing. Charged with developing the company’s new offshore business group, in 1999 he was transferred to the VT Controls Houston operation and continued his work in the offshore industry, securing many projects with major Oil companies. In 2002 he Joined Petrotech, Inc. of New Orleans as Director of Sales and then became VP of Sales & Marketing, developing new customers around the world and winning many millions of dollars of new projects. In 2009 Mr. Jilley joined HPI, rejoining some of his old colleagues that had also worked at VT Controls. At HPI he has helped to develop the company’s business in the gas pipeline transmission and the nuclear power industry for emergency generation retrofits. Mr. Jilley is also expanding the naval marine market where HPI has a strong and growing presence. He holds a BSc in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from Swansea University in the United Kingdom.
Christian Bech Jensen - DCS Manager
Christian Jensen is senior controls engineer, project manager, and DCS Manager for HPI. He began his career with Vosper Thornycroft Controls in the UK as a control system engineer and within a year was transferred to the turbine division in Houston. Following the close of Vosper Thornycroft Controls in 2003, Mr. Jensen worked in the well service industry as a controls engineer for Stewart and Stevenson. He later returned to working with gas turbines for BTEC in 2005 and then joined HPI in 2006. Mr. Jenson graduated with an M.Sc.EE. from Aalborg University (Denmark) and is a member of IEEE and ISA.
Tom Levitz - Director of Special Projects
Tom Levitz is Director of Special Projects for HPI and has over 20 years experience in the Construction and Electrical industry. He has managed over two dozen high visibility commercial and industrial projects with large capital costs up to $500M and political impact in environmentally sensitive sites. His organizational skills and knowledge of site requirements are crucial in the long term project planning as well as the day to day execution of the activities of HPI’s operations. Mr. Levitz holds a state of Florida Certified Unlimited Electrical license, and an MBA from Rice University in Houston, TX.
Martin Marsh – Mechanical Operations Manager
Martin Marsh is the Mechanical Operations Manager for HPI and also a Project Manager for the controls division. He also remains an integral component to the controls manufacturing and site installation side of HPI’s business. Mr. Marsh began his career training with the Portsmouth Royal Naval Base as an electrical fitter apprentice, where he was taught hand tools, lathes, milling, electrical and electronic theory, installation of motors, armatures, stators, starters, switchgear and controls. Mr. Marsh holds a BTec in Electrical Engineering. Mr. Marsh installed control systems on Royal Navy vessels and later became an Electrical Supervisor for British Rail. In this position, Mr. Marsh became a health and safety representative and was trained as an asbestos technician, to remove all asbestos from the fleet of 300 carriages. In 1988, Mr. Marsh joined Vosper Thornycroft Controls (VT Controls) as a leading hand electrical fitter, supervising the manufacture and installation of switchgear and control systems. He joined the estimating department working on bidding and pricing for equipment on Ministry of Defence projects. In 1994, VT Controls acquired Hawker Siddeley Dynamics Engineering and Mr. Marsh transitioned into the gas turbine side of the business. He achieved a BSc in Industrial Technology and has been with HPI since it was founded in 2002.
Juanita Perez - Human Resource Manager
Juanita Perez joined HPI in June of 2003. Her responsibilities include overseeing all business administration and human resource activities, including: payroll, human resources, and employee benefits. She is also responsible for developing and implementing policies and procedures and is a key member of the corporate management team. Previous to joining HPI, Ms. Perez worked at two other firms, Nautronix, Inc and Vosper Thornycroft Controls. Her deep experience in HR has had an immediate impact on HPI's operations. Ms. Perez holds a BBA from the University of Houston.
Lillie Rivera - Purchasing /Shipping & Receiving Manager
Lillie Rivera is the Purchasing/Shipping & Receiving Manager for HPI. She joined HPI in 2003 and has facilitated the wiring, shipping of control panels, receiving of material and supporting the Engineering team. Ms. Rivera has 31 years of experience in control systems and has held positions at Mark Products, SIE, ISC, Superior Applied Products, Dresser Rand Controls Systems, Hawker Siddeley Dynamics Engineering and Vosper Thornycroft Control. Her experience includes Electronic Assembler for building cables, PC boards and transformers; Technical Lead for control wiring in power control rooms, turbo machinery controls, switch gear, motor control, gas & steam turbines and retrofit control systems. Ms. Rivera has completed training for Malcolm Baldrige Self-Assessment Qualification, Total Quality Awareness, and Total Quality Phase II, which focuses on Total Customer Satisfaction, Quality Tools for Work Process Improvement, Control Systems Basics Wiring, and Basic Soldering and Repair. She has also received awards for Total Quality Contribution resulting in improved Customer Satisfaction, Certified Control System Assembler and Layout Specialist.
Fady Yassin - Regional Manager for HPI Middle East
Fady Yassin is the Regional Manager for HPI Middle East. Mr. Yassin, an Egyptian native, joined HPI in 2008 and is responsible for commercial activities and projects in the region. Since leading HPI in the Middle East, the company’s business in the region has grown dramatically, from providing turbine control systems to turnkey power plant design and construction. He has several years of experience managing large projects and is fluent in Arabic and English. Mr. Yassin holds a BSc in Engineering and Project Management.