Wolfgang Bullmer is the Chief Executive Officer of Transonic Combustion. He brings with him over 25 years experience in the automotive sector. He has recently served in leadership positions with BorgWarner as Vice President Advanced Engine Engineering and BorgWarner Morse TEC as VP and General Manager of Engine Products where he spearheaded the introduction of a new cam torque actuated variable cam timing system (winner of 2 PACE awards in 2009). Prior to this, he was with Mann+Hummel GmbH from 1998 to 2003 as VP Sales OEM and VP of its Intake Manifold Business Unit. In this role he led a team which grew the business to the number one position in the world via Advanced Technology, M&A and strategic alliances. Previously from 1986 to 1998, he held multiple positions with increasing responsibility in sales and engineering with Robert Bosch GmbH. Wolfgang has earned B.S. & M.S. Electrical Engineering degrees from the Technical University of Stuttgart and holds several patents.
Management
Chris de Boer – V.P. Research & Development
Chris de Boer serves as VP of Research & Development with Transonic Combustion and brings with him over 30 years of automotive experience. Prior to Transonic Combustion, from 2007 to 2009 he was the Director of Powertrain at Chery Quantum Auto Co., located in China. In 2002 he joined Cosworth Technology Inc. as Director of Powertrain having responsibility for all aspects of Powertrain Engineering. Cosworth Technology was later renamed MAHLE Powertrain in 2005. In 1979 he joined Ricardo Consulting Engineers, Shoreham, UK, as a Development Engineer in the Gasoline Research Department and during a career lasting 23 years held a number of positions culminating in VP of Vehicle Engineering at Ricardo Inc., Detroit Technical Center. He worked in gasoline engine combustion systems research and application, control and calibration, automotive diesel engines and vehicle systems engineering. Prior to joining Ricardo, in 1974, he was appointed as a Research Associate and developed technology in Diesel Fuel Spray Characterization, Holographic Interferometry in Direct Injection Stratified Charge Combustion Systems and Flame Propagation in High Compression Ratio Lean Burn Gasoline Combustion Systems. Chris earned a bachelor of Technology (Honours) Mechanical Engineering from Loughborough University of Technology, UK.
Michael Frick – V.P. Engineering
Michael Frick has over 25 years in automotive engine management systems development. He has held executive functions at Siemens Automotive (now Continental) and Delphi. While at Siemens Automotive, his team developed the firm’s first European Gasoline Direct Injection system which went into production in 2000 (winner of PACE award for Piezo-actuated fuel injector in 2003). Michael also established R&D and production facilities in Pisa, Italy. Prior to joining Transonic, he was at Delphi, where he was the Chief Engineer and lead the development of solenoid based inward and outward opening Gasoline Direct Injection systems in addition to establishing a joint venture for high-pressure fuel pumps. Michael earned a B.S.E.E. from Louisiana State University, a Master of Engineering (Biomedical) from Texas Tech University, and completed Siemens Advanced Management S3 (Internal MBA).
Lutz Lehmann - V.P. Quality & Program Management
Lutz Lehmann holds a Diploma in electrical and mechanical engineering from Hanno Günther FHS in Berlin. He started his career working as an executive in an electronic manufacturing company. In 1997 he founded his own international business-consulting firm in Germany and worked with electronic, construction, publishing, telecommunication, and software companies. After studying business administration and European business culture he came to the USA in 2003, where he helped many European companies to setup their US subsidiaries. After many years of work in the diesel emission control industry, he formed CleanAirTec that designs and manufactures diesel emission control technologies such as diesel particulate filter and SCR-systems to reduce harmful and toxic diesel emissions like particulate matter, gases of nitrogen oxides and others.
Tony Staples – V.P. Operations
Tony Staples was one of Transonic’s initial hires in 2006, bringing 24 years experience in fuel system and component design and manufacturing. Tony most recently managed the engineering of Valves, Pressure Regulators, Fuel Injectors, and other Hydrogen, CNG and Propane fuel system components for Quantum Technologies. Prior to that, Tony held various Engineering, Technical Marketing, and Manufacturing roles for Eaton Corp. Actuator and Sensor Division, and SAGEM Inc. In addition he was a Business Unit Manager at SAGEM, with P&L responsibility for a 3-shift high volume fuel injector manufacturing line, producing an injector on which he had been a key design engineering contributor. Tony earned a B.S.E.E., with a minor in Mechanical Engineering from GMI (now Kettering University) in 1987.