Leadership Team
NEO Tech’s leadership team brings incredibly diverse backgrounds and experiences to the table.
Aerospace & Defense Microelectronics Leadership Team
For more information about NEO Tech capabilities, please contact us below
Laura Reames
VP of Human Resources
Laura joined NEOTech in October, 2019 as Vice President of Human Resources, with the devotion to building robust employee engagement programs focusing on team collaboration, strengths based coaching, and leadership development initiatives, while also prioritizing employees enjoy what they do. Laura has over 20 years of experience in HR in various industries including Medical Device and Healthcare, and most recently in Aerospace and Defense where she was responsible for managing Security, driving corporate EH&S policy, and Trade Compliance.
Laura’s career started as a Regional HR Manager with PharMerica Drug System for several years, then advanced to the role of Human Resources Director for Delkin Devices, Inc. Prior to joining NEOTech, Laura was the Director of Human Resources and Compliance for II-VI Aerospace & Defense (formally Optical Systems), where she established herself as a focused business leader with a diverse HR background, a strong business acumen, and experience in all aspects of people management. She holds a Masters of Arts in Leadership and Organizational Studies from Azusa Pacific University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix.
Sudesh Arora
Chairman and Chief Executive Office
Sudesh, President and Chief Executive Officer, obtained his Bachelor’s degree with Honors in Electrical Engineering from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay – as one of a select 5% awarded a Merit Scholarship. He holds a Master’s Degree (MSEE) and is a member of MENSA.
After obtaining his MSEE from Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, Sudesh worked for Gulf Research and Development Company, where he was granted design patents and went on to develop a sophisticated sulfur analyzer which won the company the coveted IR-100 Award from Industrial Research magazine as one of the 100 most significant developments of the year. This was Gulf’s first IR-100 award in more than 20 years.
Sudesh founded NATEL Engineering Company, Inc. in 1975. Through his expertise, the company became a leader in design, development and manufacturing of complex, high-end electronic, microelectronic and synchro conversion products. He led NATEL through several synergistic acquisitions that moved the company into new products and packaging technologies. His leadership led to NATEL being awarded the Raytheon Microelectronics Outsource contracts as well as the US Small Business Administration’s Regional Subcontractor of the Year Award for 2003. He led the company through the successful acquisition of EPIC technologies in 2013, and the later merger with OnCore Manufacturing in 2015 and the re-branding of the company to NEO Tech.
Early Childhood
Sudesh, the second eldest of four siblings, was born in Sheikhupura, India, which would become part of Pakistan when Pakistan was created. He and his family migrated to the Indian side during the violent and tumultuous partition of India and Pakistan. During his early childhood, Sudesh and his family lived in refugee camps and then in a room without running water or electricity. During this time Sudesh suffered from the illnesses of poverty and overcrowding, including smallpox. His family settled in Delhi and over time his father developed a business in the paper industry and eventually found financial success. From an early age, Sudesh enjoyed reading and learning. Despite his mother having received only 6 months of formal education herself, she was an important advocate for her children’s education. All four children achieved at least a bachelors, one obtained a doctorate degree and two others obtained masters degrees.
Education
Sudesh was one of a select 5% awarded a merit scholarship to Bombay India Institute of Technology (view the 60 Minutes special about IIT). He earned a bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT and his Masters Degree (MSEE) from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
Early Career
Sudesh worked for Gulf Research and Development Company, where he was granted design patent and went on to develop a sophisticated sulfur analyzer which won the company the coveted IR-100 Award from Industrial Research magazine as one of the 100 most significant developments of the year. This was Gulf’s first IR-100 award in more than 20 years.
In 1968, Sudesh relocated to California where he worked for a short period at the company that would eventually be known as NEO Tech. He saved his money and went to work building his own business much like his father had done.
Career – Natel 1975 to 2000
In 1975, Sudesh, along with William Scharf, bought Natel out of bankruptcy and created a new business.
In 1981, Sudesh bought out his partners’ shares to become sole owner. Through his expertise, the company became a leader in design, development and manufacturing of complex, high-end electronic, microelectronic and synchro conversion products. He implemented a sales team to sell Natel standard products throughout the world.
In the late 1980s, the Department of Justice began an investigation after an employee accused Natel of falsifying test data. After nearly 6 years of scrutiny, the DOJ could not find fault, but by that point millions of dollars of business left Natel to avoid the negative publicity. In 1993, Sudesh had to enter a guilty plea to end the investigation and start rebuilding his business.
His efforts to grow were hampered again in 1994 when a significant earthquake devastated his business. Once again, Sudesh focused on rebuilding and began shipping parts within 3 weeks using temporary facilities.
The 1990s were not only notable for struggles. Sudesh led Natel through several synergistic acquisitions that moved the company into new products and packaging technologies. He also wisely mitigated risks against the wireless boom and bust that afflicted so many other microelectronics companies.
Career – Natel 2000 to 2013
In 2000, Sudesh’s leadership led to Natel being awarded the Raytheon Microelectronics Outsource contracts. He pivoted Natel away from standard products and towards contract manufacturing. In 2003, based on the success of the 2000 divestiture, Raytheon nominated NEO Tech and Sudesh for the US Small Business Administration’s Regional Subcontractor of the Year Award.
In 2007, Sudesh spearheaded the acquisition of Raytheon divested equipment and related assets associated with the manufacturing of certain microwave integrated circuits (MICs) from the Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) unit of Raytheon Company (located in El Segundo, California). The MICs are used in SAS Tactical Radar and Electronic Warfare products. Concurrent with the acquisition, Natel and Raytheon entered into a long term exclusive supplier agreement for the MICs as well as a preferred supplier agreement for related MICs. The agreement is a positive development for both parties, with SAS divesting a non-core product and Natel strengthening its position as a RF/Microwave manufacturer.
Career – Natel 2013 to NEO Tech 2015
In October 2013, when most people in their late 60s would consider retiring, Sudesh decided to roll the dice and buy a company nearly three times larger than Natel at the time. The acquisition of EPIC Technologies placed the business among Tier 2 EMS providers and complemented the existing microelectronics business. In April 2015, Sudesh continued to build the company by purchasing OnCore Manufacturing, doubling the business again. It was at this point that the company became NEO Tech.
Career – NEO Tech 2015 to Present
Sudesh has been enjoying the integration process and pushing the business to new levels.
Many innovative capabilities have been added to NEO Tech’s product line during Sudesh’s tenure, and comprehensive management controls have been implemented. The success of these changes has been illustrated by the company’s continuous, profitable growth and recognition as a formidable, world-class microelectronics manufacturing company.
Charitable Work & Personal Life
In 2006, he donated the NEO Tech’s Simi Valley building to California Community Foundation (CCF).
Sudesh serves on the National Board of Directors of Pratham USA, the largest educational NGO in India, with a goal of ensuring that every child in India receives a quality education. He first became involved with the organization in 2005, and has been an active in shaping their growth and vision. As a part of his involvement, he has donated heavily to the construction of schools, including DIL Kaisera School for Girls in Mandianwala, Pakistan, which is named after his mother, as well as the Pratham Arora Center for Education (PACE) Vocational Training Centers in six Indian cities: Aurangabad, Latur, Bapatla, Bhopal, Ralegaon, and Pilani. His vision is to boost literacy among the poor and then create more than one million jobs globally for people to apply their education.
In 2009, Sudesh gave rent-free operation in Chatsworth, CA, to the Jennifer Diamond Cancer Foundation, which the foundation used to open a 15,000-square-foot facility to offer information, support groups and other programs for cancer patients and their families, as well as a video production facility and television studio.
Sudesh is a member of MENSA and enjoys spending time with his family, building his business, sailing, and wine (in that order).
Kunal Sharma
President Microelectronics and Chief Operating Officer
Kunal has over a decade of manufacturing and operations leadership experience in the automotive, semi-conductor, aerospace, and defense industries. Currently, Kunal’s focus is on applying lean methodologies and eliminating waste throughout NEO Tech’s Value Stream. His career started as a Manufacturing Engineer at Toyota (NUMMI) and Kavlico, and earlier at at Danaher and Rexnord. Kunal used his lean manufacturing knowledge to successfully lead multiple manufacturing and business process Kaizen events resulting in substantial improvements in OTD, yields, and reduction of inventory. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in Industrial Technology.
Magdy Henry
Vice President – Supply Chain
Magdy joined NEO Tech in October 2010 with more than 20 years experience in supply chain management. He has worked in a variety of industries including aerospace, automotive and pharmaceuticals most recently with Tyco Electronics Harman Becker Automotive. Magdy holds three distinguished certifications in the area of Supply Chain Management – Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) and Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) from The Association for Operations Management (APICS); and Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) from the Institute of Supply Management (ISM). He holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree from Ain- Shams University in Cairo, Egypt.
David Martin
Chief Financial Officer
David joined the NEO Tech organization in June 2019 as Chief Financial Officer. He has previously served as CFO for Dimensional Fund Advisors, LP, Janus Capital Group, Inc., Roundtree Markets, Inc. and for the Texas Bank Region and National Retail Function of First Interstate Bank of Texas, N.A. He brings over 30 years of experience to the position. Mr. Martin has an M.B.A in Finance from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.S. in Mathematical Sciences from Stanford University.
Victor Yamauchi
Vice President
Quality and Continuous Improvement
Victor joined NEO Tech in November 2013 as Vice President of Continuous Improvement, with a focus on lean implementation and training to meet business needs. Prior to joining NEO Tech, he spent nine years at Amgen in the biotech industry working with various functions such as bulk/fill finish manufacturing (Clinical and Commerical), quality, business units, and supply chain/warehouse operations. Victor established the Supplier Relationship Excellence initiative to improve relationships with suppliers by conducting process improvements together. Victor attended California State University, Northridge, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering.
James Angeloni
Chief Operating Officer – Aerospace and Defense Operations
Jim joined NEO Tech in October of 1982, and was Vice President of Manufacturing Services until early 2012, when he was named COO. Jim has been instrumental in the development of the “Auto Line” a highly automated production system at NEO Tech and oversaw the development of our entire microelectronics production facility. Jim has published many papers in the microelectronics field and is a recognized expert in the field of microelectronic assembly. He is a charter 30-year member of the International Microelectronics and Packaging Society (IMAPS). Earlier, Jim has held a variety of engineering and manufacturing management posts with companies including McDonnell Douglas, General Automation, Gaiser Tool Co, and Laserdyne Corporation.
Dr. Prakash Bhartia
Engineering Fellow
Dr. Prakash Bhartia graduated with a B.Tech (Hons) from the IIT Bombay and obtained his MSc and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Manitoba (Canada). He served as an Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Engineering at the University of Regina, Saskatchewan. Over a 25 year career in the Canadian Department of Defense, he held four Director level positions and over the past ten years, served as Director General of the Defense R&D Laboratories in Halifax and Ottawa. Dr. Bhartia has published extensively, with over 200 publications, 9 books and 5 patents to his credit. He has also served on many boards and senior level committees in Canada and internationally.
Jay Klug
Vice President, Contracts / Customer Relations / Security Director
Jay serves as Contracts Officer and Program Manager for various customer and government contracts, and has intimate knowledge of MIL-PRF-38534, MIL-PRF-19500, MIL-STD-883 and ISO 9000 for both Class H (military) and Class K (Space). In 2000, during the Raytheon hybrid transition (Quincy, MA and Tucson, AZ to Chatsworth, CA), Jay was responsible for the transfer of equipment and knowledge for all test and hybrid screening operations. Prior to the acquisition of the Raytheon hybrid business by NEO Tech, Jay was Operations Manager for high-reliability Space and Military Products at the NEO Tech Simi Valley facility. In this position he was responsible for all operations at this facility.
John Lowrey
Chief Administrative Officer
John has more than 30 years of progressive corporate finance and accounting experience, with over twenty years in the electronics manufacturing industry, and has been with NEO Tech since 1995. His background includes financial reporting and budgeting, cost accounting, IS administration, cash management, banking relations, tax planning, property and group insurance administration, as well as project management. John’s earlier experience includes international operations; leading the evaluation and negotiation of an acquisition and merger of operations; negotiations of lines of credit and equipment leases; installing a fully-integrated finance, manufacturing and distribution software system; and implementing an MRP system.
David Brakenwagen
President EMS Business and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer
David has over 20 years of senior sales and marketing management experience in electronics, contract manufacturing and industrial OEMs. Prior to NEO Tech David held several sales and marketing executive leadership positions including SVP at a leading regional cable solutions provider; VP at Epic Technologies and VP of the Industrial business unit at Solectron where he grew the business from $250M to over $1 billion. David has deep experience in creating valued products and services into targeted markets and strong leadership skills. David holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) and a Master In Business Administration (MBA) degree from Western New England University.
