Our Team
Leadership Team
Mike has 47 years of professional experience in the fields of aerospace, vehicle electrification, and renewable energy. For the past 30 years, he has been a serial entrepreneur and leader in development of new power generation and vehicle propulsion technologies using batteries, fuel cells, and advanced power conversion and control technologies.
Mike was the principal founder, President, and CEO of Transportation Power, Inc. (“TransPower”) from 2010 until its acquisition by Meritor in January 2020. TransPower helped pave the way for many of today’s electric truck companies by becoming one of the first companies to demonstrate that battery-electric and fuel cell propulsion can meet the performance requirements of even the heaviest Class 8 trucks. As a Meritor subsidiary, TransPower remains a powerful force in the EV industry and its advanced electric drive control architecture is a key element of RockeTruck’s product offering. Prior to founding TransPower, Mike was a co-founder and Co-CEO of ISE Corp., a pioneer in developing hybrid-electric drive systems for transit buses, and before ISE, Mike spent nearly two decades as an aerospace engineer and project manager with NASA and General Dynamics. Mike received his Master’s Degree in Engineering from Stanford University, following a multi-disciplinary undergraduate program (also at Stanford) combining Engineering, Economics, and Political Science.
During a professional career spanning more than 60 years, Paul has established himself as a luminary in several fields, most recently as one of the world’s foremost experts on the integration of batteries and fuel cell systems into heavy-duty trucks and buses, as well as portable power generation systems. While at ISE Corp. from the late 1990s to 2010, Paul led the development of several generations of fuel cell-powered transit buses, resulting in some of the world’s largest and most successful fuel cell transit bus fleets. From 2010 to 2020, Paul led TransPower’s development of fuel cell drive systems for trucks, resulting in the largest fleet of fuel cell-powered Class 8 trucks in North America. Earlier in this career, Paul taught at MIT and the University of Southern California, and was an early pioneer in development of rocket propulsion and guidance technology. Paul received his Dr. of Science, Master’s, and Bachelor’s degrees in Aerospace Engineering from MIT.
Jurgen has 28 years’ experience in electrical and electromechanical engineering, program management, and executive management, focused mainly on the development of power-generating systems utilizing fuel cells and/or batteries.
Jurgen joined RockeTruck as its Chief Engineer in October 2022, in which capacity he has supported the development and manufacturing of prototype MFCG systems and advised the CEO on the development of the Company’s long-range technology roadmap. Jurgen was the originator of the “MFCG Mini” concept, which expands the commercial potential of the MFCG product by significantly reducing its size and cost.
In the 14 years prior to joining RockeTruck, Jurgen held senior engineering positions at numerous industry-leading organizations, including BAE Systems, Voith Turbo, SpaceX, TuSimple, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. As a Senior Principal Systems Engineer at BAE Systems from 2008-2012, Jurgen played a key role in transitioning BAE System’s “Hybridrive” hybrid propulsion system into low-rate production for use in transit buses. Before joining BAE Systems, Jurgen worked with Mike Simon and Paul Scott at ISE Corporation for 12 years, starting as an entry-level engineer and progressing to the position of the Company’s Chief Engineer. During this period, Jurgen led or significantly contributed to the development of numerous electric, hybrid-electric, and fuel cell-based propulsion systems for large vehicles, and played a key role in the transition of several of these products including fuel cell-battery propulsion systems to low-volume manufacturing.
Prior to joining ISE, Jurgen earned his Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Applied Sciences in Aachen, Germany. His early work experience included a tour of duty at RWE A.G., one of Germany’s largest power utility companies.
George has 48 years’ professional experience related to high-power electrical systems, with a focus on power electronics and utility switchgear. Prior to joining RockeTruck in mid-2023, George worked as an engineer and engineering manager at General Atomics (GA) for 34 years, up until his retirement in July 2022. During his last 15 years at GA, George was an Engineering Manager and Technical Advisor at GA’s rapidly-growing Electromagnetic Systems Division, in which capacity he designed multi-megawatt power converters for a variety of specialized applications. Prior to this, he was a Principal Engineer in GA’s Power Inverters group, in which capacity he designed and built megawatt-class inverters for use in large electrically-powered mining vehicles.
Before joining GA in 1988, George was a Technical Group Leader for nine years at Maxwell Laboratories, where he developed advanced devices such as electron beam power supplies for isotope separation and pulse energization systems for electrostatic precipitators.
George began his professional career at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in 1976, where he spent three years after earning his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas, Austin.
Ameya Jathar has been working in the field of Smart Energy Management over the last 22 years through his involvement in Electric Vehicle, Stationary Battery, and Gas Turbine industries. His expertise lies in the field of electromechanical and controls engineering. Over the last 10 years, he has led teams through multiple product stages, including product definition, business model creation, product development and validation, production launch and production parts approval processes (PPAP), and aftermarket service and support. He has achieved multiple product launches while going through two acquisitions—TransPower by Meritor and then Meritor by Cummins. He was also responsible for developing the Advanced Product Quality Process (APQP) and establishing engineering and quality standards at TransPower, and then merging these standards with Meritor and Cummins standards. Before joining TransPower, Ameya worked as a Powertrain Controls Manager with Tata Consultancy Services and as a Test Engineer for gas turbine engines at Hamilton Sundstrand. Ameya holds a Master’s Degree in Engineering from San Diego State University.
Cindy joined RockeTruck in 2023 after a 32 year career in Human Resources that included Talent Acquisition and Planning, Benefit Structuring and Administration, Employee Relations and Training. She started her HR career at Computer Sciences Corporation, a worldwide contractor with a business mix of health, civil, defense and intel work. There she spent over 25 years supporting employees in the United States and many international locations including Japan, Korea, Bahrain, and Italy. Cindy held a security clearance while working with employees on high clearance projects. She served one year as the Legislative Affairs Committee Chairperson for the San Diego Industry Liaison Group. Cindy gave presentations at forums and participated in panel discussions for groups such as Military Spouse Association, San Diego Chamber of Commerce Defense Contractors and the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association. She taught Wounded Warriors at San Diego’s Balboa Hospital, how to transfer Military service into skills for civilian work. After CSC merged with RSA and became CSRA she moved to Transportation Power, Inc. a developer of energy related products. There she was the HR Manager from 2016 to 2020 until Meritor, a supplier of electrification technologies, acquired the company. Then she became the Meritor Escondido HR Manager for two years. Helping transition the TransPower employees into the Meritor systems before moving on to another HR role. Cindy studied law at Fort Hays State University before transferring to San Diego State University, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. This was followed by a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management from National University.
Engineering Support Team
Jerrett brings over a decade of specialized experience in the intersection of automotive and renewable energy technologies. In 2024, he joined RockeTruck as a Systems & Controls Engineer, where he plays a pivotal role in advancing the company’s MFCG projects. His contributions in this role support critical engineering initiatives, reinforcing RockeTruck’s position as a leader in sustainable solutions.
Before joining RockeTruck, Jerrett spent 10 transformative years at TransPower, beginning in 2014. Initially brought on as a technician, he played a key role in the integration of electric and fuel cell drive systems for Class 8 trucks. His technical expertise extended to building energy storage cabinets for the New York City subway system and serving as the lead technician in the production of the company’s inverters. Demonstrating exceptional leadership and technical proficiency, Jerrett was promoted to Foreman of the manufacturing department and soon after he was promoted to production planner for electrical harness manufacturing.
While pursuing his academic studies, Jerrett further showcased his technical acumen by contributing to TransPower’s data science department, developing software tools that allowed stakeholders to analyze complex vehicle data through a custom-built dashboard. Jerrett holds an Associate of Science in Automotive Technology from Universal Technical Institute and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from California State University, Monterey Bay.
Jesus has 12 years’ experience in electromechanical product design and project engineering, focused mainly on developing zero emission technologies. Jesus joined Rocketruck as Mechanical Design Engineer in September 2024, in which capacity he has supported the development and manufacturing of prototype Inverters. Jesus turned concepts into manufacturable assemblies, which allowed for product validation. Prior to joining Rocketruck, Jesus held multiple lead engineer positions in both prototype and production environments for electronics packaging design, in organizations including Accelera, Cummins, Meritor and Transpower. Jesus holds a Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Design Engineering and Associate’s degree in drafting.
Abir joined RockeTruck as a summer intern and quickly rose to lead the development of the 2.0 version of the company’s website. As project lead, he spearheaded a redesign using React and Next.js, significantly improving user engagement and aligning the site with RockeTruck’s energy initiatives. His work played a key role in enhancing the company’s online presence, ensuring the platform reflected RockeTruck’s forward-thinking approach in the renewable energy sector. After his internship, Abir was retained by RockeTruck in a long-term role, continuing to drive digital solutions for the company. Before RockeTruck, he gained technical expertise at NASA/California Space Grant in 2020, where he engineered a mechanical rover using a Raspberry Pi 4 microcomputer, integrating autonomous movement and data retrieval. Abir holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from California State University, San Marcos. His blend of education and hands-on experience at NASA and RockeTruck positions him as a versatile developer with a broad skill set.
Technical and Business Advisors
Bob has nearly a half-century of experience in the trucking industry, starting as a truck driver and evolving into one of the world’s most visionary truck designers. Bob has been designing, manufacturing, testing, and operating trucks using advanced aerodynamic, fuel efficient designs since 1983. His most recent creation is the “StarShip” Class 8 truck, designed by Bob’s company Air Flow Truck Company under contract to a global oil company in 2015-2019. The StarShip truck body and cab design, whose aerodynamic features can reduce energy consumption by more than a third, is the basis for the RockeTruck design.
John has 60+ years’ experience related to automotive design and manufacturing. He is currently a consultant providing advice and design services to various clients and is supporting RockeTruck. Prior to establishing his consulting practice, John worked for General Motors for 39 years, where, among other things, he directed the overall design of the EV-1, GM’s first electric car to enter real-world use. From 1978 to 1982, John was Chief Designer for the GM “World of Motion” attraction at EPCOT Center.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, John served as chief interior designer directly supporting John Delorean, creating classic interiors for the Trans Am and Grand Prix.
Jayson has 20+ years’ experience related to hydrogen and fuel cell power systems. Jayson held positions of increasing responsibility at ISE Corporation from 2002 to 2010, starting as a field engineer responsible for maintaining fleets of fuel cell transit buses, progressing to senior project engineer and then program manager. While at ISE, Jayson managed multiple cutting-edge hybrid bus development and production projects, including a multimillion-dollar fuel cell bus project.
Following a 2-year break to pursue his MBA from 2010 to 2012, Jayson has spent most of the past 11 years as a consultant. From 2015 to 2018, Jayson founded and managed Ignite Northwest, a technology-focused business accelerator that helped companies in the Inland Northwest grow to create sustained economic impact. Ignite assisted 73 companies whose activities in the region created nearly 600 new jobs.
From 2018 to 2020, he consulted for Transportation Power, Inc. (“TransPower”), supporting the development of fuel cell-powered trucks and the transition of battery-electric propulsion systems to low-volume manufacturing.
From November 2021 to February 2023, Jayson consulted for Monolith, developing the go-to-market strategy for its clean hydrogen technology. For the past two years, he has consulted for RockeTruck, assisting in planning for the transition of its Mobile Fuel Cell Generator to low-volume manufacturing.
Join Our Newsletter
for updates on our products
