Executive Bios

Patrick J. Wheeler, President and CEO
Mr. Wheeler was appointed President and CEO in August, 2005.  He joined Vermont Composites as a Director in 1997.  Mr. Wheeler is an experienced CEO and entrepreneur. His industry experience includes specialty materials companies and manufacturing, where he has been CEO for, start-up, turn-around and growth by acquisition businesses. Earlier in his career he was Vice President, Finance, for Aeneas Venture Capital Group, Harvard University’s $1.5 billion Venture Capital Fund. Prior to Aeneas he held several positions with a Fortune 500 company, Dennison Manufacturing Company as Director of Mergers Acquisitions, Corporate Finance Director, SEC Reporting Manager, and Internal Audit Director. Earlier in his career he assisted Hygeia Sciences, a biotech startup in negotiations with Tambrands that lead to the launch of the First Response Pregnancy and Fertility tests. He was part of the team that later took Hygeia Sciences Public. He began his business career at Arthur Andersen and Coopers & Lybrand and where he earned his CPA. He received a B.S. in Accounting, Magna Cum Laude from Bentley College in Boston.

Jim Sharkey, Executive Vice President and General Manager
Jim was appointed General Manager in March of 2005 and has been with the company since 1994 in the roles of Program Manger and more recently Engineering Manager.  He was previously with the then parent company of Courtaulds Aerospace in England beginning in 1987 and prior to that with British Aerospace at Filton near Bristol.  He is experienced in composites design and analysis and has managed many programs as well as engineering departments in both the UK and USA.  Jim has a Higher National Diploma (with Honors) in Mechanical Engineering, a Master’s degree in Aircraft Design from the Cranfield Institute of Technology, an MBA and is a Chartered Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineer registered with the Engineering Council in the UK.

Mark Schmitz, Vice President - Engineering
Mark joined the company in 2006 with 27 years of aerospace experience in engineering, manufacturing, tooling and program management. Mark’s most recent previous position was that of Director and General Manager of multi-site engineering development centers for an international aerospace company. His composites aerospace experience includes airframe, control surfaces, interiors, nacelles and engine components.  In addition to extensive autoclave cured composites design, manufacturing, and testing experience, Mark also is well versed in “out of autoclave” composite design and fabrication techniques including RTM, VARTM, and RFI. Mark earned a BS degree in Industrial Technology from the University of Wisconsin - Stout in Menomonie, Wisconsin.   Additional Mechanical Engineering courses were taken at Cogswell College in North Kirkland, Washington.

Bill Berg, Senior Vice President – Aerospace & Defense
Bill has been with the company since 1988.  He holds both a B.S. and an M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY. He also is a licensed Professional Engineer.  Bill joined VCI as a Project Engineer and Program Manager and then was Engineering Manager for several years prior his present position managing the Aerospace and Defense segment of the company.   Prior to joining VCI, Bill work for 10 years at General Dynamics Fort Worth Division in Fort Worth, TX in the area of advanced composite structures applications on high performance military aircraft.  At General Dynamics, his initial work was on the design, analysis and development of composite wing skins for the F-16XL demonstrator aircraft. He also worked on numerous research and development programs in the field of composites and later on the General Dynamics/ McDonnell Douglas Advanced Tactical Aircraft program.

Garth Kenyon, Senior Vice President – Sales & Marketing Medical Products
Garth joined the Company in 1981as Production Manager, responsible for production scheduling, inventory control and purchasing. In 1989 Garth assumed the position of Medical Business Manager, responsible for all medical sales and related marketing functions. In this position he has been responsible for the growth and profitability of the medical business segment, doubling the Company’s medical business to $4.8 million in 1997. In 1996 Garth participated in the management buyout of the Company, becoming an owner and assuming the position of Vice President, with primary responsibility for the Company’s manufacturing operations and Medical Products business.  In 2007, Garth was appointed to his current role.  Garth received his B.A. in Physics from State University of New York, College of Arts and Sciences in Plattsburgh, N.Y.

David Owen, Vice President - European Sales and Business Development
David was appointed Vice President of European Sales and Business Development in September 2009. His extensive background in advanced composites over the last 27 years has included senior roles in engineering, manufacturing, sales and business development.  David joined Vermont Composites from Hexcel Corp., where as Regional Sales Manager he led sales of Hexcel’s composite raw materials throughout Northern Europe.  Prior to Hexcel, David was a Director of St. Bernard Composites Ltd. where he was responsible for running two factories in the south of England.  David was previously with Courtaulds Aerospace (a former sister company of VCI) where he managed the Project Engineering Department having joined from the Research and Development group of Lucas Industries.  David obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Materials Engineering from Loughborough University, UK and his Master of Science degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from the University of Warwick, UK.  David is a Chartered Materials Engineer registered with the Engineering Council in the UK and is a member of the Institute of Materials, the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and SAMPE.

Dave Pelletier, Vice President of Operations
Dave joined Vermont Composites in 2010 with over 30 years of manufacturing management experience. His areas of responsibility include Manufacturing, Manufacturing Support, Purchasing and Health and Safety. Before joining VCI, Dave had been employed at Questech Metals Corporation, Rutland, Vermont as Operations Manager and V.P. Engineering and Advanced Technology. During the past 10 years, Dave has worked closely with VMEC (Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center) implementing LEAN manufacturing techniques. Earlier in his career, Dave owned his own metal processing and finishing business. He graduated from Bryant College with a degree in Business Management.

Ken Questad, Chief Financial Officer
Ken joined Vermont Composites in 2005 and previously held the position of COO/CFO of Global Timber Products, Ltd. in Lebanon, NH.  Prior to Global Timber, Ken spent over 20 years in manufacturing and consumer products companies including CFO of Susan Bristol, Inc in Boston, Senior VP of Finance and Operations of Tumi Luggage, and various divisional and corporate assignments with Gulf & Western Industries in New York, Maryland and Pennsylvania.  Earlier, Ken was a manager for the national public accounting firm, KPMG in Lansing Michigan.  Ken is a licensed CPA and holds a BBA degree in Accounting from Western Michigan University.