Steven Koles - President & Chief Executive Officer
Prior to joining Hemisphere GPS in September 2006, Steve was most recently Vice President and General Manager at AOL Canada Inc. where he led the Internet Services Business in Canada including the AOL, Netscape, and Compuserve portfolios. Prior to AOL Canada, Steve has also held executive management positions at R4 Management Group, Windypoint Capital, Group Telecom, and TELUS Corporation. In addition, he has served on boards and in advisory capacities with such organizations as Route1 Inc., the Canadian Association of Internet Providers, and WURCnet/Netera Alliance. He is a graduate from the Faculty of Management at the University of Alberta, and the Executive Management Program at the University of Western Ontario’s Richard Ivey School of Business.
Cameron Olson - Senior VP & Chief Financial Officer
Before joining Hemisphere GPS in May 2000, Cam held senior positions as the Director of Treasury and the Director of Marketing Financial Services with PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd. (now Encana Corporation), one of Canada's largest oil and gas producers. Prior to this, he was Senior Manager with Price Waterhouse, specializing in corporate income tax. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Distinction in Finance from the University of Calgary and is a Chartered Accountant.
Kip Pendleton - Senior VP & General Manager, Agriculture
Kip currently serves as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Agriculture located in Hiawatha, KS. Kip joined Hemisphere GPS in July of 2009 and brings with him more than 25 years of experience in agriculture business management. Kip is responsible for expanding and strengthening Hemisphere GPS' retail, international and OEM approaches to the air and ground agriculture market. Prior to joining Hemisphere GPS, Kip served as President and Co-CEO of Agristar Global Networks, where he led the company’s successful growth and alliances with over 38 leading agriculture companies and organizations. Kip holds an MBA in Finance from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy and Agriculture Economics from the University of Wisconsin.
Philip Gabriel - VP & General Manager, Precision Products
Phil currently serves as Vice President and General Manager, Precision Products Division located in Calgary, AB. Phil joined Hemisphere GPS in 1996 to expand the company’s business in Marine DGPS markets worldwide. Prior to joining Hemisphere GPS, Phil was National Sales Manager for AlliedSignal Aerospace leading their Aeromarine Division business in Marine Electronics, Airport Runways systems and Weather Radar sales distribution. Phil’s educational background includes a DEC in Electrotechnology as well as Business and Marketing diplomas from McGill University. He is also a Certified Sales Professional (CSP).
Lisa Smith - VP, Operations
Lisa currently serves as Vice President of Global Operations and is located in Calgary AB. Lisa joined Hemisphere in 2001 bringing 20 years of Supply Chain management and manufacturing experience. Lisa is responsible for global sourcing including supply chain, manufacturing activities, purchasing alliances, cost management and operational strategies focused on our new disciplined focus on product development management systems. As a member of the Executive management team, Lisa also contributes to developing and executing to the business strategy at Hemisphere GPS. Lisa commenced her career at Nortel, and has held increasing senior procurement and operational roles with Novatel Communications, Q-Tron, and Novatel Wireless. Lisa is a former board member of PMAC, and currently serves as a Business Advisory Committee member for Tecterra Inc., a government-funded organization investing in the commercialization of technology in Alberta.
Dr. Michael Whitehead - VP, Technology
Dr. Whitehead joined Hemisphere GPS in 1999. Dr. Whitehead leads the development of advanced GPS products, including centimeter level positioning and attitude determination systems. He is the author of numerous patents related to GPS. Prior to joining Hemisphere GPS, Dr. Whitehead was Senior Scientist at Satloc Inc. Dr. Whitehead implemented virtually all of the algorithms and associated software for a wide area differential GPS network (WADGPS), providing real-time, sub-meter position corrections to GPS users in the field. Dr. Whitehead also served in similar capacities with IPEC/Athens Corporation and General Dynamics. Dr. Whitehead holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with Honors, a Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, all from the University of Florida. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
John Bohlke - Senior Director, Corporate Administration
John joined Hemisphere GPS in 2001 and is located in Scottsdale. He is responsible for marketing communications, IT/IS, facilities and quality. John has over 20 years of experience in the GPS industry both as a user and business manager. Prior to joining Hemisphere GPS, John managed the GPS product line at Sokkia Corporation and worked as a geodetic engineer with the Minnesota Department of Transportation. He earned bachelor degrees in Physics and Civil Engineering and is a professionally licensed engineer.