About Us

In this role John brings 10 years of cell-module-pack engineering / manufacturing / program / project / product management experience in lithium ion batteries as an executive at A123 Systems.  During his tenure at A123, he helped developed the automotive division from a 12 person “start-up” into a global $500M operation making tens of millions of battery cells and hundreds of thousands of battery packs in facilities around the world supplying product to virtually all the major automotive OEM’s.  John’s leadership roles include Operations, Engineering, Program Management, Supplier Quality and Business Development along with spending several years in China as the President of the China Division responsible for over 1,000 employees in 1M sq ft of facilities spread across 5 buildings in 2 different cities.

In addition to his A123 experience, John has 20 years of Tier 1 automotive new product development management experience from TRW in vehicle stability control and anti-lock brake systems.  At TRW he was part of many industry firsts such as initial launch in the late 1980’s of Rear Wheel Anti-Lock brakes on all pickup trucks and SUV’s, the initial launch of standard 4WABS on all SUV’s, vans and Class 6-7-8 trucks in the 1990’s, entire brake systems integration on light duty trucks / SUV’s / vans in the late 1990’s and finally the introduction of Stability Control Systems on all  vehicles in the 2000’s. 

John has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering as well as a Masters of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering with a specialty in Systems Design / Optimization, both from The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Eric Phillips is responsible for overseeing the company’s financial activities and executing the financial strategy.  Eric brings over 20 years of financial and leadership experiences to Navitas gained through roles with PwC, The Flint Group, Eberspaecher North America, EnvisionTEC and Extang/Truck Hero.

At Extang/Truck Hero Eric was Plant Controller, responsible for understanding and reporting on the operational performance of the plant. This involved developing a keen understanding on labor, material and other key costs variances, as well as reporting and tracking key operational metrics and developing detailed budgets and forecast.

Previous to this role he spent his career developing a solid foundation of financial reporting. This involved managing the financial controls in order to prepare financial statements; maintaining key relationships with lending institutions, insurance providers, vendors, customers and key stakeholders in the business.

Eric is a Certified Public Accountant and graduated from The Ohio State University in Columbus Ohio.

Bill is the Vice President of Operations at Navitas, having joined the company in April 2024. Since then, he has found the work environment to be one of the most rewarding in his career, noting the strong sense of pride, camaraderie, and enjoyment among employees at both Navitas and East Penn. He is proud to be part of the team and grateful for the opportunity to work with such an incredible team.

Before joining Navitas, Bill spent five years in the battery manufacturing sector, working with Our Next Energy (ONE) and Microvast. At ONE, he led Advanced Manufacturing Engineering and Operations for Pack and Energy Storage products. Previously, he served as VP of North American Manufacturing at Microvast, where he oversaw the construction of 2GWh plants in China and the U.S., managing Operations, Engineering, EHS, Facilities, Maintenance, SCM, and Procurement.

Earlier in his career, Bill spent 12 years in healthcare technology with EpiphanyRx and Change Healthcare. He led the sale of a start-up Pharmacy Benefits Management company at EpiphanyRx.  Prior to that, he spent a decade at Change Healthcare, where he managed IT and Operations, driving process improvements in both organizations. After Change was acquired by Blackstone, Bill worked with the Private Equity team and CEO to build the largest healthcare printing and data conversion operation in the U.S. through acquisitions.

Bill has also held leadership roles in other industries, including four years as CEO of a large low-voltage contracting company, seven years at Dell in manufacturing leadership roles, and two years in warehouse and transportation management consulting at PwC.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the U.S. Naval Academy and served five years as an Artillery Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. He later earned a Master’s in Industrial and Operations Engineering and an MBA from the University of Michigan, where he was a fellow in the inaugural class of the Tauber Institute for Global Operations.

Craig Allman leads all engineering for both the Government & Defense as well as Commercial & Industrial divisions of Navitas Systems. Craig brings over 25 years of engineering leadership experience to Navitas from his prior work at Eaton Corporation in automotive R&D, product engineering, program management, and aerospace engineering management. Prior to joining Navitas, he gained experience in the alternative energy industry by serving as program manager for a solid oxide fuel cell business within Ultra Electronics, formerly known as Adaptive Materials Incorporated, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Craig has a B.S. in Physics from Roberts Wesleyan College, a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a M.S. in Energy Systems Engineering from the University of Michigan

As Senior Quality Manager, Adam Liebowitz leads a talented team of Quality professionals providing quality management for Navitas. Adam’s responsibilities span all Quality functions from Advanced Quality Planning and Supplier Quality Management to Manufacturing Quality and Warranty as well as the implementation and maintenance of Quality Management Systems.

Adam brings more than 20 years of Manufacturing Quality leadership experience including five years at A123 Systems where he was involved in the manufacturing of Lithium-Ion electrode, cells, modules, and packs. Along with his battery experience, Adam has automotive Tier 1 manufacturing experience in fuel lines, fasteners, stamping, welding, and light assembly. Adam has a deep understanding of Quality Management System standards including IATF16949 and ISO9001, having been involved with implementation of the standard since 1992.

Adam earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

John is the Director of Human Resources at Navitas Systems, having joined the company in November 2024.  John was looking for an opportunity to join a company whose mission and values resonated with his own and looked forward to a fulfilling role that contributed to the stability and success of a growing organization.

Before joining Navitas, John spent two years at startup Our Next Energy (ONE), supporting their Operations Group, where he was responsible for staffing all levels of their Brownfield LFP Cell plant.  Additionally, John designed the Hourly Employee Handbook and associated policies, as well as the compensation structure.

John has been a successful HR Leader at several mid-sized automotive suppliers in a variety of manufacturing technologies which include battery manufacturing, energy storage, chemical production, metal stamping & assemblies, and injection molding.  John also has Greenfield & Brownfield plant launch experience.

Earlier in his career, John was a Sr HR Leader for several multi-site locations including QMC-EMI, Shiloh Industries, BASF, and A123 Systems.  While at A123 Systems, he launched their first Michigan based LFP Coating facility, a Pack Assembly operation in the Czech Republic, as well as completed an overseas assignment at their Hangzhou, China campus for the purpose of strengthening their local HR Team in areas of compensation, recruitment, performance management, and policy implementation.

John holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in Human Resources Management from Madonna College.  He brings more than 35 yrs of HR & manufacturing experience to his role at Navitas.

Jonathan Weisberg leads the manufacturing and customer support functions for Deka Ready Power Operations in the Commercial and Industrial Division.  The group focuses on production and customer support of energy storage systems (ESS) to support the material handling industry, as well as other potential tangential industries. Jonathan has over 30 years’ experience in automotive design, manufacturing, business planning, operations, and service.  He draws from his experiences at Ford, Visteon, and ESG Automotive. Johanthan has his BSEE from Kettering University and a MSE in manufacturing systems from the University of Michigan.

As Product Line Director for Sonobuoy, David Backus is responsible for product, customer support, manufacturing, and operations in the Sonobuoy group. This group focuses on volume production of custom built lithium-ion cells and batteries for Government & Defense applications.

David began working at Navitas as the Program Manager for the 1st Sonobuoy production launch, guiding the team and product from development through validation and pilot manufacturing. David brings 8 years of experience in engineering, manufacturing, program and product management, and leadership training. David began his career at Bosch in their Junior Manager Program and spent over 2 years working a series of 4 rotations in 4 divisions, including completing a project for $1.5M in scrap reduction. He then joined the Starter Motor division driving new product technology to keep pace with battery evolutions, including launching a new $1M starter testing lab.

David has a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering as well as a B.A. in Mathematics from The Ohio State University.

Kevin Wilson is the Purchasing Manager for Navitas Systems. His responsibilities include overseeing all Purchasing activities in Commercial & Industrial, Government & Defense, and Research & Development. Kevin has over 20 years’ experience within different aspects of Supply Chain Management in multiple Industries. He has extensive experience and knowledge in Purchasing, Planning, Operation, Logistics, and Project Management. Kevin draws from his experiences at Boeing, Eaton Aerospace, and API Inmet. Kevin has a Supply Chain Management Degree from Michigan State University and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Project Management from City University.