Chief Executive Officer

Peter Lorenz joined Unirac as chief executive officer in November 2011.

Peter has a proven track record in identifying new opportunities and building businesses in the energy and solar markets. In his most recent position as president of Quanta Renewable Energy Services, he developed the company’s solar strategy and subsequently the related engineering/ procurement/ construction (EPC) capabilities. Under Lorenz’s leadership, Quanta became a leading solar EPC company with more than 120 MW of solar projects installed over the last three years.

Peter began his career in finance and accounting for Royal Dutch Shell at its global headquarters in London, where he rose to the position of global solar finance advisor, reporting to the CEO of Shell Solar. He then decided to pursue an MBA at Harvard University. After earning his degree, Peter relocated from Boston to Houston to work for the global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. While there, he led electric power and renewable energy clients in solving a wide range of issues related to strategy, business building, operations, sales and marketing. He also was a key contributor in building McKinsey’s global solar competence.

Vice President and Chief Operations Officer

Richard Welch has 30 years of experience in all facets of industrial, high-tech operations. As vice president and COO, Dick oversees Unirac's manufacturing and project management efforts for all residential through utility-scale products, sourcing, quality, ERP, and administrative operations. He is Unirac's ISO management representative responsible for maintaining the company's ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certifications.

Dick brings leadership experience in diverse business operations with major companies including GE Aerospace, Advanced Energy Industries, and Northrop. Immediately prior to joining Unirac in 2006, he led manufacturing and quality management operations as vice president at Advanced Energy Industries, a preeminent utility-scale PV solar inverter design and manufacturing company listed on the NYSE.

Dick is an accomplished presenter on solar industry topics and has spoken at such industry forums as CanSIA. A three-time award-winning expert in Lean Manufacturing, Dick is a Certified Manufacturing Engineer and Certified Quality Engineer, and holds a Six Sigma Master Black Belt certification from the Air Academy Associates in Colorado Springs, Colo. He has a master's in management in organizational development from Lesley College in Cambridge, Mass., and a bachelor's in management engineering (mechanical) from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Mass.

Chief Financial Officer

Toni Haenninen is responsible for Unirac’s financial coordination with its parent company, Hilti Group. He helps Unirac with its strategic financial objectives as well as coordinating and optimizing work streams.

Before joining Unirac, Toni spent many years in financial management positions within the Hilti Group. He was the director of finance at the Hilti North American headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and previously worked there as a director of finance for business intelligence and management reporting. He was also a business development controller for the drilling consumables and diamond systems business units at Hilti global headquarters in Liechtenstein.

Toni studied business administration and information technology management at the Vienna University of Economics (Austria) and the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland). He holds an MBA from the Helsinki School of Economics (Finland).

Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Service

As vice president of worldwide sales and service at Unirac, Ray Piontek is committed to collaborating closely with customers and partners to develop advanced solar solutions designed to meet growing market needs.

Prior to joining Unirac, Ray held the position of senior director of sales for Xantrex Technology of Vancouver, B.C., a world leader in advanced power systems. During his tenure at Xantrex, Ray developed international distribution channels and accelerated growth in the North American markets. Ray has also held senior management and sales positions with Apple Computer, Autodesk and Diversified Software.

Ray is an experienced speaker on solar industry topics and has presented at events such as the Ontario FIT Supply Chain Forum. A former naval aviator, Ray attained the rank of captain in the U.S. Navy and holds a degree in marketing from Boston College.

Senior Director of Commercial and Utility Group

As head of Unirac’s Commercial and Utility Group (CMUG), Tony Borck collaborates with EPC contractors and integrators. His team primarily focuses on Unirac’s suite of commercial and utility products and enhances Unirac’s ability to serve large sophisticated partners across the U.S. and Canada.

Prior to joining Unirac, Tony was vice president of the Global Environment Fund (GEF) in the Clean Technology Group, where he covered the solar industry and worked with multiple solar companies making investments throughout the renewable energy industry.

Senior Director of Engineering and Program Management

As Unirac’s senior director of engineering and program management, Juan Suarez tripled the company’s patent portfolio in less than two years, and led the engineering and product development process to achieve ISO 9001:2008 certification.

Juan has over ten years of experience as an award-winning general contractor, building everything from houses to grocery stores. Prior to Unirac, Juan owned his own construction and development company specializing in green building.

Juan is a highly accomplished speaker and author on solar industry topics such as Codes and Standards, with articles appearing in outlets including North American Clean Energy, Renewable Energy World and Solar Novus Today. He presents at events such as Solar Power International and the Energy, Utility & Environment Conference. Juan has a bachelor’s of science degree in industrial engineering from New Mexico State University, with a 
minor in math.

Senior Director of Manufacturing

Darren Womacks formulates and supervises the processes, quality and production improvement methodologies that have secured Unirac ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certifications. He directs the development, planning, implementation and maintenance of manufacturing methods for Unirac’s innovative infrastructure products and technologies.

Prior to joining Unirac, Darren worked at General Mills in production management and line startups. He previously served as a nuclear submarine officer and aboard a Trident missile submarine, and secured engineering experience at the Navy’s South Carolina Prototype facility. Darren is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy with a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering.

Director of Marketing

Marcelo Gomez serves as Unirac’s director of marketing and is responsible for driving Unirac’s overall brand and communication strategies. He brings to Unirac a decade of marketing experience in building brand identities, websites and award-winning logo designs. Marcelo spent three years as a freelance graphic designer and marketing consultant before taking his experience to help grow one of the nation’s most recognized sponsorship organizations, Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, as a marketing specialist and creative designer. The former owner of a graphic design agency in Belize, Marcelo holds a degree in mass communications from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.

Director of Finance

After serving as Unirac's controller for two years, Trudy Eberhardt now manages all finance and accounting functions of the company. She has over 20 years of controllership experience in a manufacturing environment, including seven years in the wind energy industry. Trudy has an MBA from the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Business and a dual bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration from Eastern New Mexico University. She is a New Mexico Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Human Resources Manager

Dot Cook-Simmons leads all human resource initiatives for Unirac and oversees the implementation of HR strategies to ensure effective delivery of services. She plans, directs and coordinates management activities to maximize the strategic use of human resources. Dot maintains functions such as employee recruitment, training and recognition, as well as oversees personnel policies and compliance. Dot has more than 20 years of experience and holds a graduate degree in the HR field.