Distech Controls' innovative product development and commercial strategies have attracted a highly talented team of professionals who have been instrumental in the continuing growth of the company.
Etienne Veilleux Founder, President & CEO
As Founder, President and CEO of Distech Controls, Etienne Veilleux has been the driving force in evolving the company from a regional controls contractor to a recognized leader of innovative building and energy management solutions. Prior to entering the building automation industry, Etienne earned a Business Administration degree from Sherbrooke College (Quebec, Canada). He then went on to hold a sales executive position with Hydro-Quebec, before becoming Vice President of Sales for Quebec's Eco-Energetic Centre, where he led the implementation of a successful energy savings program. As the main driver of Distech Controls' vision, Etienne leads corporate strategy, and also continues to be an active contributor to the development of new products and solutions. In 2006, Etienne was a Member of the Board of Directors of the Open System Alliance, and held the same role with LONMARK International in 2006 and 2007. Etienne is an active member of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) and the Entrepreneur Organization (EO). He also successfully achieved a junior MBA from the Ivey School of Business in 2009 in the Canadian Quantum Shift program. In 2010, Etienne received the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award for the province of Quebec in the Cleantech category, and a National Citation for manufacturing, innovation, and design. He was a finalist for the same award in 2008.
Martin Villeneuve Vice President, Europe
As Vice President, Europe, Martin. Villeneuve oversees all operational activities for Distech Controls offices in Europe. His responsibilities also include channel sales in French-speaking European countries, OEM sales, and Marketing. Having joined Distech Controls in 1999, Martin proceeded to develop and manage several departments including Technical Support, Training, Documentation, Quality Assurance, and Product Management. Martin holds a diploma in HVAC Engineering and brings close to 15 years of experience in the building management systems industry. His many years of experience, managing multiple departments at Distech Controls headquarters, make Martin an ideal ambassador for Distech Controls’ values and vision in Europe.
Ahmed Hirani, P. Eng. Executive Vice President, Sales Ahmed Hirani has over 20 years of experience in helping commercial and industrial customers innovatively reduce their energy consumption and lower their operating costs through the use open protocol energy management technologies. He brings strong sales leadership and direct digital technology expertise to the organization. At Distech Controls, Ahmed is responsible for growing the global Distech Controls business and brand, which includes channel management and OEM relationships. Overall, Ahmed oversees the customer facing portion of the Distech Controls organization which includes, Sales, Product Management, Technical Support and Training.
David Gill Vice President, Products & Marketing With over 25 years of executive leadership and global product and marketing experience in the building automation industry, David Gill joined Distech Controls in December 2011. Prior to joining the company, David served in a variety of senior sales, marketing, and business unit roles with several multi-national building automation manufacturers. At Distech Controls, David is responsible for the Product Management, R&D, and Marketing functions, where he applies his extensive global experience to address growing international market demands for integrated comfort, energy efficiency, and sustainability solutions. David’s collaborative leadership style, industry experience, and global market fluency are strong assets for Distech Controls. David holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of BC in Vancouver, Canada.
Stéphane Berniqué, CA Vice President, Finance
With a significant work experience with manufacturing organizations, Stéphane. Berniqué brings 15 years of varied experience having worked for companies ranging in size from smaller, localized operations to multi-nationals. A Chartered Accountant (CA 1995), he also holds a bachelors degree in accounting and obtained an additional major in Taxation. Stéphane is responsible for instilling all financial and budgetary standards of Distech Controls and overseeing the healthy financial growth of the organization.
Patrick Winkelman Vice President, Business Development Patrick Winkelman joined Distech Controls in 2002 and today holds the position of Vice President of Business Development, where is responsible for developing new markets and growth areas for the company’s innovative products and leading solutions. In his previous role as the company’s Vice President of Sales for the Americas, Patrick led the successful growth and development of its Distributor and System Integrator channels in North and South America. Patrick counts over 20 years of experience in the BAS industry, including successful careers as a Senior Account Executive at Honeywell and Johnson Controls, and as a Regional Manager with Distech Controls.
Charles Gauvin, Eng. Vice President, Operations & Technology As Vice President, Operations & Technology, Charles. Gauvin oversees operations related to the development, design, manufacturing, testing, and improvement of Distech Controls’ line of products, and heads the R&D, Manufacturing, and IT Departments. Charles is committed to maintaining the company’s high level of excellence in product innovation, and does so by actively seeking the latest market-leading technologies. Charles holds a Computer/Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Sherbrooke, and has over twenty-two years of experience in design and development of mission-critical projects. Prior to joining Distech Controls, Charles was a senior executive for a prominent international telecommunications company. His solid experience allows him to manage our multidisciplinary team of engineers and technicians, as well as supervise various R&D projects. Charles currently represents Distech Controls as Secretary on the LONMARK Americas Board of Directors.
Jim French Vice President, Systems & Services With 26 years, of building automation systems and services experience, Jim French joined Distech Controls in 2011. Jim has acquired a versatile background in a variety of roles working for large, multi-national organizations, as well as smaller companies. He brings this international knowledge and leadership in product development, product installation, and servicing of a variety of system platforms and technologies to Distech Controls’ offering. Jim is responsible for Distech Controls’ systems and services portfolio, as well as aligning the company’s strategy with market segment demands. He is also responsible for the project delivery and operations of turnkey projects. Jim holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics Engineering Technology from DeVry Institute of Technology in Dallas, Texas.
Charles Pelletier Product Director Charles Pelletier joined Distech Controls in 2002 and has a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering, with a specialization in Mechanical Building systems. Charles began his tenure with the company as a Building Automation System Engineer, eventually moving to the position of Product Manager, where he was responsible for the introduction of several key products including EC-gfxProgram, ECB Series of BACnet controllers, and EC-Smart-Vue communicating sensor. Today, as Director of Products, Charles is responsible for the Documentation Group, as well as for leading the company’s efforts in developing innovative products and leading solutions for the building automation and energy management market.
Guy Marquis, Eng. Research & Development Director As Distech Controls’ Research & Development Director, Guy. Marquis is responsible for the company’s product conception, testing, and continuous improvement, as well as its R&D project management efforts. Guy. Marquis holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from l’École Polytechnique de Montréal in Québec, Canada, and has 25 years of experience in the maintenance and design of complex electronic card systems. His customer-oriented approach, as well as his extensive experience in product management, allows him to employ the best initiatives in research and development to uphold the outstanding quality, innovation, and reliability of Distech Controls’ products.
Caroline
Cadieux Marketing &
Communications Director Caroline Cadieux joined Distech Controls in 2004 and holds the position of Marketing & Communications Director. With over 10 years experience within high-tech business-to-business organizations, Caroline has a proven track record in integrated marketing management, including channel communications and retention, product commercialization, branding strategies, promotions and public relations. Caroline holds a Bachelors of Commerce from McGill University (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) and is an active member of the Relationship Marketing Association and of the Association for Communication and Marketing Professionals (American Marketing Association).
Martin Boucher Director of Production, Logistics & Customer Services With more than 15 years of experience in production & materials management, Martin Boucher joined Distech Controls in 2005 as Director of Production. Prior to joining Distech Controls, Martin acquired a versatile background, having worked for companies ranging in size and operations, from smaller local companies to multi-nationals, where he executed multiple mandates related to production management. In 2006, he obtained his CPIM certification. Today, as Director of Production, Logistics & Customer Service, Martin ensures that the global manufacturing, logistics, supply chain, and customer service functions are in accordance with Distech Controls' rigorous standards of quality and customer satisfaction.
Ryan Sen, Eng. Director of Business Development,
Canada
Regional Sales Manager, Canada East
Ryan Sen joined Distech Controls in 2006 as the Quality Assurance Team Leader, gaining the necessary skills and experience to lead the customer facing departments as Director of Customer Services. In this role, Ryan managed the Technical Support, Training, and Customer Services departments. Ryan has estimating and design knowledge, as well as technical deployment experience of the EC-NetAX Building Management Solution, LONWORKS, BACnet, and Modbus protocols for building automation and control. Ryan has had the opportunity to work closely with the Sales team on a regular basis, and has helped forge opportunities in the Multi-Site and National Accounts markets. With his latest nomination, Ryan continues to take a leading role in ensuring the growth and support of our customers. Ryan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.
Rafic A. Mouzaya Director of Operations, Middle East & India After building a track record over a 12 year period in the Building Automation Systems industry, Rafic A. Mouzaya joined Distech Controls in 2006. At that time, Rafic was responsible for establishing and growing Distech Controls’ sales and market presence in the Middle East. Through Rafic’s efforts, Distech Controls quickly demonstrated success by securing and executing over 100 projects for some of the most prestigious organizations in the region. He also established Distech Controls’ Middle East regional office in Dubai to provide clients and system integrators with sales, marketing, and technical support, as well as technical training opportunities. Today, as Director of Operations for the Middle East, Rafic is tasked with overseeing all operations as well as steering the growth of Distech Controls in the region.