Management
Rick Weidinger
Chief Executive Officer & Chairman
Rick Weidinger is the Chief Executive Officer and majority stockholder of Braintech Inc.. Previous to his appointment at Braintech, Mr. Weidinger created a legacy of innovation and technology success stories, serving as a chief architect behind the emergence and growth of such highly regarded fiber-optic telecommunications companies as the Institutional Communications Company (ICC), MFS Communications Company (MFS), and Pontio Communications. At Pontio, he was Chairman, CEO, and majority shareholder of the local fiber-optic company which he sold to a Fortune 50 company in 2001. Prior to Pontio, Mr. Weidinger served as a founding member and VP Corporate Development for MFS, where he was responsible for over 25 transactions totaling more than $18 Billion including the acquisition of UUNET Technologies, the world's leading internet service provider, in 1995. He presently sits on the Board of Directors of several North American private corporations.
Mr. Weidinger has also been actively involved in open-wheel racing as owner and co-owner of several Indy cars since 2004, and currently owns A1 TEAM USA Holdings, which represents the United States of America in the global A1GP World Cup of Motorsport. He holds both Juris Doctor and MBA degrees from Creighton University and a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the University of Nebraska. Mr. Weidinger resides in Great Falls, Virginia, and Vancouver, B.C. Canada.
Babak Habibi
Chief Technology Officer, Braintech Inc.
President, Braintech Canada
Mr. Habibi has been the Chief Technology Officer of Braintech since October 23, 2007 and President of Braintech Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary ofBraintech Inc, since June 19, 2001. Mr. Habibi was previously a Director and Chief Operating Officer for Braintech Inc., from June 19, 2001 to October 23, 2007.
Mr. Habibi supervises the design, development, and deployment of our products including the eVisionFactoryTM product for Vision Guided Robotics in industrial settings and the Volts-IQTM family of products for service and consumer robotics. Together with the Braintech development team, Babak received the prestigious Henry Ford Technology Award in 2003 for the development and deployment of the innovative Single Camera 3D (SC3DTM) technology. Mr. Habibi holds both a B.A.Sc and an M.A.Sc. from the University of Waterloo.
Jim Dara
Chief Sales Officer
Mr. Dara has been in his current position since January 1, 2004 and is responsible for Braintech's global sales efforts as well as managing the company's affairs as they pertain to Braintech's exclusive partnership with ABB Robotics.
Prior to joining Braintech, Mr. Dara spent several years in sales management with global diversified manufacturer Illinois Tool Works, Inc. (ITW), a Fortune 200 company. In addition to his twenty years of automotive and manufacturing experience, Mr. Dara holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University and a Master of Finance from Walsh College. He is married with two children and resides in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Pete Manias
SVP of Business Development and Marketing
Mr. Manias joined the Braintech team in the fall of 2007. He is an innovative business strategist and results-oriented leader experienced in all facets of corporate management, new venture development and growth, sales, marketing, and operations.
Mr. Manias was Founder, President and Chairman of the Board of an international marketing technology company called, Vialuna Group. It is a full service direct and interactive marketing agency, which has offices in Dallas, London, Zurich and Dresden. He is on the Board of Directors for LTS-an international wholesale travel portal focused on destinations in Central and Eastern Europe, and finally was Founder of Vialuna Technology-an eighteen-person software development shop focused on web applications. Pete has also held senior positions at several other communication-focused businesses including El Paso Global Networks and AT&T.
Mr. Manias holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University in Industrial Distribution (Industrial Engineering and Business). At Texas A&M he also was in the Corps of Cadets (Military Organization) and was selected to an elite group of the Sull Ross Volunteers, the Honor Guard of the Governor of the State of Texas. He is married with two children.
Ted White
Senior Vice President, Administration
Mr. White was appointed Senior Vice-President, Administration on October 23, 2007, Treasurer since November 1, 2000 and Secretary since August 28, 2002. Mr. White was previously a Director and Chief Financial Officer from November 1, 2000 to October 23, 2007. Mr. White has been a member of the British Columbia Institute of Chartered Accountants for 33 years and, for 23 of those years, Mr. White practiced as a self-employed chartered accountant serving clients in both the public and private sectors. Mr. White is not a director of any other public companies.
