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Joseph L. DeFrancisci
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Joe DeFrancisci has a 20+-year track record of successfully leading companies through start-up and growth, improving operations and building value. Prior to joining General Automotive to guide its development into a leading provider of aftermarket products to the Tier 1 automotive sector, Mr. DeFrancisci was Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations for Grindmaster Corporation, a global leader in the beverage dispensing equipment industry with marketing operations in more than 90 different countries. Prior to that, he served as Senior Partner with the Highwood Group LLP, a consulting firm focused on competitive strategy and operational effectiveness. From 1996 - 2000, Mr. DeFrancisi was President and Chief Operating Officer of Pasta Montana LLC, a start-up food company heralded as one of the fastest growing and best-managed food companies of its time.
Mr. DeFrancisci's early career is highlighted by his 15-year tenure with Demaco/Howden Group, a leading manufacturer of highly engineered capital equipment, during which he earned rapid promotions to Vice President-level management roles in sales, marketing and operations. He earned a BS in Industrial Technology Education from the State University of New York and is an alumnus of the Advanced Executive Program of the Kellogg Graduate School of Management - Northwestern University. In addition to belonging to various professional and alumni organizations, he serves on the Advisory Board of Univedant Corporation, a Chicago-based advanced engineering firm. |
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One of the founders of General Automotive, Dan Valladao has 25 years of automotive experience, including in the retail, wholesale and OEM sales channels, and was instrumental in increasing the company's sales from just over $3 million in 2004 to $15 million in 2007. Prior to co-founding General Automotive, Mr. Valladao served for five years as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for APS International, a global manufacturer and distributor of automotive product. He was previously responsible for sales to OEM companies such as Ford, GM, Chrysler, Honda and Toyota for HSG Corporation, a large manufacturer's representatives firm. In 1988, Mr. Valladao served as Executive Vice President to Mobile Living Corporation, a retailer of vehicle accessories, building the company into a multi-store chain with sales in excess of $20 million within five years.
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Harry Christenson
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Christenson is an accomplished senior financial executive with more than 30 years' of experience in operating and managing complex international businesses. Harry Christenson started his career at General Electric in the Financial Management Program and served in various capacities within the Wire and Cable Group.
He recently served as a Director and Chief Financial Officer of LNG Holdings, SA, the parent company of LambdaNet Communications, a pan-European supplier of network-related telecommunications services. Among his achievements was the successful turnaround of the company, concluding with a transfer of ownership by its private equity holders to a U.S. public ISP network operator. Previous positions include Director and Chief Financial Officer of Precell Solutions, Inc.; Chairman of the Board and Chief Financial Officer of Octagon, Inc; and Director, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Penril DataComm Networks.
Mr. Christenson received a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Fairfield University and a Masters Degree from the University of New Haven, CT.
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Tim Alford
President, OE Source
For more than 25 years, Mr. Alford has specialized in sales and marketing of electronic components with both OEM and global distribution channels. He joined General Automotive as President of OE Source, a wholly-owned subsidiary, in 2004. Earlier in his career, he served as Operations and Marketing Manager for multi-billion dollar global electronic distributors such as Arrow Electronics (2000-2004), Future Electronics (1997-2000), and Milgray Electronics (1991-1997). He also served as Regional Distributor Sales Manager for AVX Corporation, a NYSE-listed OEM manufacturer with 20 facilities in 12 countries, from 1979-1984 and from 1987-1991. Mr. Alford's primary responsibilities in these roles were to provide management direction relating to all aspects of product procurement and inventory control. In addition, he provided sales and product expertise to customers and the sales force. |
