NAI Leadership

Jon Jensen

Chief Executive Officer

Jon Jensen joined the NAI team in September 2016, and as part of a planned transition was named President and CEO November 1, 2016, succeeding Preston Speers.

Prior to NAI, Jon was most recently President and CEO of L-com, Inc., where he focused on leading the company to accelerated organic and acquisitive revenue growth through customer-driven product initiatives, while simultaneously upgrading its manufacturing and logistics operations to world-class status.

Jon arrives to NAI with extensive experience in the automotive, commercial vehicle, power sports, off highway/agriculture, office furniture, lighting, appliance, and industrial technology markets. He possesses a deep understanding of electrical and electronics, wired and wireless connectivity, fluid conveying systems, and related components. Jon plans to translate this information into actionable goals that will broaden NAI’s horizons.

Jon has spent his career driving revenue and profit growth in high-tech and industrial manufacturing businesses, including Group Dekko, Alcoa Electrical, and Electronics Solutions (now part of PKC), where he was President and CEO. Jon also served as President at Alcoa’s AFL Americas business unit and ITT’s Fluid Handling Systems (now part of Cooper Standard Automotive) business unit.

Jon, a degreed Mechanical Engineer with graduate work and certificates in Strategic Management and Quality Management, began his career as a product development engineer at Aeroquip Corporation (acquired by Eaton in 1999). He progressed through various engineering roles in product development, manufacturing, engineering, quality, operations, and sales, eventually running the global sales and engineering organization for the automotive fluid connectors division. Jon then joined ITT in 2001 as the VP of Sales, Marketing, and Engineering for ITT’s fluid handling systems business. He eventually added global operations to his role and then moved on to become ITT’s President.

Jon’s experience running both privately and publicly held companies with annual revenues over $1.5 billion brings a solid process focus that translates well to the mid-cap space. Jon’s aptitude for strategy and business development, his operational experience, and his history of successful acquisitions in the connectivity space poise him to be an effective and revolutionary leader for NAI.

Jason Porter

Vice President, Engineering and Continuous Improvement

Jason joins NAI with over 20 years of experience in design and manufacturing of wiring and components.
He began his career as an engineer, designing components for the automotive wire harness industry.

Over the course of his career, Jason has held leadership positions in engineering, sales, program management, corporate strategy and manufacturing operations, many of which have spanned the globe. Most recently, he was Director of Global Technology Development for PKC Group, a leading supplier of Electrical Distribution Systems for the transportation market. In that role, Jason worked closely with the sales and operations teams to align product and manufacturing process strategies with customers’ near and long term needs, while balancing organizational capability and shareholder value.

In prior roles, Jason has led teams that supported a wide range of products including wire, cable, connectors, metal stampings, electro-mechanical components and electronics. He has also implemented business processes to manage the product portfolio, intellectual property, key operational KPIs and strategic plans.

Through his broad product knowledge and hands-on business process experience, Jason is well positioned to support NAI’s engineering team and drive continuous improvement across the organization.

Eric Emley

Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Supply Management

Eric Emley joined as Vice President of Global Supply Management and has achieved outstanding results, including building a highly talented Global Supply Chain Team, which has been an effective participant in enhancing the customer experience at NAI.  Mr. Emley has recently taken on the added responsibility for Sales and Marketing, and continues his leadership in Global Supply Management.

Eric has over 20 years of experience in complex global manufacturing including successful leadership roles in heavy construction equipment, telecom, defense contracting, office furniture, white goods, medical, and architectural lighting.

Prior to joining NAI, Eric was the Vice President & General Manager of the Lighting Division of Group Dekko, with full P&L responsibility, where he successfully led Sales & Marketing, Engineering, New Product Development, Operations, and Supply Chain. He was part of the executive team that led the company through a private equity sale and exit.

Eric’s broad multi-functional experience will allow him to align NAI’s supply chain to support NAI’s overall strategy and vision. His track record of establishing strategic relationships with supplier partners, empowering the organizations to make swift decisions and implementing best-in-class processes, will make NAI a partner of choice in the marketplace. Eric will form the requisite supply chain to accelerate the company strengths – being nimble and innovative – while maintaining the ease of doing business with NAI that customers enjoy today.

Ricardo Grijalva

Director of Operations Mexico

Ricardo Grijalva will manage NAI’s various manufacturing facilities in Mexico, as well as the company’s Distribution Center in Nogales, Arizona.

He joins NAI after a long and distinguished career in manufacturing. Ricardo came to NAI from Dyno Nobel, where he was Director of Manufacturing for their operations in Chile and Mexico. Prior to this, he spent 19 years at ITT Industries (later part of Cooper Standard Automotive), beginning as Quality Manager and later promoted to Plant Manager for the company’s Empalme, Mexico operation. His leadership success there led to his oversight of all operations in Empalme, Guaymas and Torreon, as well as their distribution center in Laredo, Texas. As a native of Hermosillo, Mexico, Ricardo started his professional career at Ford Motor Company before moving into wire harnesses at Fleck, and later Augat, in manufacturing and quality engineering roles prior to joining ITT.

Ricardo holds an Electronic Industrial Engineering degree from Hermosillo Tech Institute, an MBA from the University of Phoenix and has completed his Six Sigma Green Belt certification through the University of Michigan. Ricardo is also a graduate of the Strategic Management Executive Education Program at Ashridge Management College Berkhamstead, UK.

At NAI, Ricardo will focus on helping the company accelerate its strategic architecture, and expand its Agile, Disciplined and Lean themes around being nimble, with flawless execution, quality, delivery, and continuous improvement as a way of life. As a leader, he values honesty, transparency and creating results in the execution of his role, as he focuses on safety, quality, delivery and financial performance.

Frank Liu

Director of Operations China

Frank Liu graduated from Southeast University, with a major in Computer Applications. He joined NAI with over five years of executive management experience.

His background includes seven years of Quality management and supplier quality development, as well as more than nine years of operational experience with total P&L responsibilities at Nokia and Kemet Company. This experience includes: Production, Quality Control, Material sourcing & planning, Logistics, Maintenance, Process Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Cost Reduction LEAN activities.

He has a diverse background in Aerospace, Medical, Automotive, Telecommunications industrials and cable assembly business. He has led remarkable programs including Kanban, Six Sigma Black Belt Certificate Projects, TWI, TPM, Lean Manufacturing, and Kaizen techniques. He has managed and achieved ISO and Nadcap certifications for several organizations.

In addition to serving the telecommunications equipment & electronics parts manufacturer market, Frank has five years’ experience working for an automotive supplier and led the company into a global medical and Aerospace cable assembly business.

Frank brings a strong combination of industry knowledge across fiber optic and copper assembly technologies. Frank is skilled in problem analysis and decision-making, promoting change and innovation. He is result-oriented and acts with long- term perspective strategic relationships with key executives.

Dr. Sri Sundaram M.D.

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Sri Sundaram M.D. is NAI’s Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Sundaram brings to the company over 27 years of cardiovascular experience and a deep knowledge of the medical landscape.

Dr. Sundaram has been an attending cardiac electrophysiologist at South Denver Cardiology Associates since 2006. He joins NAI after years of global volunteer work, leadership, and doctoral practice.

Dr. Sundaram received his M.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine where he served as the Medical Director of the Salvation Army Medical Clinic. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. There Dr. Sundaram also completed his fellowship in general cardiology and clinical cardiac electrophysiology.

Dr. Sundaram is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine, cardiovascular diseases, and clinical cardiac electrophysiology. He was honored as the Clinical Young Investigator of the Year by the Heart Rhythm Society, and has been an Elected Fellow of the Heart Rhythm Society since 2010.

Dr. Sundaram has worked on medical research and innovation for over twenty years. He worked on many innovative trials and received a research grant from St. Jude Medical for his work on the genetic malformations of Brugada Syndrome in Cambodia.

As a published, accomplished surgeon with an extensive knowledge and understanding of the medical industry and medical best practices, Dr. Sri Sundaram is a strong asset to NAI’s leadership. As Chief Medical Officer, this industry expert will work with NAI’s management to expand and improve its medical portfolio.