NAI Leadership

Jon Jensen

Chief Executive Officer

As NAI’s President & Chief Executive Officer, Jensen leads the executive management team to drive breakthrough performance in the areas of growth, operational excellence, people development, and customer partnership.

Jensen took over the role of President & CEO of NAI in 2016. Previously, he served as President and CEO, driving revenue and profit growth for high-tech and industrial manufacturing businesses, including L-com, Inc., Group Dekko, Alcoa Electrical and Electronics Solutions (now part of Motherson Sumitomo), and ITT Automotive Fluid Handling Systems. He brings over 25 years of 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.

Jensen holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering with graduate work and certificates in Strategic Management and Quality Management. His 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. Jensen’s aptitude for strategy and business development, his operational experience, and history of organic growth and successful acquisitions in the connectivity space make him an effective and revolutionary leader for NAI.

Clay Thelen

Chief Financial Officer

As Chief Financial Officer, Clay leads the Finance, Accounting, IT, and Human Resources operations globally. He has valuable and extensive experience in the areas of acquisitions, capital markets, accounting, and financial planning and analysis, upon which he draws to support NAI’s aggressive growth plans.

Leveraging NAI’s partnerships, Clay provides significant focus on external growth through acquisitions and is a key liaison to all stakeholders.

Clay has held financial leadership positions throughout his career. Prior to joining NAI, he was the Chief Financial Officer at Agree Realty Corporation, a publicly traded real estate investment trust, and at AJ Capital Partners, a real estate investment firm. Additionally, Clay held senior positions at Strategic Hotels and Resorts, an owner and operator of hospitality real estate. Clay began his career at Ernst & Young, LLP and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).

Clay holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Michigan State University, a Master of Science in Accounting from Michigan State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Jason Porter

Vice President, Engineering and Continuous Improvement

Jason joined NAI’s leadership team as Vice President of Engineering and Continuous Improvement in 2017. In this role, he leads the company’s engineering team and drives continuous improvement across the organization.

Over the course of his career, Porter has held leadership positions in engineering, sales, program management, corporate strategy, and manufacturing operations. He has accumulated more than 20 years of global experience leading teams in the design and manufacturing of wire, cable, connectors, metal stampings, electro-mechanical components, and electronics.

Before joining NAI, Porter was Director of Global Technology Development for PKC Group, a leading supplier of Electrical Distribution Systems for the transportation market. In that role, he worked closely with the sales and operations teams to align product and manufacturing process strategies with customer needs, while balancing organizational capabilities and shareholder value.

Eric Emley

Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Supply Management

Eric Emley stepped into the role of NAI’s Vice President of Global Supply Management in 2017, and he also took over additional leadership of marketing and sales in 2019. In this role, he has built an organization that closely aligns the supply base with the needs of the customer.

Emley brings more than 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. His broad multi-functional experience has aligned the supply chain, marketing and sales teams to support the company’s overall strategy and vision, and made NAI a partner of choice in the marketplace.

Prior to joining NAI, Emley 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. In this role, he was an integral part of the executive team that led the company through a private equity sale and exit.

Delice Javalera

Vice President, Quality & Continuous Improvement

Delice Javalera holds the position of Vice President of Quality & Continuous Improvement at NAI. Since joining in November 2020, she has led NAI’s standardization initiative to drive continuous improvement efforts with a focus on customer and supplier performance. Delice will continue driving Operational Excellence by setting strategy and driving the standards for quality throughout the NAI organization.

Javalera brings over 15 years complex global manufacturing experience from a wide variety of industries, including automotive, office furniture, consumer products, medical device, appliance, industrial, ignition/extrusion wire, aerospace, telecommunications, and pharmaceutical packaging. Her various positions have included global leadership roles and her responsibilities have involved oversight of quality, program management and continuous improvement systems.

Before joining NAI’s Leadership team, Delice held the position of Vice President of Quality at Essentra PLC for the Americas Region. At Essentra, Delice developed a quality strategy aligned with the company’s vision and standardized the quality management system throughout the organization.

Delice holds a degree from ITCH, Mexico in Industrial Chemical Engineering, as well as two master’s degrees, M.S., Quality and Productivity with Black Belt Certification from the ITESM, Mexico & ASU, USA and M.B.A., Strategic Leadership from UCM/ISEAD, Spain. Delice holds one of two 100% female scholarships from ESMT Berlin for their Executive Transition Program 2021.

Ricardo Grijalva

Director of Operations Mexico

As Director of Operations for NAI Mexico, Ricardo Grijalva manages the company’s various manufacturing facilities in Mexico, as well as a Distribution Center in Nogales, Arizona.

In his current role, Grijalva’s focus is on delivering operational excellence that is nimble, with flawless execution, quality, delivery, and continuous improvement. Under his leadership, the operations team is agile, disciplined and lean, consistently delivering on the company’s defined pillars for success.

Grijalva came to NAI from Dyno Nobel, where he was Director of Manufacturing for operations in Chile and Mexico. Prior to that, he spent 19 years at ITT Industries (now part of Cooper Standard Automotive), having overseen all operations in Empalme, Guaymas and Torreon, as well as a distribution center in Laredo, Texas.

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

Frank Liu

Director of Operations China

Frank Liu is Director of Operations for all of NAI’s facilities in China. Under his leadership, the company’s China operations are streamlined to work efficiently, effectively and deliver on NAI’s promise of quality products delivered on time.

With a diverse background in Aerospace, Medical, Automotive, Telecommunications, Industrial, and Cable Assembly industries, Liu’s experience includes more than five years of executive management and seven years of quality management and supplier quality development. He also has more than nine years of operational experience with total P&L responsibilities at Nokia and Kemet Company.

Liu graduated with a degree from Southeast University in Computer Applications. He has led programs that include Kanban, Six Sigma Black Belt Certificate Projects, TWI, TPM, Lean Manufacturing, and Kaizen techniques. He has also managed and achieved ISO and Nadcap certifications for several organizations.

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.

Since 2006, Dr. Sundaram has been an attending cardiac electrophysiologist at South Denver Cardiology Associates. 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.

Accredited by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Sundaram is certified 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. Sundaram is a strong asset to NAI’s leadership. As Chief Medical Officer, this industry expert works with NAI’s management to expand and improve its medical portfolio.