Our Leadership
PIOTR GALITZINE
Chief Executive Officer
Piotr is the CEO of Utex Industries and serves on the Board of Directors. Prior to joining Utex, Piotr was Chairman and CEO of the American Division of TMK. His professional legacy spans the globe and includes senior positions with Mannesmann AG and BASF SE. Since graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, Piotr has worked in 20 countries on four continents while developing a proficiency in six languages. When he’s not leading the way at Utex, Piotr is working to help rebuild churches and rehabilitate children in Russia and empower women through education. Mr. Galitzine’s accolades include numerous awards and distinctions, the most recent being the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship. He has six children, is an avid hunter, and divides his time between the USA, Europe, and Russia.
WELLON PIERRE, III
Vice President of Operations
Wellon is responsible for the development of the Lean Culture across all segments and disciplines within UTEX, focusing on rapid-continuous improvement, process discipline, and team development. Prior to UTEX, he worked for General Motors and General Electric, in various leadership roles and served as the Director of Supply Chain & Quality and Continuous Improvement for CSWI-Strathmore. He served in the United States Marine Corps, has a B.S. Degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA and an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University at Marion, Indiana.
Michael Fink
Interim Chief Financial Officer
Mike is the interim CFO of Utex industries. He has spent the previous 18 years as Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal advising companies on financial and operational issues with a focus on oilfield services and oil & gas exploration. Mike earned a MBA in Operations and Manufacturing Management from Washington University in St. Louis
Roy Howard
Vice President of Sales
Roy is responsible for global commercial strategy and driving sales growth of existing and new products. He leads the US Outside and Inside Sales, Customer Service, and Distribution Centers. Having joined UTEX in 2005 as a Technical Sales Manager for Well Service Products, he has been promoted through the company due to his valued knowledge, tenacity and experience. Roy is a Veteran of the United States Army and has earned his Bachelor of Science and MBA from Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma.
ALVIN PIERCE
Vice President of Human Resources
Alvin leads Human Resources for UTEX and responsible for driving talent management and human capital strategies for the company. He has over 20 years of human resource leadership experience. He holds an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan and a BS Degree from Indiana University along with certifications from the Society for Human Resource Management – SCP, the Human Capital Institute, Human Capital Strategist, Myers-Briggs facilitator, and Development Dimensions International, Certified Trainer. Prior to Utex, he served as Director of Operations & Human Resources, Burckhardt Compression (US) Inc., Flexitallic Group, Siemens, 84 Lumber, and Eli Lilly & Company.
ZACHERY KOKEL
Vice President of Engineering
Zach leads engineering for the UTEX. Zach has almost 25 years of experience in the upstream Oil & Gas industry. Before UTEX, he began his career as a product and project engineer in subsea completion and tie-back systems for FMC Technologies, then spent the last 15 years in a variety of engineering, technology, and product management leadership positions with both FMC and Weir SPM. Zach has BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University.
JULIAN HIGUERA
Treasurer & Director of Financial Planning and Analysis
Julian leads Financial Analysis, Planning, and Budgeting efforts for UTEX. Prior to joining the Company in 2013 and transitioning into corporate finance, Julian held various roles in Private Wealth Management and Portfolio Financial Analysis for Global Financial Services. Julian has a degree in Business Administration with a Finance concentration from the University of Houston and an M.B.A. from Tulane University.
DENNIS PEDERSON
Director of Sales
Dennis leads the Core Products sales group that services multiple markets beyond the High Pressure Pumping industry. Dennis has over 40 years of experience in direct sales of custom components for the O&G and Industrial markets. Prior to this role, Dennis worked on the sales team having direct account responsibilities and mentoring the sales team.
ZACH TRITZ
Managing Director – Asia
Zach is responsible for the growth of UTEX Sales and Operations in Asia Pacific. He began his career with Baker Hughes, where he completed their Engineering Development Program, with a focus on hydraulic fracturing and cementing treatments. In 2016, he joined UTEX Technical Sales where he later promoted to International Sales Manager, and soon after his current role as Managing Director for Asia. Zach has a Bachelor’s in Physics from Texas State University, where he also received a baseball scholarship. Zach is a student of leadership and thrives on educating himself on management strategy, and investing in his team. He is a dedicated husband, and father of three children, whom he enjoys experiencing new adventures with.
LORENA HIGUERA
Director of Supply Chain and Logistics
Lorena leads Supply Chain and Logistics. She has extensive experience in Logistics, Trade Compliance, and Supply Chain within the Oil & Gas and Industrial markets. Lorena is also responsible for cost reductions and continuous process improvement. Before joining UTEX, she held Leadership Global roles with FMC Technologies and Emerson Actuation Technologies. Lorena received her BA degree from the University of Houston and an M.B.A. from Tulane University.
Francisca “CeCe” Abbeyquaye
Director of Quality
CeCe is tasked with leading and enhancing our Quality programs, strategy and performance metrics to assure that we are compliant in our product designs and exceeding customer expectations. Her impressive resume includes nineteen years as an industry Quality Improvement professional, a
trained Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, certified API and ISO 9001 Lead Auditor, certified Quality Auditor (ASQ – CQA) and a Senior Member of American Society of Quality (ASQ). Cece, also holds a Bachelor of Science degree (BSc.) in Material Science Engineering, an Executive MBA and a Masters (MSc.) in Quality Management from the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, U.K.
Dawn Swofford
Director of EHS & ESG
Dawn is responsible for leading the Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Initiatives and maintaining compliance throughout all UTEX facilities. She is also responsible for implementing the company wide strategy for the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) program to enhance business performance and meet UTEX goals.
Jessica Ibanez
Director of Operational Excellence
Jessica has a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Nuclear Engineering, and a Lean-Six Sigma Green Belt. She is tasked with leading the execution of Lean manufacturing and cost saving initiatives. These initiatives will result in continuous improvements and optimization across all functions and value streams within UTEX to enhance operational and financial performance.
ED LANDRY
Chief Scientist
Ed is responsible for the development of new material formulas and maintaining the existing manufacturing process of non-metallic materials for UTEX. Before joining UTEX in 2002, Ed held various positions within Keystone Polymers and was responsible for managing the rubber molding business unit. He started rubber mixing and molding divisions in China and Mexico for Keystone Valve. Ed also worked for Gates Molded Products Company, Cameron Elastomer Products, and Brown Oil Tools. Ed has a BS degree in Chemistry from Sam Houston State and attended the University of Akron’s MS program studying Polymer Science. Ed is currently a member of the Energy Polymer Group (EPG) and the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society. He has been published in several technical papers and holds patents and patent applications.
Louis Tan
Director of Business Development – Asia
Louis is responsible for UTEX Sales in Asia Pacific. Started his career as a Field Service Engineer with Applied Materials and progressed to Sales Manager role with Greene, Tweed & Co. He has more than 15 years of Sales and Operations experience in leading and coaching teams to grow new businesses and products. Louis has a BEng degree in Mechanical & Production Engineering from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.