Meet The Team

Karen Lai

President and Founder

Karen is the President and Founder of KPM Power Inc, a customizable lithium battery solutions provider, with a specialization in Battery Management Systems.  

She is an ardent supporter of the advancement and implementation of clean technologies and is committed to fueling these initiatives to get to market.

Karen has nearly 20 years of experience with global supply chain management, design for manufacturing and validation, and vendor management.  She is also passionate about encouraging and empowering more women in STEM, and helping women realize their goals and fully reach their vast potential.

Karen is a member of the advisory board for York University’s BEST Program, which supports entrepreneurial initiatives and programs with a STEM focus.  She graduated from the University of Waterloo with a BASc degree in Mechanical Engineering.  She is also a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario and holds the P.Eng designation.

Peter Sie

Vice President, Finance

Peter has held an advisory role at KPM Power since its founding in 2017, and formally assumed the role of Vice President, Finance in 2019.  Previously, Peter was Vice President, Investment Analytics for Ninepoint Partners, one of Canada’s leading independent alternative asset managers

After 17 years in various analytical and leadership roles on Bay Street, Peter is very excited with his new surroundings, being on the ground floor, and being part of a dedicated and diverse team that’s making an impact and bringing innovative clean technologies to market. 

Peter graduated from Simon Fraser University with a BA in Economics. 

Eric Wimalasekera

Applications Engineering Lead

Eric is a Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Aircraft Maintenance Technician and a Certified Journeyman Electrician (309A) with 20+ years of technical experience in various engineering and electrical roles spanning several industries including aerospace, HVAC, commercial building construction, automated manufacturing, and renewable energies.   

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Prior to joining KPM Power, Eric worked on several large-scale commercial projects including MaRs Centre Phase 2, and  RBC WaterPark Place through the IBEW Local 353. 

Eric brings a unique applied mechanical and electrical skill set, and his versatility and (some would say) compulsive desire to optimize anything in his path, to his role as Applications Engineering Lead! 

Samantha Rimando

Operations Manager

Samantha has been working with original equipment manufacturers for nearly 10 years. Acting as an extension of her customer’s supply chain and purchasing teams, she has assisted OEMs with sourcing and their production in China and North America.  With her experience, she has taken the role of Operations Manager at KPM Power Inc. including her active role in their Human Resources processes. We aim to build a team with a solutions mindset to ensure alignment throughout the organization.

One of Samantha’s many passions include providing opportunity and information to members of the community to guide them to the resources required for personal successes.

Samantha graduated from Sheridan College from the Business Administration – Human Resources program.

Ivan Gutierrez

Marketing and Product Designer

Ivan is a passionate marketer and product design specialist with nearly six years of experience in project development and user experience design. ​

Before joining KPM Power, Ivan was head of design and project member for a commercial interior design agency leading the conceptional/design phase as well as various steps during the execution process. Ivan developed projects for companies such as Compass Group, Henkel, Old Mutual, GM, Sodexo, among others. ​

Ivan enjoys learning, teaching, and leading. He is also constantly looking out for his partners. He believes that every one of us can make a difference. ​

Ivan graduated from Autonoma University in Colombia with a BA in product and industrial design and marketing management from Humber College.

Saba Azimi

Full Stack Developer

Saba is an experienced web developer maintaining front-end functionality of websites. He achieved in-depth understanding of full-stack architecture with knowledge in design patterns and a strong insight of object-oriented software development methodologies.

Graduating from the University of Toronto with a Masters in Engineering, Saba possesses diverse experience in different applications and previously worked with IoT in energy. He was involved in developing apps detecting and identifying environmental changes.

He has been a great addition to our team applying his deep knowledge in Computer Sciences to our software.

Alexis Dunphy

Project Manager

Alexis has a passion for social and environmental sustainability which has directed her career towards cleantech and renewables. As such, she is also a part of many organizations which promote these values such as Women in Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE)
 
Before joining KPM, she had worked in a variety of industries from solar energy to the nuclear and automotive industries. As part of the team, she works to bring efficiency and effectiveness to work processes to ensure best practices.
 

Alexis has a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Dalhousie University.