John is the Senior Director of North American Sales at Dassault Systèmes, responsible for aerospace & defense customers. John is responsible for growth and delivery for software and services to support customers full product lifecycle from concept, development, manufacturing through sustainment. John brings a broad range of industry and technology solution experience, for both commercial and US DoD customers, into his current responsibilities with Dassault. He held various functional and program leadership roles on both commercial aerospace and defense system platforms. John also has extensive professional experience in delivery of commercial enterprise technology platforms and excels at connecting the dots across business, technology, people and organizations with industrial and government customers. John earned a Masters of Science degree in Electrical & Control Systems Engineering from Syracuse University and a Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, with a concentration in control systems and fluid dynamics, from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Jason ROBERSON is part of the Dassault System Aerospace & Defense strategy and innovation team developing solutions to empower and enable the global space industry with virtual twin experiences. Prior to joining Dassault Systèmes, he served 25 years in the U.S. Air Force as a Space Operations Officer, working with industry and international allies across air, space, and cyberspace. He served in numerous command & international staff positions, culminating as a Colonel and the Director of Space Forces for U.S. European Command & U.S. Africa Command.
Jim PELKMANS brings over 25 years of aerospace and automotive industry experience to his role as Strategic Academia Partnerships & Centers of Excellence Director for Dassault Systèmes. With a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering from Toronto Metropolitan University, he has positioned himself at the intersection of industry practice and engineering education. His career includes four years as an aerodynamics designer with Ferrari Formula 1 and co-founding Aventec Inc. (now part of VIAS3D), a Toronto-based PLM consulting company serving aerospace and automotive organizations. From 2012 to 2018, he focused on instructional design and educational programs at a major aerospace OEM, developing curriculum that bridges academic theory and real-world engineering practice. He subsequently spent six years in consulting business development for Dassault Systèmes before joining the company's academia team. In his current role, he works with colleges and universities across North America to integrate industry-standard design tools and methodologies into engineering programs. His extensive background spanning aerospace design, PLM consulting, educational development, and academic partnerships provides unique insights into preparing students for modern aerospace careers through experiential capstone projects.