Frank Popielas & Ed Ladzinski

Frank Popielas, Executive Consultant, CIMdata & Managing Partner and Co-Founder of SMS_ThinkTank™

Frank Popielas is an Executive Consultant for CIMdata in the Simulation-Driven Systems Development (SDSD) Practice, focusing on the integration of physics-based behavior modeling and simulation technologies and processes with systems level engineering methodologies and tools— commonly referred to today as Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE).

Mr. Popielas brings to CIMdata over 20 years of global experience in product engineering, R&D, and IP management, as well as testing and materials development, with a specific focus on the development and application of multi-physics and multi-domain modeling and simulation tools. This included the definition and implementation of the required supporting IT infrastructure for simulation data and process management at Dana Holding Corporation. His expertise includes technology exchange and transfer, business assessments in engineering, and manufacturing, focusing on virtual product engineering, as well as process development and democratization of software applications in this area.

Mr. Popielas has been a member of the NAFEMS Americas Steering Committee since 2011 and founding chairman of the joint System Modeling and Simulation Working Group (SMSWG) between NAFEMS and INCOSE since 2013. His activities and achievements include over 35 granted patents on the areas of sealing, shielding, and fuel cells; over 30 publications covering all the mentioned areas with a focus on virtual product engineering, its tools and practices; numerous presentations and speaking engagements at industry conferences and various companies; interviews, case studies, and teaching engagements at high schools and community colleges. He is also the managing partner and co-founder of SMS_ThinkTank.

Mr. Popielas was born in Germany, and received his MSc degree in Engineering, majoring in Theoretical Physics, from the Technological University (MIS&A – Institute for Steels and Alloys) in Moscow, Russia. He is fluent in English, German, and Russian.

Edward A. Ladzinski, CEO and Co-Founder of SMS_ThinkTank™

Edward Ladzinski is CEO and Co-Founder of SMS_ThinkTank™. He began his career as a Manufacturing Engineer, NC Programmer and Tool Designer with Burroughs Corp. (now Unisys Corp.). In 1978, he joined IBM in the Kingston, NY laboratory as a Research & Development Engineer. During his 32-year career with IBM, Mr. Ladzinski worked in many different positions within engineering including research, product design and development and analysis and simulation. Immediately upon retirement Mr. Ladzinski joined Dassault Systems. While at Dassault Systemes he served as the Systems Engineering leader for the Americas. In 2014, he left Dassault Systemes and formed his own company dedicated solely to systems engineering.

Mr. Ladzinski also serves on the NAFEMS Americas Steering Committee and is co-founder of the Stochastics Working Group and Simulation Data Management working group. Also, he co-founded the joint INCOSE/NAFEMS Systems Modeling and Simulation working group which has over 200 members representing many OEMs and suppliers in automotive and aerospace. He is the chairman of the Analysis & Simulation and Systems Engineering tracks at COE and was awarded the COE Fellow distinction in 2013. In 2016 he was elected into the COE Board of Directors. He was also the winner of the best conference papers in 2012 and 2016 with presentations on Systems Engineering and Collaboration. He is an engineering graduate of RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) and performed his graduate work in Engineering and Business at RIT and UNCC (University of North Carolina Charlotte), respectively.