ABOUT US We’re a collection of engineers and solar evangelists. Curious minds and collaborators. Optimists and advocates of sunnier days. In equal measures, we challenge and support each other to design, develop and deliver solutions that have the potential to change the world in a positive way. We are deeply committed to what we do, and we love diving into it every day. INNOVATION WORTH PATENTING Our patents are much more than intellectual property. They’re a testament to the quality of engineering talent at Shoals and our collective determination to problem solve on our terms. Each one of our 18 patents holds a backstory of conception and exploration, trial and error, toil and teamwork, and ultimately, a modest triumph of ingenuity. The upshot is that we get to share the results with the world. But we’ll never rest on reputation alone. We never lack for problems to solve in our line of work and welcome the chance to tackle them in our own unique way. OUR QUALITY ROOTS Our roots lead down the road previously as a Tier 1 automotive manufacturer. Those early days established our reputation for excellence and taught us about rigor, quality, consistency and reliability, among many other things. Those values are put into action every day at Shoals and shared by everyone who works here. OUR TEAM Dean Solon FOUNDER Dean Solon is the Founder of Shoals and responsible for developing innovative next generation solutions that drive the company’s growth. He has an extensive background in lean manufacturing utilizing rigorous quality control processes from the automotive industry. Dean has a proven executive management track record with over 25 years of experience driving sales, innovation, and technological growth for the solar industry and holds 18 patents. Mr. Solon attended Purdue University and studied mechanical engineering. Jason Whitaker PRESIDENT & CEO Jason Whitaker has been our Chief Executive Officer since January 2020. Mr. Whitaker has also been our President since September 2017 and Chief Technology Officer since October 2009. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Whitaker served as Co-Owner at Thunder Heart Performance Corp., with varying roles in Operations and Engineering between 1994 and 2009. Mr. Whitaker holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tennessee Technological University. Mr. Whitaker was nominated to serve on our board of directors due to his extensive senior leadership experience and comprehensive knowledge of our business and perspective of our day-to-day operations. Philip Garton CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Dr. Philip Garton joined Shoals in 2017 as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Shoals, Dr. Garton served as Chief Financial Officer for several private equity-owned manufacturers and multinational organizations, where he guided these firms through various liquidity events. Dr. Garton is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and holds a Doctorate in Business Administration - Accounting from the University of Florida – Warrington College of Business. John White CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER As Chief Operating Officer, John White oversees manufacturing and operations at Shoals. With a career spanning more than 34 years, John brings a wealth of experience in applications engineering, field and service engineering, quality, logistics, IoT, manufacturing, and operations. John has held several executive positions and has worked for global technology leaders including Wang Labs, Connor Peripherals, Intergraph, and Synapse Wireless. As an Electrical Engineer, John has been involved in the design and commercialization of several products of which he holds multiple patents. Alan Neal CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER Alan Neal serves as Chief Technology Officer for Shoals and has an accomplished track record of leading large global multidisciplinary engineering teams to excellence through improved innovation, vitality index, and quality metrics. He joined Shoals after having successful tenures at Square D Company, ABB, and most recently Leviton Manufacturing Company. Alan works collaboratively with the leadership team to launch new products for the solar industry. He has an MBA from Duke University, an MSEE from Arizona State, and a BSEE from The Ohio State University. Mehgan Peetz GENERAL COUNSEL Mehgan Peetz, General Counsel, was formerly the Deputy General Counsel at SmileDirectClub, a publicly traded oral care company, based in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to this role, Mehgan was the Executive Counsel – Commercial for Current, powered by GE and GE Lighting, based in Boston and Cleveland. Before the foray into company counsel, Mehgan practiced at the law firms of Ropes and Gray in Boston and Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago. Mehgan graduated cum laude from University of Michigan Law School and cum laude from the University of Notre Dame, studying psychology and pre-medicine. Ben Macias SENIOR VP, SALES AND MARKETING Ben Macias serves as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Shoals, where he is responsible for sales, marketing, and developing go-to-market strategies for international markets. A seasoned solar industry veteran with over a decade of experience in electrical and structural balance of systems components, he also works cross-functionally with engineering to develop and bring new products to market. Alex Stucker SENIOR VP, SALES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Alex Stucker is Senior Vice President of Sales and Business Development for Shoals, where he oversees North American EPC and Developer relationships. As a 10-year industry veteran, he is responsible for identifying new strategic partnerships, manage existing relationships, and manage multidisciplinary teams to achieve the highest level of customer satisfaction. Kent Miller SENIOR VP Kent Miller serves as Senior Vice President of Shoals and joined the company in 2017. In this role, Kent is responsible for business strategy, forecasting, and identifying new prospective opportunities. Prior to Shoals, he held several sales leadership positions at Apple, Microsoft, SunEdison, EnFlex, SunPower, HelioPower, and Black & Veatch. Jeff Tolnar SENIOR VP, ELECTRIC VEHICLE SOLUTIONS Jeff Tolnar joins Shoals as SVP of Electric Vehicle Solutions, bringing a 25 year proven track record of technology, energy and electric mobility executive experience to the Company. In this role, he is responsible for expanding Shoals’ industry-leading solar EBOS solutions into the global EV market to enable more economical, efficient and higher quality EV charging infrastructure deployments. Mr. Tolnar was most recently Chief Commercial Officer for Shell | Greenlots where he was responsible for the company’s electric mobility solution sales, marketing, regulatory policy, sales operations, and partnerships. Prior to Shell, he served as President of Global Software Solutions for Honeywell’s Homes, Buildings and Utilities businesses. Mr. Tolnar holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering Technology from Youngstown State University and a Master of Business Administration from Baker University. Kathy Heilmann VP, MARKETING Kathy Heilmann joins Shoals as VP of Marketing, bringing over 20 years of successful international B2B marketing leadership in solar and high tech to the Company. In this role, she is responsible for driving brand development and growth strategies as Shoals grows its international presence and expands its EBOS leadership beyond solar to energy storage and EV charging. Previously, Ms. Heilmann was the Director of Marketing for the Americas at Canadian Solar, where she was instrumental in driving marketing programs in North and South America. Ms. Heilmann joined the solar industry in 2011 and has held marketing roles at Clean Focus Renewables (now Greenskies), LDK Solar, and Satcon Technologies. Prior to joining the solar industry, she spent ten years in senior global marketing roles for industrial giant Siemens AG, earning numerous awards and recognition for the company. She also worked as an engineer for Pacific Gas and Electric. Ms. Heilmann earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master in Business Administration in Marketing, both from the University of California at Berkeley. Brian Van Heel VP, US SALES Brian Van Heel joins Shoals as VP of Sales in the U.S. with over 15 years of sales experience across all aspects of the solar industry, including module and inverter manufacturing, utility project development, and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC). In this role, he is responsible for overseeing U.S. sales of Shoals’ EBOS solutions with a focus on delivering customized systems for solar and energy storage projects to meet specific customer needs. Prior to joining Shoals, Mr. Van Heel led U.S. sales for global companies such as Delta Electronics and Huawei Technologies. He holds a Bachelor of Business Management from California State University, Chico. Josep Tienda VP, EMEA SALES Josep Tienda joins Shoals as VP of Sales in EMEA and is responsible for growing Shoals’ presence and EBOS sales in key international markets, including Spain, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Portugal and the Middle East. Mr. Tienda brings 20 years of multinational experience in a wide variety of diverse strategic roles, including product marketing, operations, sales and business development in the electronics, energy and photonics industries in EMEA, the U.S. and Canada. He most recently served as the EMEA Sales Director for Excelitas Technologies, where he was responsible for the Development and Execution of the Distribution commercialization strategy, leading EMEA sales and business development in the region since 2014. Mr. Tienda holds a Bachelor of Science in European Business and Technology from Coventry University in England and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Girona University in Spain. Joe Hubbard VP, PROGRAM MANAGEMENT Joe Hubbard is VP of Program Management for Shoals with over 13 years of experience with Shoals and in the solar industry. Joe plays an integral part of our team at every phase in the process. His goal is to provide a smooth transition from initial order through delivery while also ensuring our commitments to our clients. Originally from FL, Joe received his undergraduate degree from The University of Tennessee and his MBA from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. It is Joe’s goal to help maintain the outstanding reputation Shoals has acquired over the years and explore any avenue where it can be enhanced. Joe has been married for 23 years and has 3 daughters. Go To Top GET IN TOUCH First Name Email Last Name Phone Company Message Submit ADDRESS 1400 Shoals Way, Portland, Tennessee 37148 Email: sales@shoals.com Tel: 615-451-1400 © 2021 Shoals Technologies Group PRIVACY POLICY