Neil Calfee, executive director, Economic Development + Innovation Zones, Arizona State University Knowledge Enterprise; David Felix, senior manager of Regulatory Affairs, SRP; Bipin Jayaraj, chief digital and information officer, Benchmark; Bob Krakauer, chief financial officer, Verrus; and Tom Sullivan, chief operating officer, Air2O, are the newest members of the Arizona Technology Council board of directors. All were elected unanimously to serve three-year terms at recent Council quarterly board meetings.
“We are honored to welcome them and look forward to their insights as we continue to drive growth, competitiveness and innovation across the state,” says Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Council and SciTech Institute
The board of directors serves an advisory and fiduciary role by representing the interests of the state’s technology industries in the Council’s strategic planning and ongoing operations.
Neil Calfee
Calfee collaborates across ASU Enterprise, Greater Phoenix and Arizona to cultivate and strengthen industry and community relationships, as well as promote the ASU Innovation Zones. Most recently, Calfee was the principal of Calfee Development Advisors, a company specializing in strategic planning, public policy and the creation and negotiation of public-private partnerships. He previously served ASU as the director of Real Estate Development to spearhead many high-profile initiatives.
David Felix
Felix has more than 20 years of experience spanning regulatory strategy, energy markets and technology-enabled innovation within SRP, one of the nation’s largest public power utilities. He currently leads enterprise-level policy strategy before state and federal regulators, advises executive leadership on emerging regulatory and technology trends, and represents the organization in high-stakes public and stakeholder forums. Felix brings strong governance and boardroom perspective through active board service with the SciTech Institute, where he currently serves as vice-chair.
Bipin Jayaraj
Jayaraj focuses on leveraging data analytics, deploying innovative technology platforms and applications, and enhancing information security. He plays a critical role in driving operational efficiencies, improving sustainability and enabling data-driven decision-making across the organization. Jayaraj joined Benchmark from Rogers Corporation, where he served as vice president and global chief information officer, as well as led multiple technology initiatives that enabled global, cross-functional teams to collaborate securely on world-class technology platforms
Bob Krakauer
Krakauer has more than 25 years of experience in building high performing finance teams, improving business performance and leading multiple leveraged buyouts, as well as successfully raising capital in public and private equity, debt and credit markets. He previously was executive vice president and CFO for Arevon Energy, a leading utility-scale renewable energy developer and operator, and served as CFO at LifeLock, Magnachip Semiconductor, ChipPAC and Allied Signal Electronic Materials.
Tom Sullivan
Sullivan has led a management team responsible for the development and implementation of foundational processes and routines, encompassing HR, recruitment, retention, IT management, health and safety, and vendor management at Air2O, a global leader in advanced thermal management for mission-critical facilities. Under Sullivan’s operational guidance, Air2O has witnessed substantial growth, expanding from a modest three-person team in 2014 to a multinational workforce of more than 100 employees across four countries today.
