Mr. Frank Popielas

Chair Elect

Managing Partner and Co-founder,SMS ThinkTank

Mr. Popielas is currently Managing Partner and Co-founder of SMS_ThinkTank. He has over 20 years of global experience in engineering and R&D product and materials development, IP management, as well as testing, with a specific focus on the development and application of simulation tools, and the establishment of the required supporting infrastructure at Dana Holding Corporation. His expertise includes technology exchange and transfer, business assessments in engineering and manufacturing focusing on the virtual aspect, as well as process development and democratization of its application in this area.

In Addition, Frank is a member of the NAFEMS Americas Steering Committee since 2011 and became founding chairman of the joint System Modeling and Simulation Working Group between NAFEMS and INCOSE in 2013 and continues his leading role in the System Modeling and Simulation Working Group as Co-chair since August 2016. He joined the COE organization as volunteer in 2017 and is section chair within the Engineering, Analysis and Simulation Division responsible for CAE and SPDM (Simulation Process and Data Management). His activities and achievements include over 35 granted patents globally on the areas of sealing, shielding and fuel cells, over 30 publications globally covering all the mentioned areas with the focus on the past decade on virtual engineering, its tools and practices, presentations and speaking engagements at conferences and various companies, interviews, case studies and teaching engagements.

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