Leadership Team

Executive Team

John K. Bell

Matthew Stevens

Christopher Mendes

Jennifer Bauman

John K. Bell has been Chairman of CrossChasm since February 2007. John is recognized as one of Cambridge's most respected and innovative business leaders and entrepreneurs. John is the founder of Shred-Tech Limited. After start-up in 1977 John grew the business to become a world leader in recycling technology and developed the mobile document shredder - and the beginning of an industry in North America.

John sold the Company in 1995 and in 1996 purchased the Polymer Technologies Inc - an injection moulding facility - saving the plant from closure. Under John's leadership the Company grew to become one of North Americas' premier Tier 2 automotive parts manufacturers - with 7 plants in four countries and 800 employees - being recognized as one of Canada's Best Managed Companies for three years. Now operating as Polymer-Plainfield Companies Inc - John sold control in 2005 to two private equity firms.

John is chair of BSM Technologies and a board member of both the Royal Canadian Mint and ATS Inc. Active in Community life, John is Chairman of Cambridge Memorial Hospital, Co-Chair of The Prosperity Council of the Region of Waterloo, past Chair of the Technology Triangle Accelerator Network, and past Chair of Waterloo Region Police Services Board.

John's contributions to business have been recognized by Conestoga College and Junior Achievement. John has a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Western Ontario's Ivey and was elected as a Fellow by the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Matthew Stevens was named CrossChasm's chief executive officer in May 2009. Matt held senior roles at Onbelay Automotive and is a director at Onbelay Partners Limited. His responsibilities included research & development, continuous improvement, and investment strategy.

With a strong background in research and development, Matthew has held research positions in a variety of industries, including positions at Research in Motion (RIM), MDS Nordion, Ottawa Health Research Institute, Polymer Technologies and the Energy Technology Branch of Natural Resources Canada.

Matt is an adjunct professor at the University of Waterloo, co-supervising research in powertrain design and lithium battery degradation. Additionally, Matt sits on Electric Mobility Canada's (EMC) Technology Development Committee and leads the sub-committee on real-world vehicle demonstrations for battery reliability and durability assessment.

Matt holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Waterloo. His Ph.D. research focused on hybrid vehicle design and methods to incorporate battery degradation into powertrain design and real-time control.

Christopher Mendes was named CrossChasm's chief technology officer in May 2009 and has been a director of the corporation since February 2007. Chris is responsible for developing CrossChasm's technology portfolio.

Prior to CrossChasm, Chris was involved in advanced motor development and control system development. Chris has also held controls and simulation roles at Snowbear Inc and Queen's University.

Chris is a board member of Electric Mobility Canada, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated exclusively to the promotion of electric mobility in Canada.

Chris holds a M.A.Sc. in mechanical engineering from the University of Waterloo. His M.A.Sc. research focused on hybrid vehicle design and advanced torque control strategies.

Jennifer Bauman was named CrossChasm's director of research in March 2009. Jennifer has hands-on experience in the design, fabrication, and testing of mid-power (1kW – 70kW) electronic converters for use in hybrid powertrains. At the systems level, Jennifer has interest and experience in hybrid vehicle architecture design and optimization, as well as analysis, simulation, and problem-solving with respect to the real-world issues faced by the next generation of advanced vehicles.

Jennifer has previously worked on hardware and software systems at Evertz Microsystems, a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of television broadcast and film production equipment. Before that, she worked on hardware testing of digital projectors at Christie Digital Systems. Jennifer has also previously worked in the areas of control systems at Siemens Westinghouse and communications at a small start-up company.

Jennifer holds a B.A.Sc. and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, both from the University of Waterloo. Her Ph.D. research focused on power electronics for hybrid vehicles, and simulation and optimization of advanced vehicles utilizing fuel cells, ultracapacitors, and batteries.