ABOUT US > Our Team

SAM FAIRCHILD - Chief Executive Officer

Sam joined Optiwind as CEO in 2011. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Broadwind Energy (NASDAQ:BWEN) and then as CEO of Energy Composites Corporation (NASDAQ:ENCC). At Broadwind, Sam helped to drive growth in market capitalization from $23 million to $2.4 billion in four years. He serves as Board Chairman of Schiphol International, owner of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and JFK Terminal 4 and is on the board of Chiapas Organic Farms, the landmark Mexican agricultural company he founded. Sam also served as shadow CEO of Air New Zealand. He was a sub-cabinet member of President George H.W. Bush’s team, and advised President Reagan and then-Vice President Bush on regulatory policy. He has held senior positions at the Carlyle Group and BDM International, and has advised American Express, Philip Morris, Honeywell, Motorola and other Fortune 100 companies at the boardroom level. Sam holds as BA and BS from the College of William and Mary’s Christopher Newport College (jointly with the University of Virginia).

DAVE HURWITT - Chief Commercial Officer

Dave joined Optiwind in 2008 and is responsible for all commercial aspects of the business globally. Dave served as Marketing Director for GE’s Electrical Distribution business launching multiple large-scale new products and revitalized the marketing communications process. Before that, he was Olympic Target Market Director for GE’s Industrial division, developing global projects for GE with the Beijing and Torino Olympic sites. Earlier, Dave ran the $1B washer and dryer business at Whirlpool, then served as Whirlpool’s Director for Global Brand Strategy and Advertising. Dave held various marketing and P&L leadership roles with several consumer products companies, including Pillsbury. Dave holds a BA from Principia College and an MBA from Northwestern University.

RUSS MARVIN - Chief Technology & Strategy Officer

Russ founded Optiwind in 2007 and led the development of the prototype versions of the Company’s Connecticut Class wind turbine. He now leads the Company’s Advanced Development Program, designing an optimized version for wind farm applications. Russ served as COO of MTI Micro, a manufacturer of fuel cells, and was CTO of Torrington Research Company where he developed new motor and fan technology and improved gross margin by 300%. Russ served as VP of Engineering at Plug Power, and held senior technical posts at Axiohm Transaction Solutions, Eastman Kodak, and NCR. Russ holds a BS in Engineering from Clarkson University and a MS in Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is the holder of numerous patents.

RONE BALDWIN - Chief Financial Officer

Rone joined Optiwind in 2011 following a noteworthy career in the financial services industry. He served as Chief Operating Officer of Guardian Life Insurance Company, President and CEO at Genworth Financial, Senior Vice President for Strategy at GE Capital (Insurance), CEO of GE Edison Life, President of GE Capital Japan, and Vice President for Mergers and Acquisition at Goldman Sachs. During Rone’s extensive executive management career, he has generated tens of billions of dollars in value for shareholders while managing risk effectively. His deep exposure to global commerce, coupled with his extensive M&A experience, drives substantial current and future benefit to Optiwind. Rone received an MBA from Harvard and a BS in Physics from Amherst.

TED CHADWICK - Chief Manufacturing Officer

Ted is a founding partner of Optiwind and is responsible for all sourcing and manufacturing operations. Prior to joining Optiwind, he served as VP of Operations for Torrington Research Company where he was responsible for introducing motor and electronics manufacturing to the company. Ted established and managed an international supply chain for electronics, manufactured components and tooling. From 1996 -2001 he served as a Director of the Connecticut Development Authority and was a member of the Connecticut Lottery Board of Directors from 1998 thru 2002. Prior to 1996 he was the President of Asquared Industries Inc. Ted holds a BS from the University of New Haven.