Leadership

Desmond Wheatley has served as Beam Global’s CEO since 2011 and as Chairman of the Board since 2016. He has three decades of senior international management experience in technology systems integration, security, communications, and energy infrastructure innovation.

He was a founding partner in the international consulting practice Crichton Hill LLC. Prior to Crichton Hill, Wheatley was CEO of iAxis FZ LLC, a Dubai-based alternative energy and technology systems integration company.

From 2000 to 2007, he held a variety of senior management positions at San Diego-based Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, with the last five years as President of ENS, the largest independent security and energy management systems integrator in the United States.

Prior to ENS, Wheatley held senior management positions in the cellular and broadband wireless industries, deploying infrastructure and lobbying in Washington, DC, on behalf of major wireless service providers.

Wheatley has founded, funded, and operated four profitable start-up companies and was previously engaged in M&A activities. He evaluated acquisition opportunities, conducted due diligence, and raised commitments of $500M in debt and equity.

Mr. Wheatley is the inventor of multiple patented products, including those in Beam Global’s portfolio.

Ms. Potok brings 25 plus years of financial, operational, board and leadership experience within both public and private companies, domestic and internationally, in a variety of industries including manufacturing, medical devices, biotech, eCommerce, advertising and consumer goods. Recognized as an innovative and strategically focused financial executive with Fortune 500, small and medium-sized company and international experience, she has consistently contributed to growth in profitability while managing public offerings, acquisitions and other strategic initiatives. Immediately prior to her appointment at Beam Global, Ms. Potok was the CFO, Treasurer and Secretary of Nice North America LLC, previously known as Nortek Security & Control, LLC, one of the largest smart residential, commercial and industrial solutions manufacturing companies in the world. Ms. Potok’s previous experience with publicly traded companies includes Newegg Inc., a multi-billion-dollar revenue global tech company which she took public in May 2021; Vice President of Global Finance at Club Demonstration Services; and Vice President of Finance/Divisional CFO at FTD, Inc.’s Provide Commerce division. Ms. Potok is an active CPA, holds a Bachelor of Arts with emphasis in Accounting from Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, MI and a Master of Business Administration from The Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine.

Ivan Tlačinac is a seasoned leader with 26 years of experience driving growth in global infrastructure businesses. As Managing Director of Beam Europe, Mr. Tlačinac oversees Beam’s strategic expansion across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). He spearheads the integration of Beam’s innovative patents and intellectual property with advanced manufacturing capabilities, positioning the company for accelerated growth in these key regions.

Before joining Beam Global, Mr. Tlačinac served as CEO of Amiga doo, a role he assumed after starting as a lead electrical engineer in 1996 and progressively rising to assistant manager. Under his leadership, Amiga became a leader in infrastructure projects, specializing in public lighting, stadiums, utility and telecom towers, bridges, and other large-scale transportation projects. Following Amiga’s acquisition by Beam Global in 2023, his extensive expertise in engineering, sales, operations, and project execution became invaluable in driving Beam’s regional success.

Mr. Tlačinac has managed projects across EMEA for over two decades and is deeply involved in the engineering community. He is a member of the Serbian Society for Lighting Belgrade and the Engineering Chamber of Serbia, where he previously served as President of the Regional Section of Electrical Engineers for Contractors. He holds both contractor and designer licenses, which have been integral to his work on numerous high-profile projects. Mr. Tlačinac holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade.

Davis Nacamu brings over 20 years of experience in engineering, operations, manufacturing and supply chain management with a successful track record in driving world class business initiatives, meeting customer delivery requirements, and exceeding financial performance objectives. As General Manager at metal fabricator and assembler, Fabrication Technologies Industries, Davis managed the plant and facilities to meet delivery, quality, and efficiency targets that opened doors to new growth. Serving as Director of Supply Chain at Vance & Hines, Mr. Nacamu led the supply chain initiatives and team to ensure optimal purchasing and inventory management practices were in place and operational. Davis has served as plant manager, industrial engineering manager, and manufacturing manager over the years to develop a depth of logistics expertise and lean manufacturing practices that will serve Beam’s growth trajectory well.

Mr. Nacamu is Six Sigma Green Belt certified with strong ERP systems experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from UC Berkely and earned his MBA from USC Marshall School of Business.

Posawatz currently serves as President & CEO of Invictus iCAR LLC (an automotive innovation consulting and advisory firm focused on assisting a number of energy & auto clean tech companies). He has served as President & CEO of Fisker Automotive (founded in late 2007 and producer of the award-winner Karma plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, now called Karma Automotive) from August 2012 to August 2013, leading the company’s turnaround efforts which culminated in the sale of the Department of Energy (DoE) loan to new owners. He also served on the Fisker Auto – Board of Directors during this timeframe and currently serves on a number of other Boards including INRIX, Nexeon, SAFE – Electrification Coalition, BEAM (formerly Envision Solar International), Spiers New Technologies, Momentum Dynamics (Chairman-Tech), etc.

Judy Krandel brings an impressive track record in strategic planning and financial leadership with more than 20 years of experience in asset management, investment, operations, financial reporting and oversight, as well as formal accounting expertise. She has successfully leveraged new technologies to drive company growth while building public market capitalization and enterprise value. Ms. Krandel’s previous board membership experience includes public companies: Lincoln 1st Bancorp, Cynergistek and Snap Interactive. She was portfolio manager at Juniper Investment Co, Alpine Woods and First New York Securities and has held CFO positions at public and private companies including Recruiter.com and Paltalk Inc. She is an independent board member and Chair of the Audit Committee. Ms. Krandel holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the Wharton School and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Mr. Syllantavos has more than 25 years of involvement in corporate finance with a focus in the capital markets, mergers and acquisitions and board and leadership experience in public and private companies globally within transportation, maritime, infrastructure, industrials and mobility tech.

Mr. Syllantavos has been the founder and has served as co-CEO and/or CFO and Board member of companies that have conducted an IPO in the U.S. capital markets including Growth Capital Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: GCAC), Stellar III Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: STLR), Nautilus Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: NMAR) and Star Maritime Acquisition Corp. (AMEX: SEA) and has served as CFO and Board member of Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (Nasdaq: SBLK) and Nautilus Offshore Inc. (Nasdaq: NMAR). Mr. Syllantavos has also served on the Boards of Ithax Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: ITHX) and Phunware Inc. (Nasdaq: PHUN) while he is currently serving on the Board of Cepton Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: CPTN).

Mr. Syllantavos is the founder and Managing Director of Magellan Investments Corp., is also a co-founder and Managing Director of Nautilus Energy Management Corp., a ship management company, and is also a partner in SevenSeas Investment Fund, a Luxemburg maritime assets investment fund.

Mr. Syllantavos holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Roosevelt University and an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.