Our Team
Bill Altieri, Business Advisor
Founder and President of the highly successful Boston-based investment firm TAG Venture Partners, Bill Altieri serves as an important business advisor to MagCanica. Bill's unique financial and business experience provides MagCanica with strong guidance to effectively develop MagCanica's business over the long term. His support is particularly valuable in helping to identify and evaluate new markets to enter, assess product development strategy, and make introductions to potential clients and investors.
Nader Bitar, Vice President of Business Affairs
As MagCanica's Vice President of Business Affairs, Nader is responsible for all business and legal matters affecting the Company, including managing MagCanica's business development and financial management efforts, and handling various administrative functions such as human resources, investor relations, and benefits. Nader is a seasoned California corporate and intellectual property attorney with significant experience in the high-tech arena. As such, he provides invaluable legal and business development leadership. He holds a Bachelor's degree in International Economics from Georgetown University and a law degree from the University of California at Davis. In addition to his varied educational background, Nader has over fifteen years of financial and legal experience, having worked with a number of financial institutions, law firms, and high technology startup companies.
Sami Bitar, President
President and co-founder of MagCanica, Sami holds a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Brown University and a Master's degree in mechatronics from Stanford University. Following his university studies, he gained valuable experience at the Ford Motor Company (Dearborn, MI, USA) leading the development of a series of magnetoelastic torque sensors for Formula 1 racecars and production automotive steering applications. Through his experience developing torque sensors at Ford, Sami developed a strong understanding of the issues involved in developing practical torque sensing devices for industry as well as an in-depth appreciation for what infrastructure and skill base is needed to guide a successful R&D program for this technology.

As President of MagCanica since its founding in early 2000, Sami has successfully managed the inception and growth of MagCanica from a business concept to a credible and financially sound enterprise. He has carried out both technical and business roles in a dedicated effort to continuously improve and further propagate MagCanica's technology platform. In particular, Sami has been able to raise funding, recruit a world-class technical and business team, and secure numerous contracts to fuel the company's growth.
Wade S. Fiegel, Electrical Engineer
Wade earned his Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Lowell in 1980. Virtually ever since then, he has worked directly with Ivan Garshelis on magnetoelastic torque sensors and a variety of other transducers and devices. His almost thirty years of work experience and hands-on approach make him a particularly valuable contributor to the team in such activities as experimental testing, sensor and module assembly, and system troubleshooting. Among other things, during his free time Wade is an avid canoe racer and serves as a local Fire Department emergency volunteer.
Ivan J. Garshelis, Chief Technical Officer
Chief Technical Officer and co-founder of MagCanica, Garshelis is recognized as one of the world's top experts in torque measurement and magnetoelastics. Among other things, he has invented and successfully proven out devices for the measurement of torque, rate-of-change (ROC) of torque, speed, and position; current threshold sensing; and the mechanical magnet. Mr. Garshelis' professional and scientific distinctions are numerous, as reflected in his publication of over 50 peer-reviewed technical journal articles (for a complete list of Mr. Garshelis' publications, click here) and over 30 patents. Furthermore, in 1994 he was awarded the prestigious R&D 100 Award in recognition of his pioneering work in magnetoelastic torque sensing.

An expert engineer and inventor, Mr. Garshelis has several decades' experience as a designer, researcher, and senior engineering consultant across many industries. Prior to his association with MagCanica, he consulted for a number of Fortune 500 companies including General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Daimler-Chrysler, and Honeywell. Mr. Garshelis, an expert mechanical engineer and physicist, is recognized as the world's top expert in torque sensing and magnetoelastics and has authored the seminal patents and technical papers in the area of magnetoelastic torque measurement. As such, at the request of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), he authored the chapter on torque measurement in The Measurement, Instrumentation and Sensors Handbook and The Mechatronics Handbook.
Ryan Kari, Director, Electronics & Condition Monitoring Systems
As Director of Electronics and Condition Monitoring Systems, Ryan is responsible for the development and full product cycle for all MagCanica signal conditioning electronics, and leads the design, development, and technology roadmap for MagCanica's condition monitoring programs. Having graduated from Stanford University with a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Smart Product Design and Systems Identification, Ryan's rigorous training and multidisciplinary approach help to maintain MagCanica's position as a leading developer of mechatronic systems as well as develop products for new markets and applications. Since joining MagCanica in 2002, Ryan has led the development of both MagCanica's in-house signal conditioning and real time signal processing electronics, and has contributed to the development of magnetoelastic measurement technologies having co-authored multiple peer-reviewed papers under the guidance of Ivan Garshelis. Ryan's combination of interdisciplinary know-how and a strong product focus helps MagCanica to effectively transition newly developed sensor technologies into functional products and systems.
Tej Patel, Design & Development Engineer
Tej graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a double major in Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mathematics. His area of focus was Finite Element Methods and their application to various physical phenomena. While studying at UCSD, Tej was an Engineering Intern at MagCanica where he supported KERS torque sensor development as well as FEA modeling. Tej’s experience in mathematical modeling as well as experience in car design while a member of the UCSD FSAE team, will help him to further MagCanica's product design and development goals in various new and continuing projects and programs. In particular, Tej is involved in analytical and experimental modeling of the magnetoelastic transducer sub-system, as well as development engineering for a number of motorsport and aerospace applications.
Ryan Revilla, Design & Development Engineer
Ryan joined MagCanica as an Engineering Intern. Upon graduating from the University of California at San Diego with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, he joined the MagCanica team on a full-time basis. During his years at UCSD, he actively participated in the university’s Formula SAE team as well as worked in industry with an emphasis on carbon fiber-based composite materials. Drawing from his design and manufacturing experiences in both SAE and industry, Ryan helps contribute to further development and application of MagCanica’s products in various areas of interest, especially in the motorsport and aerospace sectors.
Honda Wong, Design & Development Engineer
Honda is a graduate of the combined plan program at Lewis and Clark College and Columbia University, with a B.A. in physics and B.S. in mechanical engineering. In addition to his formal education, years of exposure to his family's auto shop and experience gained as a designer on the Columbia FSAE team provide Honda with valuable hands-on knowledge on machine design, assembly, and maintenance. An avid follower of motorsports and a self-confessed gearhead, Honda combines his skills and passion to contribute to the development and application of MagCanica's products in various areas of interest, especially in the motorsport and energy sectors.
William Street, Manufacturing Engineer
A highly experienced manufacturing engineer with a strong background in sensor manufacturing and quality control, Bill plays a key role in testing and assembling MagCanica's torque sensor systems, documenting and improving MagCanica's manufacturing and testing processes, and championing MagCanica's quality improvement efforts. Bill has over twenty years of manufacturing engineering experience with electromechanical devices. Prior to his association with MagCanica, Bill worked for a number of automotive and aerospace industry leaders including BEI and Honeywell working as a process engineer for various sensor devices such as position sensors, encoders, and potentiometers.