Polaris Automation Leadership

Scott Cooke

Scott Cooke

Chairman & CEO
BIO >
Sam Zungri

Sam Zungri

President & Chief Operating Officer
BIO >
Alyssa Workman

Alyssa Workman

Senior Vice President of People
BIO >
Mark Merino

Mark Merino

Senior Vice President of Product Development
BIO >
Derek Simonette

Derek Simonette

Vice President of Business Development
BIO >
Randy Gay

Randy Gay

Director of Smart Manufacturing
BIO >
Bill Blumensheid

Bill Blumensheid

Director of IT
BIO >
Kevin Buchtel

Kevin Buchtel

Director of Product Deployment and Support
BIO >
Eric Diamond

Eric Diamond

Director of Operations
BIO >
Scott Brown

Scott Brown

Director of Digital Innovation
BIO >

Polaris Automation Board Members

Scott Cooke

Scott Cooke

Chairman & CEO, Polaris Automation
BIO >
Ronald E. Calhoun

Ronald E. Calhoun

President & CEO, The Palmer Donavin Manufacturing Company
BIO >
Grady B. Campbell

Grady B. Campbell

Executive Vice President, Commercial Lines & Life Encova Insurance
BIO >
Dr. Chris Mattmann

Dr. Chris Mattmann

President & Founder, Mattmann.AI, LLC
BIO >
Elizabeth Blount McCormick

Elizabeth Blount McCormick

CEO, Uniglobe Travel Designers
BIO >
Jeff Sopp

Jeff Sopp

Board Advisor
BIO >
Sam Zungri

Sam Zungri

President & Chief Operating Officer, Polaris Automation
BIO >
Scott Cooke
614.374.3565

Scott Cooke

Chairman & CEO

Scott Cooke, a 2nd generation owner, has been an integral part of Polaris since 1987. He began his journey as a Drafter and progressed through multiple roles in the company including Design Engineer, Controls Engineer, Project Engineer, Engineering Manager, Vice President, and President, leading to his current position as Chairman and CEO. With a focus on driving the company's vision and strategy, Scott is deeply committed to servant leadership, believing that true success is measured by the positive impact on the lives of customers, owners, and their families.

A veteran of the United States Army's 82nd Airborne Division, Scott also attended THE Ohio State University. He additionally holds a certification as a CESMII Smart Manufacturing Roadmap Professional. Outside of work, Scott enjoys spending time with his family, participating in church activities, and pursuing hobbies like fishing, hunting, and woodworking.

Sam Zungri
614.374.2396

Sam Zungri

President and Chief Operating Officer

Sam joined the company in 2001 as an Electrical Engineer and has since held the roles of Operations Manager, Operations Director, Chief Operating Officer, and President. He also currently holds a Board of Directors seat for Polaris Automation. Through his holistic experience at Polaris Automation, Sam has developed a robust background in Operations while cultivating skills in Leadership, Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Human Resources.

Sam believes that personal accountability and discipline are the keys to his success, and he uses those traits to lead the business.

Sam holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University. When he's not at work, you will find him either on a golf course or coaching softball.

Scott Brown
614.403.3905

Scott Brown

Director of Digital Innovation

Scott joined Polaris Automation in January 2026 as Director of Digital Innovation, bringing 30+ years of manufacturing technology expertise across plastics, solar, pharmaceuticals, gene therapy, and nutrition industries. His experience includes architecting enterprise-level systems and developing AI/ML solutions for production optimization, quality operations, and yield prediction across highly regulated and industrial environments.

At Polaris, Scott drives strategic positioning in AI implementation, IT/OT convergence, and cybersecurity for manufacturing clients. His approach centers on determining build-versus-partner strategies that deliver measurable business value in production environments where reliability and operational uptime are non-negotiable. He translates between emerging technology capabilities and the practical realities of shop floor operations, ensuring digital investments work in production, not just in demos.

Scott holds an Associate of Applied Science in Electronics Engineering with specialization in Industrial Controls and Power Systems, and a Certificate in Supervised Machine Learning from Stanford Online. Outside of work, he builds automation tools for his wife's business, plays pickleball, and is an avid reader of science fiction.

Alyssa Workman
740.507.1673

Alyssa Workman

Senior Vice President of People

Alyssa Workman joined the company in 2018 as the first internal HR leader and has since established and developed the HR department into a cornerstone of the company. Her leadership has been pivotal in transforming the company culture, making it a place where transparency, ownership, and enjoyment are at the forefront.

As the Senior Vice President of People, Alyssa is committed to ensuring that every team member feels appreciated and supported. She strongly believes that fostering a culture of fun is key to achieving this, as it drives both personal and professional fulfillment.

Alyssa holds a degree in Human Resource Management from Troy University. When she's not at work, you can find her in her home gym or spending quality time with her husband and children.

Mark Merino
614.787.7403

Mark Merino

Senior Vice President of Product Development

Mark joined the company in 2016 to help enhance the company's product and service offerings focused on the adoption of smart manufacturing solutions. Prior to joining the Polaris leadership team, Mark led product development and manufacturing for the market leader of automation solutions for the construction materials industry. Mark's past and present experiences have played a crucial role in introducing new Digital Factory Solution services and the Chordata product offering.

Mark is a strong believer that US-based manufacturers are on the cusp of a game-changing transformational wave through the implementation of smart manufacturing technologies and that Polaris Automation will play a crucial role in this endeavor.

Mark holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Franklin University along with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from The University of Akron.

Ronald E. Calhoun

Ronald E. Calhoun

President & CEO, The Palmer Donavin Manufacturing Company

Ron retired in 2021 after 40 years as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Palmer Donavin Manufacturing Company, a distribution business established in 1907 with two operating divisions: Building Material distribution and Door manufacturing and distribution.

During his leadership, the Company's sales grew from $97 million in 1995 to $279 million in 2020. Ron oversaw the efforts of 500 employees in 8 locations throughout the Midwest and led the company through several major acquisitions as well as an ESOP.

Ron has served on many boards for companies both relative to his field and in his community. He is an active Ohio University alum, serving as board member at Beta Kappa House Corporation of Beta Theta Pi and as Board Member Emeritus and Past Chairman for The Ohio University College of Business, Executive Advisory Board.

Grady B. Campbell

Grady B. Campbell

Executive Vice President, Commercial Lines & Life, Encova Insurance

Grady is Executive Vice President of Commercial Lines & Life for Encova Insurance. He is a versatile leader with broad operational and strategic expertise gleaned from a distinguished 35+ years in the financial services industry. He is known for empowering high-performance teams to drive business results.

As an experienced business executive and board member, Grady takes a relationship-driven discipline to find new solutions, bring order from chaos, and simplifying complex issues so that organizations and people grow and thrive. His executive experience includes mergers and acquisitions, corporate branding, marketing, customer experience, and sales growth.

Grady is an active member of the community. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Ohio Dominican University and served as the president of the Board of Directors for Legatus, an organization of local business leaders. Grady and his wife Teresa reside in Galena, Ohio, and have five children and seven granddaughters.

Dr. Chris Mattmann

Dr. Chris Mattmann

President & Founder, Mattmann.AI, LLC

Dr. Chris Mattmann is President and Founder of Mattmann.AI, an artificial intelligence and technology strategy firm advising Fortune 500 companies, startups, and government organizations on AI, data strategy, digital transformation, and executive leadership. He previously served as Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer at UCLA, where he led enterprise AI, data, and emerging technology initiatives.

An internationally recognized computer scientist, entrepreneur, and technology executive, Chris has spent more than two decades helping organizations translate advanced AI, data, and software engineering into measurable business value. He has founded multiple technology companies, serves on several corporate boards, and is a frequent keynote speaker and media commentator on artificial intelligence, innovation, and the future of technology.

Chris holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Southern California and an Executive Certificate in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, mentoring entrepreneurs, and exploring emerging technologies that shape the future of industry.

Elizabeth Blount McCormick

Elizabeth Blount McCormick

CEO, Uniglobe Travel Designers

Elizabeth is the Chief Executive Officer of Uniglobe Travel Designers, an award-winning, full-service travel management company. As the only Black, woman-owned corporate travel agency in the United States, her clients include universities, major healthcare systems, municipalities, multi-national corporations and two of the largest Group Purchasing Organizations in the country. Since being named President/CEO in 2012, revenues have grown by 43% with an average client retention rate of 85%.

Elizabeth is actively engaged in the Columbus Chamber of Commerce as a small business champion. Among her many awards and recognitions, she was named 2022 Columbus CEO of the Year for Small, For-Profit Business and Enterprising Woman of the Year by Enterprising Women Magazine in 2018.

Elizabeth and her husband reside in Columbus, Ohio, where she enjoys Pilates, reading, and of course, travel.

Jeff Sopp

Jeff Sopp

Board Advisor

Jeff is Founder & CEO of Kensington Hill Partners, a boutique consulting firm specializing in business growth acceleration, board advisory services, and private equity. Jeff consults Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards with strategy, executive leadership selection, member engagement and governance. With extensive experience working with Fortune 1,000 companies, Jeff has an in-depth knowledge of enterprise-wide requirements and solutions. He assists in a range of practices, including board and company growth strategies, merger & acquisition options, and brand development.

Jeff has decades of board experience, having served as chairman, lead director and/or board member of multi-billion-dollar organizations and start-up companies. He specializes in technology, construction, insurance, finance, and Quick Serve Restaurants (QSRs), but focuses his expertise on whatever growth strategies a company needs.

Derek Simonette
740.260.3653

Derek Simonette

Vice President of Business Development

Derek joined Polaris Automation in 2015 and has served in a range of technical roles, including Controls Engineer and Software Engineer, before transitioning into business development. He is passionate about the intersection of IT and OT, where advanced data collection uncovers opportunities for process optimization and performance improvement through data-driven decision-making.

With hands-on experience that spans PLC programming, data aggregation, MES, and batching applications, Derek brings a deep, practical understanding of the systems Polaris delivers. His technical foundation, combined with a relationship-focused approach, makes him a trusted partner to the clients he serves.

Derek holds an MBA from Franklin University and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science and Physics from Muskingum University.

Bill Blumensheid
614.374.3566

Bill Blumensheid

Director of IT

Bill joined the company in 1987 as an Electrical Engineer and has had various roles including Technical Resource Manager, HR/Financial Manager, IT Manager, and Director of IT. With a deep understanding of both technical and business landscapes, Bill is instrumental in aligning IT capabilities with core business functions.

Known for his collaborative leadership style, he has successfully led teams through complex system upgrades, EPR implementations and enterprise risk management programs.

Bill holds an Associate's degree in Electrical Engineering from Marion Technical College. When he's not at work, you will find him either spending time with family or playing golf.

Randy Gay
740.341.3319

Randy Gay

Director of Smart Manufacturing

Randy joined Polaris Automation in 2022 as the Continuous Improvement Manager and has since advanced to the role of Director of Smart Manufacturing. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University and began his career in manufacturing, where he spent 25 years in various engineering and leadership roles. Starting as a Project Engineer, he progressed to Controls Engineer, Senior Controls Engineer, and Engineering Manager.

Randy brings extensive experience in lean manufacturing, standardization, intelligent technology integration, and a deep understanding of operational environments to deliver meaningful value to clients. Passionate about machinery and process safety, Randy has developed risk assessment and mitigation programs for three different companies over the past decade. He is a Certified Machinery Safety Expert through TÜV Nord and is also certified by CESMII as a Smart Manufacturing Roadmap Professional.

Kevin Buchtel
740.262.3010

Kevin Buchtel

Director of Product Deployment and Support

Kevin Buchtel joined Polaris Automation in 1999 as an Electrical Engineer. Early in his career, he played a pivotal role in projects that integrated Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT), helping to bridge the gap between these critical areas.

Over the years, Kevin has held several leadership positions, including IT Manager, DFS Manager, Director of DFS, and now serves as Director of Product Deployment and Support. He brings extensive experience in IT/OT convergence, with a strong focus on Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and Industry 4.0 solutions.

Kevin is recognized for his strong communication skills and a results-driven approach rooted in accountability. His leadership continues to support Polaris Automation's commitment to delivering innovative, customer-focused solutions.

He holds an Associate of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. Outside of work, Kevin enjoys spending time outdoors with his family and friends.

Eric Diamond
740.262.3010

Eric Diamond

Director of Operations

Eric joined the company in 2020 as The Controls Group Lead and has since held the roles of Director of Operations for Automation and Director of Operations.

Eric brings a comprehensive understanding of the business-spanning engineering, project delivery, and strategic operations. His leadership is rooted in a hands-on approach, driving efficiency and growth across departments while fostering a strong team culture. Eric has also played a key role in shaping internal processes and aligning business goals with long-term vision.

Eric leads with a servant leadership philosophy, focusing on supporting his team, removing obstacles, and fostering an environment where others can thrive and succeed.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from The Ohio State University. When he's not at work, you will find him with his two children or traveling.

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