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 >

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 >
Matthew R. Hartman

Matthew R. Hartman

Chairman & CEO, OneCampass Holdings and FST Logistics, Inc.
BIO >
Cathy M. Lyttle

Cathy M. Lyttle

Retired CHRO, Senior Vice President, Worthington Industries
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.

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.

Matthew R. Hartman

Matthew R. Hartman

Chairman & CEO, OneCompass Holdings and FST Logistics, Inc.

Matt is Chairman & CEO of OneCompass Holdings and FST Logistics, Inc., a third-party logistics provider and 100% employee-owned company with over $150M in annual revenue. Matt began his career in the wholesale electrical distribution industry, serving the industrial, automation and construction sectors. This broad background provided him with a deep understanding of the supply chain and technology.

Matt is a serial entrepreneur focused on creating efficient, effective operating processes through the utilization of technology. With experience in new construction, facilities, finance, sales & marketing, operations and technology, Matt can provide valuable insight across the enterprise.

Matt resides in Dublin, Ohio, with his wife Stacy and their youngest son Blake. He enjoys watching the Steelers and Ohio State football, playing golf, hunting, skiing, boating, and wood working.

Cathy M. Lyttle

Cathy M. Lyttle

Retired CHRO, Senior Vice President, Worthington Industries

Cathy recently retired as CHRO and Senior Vice President of Worthington Industries, where she directed the strategic design, development and execution of Human Resources. She led a multi-disciplined approach to strengthen the culture and employee experience with a focus on DE&I and talent development.

An award-winning communications strategist, Cathy has been recognized for her expertise in investor relations, public relations, community impact, brand and culture leadership. She's an active community trustee currently serving in multiple non-profit and civic leadership board positions. She has also served on joint venture board and advisory boards for new businesses, including a commercial insurance exchange start-up.

Cathy is a longtime resident of Columbus, Ohio.

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.

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