Dr. Mike Benzakein
Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Benzakein received his Mechanical Engineering Degree in 1960. He received an MSME in 1963 and a Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics in 1967. He joined General Electric in 1967 where he served in a number of positions in Advanced Technology, Project and Product Engineering. From 1995 up to his retirement in 2004 he had the responsibility for engineering leadership and technical oversight of GE Commercial and Military Aircraft Engines. In this capacity, he was responsible for leading the Technology Development efforts and new engines development programs. Under his leadership, the development time for commercial engine platforms have been reduced by a factor of 2 with associated improvements in performance, quality and reliability.

In 2001 Dr. Benzakein was elected as a Member of the National Academy of Engineering. That year he also received the Gold Medal Award from the Royal Aeronautical Society. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 2002 and a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 2004. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Poitiers in France in June 2006 and was elected Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in February 2007.

Recently Dr. Benzakein was selected to receive the 2007 Reed Aeronautics Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Named for Dr. Sylvanus A. Reed, the aeronautical engineer, designer, and founding member of the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences in 1932, the Reed Aeronautics Award is the highest award an individual can receive for achievements in the field of aeronautical science and engineering.

Today, as ITI's Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Benzakein continues to advance product development process and product improvement through the continued development and global implementation of Best Practices for New Product Development.