Deep Chakraborty
Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Deep Chakraborty currently CEO of Centrosolar America Inc. since January 2010, was until recently Vice President of the parent Group in Munich, Germany. At Centrosolar, Deep has focused on a fast ramp-up of the US business: launching Centrosolar-branded products, growing the sales and engineering organization and launching a systems-based approach to Centrosolar's product offering in the North American market.

Prior to Centrosolar, Deep worked for Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in USA and Europe, where he led projects formulating operational growth strategies and identifying new business development opportunities for various international clients. Deep has a strong career background in strategy and operations, with long experience in the automotive industry for where he led  product development activity for OEMs like DaimlerChrysler, with positions of increasing responsibility in areas of vehicle program management and product portfolio strategy.

Deep grew up in India and has a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Deep also has a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, USA and an MBA from the Ross School of Business, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

Steve Daniel
Chief Sales Officer

Steve had spent 25 years in the high tech industry leading sales teams at Silicon Graphics, Sun Microsystems, DEC, BEA and Exodus among others prior to moving into the solar industry. Steve has worked in direct, channel and alliance models, managing sales teams in companies ranging from start-ups to global fortune 100 companies.

In 2007, Steve made the transition into the solar industry as EVP of Sales and Marketing at Akeena Solar, where he helped grow their business from $13M - $41M in a two year period. Since Akeena, Steve has executed two full time consulting assignments at solar start-ups Skyline Solar and PVT Solar where he has helped build out their initial sales strategies.

Steve has a degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Deep Chakraborty
Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Deep Chakraborty currently CEO of Centrosolar America Inc. since January 2010, was until recently Vice President of the parent Group in Munich, Germany. At Centrosolar, Deep has focused on a fast ramp-up of the US business: launching Centrosolar-branded products, growing the sales and engineering organization and launching a systems-based approach to Centrosolar's product offering in the North American market.

Prior to Centrosolar, Deep worked for Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in USA and Europe, where he led projects formulating operational growth strategies and identifying new business development opportunities for various international clients. Deep has a strong career background in strategy and operations, with long experience in the automotive industry for where he led  product development activity for OEMs like DaimlerChrysler, with positions of increasing responsibility in areas of vehicle program management and product portfolio strategy.

Deep grew up in India and has a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Deep also has a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, USA and an MBA from the Ross School of Business, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

Steve Daniel
Chief Sales Officer

Steve had spent 25 years in the high tech industry leading sales teams at Silicon Graphics, Sun Microsystems, DEC, BEA and Exodus among others prior to moving into the solar industry. Steve has worked in direct, channel and alliance models, managing sales teams in companies ranging from start-ups to global fortune 100 companies.

In 2007, Steve made the transition into the solar industry as EVP of Sales and Marketing at Akeena Solar, where he helped grow their business from $13M - $41M in a two year period. Since Akeena, Steve has executed two full time consulting assignments at solar start-ups Skyline Solar and PVT Solar where he has helped build out their initial sales strategies.

Steve has a degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Ronald Tovella
Chairman Of The Board

Mr. Tovella was responsible for the entire North and Central America region as Sales Director of BP Solar. At BP Solar, he developed several major photovoltaic projects and also built up business for brand-based integrated photovoltaic systems for private homes.

Dr. Axel Müller-Groeling
Board Member, Centrosolar America
Executive Board Member, Centrosolar Group AG

Dr. Axel Müller-Groeling, PhD in Physics, is a Board Member of CENTROSOLAR Group AG and is responsible for strategy and operative management of all the daughter companies of the Group, including Centrosolar America Inc.

Dr. Müller-Groeling is a former McKinsey Associate Partner and gained 7 years of experience in the energy and financial services industry. In particular, he focused on Strategy, Risk Management and M&A activities.

Dr. Müller-Groeling is a Member of the Board of Directors at Centrosolar America Inc.

Dr. Thomas Kneip
Board Member, Centrosolar America
Vice President Finance and Strategy, Centrosolar Group AG

Dr. Thomas Kneip joined Centrosolar Group AG in 2007 as Vice President Finance and Strategy. His responsibilities include investor relations, controlling, budgeting and reporting, as well as strategic projects.

Dr. Kneip brings more than a decade of experience in strategy, business development and finance. Before joining Centrosolar, Dr. Kneip served Siemens VDO, a multi-billion automotive electronics supplier as head of the Corporate Strategy department. Prior to that, he worked up the ranks at McKinsey & Company, serving the top management of clients in various industries on growth and strategy assignments.

Dr. Kneip holds a PhD in Business Administration and an MBA from Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management.

Frank Schneider
Board Member, Centrosolar America

Frank is currently a Vice President of CentroSolar Group AG responsible for Corporate Finance and also working as interim-Chief Financial Officer of CentroSolar America, Inc.

Frank began his career in 1992 at Deutsche Bank in Germany, where he spent a total of 12 years. Prior to joining the bank's M&A / corporate finance practice in Frankfurt, he spent several years working in relationship management for MNCs as well as a 2-year assignment working directly for a member of the bank's managing board ("Vorstand"), who was at the time responsible for the global investment banking practice. Frank worked for a range of leading international and German companies and has experience in a range of industries and different types of corporate finance transactions.

Frank left Deutsche Bank in 2004 to found one of the first packaged ice companies in Germany. Beginning initially in Frankfurt, the company expanded nationally with over 4.000 point-of-sale by the time he sold his interest in the company in 2008. He was responsible for sales, finance, human resources and IT and successfully completed several rounds of financing, including professional venture capital funding following the initial proof-of-concept.

Frank has his degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School of Business. He is native in both English and German.

Ronald Tovella
Chairman Of The Board

Mr. Tovella was responsible for the entire North and Central America region as Sales Director of BP Solar. At BP Solar, he developed several major photovoltaic projects and also built up business for brand-based integrated photovoltaic systems for private homes.

Dr. Axel Müller-Groeling
Board Member, Centrosolar America
Executive Board Member, Centrosolar Group AG

Dr. Axel Müller-Groeling, PhD in Physics, is a Board Member of CENTROSOLAR Group AG and is responsible for strategy and operative management of all the daughter companies of the Group, including Centrosolar America Inc.

Dr. Müller-Groeling is a former McKinsey Associate Partner and gained 7 years of experience in the energy and financial services industry. In particular, he focused on Strategy, Risk Management and M&A activities.

Dr. Müller-Groeling is a Member of the Board of Directors at Centrosolar America Inc.

Dr. Thomas Kneip
Board Member, Centrosolar America
Vice President Finance and Strategy, Centrosolar Group AG

Dr. Thomas Kneip joined Centrosolar Group AG in 2007 as Vice President Finance and Strategy. His responsibilities include investor relations, controlling, budgeting and reporting, as well as strategic projects.

Dr. Kneip brings more than a decade of experience in strategy, business development and finance. Before joining Centrosolar, Dr. Kneip served Siemens VDO, a multi-billion automotive electronics supplier as head of the Corporate Strategy department. Prior to that, he worked up the ranks at McKinsey & Company, serving the top management of clients in various industries on growth and strategy assignments.

Dr. Kneip holds a PhD in Business Administration and an MBA from Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management.

Frank Schneider
Board Member, Centrosolar America

Frank is currently a Vice President of CentroSolar Group AG responsible for Corporate Finance and also working as interim-Chief Financial Officer of CentroSolar America, Inc.

Frank began his career in 1992 at Deutsche Bank in Germany, where he spent a total of 12 years. Prior to joining the bank's M&A / corporate finance practice in Frankfurt, he spent several years working in relationship management for MNCs as well as a 2-year assignment working directly for a member of the bank's managing board ("Vorstand"), who was at the time responsible for the global investment banking practice. Frank worked for a range of leading international and German companies and has experience in a range of industries and different types of corporate finance transactions.

Frank left Deutsche Bank in 2004 to found one of the first packaged ice companies in Germany. Beginning initially in Frankfurt, the company expanded nationally with over 4.000 point-of-sale by the time he sold his interest in the company in 2008. He was responsible for sales, finance, human resources and IT and successfully completed several rounds of financing, including professional venture capital funding following the initial proof-of-concept.

Frank has his degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School of Business. He is native in both English and German.