ENTEK International CEO and leadership

Dr. Pekala is Chief Technology Officer for ENTEK International LLC. He has a B.S. degree in biomedical engineering from Duke University (1981) and a Sc.D. degree in polymeric materials from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1984). Dr. Pekala began his career at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where he worked for 11 years in the Materials Science Department on aerogels and other low density, microcellular materials. In 1996, Dr. Pekala joined PPG Industries as a scientist working in the Silica Products business unit. At PPG, he managed the Microporous Materials Group and had responsibility for precipitated silica used in battery separators and synthetic printing media. In 1999, Dr. Pekala joined ENTEK where he helped to commercialize new products such as lithium-ion battery separators, waterproof breathable membranes, and golf car separators. Dr. Pekala has over 100 technical publications, 2 R&D 100 awards, and 33 patents.

Experienced CFO with proven track record.

• Provided financial leadership through periods of market growth and decline. Played a pivotal role in seven acquisitions and divestitures. Held final authority for all financial operations of a manufacturing company with multiple production sites. Drove continuing improvement in operational controls, financial reporting, treasury management, tax mitigation and compliance, IT infrastructure and risk management including insurance.

• Prepared annual budgets and business plans, managed all day-to-day accounting functions. Negotiated multiple senior note placements, single bank and syndicated working capital lines and debt restructuring with multiple lenders while in a \'troubled\' environment.

• Directed strategic planning and tax compliance reporting as well as annual federal tax filings and state tax filings in 15 states.

• Managed all credit decisions and vetted the collections process.; Drove improvement in cash flow projection and management as well as in budgeting, forecasting and cost control in a seasonal industry where \'cash was king\'.

• Developed a complex financial model to predict cash flows and borrowing needs while positioning the company to project cash shortfalls and negotiate loan agreements months in advance of the actual need.

• Drove development of a standard cost accounting system from the ground up that addressed the complexities of a production process tied to agricultural raw ingredients purchased on an \'orchard run\' basis. Facilitated improvement in product pricing and profitability.

• Successfully secured new working capital loans as well as new terms in the workout of an existing loan called earlier by the bank.

• Increased the efficiency of Information Technology to meet the information needs of a growing company.

• Successfully defended the company in numerous IRS and state tax audits.

Petar Oklobdzija is a Chief Financial Officer at Entek International LLC and is based in Greater Milwaukee. He has worked as Group Vice President and General Manager Global OEM - Battery Group at Johnson Controls, Vice President and General Manager Americas OEM - Battery Group at Johnson Controls, and DIRECTOR OF FINANCE GLOBAL METALS - AUTOMOTIVE GROUP at Johnson Controls. Petar attended University of Windsor until 1989 and University of Windsor until 1991.