Blachford Acoustics Group Leadership Team

John Blachford

CEO

For John, chemistry has always been part of the family. The son of company founder Henry Lloyd Blachford, John studied chemistry at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec – receiving a doctorate from the illustrious institution.

After working for Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. at Chalk River in Ontario and in a postdoctoral researcher role in colloid chemistry at McGill University, John joined his father at Blachford as an engineer and chemist in the Montreal plant where he oversaw research and development.

John rose to the role of President, and in 2018 became CEO of Blachford with two Presidents, Mike Cundari and Mathew Taub, and a CFO, Dave McCoy, reporting to him.

John spends much of the time working from his country home which allows him to spend time with his three children. He enjoys cross country skiing, hiking, and canoeing –  especially two-week trips in Canada’s Yukon and North West Territories.

Matthew Taub

President & COO

Matt is a 15-year Sales and Marketing veteran with over a decade of experience in acoustics.

Matt started his career at Blachford in sales following a deployment with the U.S. Army in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He left Blachford for five years – gaining experience in metal fabrication, packaging and parking leadership. As it turns out, he was unable to leave acoustics for good and returned to Blachford in 2020.

Matt received a BA in Business and Psychology from St Norbert and an MBA in Management and Operations from UW Madison. He has experience leading sales, operations, and technical teams and has worked for private owners, ESOPs, and VC-owned firms.

Outside of work, Matt’s notable accomplishments include raising two excellent and high-energy young children with his wife, Lisa. When free time presents itself, Matt enjoys downhill skiing, wakeboarding, scuba diving and traveling.

Mike Pellegrini

Vice President – Sales & Marketing

With more than 20 years of experience in sales for niche manufacturers, Mike re-joined Blachford in 2020 for a second tour of duty. In addition to his experience at Blachford, Mike has experience setting strategy and commercializing new products for startup business units, working in private equity, consolidating companies under one corporate umbrella, and leading global sales teams.

He received a BS in Journalism from the Southern Illinois University as well as an Associate of Applied Science.

Away from work, Mike enjoys spending time with his family and dogs. He enjoys exercising, boating, bonfires, strategy games, concerts, and spending time with friends.

Michael Benjamin

Vice President – Technology & Innovation

Michael has 20+ years of experience in Product Development, Product Engineering, and Research and Development .  He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Bharatiyar University in India and his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Oklahoma State University.

Outside of work, Mike enjoys traveling with his wife and two children. They have visited four different continents in a single year!  He also enjoys CrossFit and golfing

Ramon Leon

Director of Operations – US

With more than 20 years of experience in the Chemical Manufacturing Industries, Ramon joined Blachford in 2018. Ramon spent nine years working for ITW, where he held multiple roles including Operations Management.

He received a BS in Chemical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology and is a Kellogg Alumni from Northwestern University. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Ramon has built and led global teams in China, Singapore, Germany, the Philippines and the United States.

Ramon lives with his wife, Sue, and their five children. He enjoys volunteering at a local non-for-profit organization, swimming, golf, and chess.

Andrea Gibbs

Director of Operations & CPO

Andrea joined Blachford in 2007 working directly with owner John Blachford on numerous projects encompassing all company divisions. A certified Project Manager Professional (PMP), Andrea has over 18 years of experience leading projects. When Blachford AM Ltd was created, she relocated permanently utilizing her experience to help bring the plant to profitability. In 2017 Andrea became Director of Operations.

Prior to her time at Blachford, Andrea spent 10 years on Canada’s West Coast working in the fast-paced, high-tech, clean fuel industry. While living in Vancouver, Andrea volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and was part of an international build in Nepal.  Andrea obtained her PhD. in Chemistry at The University of Bristol in England before emigrating to Canada in 1995 and achieving citizenship in 2000.

Outside of work Andrea never stops moving, enjoying DIY projects, cycling, badminton, campingglobal adventures, plus at home time with her wife and 4 fur babies.

Tonya Hubbartt

Vice President, Human Resources

Tonya has 20+ years of strategic human resource experience leading teams in the food & beverage flavor manufacturing industry and in retail merchandising.

She holds a bachelors and master’s degree in Family & Consumer Sciences from Eastern Illinois University. Starting her career in executive recruitment, Tonya soon after transitioned to a Human Resources Generalist role and has broad HR experience working for small, family-owned organizations and global, publicly traded enterprises. Her passion is building strong, employee-centric cultures where individuals work. live and thrive together.

Tonya enjoys being active, traveling and exploring new places with her husband, Derek and their two children, Gabriel and Nina. She also enjoys CrossFit, hiking and taking long bike rides.

Patrick Thompson

EMEA Sales & Innovation Director

With a Sales, Marketing and Product Development career spanning 25 years, Patrick has spent 16 years in the Acoustics and Noise Control industry primarily working with manufacturers of industrial vehicles and almost a decade selling automation solutions for the pharmaceutical, food and drink industries.

Before focusing on sales, Patrick started his career in Operations, specifying and eventually managing a facility for manufacturing office furniture, including acoustic covers for noisy office printers. He has an MSc in Acoustics, Noise and Vibration Control from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh UK, and he speaks fluent French and Italian.

Patrick has two grown sons, now making their own way in the world. He is married to Firuza, and the two enjoy travel & experiencing different cultures.

Wayne Nortjé

Operations Director

With 20+ years of experience as an Operations Manager in Industrial Operations, primarily in the automotive industry, Wayne joined Blachford UK in 2022 as our Operations Director.  Wayne is a Six Sigma Black Belt and has implemented successful lean programs at several organizations. 

In his personal life, Wayne is an avid sports fan; particularly rugby, Formula 1, MotoGP, World Superbikes and Cricket. He has played cricket for over 40 years and is still an active player.

Michael J. Watson Jr.

Plant Manager

With experience in medical-device, pharmaceutical, and consumer goods, most recently serving in the chemical industry as a Plant Manager and as a Director of Regulatory and Safety, Michael has over 20 years of industrial manufacturing experience.

Benefiting from his industrial manufacturing background in quality, process engineering and operations, during his career Michael has obtained product management and Six-Sigma certifications and two product packaging patents.

Michael is a U.S. Army veteran of nine years where he last served as a Military Intelligence Officer while on active duty.

Michael received his B.S. in Industrial Technology from Illinois State University and his M.S. in Business Management.

Customers Who Trust Blachford Acoustics Group

“Blachford eliminated SKUs. Across product families, the reduction of one SKU is a $10k savings. Blachford eliminated 14 SKUs.”

– Noise Control Research Engineer – Construction Equipment Manufacturer

“The first project with Blachford, it was a definite quality improvement, and it was over a million dollar yearly cost savings for just the purchase parts themselves. We went from 28 (SKU) parts to 14.”

– Design Engineer – Heavy Equipment Manufacturer

“Noise is important to brand image. It is one of the top factors along with driveability and reliability. Acoustics – it’s a 4 out of 5, it might even be a 5 in importance projecting the image, the brand, and the quality that we want projected to the market.”

– Design Engineer – Truck Manufacturer

“Our ten-fold growth prior to our acquisition was expedited by our working relationship with Blachford.”

– Design Engineer

“For our shareholders, we have to produce a product at the lowest cost, at the right level of quality and sell it at the highest price we can. We look for suppliers who can help us do that. Blachford helps us do that.”

– Global Procurement Manager – Construction Equipment Manufacturer

“When a company does a spec, boundary conditions like humidity that day, temperature, that all matters. ASPM national or international spec. We try to verify where we can, but we don’t even have the equipment they have. We trust their specifications. Blachford brings innovative ideas, processes, materials, and offerings we value.”

– Design Engineer – Truck Manufacturer

“Then, bringing them in at the beginning with our new product design, it probably saved 6-12 months of development. We didn’t just wa nt the spec sheet value. We wanted customers to get in the machine and experience the difference.”

– Design Engineer – Heavy Equipment Manufacturer

“If we have an acoustics issue, we will reach out to Blachford since they are the experts. It saves us money because we do not have to keep an acoustic expert on site with an annual salary, with benefits, of $125K.”

– Design Engineer – Truck Manufacturer

“As a mechanical engineer, we make stuff that is practical and affordable and Blachford’s materials routinely help me reach these goals.”

– Design Engineer

“We [purchasing department] reported savings of $100k annually from moving to the die-cut solution using Blachford.”

– Design Engineer – Truck Manufacturer

Customers Who Trust Blachford Acoustics Group

“Blachford eliminated SKUs. Across product families, the reduction of one SKU is a $10k savings. Blachford eliminated 14 SKUs.”

– Noise Control Research Engineer – Construction Equipment Manufacturer

“The first project with Blachford, it was a definite quality improvement, and it was over a million dollar yearly cost savings for just the purchase parts themselves. We went from 28 (SKU) parts to 14.”

– Design Engineer – Heavy Equipment Manufacturer

“Noise is important to brand image. It is one of the top factors along with driveability and reliability. Acoustics – it’s a 4 out of 5, it might even be a 5 in importance projecting the image, the brand, and the quality that we want projected to the market.”

– Design Engineer – Truck Manufacturer

“Our ten-fold growth prior to our acquisition was expedited by our working relationship with Blachford.”

– Design Engineer

“For our shareholders, we have to produce a product at the lowest cost, at the right level of quality and sell it at the highest price we can. We look for suppliers who can help us do that. Blachford helps us do that.”

– Global Procurement Manager – Construction Equipment Manufacturer

“When a company does a spec, boundary conditions like humidity that day, temperature, that all matters. ASPM national or international spec. We try to verify where we can, but we don’t even have the equipment they have. We trust their specifications. Blachford brings innovative ideas, processes, materials, and offerings we value.”

– Design Engineer – Truck Manufacturer

“Then, bringing them in at the beginning with our new product design, it probably saved 6-12 months of development. We didn’t just wa nt the spec sheet value. We wanted customers to get in the machine and experience the difference.”

– Design Engineer – Heavy Equipment Manufacturer

“If we have an acoustics issue, we will reach out to Blachford since they are the experts. It saves us money because we do not have to keep an acoustic expert on site with an annual salary, with benefits, of $125K.”

– Design Engineer – Truck Manufacturer

“As a mechanical engineer, we make stuff that is practical and affordable and Blachford’s materials routinely help me reach these goals.”

– Design Engineer

“We [purchasing department] reported savings of $100k annually from moving to the die-cut solution using Blachford.”

– Design Engineer – Truck Manufacturer

It’s Easy to Get Started

STEP 1:

COMPLETE OUR GET STARTED FORM

Give us some basic information about your sound, vibration or thermal reduction goals.

STEP 2:

COLLABORATE WITH OUR EXPERTS

Our team of engineers will work with you to uncover all issues and identify possible solutions.

STEP 3:

GET BEST-IN-CLASS, UNRIVALED SOLUTIONS

We will design, fabricate and lab test solutions to improve the performance of your products.