There are two types of people: Those who, when told something can’t be done, accept it. And those who reply, “Yes, but what if we tried a new approach?”
One of the first things that new clients notice when they work with us is the diverse range of expertise we bring to the table. We pride ourselves on hiring creative and analytical minds from both inside and outside the aviation industry. As a result, you get sound aviation insights from proven industry pros. You also get the fresh perspective of outsiders – people who are apt to question the way things have always been done, and who can import new ideas, processes and best practices from their respective industries. The result is a unique environment that combines a maverick spirit with a solid aviation and engineering foundation.
Robert Harshaw | President, CEO
Dennis Beall | EVP & CFO
Dave Groos | SVP Sales & Marketing
Jim Found | VP Customer Service
Jim Newby | Director of Engineering
Robert Harshaw
President, CEO
In addition to the standard responsibilities of President and CEO, Rob’s day-to-day duties include working closely with strategic suppliers and customers to solve problems. He is responsible for Heads Up’s corporate culture and organization, as well as the company’s strategic direction and vision.
Rob holds a BS in physics from TCU, and an MS and Ph.D. in physics from the University of Texas at Dallas. In graduate school, he specialized in quantum electronics with an emphasis on high energy laser design. His research resulted in the development of a high repetition rate (HRR) nitrogen ion laser. He also taught graduate and undergraduate physics classes.
Before co-founding Heads Up in 1985, he spent four years at Texas Instruments as Senior Systems Engineer in the laser systems group. While there, he worked on carbon dioxide and Nd:YAG lasers, and provided system engineering and marketing support to land- and air-based laser weapon system programs. At Heads Up, he has been active in the development of a variety of electronic systems for use in aviation, medicine, and the entertainment industry. Currently, he is active with the National Business Aircraft Association and Sigma Xi (Scientific Research Society). He lives in Dallas with his wife and two children, is an active Boy Scout Scoutmaster, and enjoys camping, backpacking and biking.
Dennis Beall
EVP & CFO
As Executive Vice President, CFO and a member of the Board of Directors, Dennis is responsible for several areas of operations, including financial and strategic planning, supply chain management, budgeting, financial reporting, management reporting, and financial / operational analysis across all business units, product lines and corporate departments.
Prior to joining Heads Up in 2001, Dennis was a principal and senior investment advisor for Concorde Financial Corporation, where he was actively involved in the identification, analysis, negotiation and acquisition of operating companies for Concorde’s venture capital division.
Dennis received his BA in accounting from Texas Tech University, where he was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, and a recipient of the Department of Finance Outstanding Scholarship Award.
Dave Groos
SVP Sales & Marketing
David’s position as Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing gives him responsibility for Heads Up’s sales, marketing and customer service operations. This includes management of worldwide distribution channels, business development and marketing activities. He is also responsible for overall customer satisfaction.
He received his BBA in marketing from the University of Texas. Before joining Heads Up, he accumulated over 20 years of experience in technology sales, customer support and management. Previous employment includes 15 years with IBM, where he led a $250M sales and systems engineering organization responsible for on-going support and leveraging customers’ enterprise-wide IT requirements. He also served as Sr. Account Manager for SynOptics/Bay Networks, providing inter-networking solutions and support for some of the world’s largest corporations, and was recognized as one of the top producers in the company. He lives in Texas with his wife of 22 years and their two children. He enjoys traveling, staying active in his children’s sports and school activities, and playing piano.
Jim Found
VP Customer Service
In his role as Vice President of Customer Service, Jim oversees the Customer Service department and manages the company’s Repair Station, including training, loaners/exchange programs, and AOG services. In this capacity, he serves as the primary interface to the FAA as well as manager of Heads Up’s scripting services for briefing, checklist and annunicator systems.
Jim received his BSBA in marketing from the University of Central Florida, and earned his pilot’s license from the Florida Institute of Technology / Air Commerce Flight Technology Program.
Previously, Jim served at Walt Disney World Company in varied capacities as loss prevention, resort management, and HR manager. He also owned and operated entertainment facilities in Anchorage, Salt Lake City and Rapid City, and set up franchise operations programs. He currently serves on the Career Advisory Board of ITT Technical, and his hobbies include skiing, sailing, hiking and travel.
Jim Newby
Director of Engineering
As Director of Engineering, Jim’s primary responsibilities include new program development as well as engineering support for existing products, including hardware, software, and mechanical test and audit disciplines. He also manages product testing for certification and ensures product quality and reliability.
Jim holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech and has over 25 years’ experience in research and development. He holds several patents stemming from his experience in the design of system architectures and opto-electronic/digital/analog products.
Prior to joining Heads Up, Jim was Director of Hardware Development for Xtera Communications, Inc., which provides innovative Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing optical transport solutions for very high-bandwidth / long-haul telecommunication solutions. He also served as lead technical engineer at E-Systems within a Special Access product development team. Jim has been married for 25 years and has two daughters and one son.
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