about me
Skills
TEAM LEADERSHIP
The team’s successes are my successes and I always set clear visions, roles, and priorities. I believe in the servant leadership style because I want to help people reach their goals.
PRODUCT ENGINEER
My passion for creating product comes from getting positive end-user feedback and improving people’s lives.
PROJECT MANAGER
As an engineer, project management is all about efficiency, organization and urgency. I balance priority and resources to get the job done.
PROBLEM SOLVER
I love to be challenged to create the impossible and to constantly imagine what the future will be like.
Fun Facts
17 Countries Visited
5 Patents
Guest Speaker at Dartmouth
17 Product Awards Won
Solves Rubik’s cube ~60 seconds
Taken over 50,000 photos
Lived in 4 states
8 Comic-cons
COMPANIES
NRG Systems
Ushio America
Burton
National Nail
Byrne
Work Process
DISCOVER
IDEA
DESIGN
DEVELOP
TEST
LAUNCH
resume
Download CV
Senior R+D Engineer of Boards (2010-2015)
Teacher’s Assistant in AutoCAD, ME Department, 1996-1997
Leadership Flight School
This special 4-H Teen Time will explore engineering as a career pathway. We will hear from Peter Bergendahl, an engineer with NRG Systems, about his 17 year journey through 5 countries, 4 patents, 100s of products designs and more!
Met with Professor Dr. John N. Kidder and students of the Vermont Technical College ski and snowboard building program.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2021 – current
Senior Delivery Manager
NRG Systems – Hinesburg Vermont.
•Leading a team of 10 engineers to develop new renewable energy monitoring/assessment device systems
2017 – 2021
Engineering Manager
Ushio America / Nescal – Vergennes, Vermont.
Ushio is a global manufacturer of specialty lighting solutions for projection, medical applications, infection prevention, and semiconductors with $1.5B in annual revenue and 5,000+ employees worldwide. The Vermont division is the leader in medical systems designs based on multi-wavelength laser and high-power LED small-fiber illumination, and custom endoscopes.
Hands-on manager who balances team leadership, product design, verification activities, and continual improvement. Driving toward risk-based decision making, self-managing procedures, and zero nonconformances. Bringing a new aesthetic perspective to the product and documentation.
•Leading a team of four engineers to design new medical device systems that achieve revenue goals
•Delivering on high-profile projects that generated over $1M in nonrecurring engineering fees
•Contributed to the division’s two consecutive profitable quarters (2020) in over four years
•Meeting industry leaders’ requirements (J&J, Merck, etc.) while ensuring patient and user safety
•Bringing multiple products through electrical and safety certification (60601-1, 60825, Biocompatibility, etc.)
•Aligning with management team on the division’s vision, goals, and business strategy
•Managing six-plus external consultants for engineering, firmware, and electronic design
•Implemented a refreshed Product Development Process compliant with ISO 13485:2016 and FDA 21 CFR standards
•Developed succinct forms that led to more development time and compliance traceability
•Played a supporting role in FDA, ISO, and client audits
•Searching and hiring experienced talent and growing the team by two engineers
•Presenting at global quarterly sales meetings on new development projects and leading monthly company meetings
2016 – 2017
Senior Manager of R+D
Byrne Electrical Specialists – Rockford, Michigan.
Leading global manufacturer of power and data solutions for home, healthcare, hospitality, and office furniture industries with $120M in annual revenue and 200+ employees in US, China, Mexico and Brazil.
Directed product innovation with focus on future technologies. Oversaw 6-member team of engineers, industrial designers, and research specialists. Implemented Human Centered Design process. Furthered partnerships with customers and suppliers.
• Gained alignment with Directors by improving communication on product design and technologies.
• Doubled R+D capacity and competency by identifying/hiring 3 new employees through strategic talent development.
• Researched and prototyped cutting edge technologies: wireless power through Capacitive Coupling and DC Power transmission through flat wire technology.
• Managed the design of a new product line of residential power products to break into a new market for Byrne – Hand and Craft
• Included on 2 patent applications
2015-2016
Product Design Engineer
National Nail Corporation – Grand Rapids, Michigan
Innovative manufacturer of fasteners for residential, light commercial, and industrial construction applications.
Recruited as 1st Product Design Engineer to introduce design thinking and establish product design infrastructure. Qualified products and improved quality. Liaised to foreign suppliers. Communicated cross functionally.
• Played a key role in developing new product design process, which was adopted company-wide. Result: improved clarity at all levels, drove better timelines, and achieved alignment with management.
• Elevated intellectual property by transitioning tool design innovations/prototyping from Asian suppliers to in-house.
• Streamlined design-to-prototyping process from days to hours by implementing Solidworks 3D modeling software.
• Reduced miscommunication errors between company and manufacturers and improved purchasing accuracy by consolidating and standardizing vast library of fasteners using engineering documentation.
1998-2015
Senior R+D Engineer of Boards (2010-2015)
Senior Design Engineer (2002-2010)
Design Engineer (1998-2002)
Burton Snowboards Corporation – Burlington, Vermont
Directed design and improvement of 250+ SKUs annually with focus on Human Centered Design. Supervised and mentored 3 employees. Prototyped thousands of innovations, in collaboration with in-house facility. Conducted in-field testing. Liaised to 8 manufacturers in North America, Europe and Asia. Sourced and conducted engineering analyses on new materials. Attended tradeshows. Participated in presentations to global sales force. Translated technical language to non-technical stakeholders.
• Met and/or exceeded targets for costs and margins by innovating designs, materials, and manufacturing processes.
• Created and drove new quality and safety specifications for Global Quality Team to control costs and improve customer satisfaction, which contributed to company’s top ranking as #1 in sales in US with numerous awards.
• Played leading role in department’s newly formed Sustainability Initiative to raise sustainability quotient nationwide.
• Launched 1st web-based, direct-to-consumer study. Selected to manage Custom Snowboard Web Program.
• Developed new brainstorming strategy, resulting in a large quantity of ideas within short timeframes.
• Hired as Assistant Design Engineer, earning fast promotions to Design Engineer and Senior Design Engineer in 2002.
1994-1997
Teacher’s Assistant in AutoCAD, ME Department, 1996-1997
Machine Shop Technician, 1994-1997
University of Vermont – Burlington, Vermont
EDUCATION
1998
Mechanical Engineering
University of Vermont – Burlington, Vermont
Dean’s List & Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society
Vice Chair, Student Chapter – American Society of Mechanical Engineers
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
2021
ISO 13485:2016 Medical Device Internal Auditor
SAI Global
2015
Leadership Flight School
Know Thy Self and Know Thy Team Workshops
Bartell & Bartell
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
2022
Vermont 4-H Program – UVM
Presenter
The Vermont 4-H Program and the UVM College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS) have teamed up to host a variety of programs the entire month of February 2022 to promote the field of engineering. Our goal is to expose youth to engineering, build skills and help youth understand different pathways they can take to pursue a future as an engineer.
This special 4-H Teen Time will explore engineering as a career pathway. We will hear from Peter Bergendahl, an engineer with NRG Systems, about his 17 year journey through 5 countries, 4 patents, 100s of products designs and more!
https://www.uvm.edu/cems/aiken-discover-engineering-month
2021
Trio Upward Bound – UVM
Presenter
TRIO Upward Bound is a federally-funded program that helps low-income/first generation high school students prepare themselves for college. I presented “Career Exploration – Engineering + Product Design” to a large group of students and I hope that someday may pursue engineering as a career.
2018
Vermont Technical College
Mentor
Met with Professor Dr. John N. Kidder and students of the Vermont Technical College ski and snowboard building program.
• Mentored on the design of snowboard geometry and materials
• Shared methods to speed up the manufacturing of components which would allow more students to participate in the program
• Shared global suppliers’ contacts to lower the cost of materials for the students
• Provided engineering tests and fixture information to allow students to analyze their design
Skills
Research + Design
Product Development
Project Management
Team Leadership
ISO 13485 / FDA 21 CFR
ISO 9001
CAD Skills
Creo / Windchill
Solidworks
Siemens NX
TESTIMONIALS
Keith Harrison
General Manager at Ushio America, Inc.
Working with Peter was truly a pleasure. While his technical problem solving skills are impressive, it’s his ability to bring people together towards a common goal with a smile on his face that makes him an asset to any organization. He was never afraid to be hands on with new challenges and lead by example. I have no hesitation in offering Peter my full endorsement for any future endeavors.
Joel Melnick
Founder | Nathaniel Group
Peter has a strong ability to manage people with different personalities and skill levels. He added a great deal to our strategy group discussions. His technical background was helpful in solving challenging engineering problems. Good at communication during conflict. He has a great personality as well. It was a pleasure to work with Peter.
Drinan Gorney
Risk, Compliance & IP Sr. Mgr. | Byrne
Working with Peter is definitely an awarding experience, Peter works hard, communicates easily, and his brain is always thinking of the next best thing, improvement or process. Peter navigates the research and design environment effortlessly and competently. Pair that with his mad engineering skills and he is unstoppable. I have worked with him on specific projects and admire his work ethic, organization, and speed to completion. Peter’s design and engineering background offers a wealth of knowledge and he doesn’t hesitate to use it to provide input to projects, to mentor others, and in being a valuable resource to our organization and any organization he would be part of.
Todd King
VP of Marketing | Gaia Herbs
Over my ten years of collaborating with Peter to create the finest product in the market, I was impressed with Peter’s ability to distill feedback and transpose that feedback into physical product attributes that worked. Peter is very smart, enjoys being challenged and is adept at solving problems and generating solutions. He is comfortable in the digital, programming and web space as well as the true engineering space. This ability to program and create web databases and platforms for algorithmic solutions and analysis sets Peter apart from his peers. It was always a pleasure to work with Peter as he expected the best out of you and he demanded the best expected of him.
Brendan Murphey
Senior Brand Manager | Giro Sport Design
I have known and worked with Peter Bergendahl for almost 10 years while on the same product team at Burton. Peter is one of the smartest people that I have worked with, has excellent time management skills and is a true master of his craft. Peter is very well versed and skilled in many areas like engineering, the creation of flawless engineering packages (in CAD / ProE / Solidworks), developing product designs, knowledge of composites, knowledge of manufacturing, knowledge of information technology systems & building of websites, mathematics, data management and photography. Peter is also responsible for the technical design and execution of all Burton Snowboards from 2000 to current 2013 snowboard product line. Any snowboard design or new product technology that Burton produced during those years is Peter’s work. Peter can solve most any technical problem and can even solve a Rubik’s cube in any position in under 90 seconds! As a fellow team member Peter was always great to work with. He always brought ideas to the table with an open mind, he takes direction well and was always was great to collaborate with on new board designs, concepts and development of new technologies. Highly suggest Peter as an asset for any product development team, product innovation team or engineering project.
Anise Richey
Director of Learning Solutions | Dealer.com
Peter’s approach to design and engineering is one that combines creativity and risk taking with pragmatism and quality. It is not enough to make a snowboard that functions well – he must challenge the prescribed limits of what that rather two-dimensional object can be. His ability to translate rider feedback into well-defined features and high-performance constructions is unparalleled in the industry. What you might not know about Peter is that he is also an excellent photographer and he brings that sense of capturing the perfect moment into all aspects of his professional life.
Sarah Loya
Director of Operations | Skida
With several years of experience working with Peter on the snowboard product team, Peter is someone I could count on as a teammate. Extremely detail oriented and dialed with follow through, Peter works smart, leading and completing projects early or on time. Peter brainstorms and communicates innovative design solutions that best work with both the desired aesthetic and the functionality of a snowboard design. Peter showcased the ability to explain or translate engineering ideas to Designers/Product Managers/Coordinators (like myself), whom may not be as technically savvy, furthering the understanding and marketing of different technologies for the brand. Multi-talented, as a photographer, Peter also knows how to capture a beautiful picture.
