Leadership
Kranthi Tata
President & CEO
Biography
As President and Chief Executive Officer of Unison, Kranthi Tata is responsible for driving Unison’s innovation and growth strategy, fostering a lean culture, and delivering unmatched customer value of Unison’s advanced products, technologies, and systems.
Kranthi began his GE career in 2002 where he progressed through several roles including Product Line General Manager, Chief Technology Officer, Regional General Manager, and Supply Chain Leader, spanning a variety of GE industries (Aerospace, Energy & Life Sciences).
In 2018, Kranthi joined GE Aerospace as the Site Leader for a multi-modal facility in Pune, India. Most recently, he served as General Manager of the Tubes & Ducts Value Stream for GE Aerospace, where he was responsible for the strategy and execution across multiple global sites, suppliers and customers.
Kranthi holds an MBA from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science in Electronics & Communication Engineering from Bharathidasan University.
Alok Patel
General Manager, Product Management
Biography
Alok Patel is General Manager, Product Management. He joined Unison in 2014, and in his previous role, Alok was responsible for the Thermal Management and Additive Heat Exchanger product line.
Prior to his roles at Unison Industries, Alok held roles at GE Aviation in the services organization supporting engine sales campaigns. In those roles, he led sales commercial operations FastWorks initiatives to reduce the approval cycle and delegate authority in regions. Now located at the GE Additive Technology Center in West Chester, Ohio, Alok and his team are working to deliver the aviation industry’s first 3D-printed air-air heat exchanger for installation in the Cessna Denali aircraft.
Alok earned a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from Cornell University.
Josh Friedman
Executive Engineering Leader
Biography
Josh Friedman is the Executive Engineering Leader, overseeing the global Unison engineering team, focusing on roadmaps, talent development and partnering with the Unison leadership team to support the long-term growth strategy for the business.
Josh has 15 years of experience with GE Aerospace, starting his career in the Edison Engineering Development program and building his expertise through roles in Consumer Products Design and Manufacturing, Commercial Engine Controls & Accessories Component Ownership, and Electrical System Integration for Passport 20, LEAP-1A/C and LEAP-1B. In 2016 Josh joined Unison and held roles of increasing responsibility, most recently the Unison Jacksonville Engineering leader.
Josh has a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Ohio State University and an MBA from Ohio University.
Heather Apple
Executive Program Management Leader
Biography
As the Executive Program Management Leader for Unison, Heather Apple is responsible for leading the cross functional team and overseeing Unison’s adherence to contract services, operations, and performance specifications.
With over 20 years at GE Aerospace, Heather has progressed through several roles in engine line Product Management, Commercial Compliance, Customer Program Management, Business Operations, Marketing and Performance Engineering. In her most recent role as the Executive Fleet Program Manager, Heather was responsible for leading a team of Fleet Program Managers, supporting fleet product improvements of over 50,000 GE and CFM commercial engines.
Heather holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified.
Marcelo Coutinho
Executive FLIGHT DECK Leader
Biography
Marcelo Coutinho serves as the Executive FLIGHT DECK Leader at Unison, a role dedicated to driving lean principles, behaviors, and tools across the organization. Marcelo is responsible for leading Unison’s lean transformation, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and advancing the company’s operational excellence.
Before joining Unison, Marcelo held the role of Executive Lean Operations & Industrial Engineering Leader at GE Aerospace, where he successfully implemented lean strategies. Prior to his time at GE, Marcelo spent 17 years in the automotive and electric power industries, refining his expertise in operations, lean methodologies and enhancing operational efficiency.
Marcelo holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the same institution, with a dissertation focused on Lean Six Sigma.
Jen Waterman
Vice President, Sales and Commercial Operations
Biography
As Vice President of Sales at Unison, Jen Waterman is responsible for shaping and executing the company’s sales strategy and overseeing its commercial operations. With over 30 years of experience in the aerospace industry, Jen is dedicated to driving customer-focused initiatives, expanding Unison’s global presence, and fostering strong collaboration between customers and the internal Unison team.
Jen leads efforts in proposal strategies, sales and channel agreements, S&OP, and customer negotiations. Her extensive career has involved working with a diverse range of stakeholders, including airframers, OEMs, airlines, business and regional operators, military organizations, helicopter operators, and general aviation customers.
Jen’s deep expertise in avionics, coupled with her passion for building meaningful relationships and achieving results, enables her to develop innovative solutions that help Unison’s customers grow their revenues and expand their market share globally.
Jen holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from California State University, Fullerton, and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.
Nick Ogden
Chief Financial Officer
Biography
Nick Ogden serves as Chief Financial Officer at Unison, where he leads Unison’s finance organization and manages all financial operations for the business.
Nick began his career with GE in 2011 as part of the Financial Management Program and progressed through roles of increasing responsibility within operational finance and FP&A across multiple divisions of GE.
In 2019, Nick joined CRH, a global leader in construction materials, where he served as Division CFO. He returned to GE in 2022, taking on the role of Executive FP&A Leader at the total company level for both GE Company and GE Aerospace during the historic separation of GE into three independent companies.
Nick holds an MBA from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the College of Charleston.
