Jessica Poliner

Chief Executive Officer & President

Jessica Poliner is relayr's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President and serves on the Board of Directors for relayr, IoT Financial Services, and Munich Re’s IoT Advisory Council. Jessica brings over twenty years of leadership experience working in global diversified industrial companies and has a strong track record of growing businesses. She adds global acumen and cognizance to the role, having lived in the USA, Argentina, India, Panama, Belgium, and Germany. She has led businesses ranging from approximately $200M to $1.5B in annual revenue. Jessica is passionate and fascinated by technology and ensuring it solves a critical business imperative.

Jessica joined relayr from Molding Solutions, a business unit of Barnes Group, Inc., where she served as President and Managing Director of approximately 2,300 global employees and 12 manufacturing locations. Prior to Barnes, Jessica was the General Manager and Vice President for the Marine, Rail and Air businesses of Thermo King, based in Brussels, Belgium. Before joining Thermo King, Jessica held leadership roles at Caterpillar, Inc., where she held positions in general management, marketing, sales, operations, distribution, aftermarket, and connected solutions around the world. During her tenure at Caterpillar, Jessica demonstrated her ability to deliver business results in some of the most challenging and uncertain conditions. She still has yellow blood. Jessica began her career as a lawyer, where she focused primarily on corporate law and mergers & acquisitions.

Jessica holds a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from Marquette University Law School and a Bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University. In 2021, she completed her Certificate of Management Excellence at Harvard Business School. She is active in her various communities and has served on numerous Boards including Junior Achievement, Centro Legal, and Marquette University Law School. Jessica is passionate about diversity and inclusion and is co-author of a published book on the subject. In her spare time, Jessica is an outdoors enthusiast, seeks the sunshine, and runs more than the occasional marathon.

Andrei Ciobotar

Chief Technology Officer

Andrei Ciobotar joined relayr in 2017 as Director of Analytics. A former CTO and co-founder of the AI startup Neokami, acquired by relayr, he brought with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Today, in his role as CTO, Andrei is the driving force behind the success of relayr's three engineering disciplines - cloud development, edge development, and artificial intelligence. A computer scientist by trade, Andrei firmly believes that automation has the potential to address some of the critical global challenges as well as allow us to shift from routine tasks to creative ones. Besides playing drums and being passionate about music, Andrei has developed a deep interest in cinema and video games.

Cristina Tuik

Chief Operations Officer

Cristina serves as relayr’s COO, overseeing the ongoing business operations within the company with a strong focus on people and operational process discipline. She brings over twenty years of operational, sales, marketing, and digital experience working with Fortune 500 companies. Cristina co-founded Edgie, an energy management company with a primary focus on renovating a multitude of properties across Germany. Prior to this, she served as Vice President, Strategic Marketing, Digital Solutions, and Customer Experience for Molding Solutions, part of Barnes Group, where she led a global organization. Prior to Barnes, Cristina was the EMEA Director of Sales, Strategy & Business Growth at Johnson Controls, Inc., and served for thirteen years in various roles at Ingersoll Rand.

Cristina began her career with a combined university and apprenticeship at a German automotive supplier. She holds a Master of Business Administration from The Open University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Avans+ University. A people-first leader and certified Gallup Strength Finders coach, Cristina demonstrates creativity, out-of-the-box thinking, and resourcefulness in leading global teams to operational efficiencies and growth. She is also an active member of Mission Female, a program for executive women in Germany.

Nicandro Buono

Senior Vice President, Portfolio & Program Management

Nicandro serves as relayr’s SVP, Portfolio & Program Management, responsible for the global product portfolio and program execution. An expert in product management, he brings a strong industrial background. Before joining relayr, Nicandro was the Vice President, Portfolio Management and PMO for Molding Solutions, part of Barnes Group. Prior to this role, Nicandro was with Ingersoll Rand, where he led Thermo King’s global Air Cargo business based in Barcelona, Spain. He has held numerous product management leadership positions at Ingersoll Rand in Vehicle Powered Truck, Self-Powered Truck, and Air Compressors, living in Galway, Ireland, and Brussels, Belgium.

Nicandro holds a Master’s degree in Management Engineering with a major in Project Management and Finance, and a Bachelor’s degree in Management Engineering with a major in Logistics and Production from Politecnico di Milano. He is a people-first leader and the published co-author of a children’s book on bullying and was a long-time professional judo athlete.

Ute Frech

Head of CEO Office and Support

Ute Frech serves as our Head of CEO Office and Support, providing executive assistance to the CEO, managing relayr’s offices, and maintaining strong communications between the CEO’s office and the rest of the organization. She brings many years of professional, diverse, and global experiences, having worked for fast-paced and global multinationals previously.

Before joining relayr, Ute was the Team Leader for the global Administration team at Otto Männer GmbH and Executive Assistant to the President of Barnes Molding Solutions for almost four years.

Prior to Barnes, Ute served for 22 years in various roles of increasing responsibilities for Tekfor Holding GmbH, including IT Projects Coordinator, Data Account and Security Officer, and other administrative and managerial positions. Ute has a strong IT and Finance background and completed courses in Design Thinking from IDEO-University.Ute brings efficiency and thoughtfulness to another level.

Jason Hillman

General Counsel

Jason serves as relayr’s General Counsel and Corporate Secretary on relayr's Board of Directors. Jason brings over 15 years of strategic transactional legal experience in private practice and corporate settings. He has been with Hartford Steam Boiler (HSB) since 2013 and manages a team of attorneys responsible for the transactional and legal needs of various HSB divisions and subsidiaries. In addition to his responsibilities at relayr, Jay continues to lead this team. Prior to HSB, Jay worked in private practice as a strategic transaction and M&A lawyer. He was an adjunct professor for over ten years at Quinnipiac University.

Juan Latorre Suller

Vice President, Supply Chain

Juan serves as relayr's VP, Supply Chain, responsible for all aspects of supply chain management. He is an experienced global leader with over twenty years of supply chain and procurement experience in industrial companies such as Fiat Auto, Iveco and Thermo King. Juan also brings valuable experience in M&A integrations, as well as in creating and leading Services organizations. In addition to his deep supply chain and procurement knowledge, Juan is a people-first leader and caring father of two. Juan holds a master’s degree in industrial engineering and a master’s in quality management from the University of Pisa, Italy, which complement his professional accomplishments. On a personal note, Juan is an avid cook who enjoys preparing paellas for his family and friends. He also has a strong passion for music, demonstrated by his six years of piano training, and enjoys exploring diverse genres.

Jan Mertens

Vice President, Product

Jan serves as relayr's Vice President of Product, leading Product Management and Product Design for all relayr’s product lines. He is an experienced global leader in Product Management working in industries such as Automotive, Lighting, and Industrial IoT. Jan joined relayr in 2020 from Lumileds, where he served as Director of Product Management and Marketing, leading a global automotive product portfolio. Prior to this, Jan held multiple managerial positions at Royal Philips, leading product portfolios and global business transformation programs. Jan has the good fortunate of leading from “soup to nuts” the development of Skyler ROTATE.

Jan holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Hamburg with majors in Industrial Management and Marketing. In his spare time, he enjoys sailing and skiing, and his son.

Timo Klenk

Chief Security Officer

Timo Klenk serves as our Information Security Officer, is responsible for enterprise security strategy, leading relayr's Information Security team, and acts as our key point of contact on the topics of regulatory compliance, security, and cyber risk. He brings over 25 years of extensive professional experience in information security and compliance.

Before joining relayr, Timo was the Chief Information Security Officer for Rakuten GmbH. Before that, he served for 20 years in various roles of increasing responsibilities, including implementing multi-scope information security management systems globally. He has worked in large multi-national companies and also start-ups.

Timo holds a Master's degree in Management and Organization from the University of Münster. He devotes his spare time to various outdoor activities, such as skiing, hiking, and sailing. Timo is also a passionate triathlete.

Bruno Fernandes

Vice President, Global Finance

Bruno serves as our Vice President, Global Finance, leading the global finance, controlling, and accounting functions. He qualified as a UK Chartered Certified Accountant in 1994, and he has spent most of the past thirty years working in publicly listed software companies in a variety of roles. As a fluent French and German speaker, Bruno has always approached his role from a global perspective. He also has lived in the UK, Cyprus, Germany, and now Spain. When he is not passionately supporting relayr, Bruno enjoys participating in sports with his main passion being football.