MISTRAS Group, Inc. announced a series of key leadership transitions that promise to guide the company into its next phase of growth and innovation. Dr. Sotirios J. Vahaviolos is retiring as Executive Chairman after nearly 40 years of exceptional leadership and has been appointed Chairman Emeritus while remaining an active member of the Board of Directors. Succeeding him, the Board has appointed Mr. Manuel (Manny) N. Stamatakis as Chairman of the Board.

Mr. James J. Forese, the current Chairman of the Audit Committee, has been named Lead Director and Chairman of the Corporate Governance Committee. The company will also be expanding the duties and responsibilities of Chief Financial Officer, Ed Prajzner, as well as promoting an experienced MISTRAS manager, John Smith, to head division, Services, while adding an experienced business development professional, Gennaro (Jerry) D?Alterio as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. Mr. Stamatakis has been a pivotal member of the MISTRAS Group Board since 2002, serving as Chair of the Governance Committee and Lead Director for the past decade.

He has also served on the Audit and Compensation Committees. Mr. Stamatakis currently chairs the Project Phoenix Steering Committee, an initiative where he is both the chief architect and driving force. As a result, Mr. Stamatakis possesses significant knowledge of and insight into the organization, which has given him an understanding of how to leverage these strengths to unlock MISTRAS Group?s inherent value.

An accomplished entrepreneur for over 30 years, Mr. Stamatakis is an executive officer of Capital Management Enterprises, Inc., a financial services and employee benefits consulting firm based in Pennsylvania. Mr. Stamatakis has held multiple board and chairmanship positions over the years, including Chairman of the Delaware River Port Authority, The Drexel College of Medicine, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Investment Advisory Board, and the Philadelphia Shipyard Development Corporation which was the catalyst to bringing shipbuilding back to the Philadelphia region. He earned a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and received an honorary Doctor of Business Administration from Drexel University.

Mr. Forese, Director and Chair of the Audit Committee, has been appointed Lead Director and Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee, filling the roles vacated by Mr. Stamatakis? appointments and reinforcing the Board?s governance structure. Mr. Forese has a long history serving on the MISTRAS Group Board and its Committees.

Mr. Forese has vast experience and demonstrated success as an executive, possessing knowledge and experience in business leadership, banking, finance, and technology, along with public and private company board experience. Mr. Forese?s experience with audit committees and his tenure as Vice President of Finance and Controller at IBM provides the MISTRAS Group Board with an audit committee financial expert, which further strengthens key functions of the Board and its Committees? oversight.

Mr. Edward J. Prajzner was appointed Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in March 2023 and joined MISTRAS Group in January 2018. He leads all of MISTRAS? financial and IT areas and Investor Relations.

In addition, he also oversees all commercial functions initiated under Project Phoenix. Before joining MISTRAS Group, Mr. Prajzner was Executive Vice President of Corporate Development, as well as Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of CECO Environmental Corp, a publicly traded global diversified and energy technology company. He began his career with Ernst & Young and held senior financial positions with several large public companies.

Mr. John A. Smith was appointed Executive Vice President and President of Services, effective October 1, 2023. Since 2017, Mr. Smith has served as Senior Vice President of Operations, managing the strategic plan and financial performance for operations primarily in the East and Midwest regions. He played a crucial part in broadening MISTRAS Group?s footprint in the aerospace and defense sectors, notably through the successful acquisition and integration of aerospace inspection provider West Penn Testing Group.

Additionally, the MISTRAS aerospace hubs in Heath, Ohio, and Ellabell, Georgia, saw significant growth in service lines under his leadership. Gennaro (Jerry) D?Alterio was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer in September 2023. This strategic hire supports MISTRAS' ongoing commitment to commercial transformation and builds on the foundational work of Project Phoenix.

Mr. D'Alterio has over 20 years of proven executive leadership, driving commercial transformations. He will focus on accelerating profitability, defining go-to-market strategies, and implementing best-in-class commercial operating models to enhance growth across the organization.