ZAF Energy Systems Hits Home Run with New Executive Management Team

ZAF Energy Systems Inc. (ZAF), developer of next-generation battery technology, announced that battery industry leader Randy A. Moore has been tapped as the company's new president and chief executive officer and Tom Shireman the new vice president of manufacturing operations. Moore takes the helm of the company as its rechargeable Nickel Zinc (NiZn) battery is poised to disrupt the $50+ billion lead acid battery market.

"I believe that ZAF's nickel-zinc battery is one of the most disruptive technologies available today as a competitive replacement for lead acid and nickel cadmium batteries and with better performance, safety, cost, and reliability, Nickel Zinc can make a significant dent in the lead acid market," said Moore. "I am excited to join the ZAF team and look forward to leading the company through its commercialization phase."

Moore has had a distinguished career and brings a track record of success as the leader of several technology-oriented companies in the battery, aerospace, defense, and medical product industries. He previously was the president of EaglePicher Technologies and led the company through eight successive years of growth and profitability improvement. He was also an executive vice president and general manager at Kollsman, spent five years at Kaman Corporation where he ran a new strategic business unit, and served in management and operations positions at major corporations such as Westinghouse, E-Systems/Raytheon, and Lucent Technologies. 

He is also a founding member, former chairman, and current Board of Director of the National Association of Advanced Technology Batteries (NAATBatt) International, former board member of the Battery Innovation Center (BIC), and is a strategic advisor to the Alabama Graphite Corporation. Moore spent a combined 27 years in the active and reserve Air Force and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. He completed his undergraduate degree in marketing and management at Texas Lutheran University and received his MBA from Southern Illinois University.

Tom Shireman also joins ZAF from EaglePicher Technologies. As plant manager, he was responsible for overseeing the largest part of EaglePicher's battery production operation in multiple chemistries and battery formats and improved on-time delivery from 68 percent in 2003 to 99.8 percent in 2016. Moore commented on Shireman's hire, "Tom is a significant addition to ZAF's management team and he has my full confidence. The key to a successful battery is meeting customer deadlines, ensuring performance specifications are met, and achieving high levels of quality control. He will certainly get the job done."

Compared to the conventional lead-acid batteries used in motive markets including trucking, start-stop, and deep-cycle industrial and recreational applications, ZAF's nickel-zinc battery yields twice the energy density. On a cost per kilowatt/hour basis, it is half the cost of lead acid.  Future markets include specialty-battery applications where nickel-zinc has safety benefits over lithium-ion and weight, performance, and environmental benefits (such as RoHS compliance) over lead acid in markets such as aviation, portable, and stationary applications.  ZAF's batteries use sustainable, abundantly-available materials that are recyclable, providing long-life and economical solutions for many applications. 

"Bringing on Randy and Tom is a major milestone and demonstrates the confidence that seasoned executives in the battery industry have in our technology and business model," said Bill Burger, Chairman of ZAF Energy Systems. "We have the right product, we've cultivated strong partnerships, and now we have the leadership in place to take our Nickel Zinc batteries to market in a big way."

ZAF Energy Systems Inc. | www.zafsys.com