Executive Leader
I shaped my career by stepping into complex environments and restoring focus where others saw chaos. I have led teams that rebuild stalled programs, designed electrified and autonomous platforms across multiple industries, and coached leaders to raise their standards. I built this approach through years in the military, years in engineering, and years guiding organizations through pressure, change, and growth. You get a leader who works in strategy, teaches through action, and holds a clear vision for where teams and technology must go next. My work reflects that mindset across every role I take on.
Professional Biography
Pedro Chavez Jr. built his career through experience that demanded clarity, discipline, and courage. He learned to lead in the Army, where responsibility comes before comfort and where real strategy reveals itself when everything around you feels uncertain. Those years shaped him into a leader who stays calm under pressure, who thinks in systems, and who brings people together when teams need direction and honest guidance.
Over the past two decades, Pedro has become a respected engineering and program management executive known for shaping electrified, autonomous, and defense platforms across the automotive and mobility sectors. He has led organizations through stalled programs, high-pressure launches, and large-scale transformation efforts. His work ranges from EV charging architectures and autonomous control systems to microgrid development, ADAS integration, and defense mobility. Behind every major technical milestone is his commitment to people. He understands that teams perform at their highest level when they trust their leader and when expectations are clear.
Pedro has held senior engineering roles at major companies, built global teams, delivered high-value programs, and contributed to industry standards. He has played key roles in securing multi-billion-dollar contracts, including electrification efforts tied to national delivery platforms. His technical depth spans systems engineering, software-defined vehicle architectures, functional safety, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance across U.S. and European markets. He leads engineering organizations not only by directing the work, but by teaching teams how to think and how to make decisions that hold up over time.
As Vice President of Engineering, he sets the direction for advanced EV and ICE platforms, oversees multimillion-dollar budgets, builds cross-functional alignment, and establishes the structures that uphold performance, compliance, and long-term growth. His teams describe him as a steady leader who expects high standards and provides the tools and coaching to reach them. He teaches transparency, accountability, and the discipline to fix problems before they grow. He uses his 3 Strategy Method to connect strategy, operations, and resilience, helping organizations create stronger decision-making habits and sustainable execution models.
Pedro is also the Founder and CEO of the Phoenix Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting veterans, first responders, and community members through emergency management training, mentorship, and leadership development. He created programs aligned with FEMA and CERT that have already certified and equipped individuals across several states. His nonprofit work reflects a core belief that people deserve opportunities to rebuild their lives with structure, purpose, and guidance. He brings the same compassion to this work that he brings to engineering leadership. The people he mentors describe him as someone who listens, who tells the truth, and who shows them how to build confidence through action.
He is a patent holder and a published author with contributions to SAE, ISO, and IEEE. His book, Built To Hold: 3 Strategy Method, expands on the method he has used throughout his career to help teams think more clearly, recover from setbacks, and deliver outcomes with discipline. He continues to advance his education through a Master of Science in Product Development and a Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering at University of Detroit Mercy, demonstrating his belief in staying teachable no matter how far a career progresses.
What sets Pedro apart is not only his technical experience, but the way he carries it. He approaches leadership with empathy and candor. He respects the weight that people carry in high-demand environments. He knows what it is like to rebuild from nothing, which is why he invests so fully in the people around him. His work shows that strong engineering and strong leadership are not separate pursuits. They reinforce each other when guided with intent.
Across every role, every program, and every team he has led, Pedro’s purpose has remained consistent. Help people rise. Bring order to complexity. Build systems that last. Teach leaders how to lead in a way that strengthens others. His story reflects what happens when discipline, resilience, and compassion move in the same direction.
