Meet the Engineering Team: Paulo Guedes-Pinto, P.Eng.
This is the first in a series to acquaint you with the IE Engineering Team and find out what makes them tick.
First up is our VP of Technology Paulo Guedes-Pinto, P.Eng.
Paulo joined Infinitum in 2019 with 40 years of experience in engineering, manufacturing, production and quality management. He is responsible for developing and executing Infinitum’s product technical road map. He is also in charge of developing IE’s motor and drive technologies by identifying new features to enhance products and investigating new applications, as well as developing and managing Infinitum’s IP portfolio by identifying and documenting new concepts and inventions, filing patents and documenting trade secrets. And if that weren’t enough, you’ll often see Paulo presenting Infinitum’s product and technologies in technical forums.
Paulo is expressly suited to his role at IE with near three decades of diverse development and design experience related to large electrical rotating equipment, high speed permanent magnet machines, power converters, axial flux permanent magnet machines, and composite structures, complemented by ten patents. A skilled strategic planner with a proven track record of taking products from development to commercialization, he is an experienced proponent of continuous improvement utilizing Six-Sigma tools with remarkable results in various products and environments.
A graduate of Universidade de São Paulo with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and graduate studies in Electrical Engineering and Quality Engineering/Mechanical Engineering, Paulo is fluent in Portuguese and English.
We sat down with Paulo to learn more about him.
What is the best thing about working at Infinitum?
We have an innovative product that has the potential to revolutionize how electric motors and generators are designed, built and operated, and the freedom to develop and enhance the product.
What highlights would you like to share about your professional career?
In the course of my career as an electrical engineer and managing engineering teams, I had the opportunity to do some unique things, in many cases, first “ofs” in the evolution of electric machines and drives. These include developing the first commercial medium voltage megawatt-class multilevel VFD utilizing WBG devices, developing the first high speed PM sub-sea motor, and commercializing the first modular medium voltage multilevel VFD.
How do these accomplishments influence your work at Infinitum?
My past accomplishments give me the perspective that almost anything can be done with IE technology.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I am a seasoned road cyclist and I ride my bike frequently. It is a form of motional meditation and a good channel to clear my mind. I am also an advanced skier. Skiing, for me, is another form of meditation, however living in Central Texas the opportunities to practice are few and far between.
What is one fun fact or thing that most people at work don’t know about you?
In my last year of electric engineering school, I was elected student representative to the school’s council. At that time, the school was about to implement a major curriculum overhaul without any input from the student body. The professors were shocked when I raised an arcane procedural issue that forced the changes to be reviewed by the students. Although no major changes derived from that review, it was interesting to see an autocratic top-down process being turned upside down with just a few words.
What’s your favorite thing about living in Austin?
It is a great area for bike riding all year round.
