Senior Management Team

CEO & Founder

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After over a decade of experience in the field of bulk material handling, Peter Sorensen co-founded EMS-Tech Inc. in 1988. As Founder and CEO, Mr. Sorensen has assembled a multi-disciplined team with expertise in the engineering and design of stacker-reclaimers, shiploaders, stackers, reclaimers, and self-unloading ship systems. He continues to have direct involvement in the development of EMS-Tech’s systems. Together with his globally recognized technical expertise in the field, Mr. Sorensen has been recognized as a pioneering entrepreneur and business leader within the local and industry community.

President

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Kirsten Sorensen’s journey with EMS-Tech Inc. commenced in 2001. Since then, her roles have spanned engineering, project management, and major equipment consulting worldwide.

Kirsten began leading the Engineering and Design Team in 2012 advancing to Vice-President Engineering and Corporate Director in 2020, with her skills and leadership supporting the company’s growth. The vision, as President, is to expand EMS-Tech Inc.’s global engineering excellence and pursue a future defined by innovation and forward-thinking.

Director of Marketing, Sales & Product Development

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John Elder joined EMS-Tech Inc. in 1995. Having held various positions since entering the field of bulk material handling in 1977, Mr. Elder has dedicated much of his career to the research, development, and application of material handling solutions, to self-unloading vessels and transhipment platforms around the world. Since 2008, Mr. Elder has held the position of Vice-President, Marketing, Sales & Product Development while becoming a director of the company in 2020.

Vice-President, Finance & Accounting

Vice-President, Projects

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Andrew Birchard, Vice-President Projects, joined EMS-Tech in 2010. Prior to EMS-Tech, Mr. Birchard enjoyed a diverse career in both high tech and heavy industry, where he held a variety of roles in engineering, management, cost improvement, product management and market development. Mr. Birchard enjoys being personally involved in projects as well as providing leadership to the EMS-Tech Project Management Team.

Vice President, Sales & Marketing

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Progressing from Junior Engineer to Senior Project Engineer to Procurement Manager, and now Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Mr. Milligan has over 20 years of experience with EMS-Tech Inc. His technical background, field work during project realization, management expertise, and global experience bring a distinctive perspective to driving the strategic alignment of sales and marketing initiatives within the EMS-Tech team.

Director, Business Development, Marine System Sales

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Kyle Sorensen joined EMS-Tech in 2012 as part of the After Sales group, where he quickly gained valuable insight into the industry and developed extensive knowledge of clients, vendors, and products. In 2021, Mr. Sorensen was promoted to Manager of Business Development & Marine System Sales, where he enjoys building and maintaining strong relationships with clients and vendors. Mr. Sorensen has played a key role in expanding EMS-Tech’s global presence, especially in new markets for self-unloading and transshipment systems.

Vice-President, Europe Operations

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Luke Huitema first joined the EMS-Tech team in 1999 as a mechanical engineer. In 2000 he started the EMS-Tech European sales and support office in the Netherlands, taking on various roles including market development, inspections, systems design, project engineering, and project management. He has over 25 years of experience in bulk materials handling and international business, specializing in self-unloading systems and transshipment systems.

Director, Business Development, Landside System Sales

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David Jesse joined the EMS-Tech Management Team in 2023, bringing over two decades of industry experience to his role as the leader of the Landside Sales group. With a career dedicated to the field, David possesses a profound and diverse understanding of bulk material handling systems, mineral processing, stockpile reclaiming, and port systems, as well as the associated structures that support these critical functions.

Director Engineering & Design

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Chad Starr joined EMS-Tech in 2008 as an Engineer in Training where his experiences spanned from supporting specific engineered solutions for complex projects like Stacker Reclaimers, self-unloaders and Shiploaders to international assignments ensuring quality control for the systems we deliver as well as overseeing life extension refits. In 2012, Mr. Starr was promoted to Project Engineer and has since led the successful completion of several high-profile projects. In October of 2023, Mr. Starr was appointed Director of Engineering & Design, where he brings a wealth of global experience to support leading the technical teams in delivering cutting-edge material handling solutions, underscoring EMS-Tech’s commitment to innovation and excellence.

Director After Sales Parts & Services

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Craig Nikiforuk joined EMS-Tech in 2020 as Project Manager where he was responsible for various marine projects before moving on to his current role as Director of After Sales Parts & Services. Prior to that, he spent over twenty years leading projects in the passenger rail industry with both technical and overall project responsibility as well as handling general resource and process management roles.