Media Centre

Avanindra Utukuri, CEO/CTO

Mr. Utukuri founded Nytric in 1999 and, as CEO, is responsible for the development and execution of the company’s business vision. His twelve years of extensive business and technology experience include the development and marketing of high-tech products for commercial and consumer applications.

As Nytric's Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Utukuri is involved in design and management projects in a variety of areas, including commercial robotics, large-volume consumer electronics, simulator systems for the Department of Defense, and the development of patented technologies.

Prior to joining Nytric, Mr. Utukuri served as President and CEO of Dynamic Visions Ltd., a technology company that developed virtual reality simulation systems and arcade entertainment systems. As co-founder of Dynamic Visions, , he was responsible for developing and managing the company's entire product line and, ultimately, for taking the company public on NASDAQ:OTCBB.

Mr. Utukuri is a graduate of the Engineering Science program of the University of Toronto.

Anthony Gussin, Director, Business Development

Mr. Gussin joined Nytric in 2004, bringing a wealth of international experience and business success from a variety of senior sales and marketing roles at high-technology companies that include GE and Cadence Design Systems.

In his role as Business Development Director, Mr. Gussin is handles the company’s sales, marketing and contract negotiation responsibilities, and provides the commercial interface to Nytric clients across a broad range of industries.

After moving to Canada, and prior to joining Nytric, Mr. Gussin held high-level positions including: Senior VP of International Sales for MVS, a Montreal Robotics company; Director of Marketing and Business Development for Trow Consulting Engineers; and Marketing Director of US-based Orchid Automation.

Mr. Gussin, educated in the UK, holds a PhD in Management and Industrial Psychology and a B.Sc. in Electronic Engineering.

Jonathan Clarke, Director, Hardware Development

For the last fifteen years, Mr. Clarke has been involved in the hardware design for a wide array of commercial and consumer products. His extensive experience includes mechanical and electrical design, robotics, instrumentation design, analogue and digital circuit design, and numerical analysis.

An integral part of the Nytric team, Mr. Clarke has been instrumental in developing new patents, inventing new types of commercial equipment, and taking multiple consumer electronic products from the concept stage to manufacturing.

Prior to joining the Nytric team, Mr. Clarke, together with Nytric CEO Avanindra Utukuri, co-founded Dynamic Visions Ltd., where he was responsible for overseeing the design and manufacture all the company’s entire product line.

Mr. Clarke previously worked for the Department of Defense as an Electromechanical Engineer, where he was responsible for many robotic, force-feedback and instrumentation designs.

Mr. Clarke is a graduate of the University of Waterloo’s Mechanical Engineering Program.

Allen Rego, Director, Software Development

Mr. Rego has more than twelve years of experience in developing an extensive range of software technologies. He has worked extensively in the areas of commercial applications, embedded systems development, and web-based technologies.

At Nytric, Mr. Rego oversees all aspects of software design, including: firmware solutions; low-level device drivers for platforms such as PC, PlayStation 2 and Apple OSX; functional tester software for assembly line production; and full-fledged game software for arcade entertainment systems.

Immediately prior to joining Nytric, Mr. Rego was the lead software designer for Dynamic Visions, where he was responsible for porting PC home entertainment video game titles to arcade entertainment platforms.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Rego was involved in creating database administration systems for, among others, Tourism Toronto.

Ted Chen, Director, Product Development and Manufacturing

Mr. Chen brings to Nytric two decades of expertise in the aerospace, electronics and telecommunications industries with a successful track record in all phases of product development, manufacturing and new product introduction.

At Nytric, Mr. Chen is responsible for overseeing the entire gamut of product development and manufacturing, overseeing a highly-trained multi-disciplinary team.

Prior to joining Nytric, Mr. Chen was the R&D Engineering Manager for Ingenico Inc in Barcelona, Spain, where he was responsible for overseeing all technical processes in the development of hardware and software products, having previously held the position of Global Line Manager at Ingenico’s Toronto operation. Mr. Chen has also held management positions within the areas of development and operations with Celestica International Inc and AlliedSignal Aerospace Canada.

Mr. Chen holds a M. A. Sc. from the University of Toronto’s Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) as well as a B. A. Sc. in Engineering.

Garnett Plum, Director, Design Services

Graduated in Computer Graphics and Computer Animation from Sheridan College, Toronto in 1989, Garnett earned the Governor General's Silver Medal for Excellence. He then branched out into the world of television and began working at Global TV in Toronto. At Global Garnett created on-air news graphics and packages as well as animated show openings.

In 2002, he teamed up with a well known game entrepreneur to form ZAPiT Games, a company devoted to creating a games console system that would stimulate family entertainment and allow up to six players at a time, to play interactive family games. As the Creative Director, Garnett produced all of the graphics and animation for more than 13 games capable of being played on the Game Wave console.