Our Leadership Team
At PanelClaw, our success is driven by a team of dedicated leaders with deep expertise in solar energy, engineering, and business innovation. With decades of combined experience, our leadership team’s goal is to continually position PanelClaw to help enable the accelerated adoption of flat roof PV worldwide.
Each member of our team brings a unique perspective and a shared passion for empowering our partners, driving innovation, and making solar energy more accessible. Together, we are building a cleaner, brighter future, one project at a time.
Learn more about the people behind PanelClaw’s mission and discover how their expertise and vision guide our company forward.
Constantino “Costa” Nicolaou
Chief Executive Officer
Costa has led PanelClaw since its founding in 2007, driving its growth as the leading flat roof racking provider in the U.S. He serves on the boards of PanelClaw, SEIA, and the Solar Energy Business Association of New England, and chairs SEIA’s Manufacturing Division. Before joining PanelClaw, Costa was Director of Research at Market Metrics®, now part of Strategic Insight. He holds a BA in Economics and International Relations from Tufts University and speaks Spanish and Portuguese.
Thomas Ringler
Chief Financial Officer
Thomas oversees the financial operations of PanelClaw and EcoFasten. He joined PanelClaw in 2010 and has been involved in the PV sector since the first Intersolar in Freiburg, Germany. Prior to this, Thomas spent 17 years with Robert Bosch, holding senior management roles across the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Japan. He holds a business degree from the University of Stuttgart and speaks German.
John de Papp
Senior Vice President, Product Management & Marketing
John leads PanelClaw’s Product Management, Marketing and clawOS design software teams. With over 20 years of experience in engineering, management, and sales, he also served as PanelClaw’s Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Sales. Before joining in 2009, John managed consulting engineers at Xilinx and worked in its French office in sales and technical roles. He holds a BA in Engineering Sciences and an ME from Dartmouth College and speaks French.
Paul Bitterolf
Senior Vice President, Sales
Paul leads PanelClaw’s U.S. sales operations, overseeing Outside Sales, Field Technical Services, and Sales Support. Since joining in 2011, he has guided partners through complex permitting challenges, contributing to over 400 MW of deployments in North America. Paul brings over 20 years of B2B sales experience and holds an MBA from California Lutheran University and a BS in Marketing and International Business from Pennsylvania State University.
Joseph Gondron
Vice President, Sales
Joe manages sales for PanelClaw in the eastern U.S., from New Jersey to Louisiana. Since 2014, he has grown the southeast territory, contributing to over 400 MW of flat roof deployments. Joe specializes in navigating insurance, AHJ, and engineering requirements and is committed to advancing flat roof PV adoption. Before PanelClaw, he held leadership roles in the renewable energy sector. He holds an MBA and a BS in Business Management from Louisiana State University.
Jon Blachly
Vice President, Sales
Jon leads PanelClaw’s sales efforts in the northeastern U.S., managing one of its largest territories since joining in 2019. He has over ten years of experience supporting partners with insurance, AHJ, and engineering challenges. Jon has helped deploy over 400 MW of flat roof PV systems and is passionate about driving PV adoption. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurial Venture Creation and Management from the University of New Hampshire.
Dwaine Williams
Vice President, Technical Services
Dwaine leads PanelClaw’s Technical Services group, including Applications Engineering and Technical Design. Since joining in 2020, he has improved engineering practices, streamlined permitting processes, and built a top-tier technical team. With over 10 years of experience, Dwaine previously worked as a structural engineer at Schletter Inc. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in North Carolina and serves on the ASCE Solar PV Structures Committee. Dwaine holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Tufts University and an MS in Civil Engineering from UNC Charlotte.
Martin Proskin
Vice President of Operations
Martin oversees supply chain operations and fulfillment strategies at PanelClaw, managing supplier and carrier relationships. With over 12 years of experience, he specializes in operations management and customer fulfillment. Before joining PanelClaw in 2021, Martin spent a decade at Li & Fung Limited in Hong Kong, a global supply chain leader. He holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and a BA in Economics and Asian Studies from Cornell University.
