The Exascale Computing Project (ECP) Appoints GE’s Brunon (Dave) Kepczynski as Industry Council Chair

The Exascale Computing Project (ECP), a collaborative project led by six Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories with the project management office established at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), today announced the selection of General Electric’s (GE’s) Brunon (Dave) Kepczynski as the new chair of the Industry Council.

The ECP Industry Council is an external advisory group of executives from some of the nation’s most prominent companies with a collaborative interest in bringing the potential of exascale computing to a wide range of industry segments.

Kepczynski, who serves as chief information officer, GE Global Research, replaces the Industry Council’s inaugural chair, Dr. J. Michael McQuade, senior vice president, Science & Technology, United Technologies Corporation, who will be retiring.

“It has been an honor to help kick off and lead the ECP Industry Council and to work closely with the ECP leadership team to bring engagement between industry and the project at such an exciting time,” McQuade said. “The Council is now in good hands with Dave’s experienced and insightful leadership.”

The ECP Industry Council is chartered with providing advice and guidance to the ECP director and leadership team, driving essential two-way communication and information exchange between the ECP and the high performance computing (HPC) industrial user community as well as the commercial HPC software community.

“High performance computing has played a key role in our US industrial competitiveness and productivity,” Kepczynski said. “Exascale HPC is the next generation and the multiplier that will unlock all new levels of scientific and engineering computational innovation. I echo Michael McQuade in saying it is an exciting time for these technology advancements. I would like to thank him for his technical and inclusive council leadership. I look forward to working even closer with the ECP leadership team and the Industry Council members in supporting the exascale mission.”

“We are thrilled that Dave Kepczynski has agreed to take the leadership reins for the ECP’s Industry Council,” ECP Director Doug Kothe said.  “He has been an active member of the Industry Council since day one, and his experience and vision pertaining to the potential impact of exascale on U.S. industries is invaluable to our mission.”  Kothe added, “We wish to thank Michael McQuade for his pioneering leadership role with this external advisory group, and we wish him well with his future plans.”