John Waraniak
CEO, Have Blue | Executive Producer, Hackrod Studio MFG | SAE Fellow
Innovation | Collaboration | Problem Solving | Strategy Development and Execution
John Waraniak has been in the aerospace, automotive, racing and performance industries for over 25 years with wide-ranging systems engineering experience, innovative technology insights and frontline lessons for competing and winning in today’s Automotive 5.0 transformation. John was elected an SAE Fellow in October 2019 for his significant technical achievements and mobility industry contributions in both automotive and aerospace.
John is currently CEO and co-founder of Have Blue, a proof of concept and technology demonstrator company, Executive Producer at the digital industrial firm Hackrod Studio MFG, and joined his long-time friend, Troy Lee as TLD’s Automotive Ambassador. He most recently served as Vice President of Vehicle Technology for the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) from May 2006 to January 2021. John was responsible for helping performance aftermarket companies integrate their products with the latest advanced vehicle technologies and capitalize on new business and product-development opportunities, as well as Customize-with-Confidence™ by connecting aftermarket manufacturers with engineering resources, capabilities and tools to manage disruptive vehicle technologies and ensure compliance with the latest industry standards and OEM best practices.
He is an acknowledged progressive strategist, technology program leader and advocate for automaker-aftermarket-technology innovation and collaboration for advancing safety performance, electrification, connected, assisted, and automated driving, new mobility solutions, generative design and vehicle systems engineering management. John as held executive management positions at General Motors, Hughes Aircraft and Northrop and No Fear. He is chairman and founding member of the SAE Connect2Car Executive Leadership Committee, Board Advisor for the Indy Autonomous Challenge, King of the Hammers Electric Vehicle Challenge and the Carroll A. Campbell Jr., Graduate Engineering Center External Advisory Board at Clemson University.
While at General Motors and Hughes Aircraft, John led the corporate-wide transfer of technology and best practices from Hughes’ aerospace operations to GM’s automotive operations to deliver product and process results for improved safety, performance, electronics and winning motorsports programs. He was one the founding members of the GM sports medicine and science program, where he helped lead the development of many of today’s race safety innovations, including the industry's first crash event data recorders, the critically important HANS device and the first racing heads-up display adapted from military jet-fighter technology.
John was an original Member of Senior Ice, Tacit and Have Blue Classified Black Operations Programs, which enabled him to be a key contributor to the design and development of the Northrop B-2 Advanced Technology Stealth Bomber from 1980-1986. He was lead engineer for structural integrity, durability and damage tolerance design on the USAF B-2 stealth bomber program and Aircraft Structural Integrity Program with a top-secret NSA security clearance while at Northrop. He successfully predicted fatigue and fracture results and compliance with Military Standard MIL-STD-1530D and Air Force Policy Directive 63-10 for aircraft structural integrity of classified mission-critical military aircraft systems.
Born and raised in the Motor City of Detroit, John is an avid auto industry and motocross enthusiast. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a BSME degree and the University of Illinois with a MSME degree as well as Caltech’s Executive Engineering Management Program.
Email: waraniak@sbcglobal.net | Mobile: 248-660-3324 | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-waraniak-a56ab26/