Juha Ponkala
About Juha Ponkala
Juha Ponkala is the Lead PLM Engineer at Nikola Motor Company with extensive experience in PLM implementation and service management.
Title
Lead PLM Engineer
Current Role at Nikola Motor Company
Juha Ponkala currently holds the position of Lead PLM Engineer at Nikola Motor Company. He has been with the company since 2020 and is based in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. In this role, Juha oversees Product Lifecycle Management, focusing on implementation, customer support, and service management.
Previous Experience at Mecanica Solutions
Before joining Nikola Motor Company, Juha worked at Mecanica Solutions as a Senior PLM Analyst from 2018 to 2020 in the San Francisco Bay Area. During his tenure, he contributed to PLM solutions for a range of industries, leveraging his extensive expertise in implementation and customer support.
Professional Background and Roles at Karma Automotive and Microsoft
Juha Ponkala has held significant roles prior to his current position. He served as Senior PDM/PLM Systems Engineer at Karma Automotive LLC from 2016 to 2017 in Costa Mesa, CA, and as Principal IT Solution Delivery Manager at Microsoft from 2014 to 2015 in San Diego, CA. His roles primarily focused on IT solutions, systems engineering, and service management.
Long-term Career at Nokia
From 1999 to 2014, Juha had an extensive career at Nokia. He started as a Computer Aided Engineering Specialist and later transitioned to Sr. Service Manager, Americas & APAC, and Regional Manager PLM, Americas. His work at Nokia spanned from San Diego, CA, to international locations, including Salo, Finland, and Irving, TX.
Educational Background
Juha obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from Tampere University of Applied Sciences in 1970. This academic background laid the foundation for his extensive career in PLM and IT solutions.