Full Name
James Merlo Dr.
Job Title
CEO
Company
North American Generator Forum
Speaker Bio
Dr. James Merlo is a human factors engineer with a proven track record in organizational leadership from the battlefield to the boardroom. James works from the premise that humans are the most important part of any system and given a good design, an appropriate procedure, and consistent competent leadership, organizations and their human capital will thrive.
Dr. Merlo currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the North American Generator Forum (NAGF). The NAGF is an independent, member-driven organization whose collective knowledge and expertise in the generation sector represents over 50% of the generation capacity in North America. Through open-source collaboration and information exchange with generator industry professionals, the NAGF provides a united voice with the goal of improving the reliability, resiliency, and security of the bulk electric system.
Prior to joining the NAGF, Dr. Merlo served as a Vice President at Knowledge Vine, the leader in Human Performance Implementation and Application. James led Knowledge Vine’s efforts in helping companies around the world leverage Human Performance Improvement technologies to reduce the frequency and severity of errors while building an organization of shared trust.
James also worked at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) as a Vice President and Director of the Reliability Risk Management department. In this role, he led the electric reliability organization’s efforts to assess the industry vulnerabilities with regard to events on the Bulk Electric System and how human performance challenges affected system reliability.
James served over 22 years in a variety of leadership roles in the US Army, including combat tours in Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Significant positions include Deputy Brigade Commander in Baghdad, Iraq 2004-2005 and as an assistant professor and program director at the United States Military Academy.
Dr. Merlo earned his Bachelor of Science in Human Factors Psychology from West Point, his Masters in Engineering Psychology from the University of Illinois, and his PhD in Applied Experimental and Human Factors Psychology from the University of Central Florida. He is the author of over 50 publications on the subjects of human factors, engineering and human performance. An avid snowboarder, wake surfer, and outdoorsman, when James is not working, he can always be found in or on the water.
Dr. Merlo currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the North American Generator Forum (NAGF). The NAGF is an independent, member-driven organization whose collective knowledge and expertise in the generation sector represents over 50% of the generation capacity in North America. Through open-source collaboration and information exchange with generator industry professionals, the NAGF provides a united voice with the goal of improving the reliability, resiliency, and security of the bulk electric system.
Prior to joining the NAGF, Dr. Merlo served as a Vice President at Knowledge Vine, the leader in Human Performance Implementation and Application. James led Knowledge Vine’s efforts in helping companies around the world leverage Human Performance Improvement technologies to reduce the frequency and severity of errors while building an organization of shared trust.
James also worked at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) as a Vice President and Director of the Reliability Risk Management department. In this role, he led the electric reliability organization’s efforts to assess the industry vulnerabilities with regard to events on the Bulk Electric System and how human performance challenges affected system reliability.
James served over 22 years in a variety of leadership roles in the US Army, including combat tours in Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Significant positions include Deputy Brigade Commander in Baghdad, Iraq 2004-2005 and as an assistant professor and program director at the United States Military Academy.
Dr. Merlo earned his Bachelor of Science in Human Factors Psychology from West Point, his Masters in Engineering Psychology from the University of Illinois, and his PhD in Applied Experimental and Human Factors Psychology from the University of Central Florida. He is the author of over 50 publications on the subjects of human factors, engineering and human performance. An avid snowboarder, wake surfer, and outdoorsman, when James is not working, he can always be found in or on the water.
Speaking At
