Author: Jochen Boy

PDES, Inc. is pleased to announce that Juan Carlos Mendo (The Boeing Company) and Kyle Hall (Airbus) have been selected as the co-recipients of the 2026 Brad Rigdon Technical Management Award. This award recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional technical management in executing complex PDES, Inc. programs and honors the legacy of Brad Rigdon, whose leadership helped advance STEP from early development to global implementation.

For the first time, there are co-recipients who are co-leaders in the  Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) project.  Juan Carlos Mendo and Kyle Hall have worked in close partnership to guide one of the most complex and strategically important initiatives within PDES, Inc. As co-leaders, they have demonstrated that effective technical management is not only about execution, but also about building alignment across diverse organizations and disciplines.

Through their leadership, the MBSE Working Group has successfully brought together a broad network of standards development organizations, including PDES, Inc., ISO, OMG, prostep ivip, Modelica, and INCOSE. Their ability to coordinate across these communities—each with its own processes, priorities, and timelines—has enabled meaningful progress toward addressing critical challenges in MBSE interoperability and long-term data preservation.

A key milestone achieved under their leadership is the completion and external ballot submission of LOTAR Part 500, which establishes foundational concepts for the long-term archiving and retrieval of MBSE information. This accomplishment reflects not only strong technical direction, but also disciplined planning, coordination, and execution across a highly distributed team.

Juan Carlos and Kyle have also demonstrated exceptional skill in managing complex technical efforts by effectively leveraging the expertise of a diverse team. They consistently assign responsibilities to the most qualified contributors, anticipate and mitigate challenges related to multi-organization collaboration, and maintain clear, realistic roadmaps that keep work aligned with strategic goals. Their proactive communication and thoughtful coordination ensure that progress continues even in the face of competing schedules and resource constraints.

Equally important is their commitment to fostering a collaborative and inclusive team environment. They are widely respected for their professionalism, fairness, and ability to bring out the best in team members. By encouraging open dialogue, recognizing contributions, and maintaining a positive and engaging atmosphere, they have built a high-performing team that delivers impactful results for the broader MBSE community.

Their combined leadership, technical insight, and dedication exemplify the spirit of the Brad Rigdon Technical Management Award. Together, Juan Carlos Mendo and Kyle Hall have demonstrated how strong partnership and effective management can drive progress on some of the most challenging technical initiatives within PDES, Inc. PDES, Inc. congratulates Juan Carlos Mendo and Kyle Hall on this well-deserved recognition and thanks them for their continued leadership and contributions to advancing model-based systems engineering and interoperability.

PDES, Inc. is pleased to announce that Tom Thurman has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Bryan K. Martin Technical Excellence Award. This award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding technical contributions to the PDES, Inc. program and honors the legacy of Bryan K. Martin, a motivating leader dedicated to advancing product data standards.

Tom Thurman is widely regarded across the standards community as a leading expert in the development and implementation of the ISO 10303 (STEP) standard. Over a career spanning more than three decades, he has made sustained and impactful contributions across multiple domains, including architecture, tooling, testing, standards development, and industry adoption.

Tom has played a pivotal role in advancing the technical foundation of product data standards. His early recognition of the importance of persistent identifiers (PID/UUID technologies) and his leadership in incorporating these concepts into standards have been instrumental in enabling modern interoperability capabilities.

Tom’s influence extends deeply into the ISO TC184/SC4 WG12 community, where he has contributed to both detailed technical development and broader architectural direction. His work has supported key advancements such as semantic PMI capabilities, improvements to core STEP resources, and the development of Isogeometric Analysis (IGA) within the standard. His ability to navigate complex technical challenges and provide practical, well-founded solutions has made him a trusted resource across numerous working groups and initiatives. Additionally, Tom’s role in the EXPRESS Language Foundation is indicative of his dedication to transferring knowledge to the next generation.

Tom has been a consistent advocate for bridging standards development with real-world implementation. His active participation in CAx-IF testing activities and his contributions to recommended practices have helped ensure that standards are successfully deployed across industry. These efforts have strengthened the connection between standards bodies, software vendors, and end users.

Tom’s career reflects a rare combination of deep technical expertise, long-term commitment, and collaborative leadership. Whether contributing as an individual expert or working across diverse teams, he has demonstrated an exceptional ability to advance complex initiatives while supporting the broader community.

PDES, Inc. congratulates Tom Thurman on this well-deserved recognition and thanks him for his enduring contributions to the advancement of product data standards and interoperability.

Juan Mendo of Boeing, who leads the PDES, Inc. Model-based Systems Engineering (MBSE) project, and John Nallon of INCOSE, along with their  colleagues were honored for their contributions to INCOSE’s Tool Interoperability and Model Lifecycle Management (TIMLM) Working Group, which is focused on strengthening the foundations of systems engineering in an increasingly digital and model-driven environment. Honorees were John Nallon, who chairs the TIMLM working group, Kyle Hall of Airbus, Juan Mendo of Boeing, Mark Williams (ret. Boeing), and Kirk Moen of Boeing.

In a LinkedIn post, Mendo pointed out that the proliferation of digital standards presents both opportunity and risk and the importance of collaboration to exploit the opportunities and mitigate the risks.

This award exemplifies the spirit of collaboration that PDES, Inc. values—bringing together diverse stakeholders to advance interoperability, reduce fragmentation, and enable faster, more effective digital transformation. The PDES, Inc. and INCOSE memorandum of understanding helps solidify the collaboration between the two organizations.

Congratulations to the TIMLM Team

PDES, Inc. congratulates Juan Carlos Mendo and the entire TIMLM Working Group on this well-deserved recognition. Their work highlights the importance of cooperation across standards communities and reinforces the role of PDES, Inc. as a trusted forum for advancing model-based engineering and systems interoperability. The MBSE project brings together organizations such as OMG, prostep ivip, Modelica and others to collaborate to ensure that model-based systems engineering standards are aligned, interoperable and ready for real-world implementation.