Christopher B.

About Christopher B.

Chris Beaufait is a mission-driven CEO, board member, and systems thinker with over three decades of leadership across clean energy, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and AI infrastructure. He builds companies at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and strategic growth, always with a focus on long-term impact.He currently serves as President and CEO of Sharper Shape, a digital twin and AI platform that helps utilities modernize and safeguard critical infrastructure in an era of climate volatility. Previously, he served as CEO of Heartland Water Technology, where he repositioned the company to become a leader in the circular economy, focusing on waste-to-energy, hydrogen, and renewable fuels.Earlier in his career, Chris held senior executive roles at GE and Vestas, including President of GE Aviation’s Avionics business and President of Vestas Asia Pacific & China, where he led triple-digit growth across more than 10 markets. He also played a key role in GE’s corporate transformation, driving and supporting over $100B in M&A transactions and helping lay the groundwork for GE’s eventual separation into three public companies.A U.S. Naval Academy graduate and former submarine officer, Chris leads with calm command, integrity, and a belief in stakeholder capitalism — putting people, planet, and performance on equal footing. He is passionate about ethical AI, industrial innovation, and building systems that serve the many, not just the few.Outside of work, he’s a lifelong learner, simulator pilot, and former pro-am race car driver who brings curiosity, humility, and calculated risk-taking to every endeavor.

Experience

1. President & Chief Executive Officer

   Sharper Shape Group

   Oct 2020 — Present · Salt Lake City, UT, US

   I currently serve as the full-time CEO of Sharper Shape, having rejoined in April 2025 to lead the company into its next phase of growth and strategic transition. I originally joined as CEO in 2020 to guide a foundational transformation focused on our mission: making utility infrastructure safer, smarter, and more resilient through advanced digital twin and AI technologies.During that journey, we fully commercialized CORE—our Living Digital Twin platform purpose-built for electric transmission and distribution operators—and scaled its deployment into the U.S. utility and service provider market. Through strong performance and consistent delivery for PG & E, we expanded our customer base to include all of California’s largest utilities, leading vegetation and inspection service providers, and more than 15 customers overall. This success also culminated in a landmark multi-year agreement with PG & E in November 2024.From 2023 to early 2025, I continued to support the company as interim CEO and Board Member, helping to guide leadership transitions, Board-level realignment, and organizational restructuring. During this period, Sharper Shape achieved record operational performance—surpassing miles of inspected powerlines and launching Asset Insights, our AI-driven defect detection module.As we continue to scale CORE and deepen our partnerships, our focus remains on delivering measurable ROI in vegetation and asset management while helping utilities meet the growing challenges of wildfire mitigation, grid modernization, and climate resilience.With a global team of engineers, scientists, and utility veterans—and dual headquarters in the U.S. and Finland—we’re proud to be shaping the next generation of grid intelligence and infrastructure reliability.

Education

• US Naval Academy Preparatory School

  Appointment to Naval Academy, General Studies

  1988 — 1989

• United States Naval Academy

  BSE, Systems Engineering, Robotics, Astrodynamics

  1989 — 1993

Skills

• Income Statement
• Financial Analysis
• Business Transformation
• Six Sigma
• Aviation
• Business Strategy
• Program Management
• Acquisition Integration
• Joint Ventures
• Avionics
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Leadership
• Analysis
• Restructuring
• Valuation
• P&L
• Negotiation
• Due Diligence
• Change Management
• Strategic Partnerships
• Business Development
• Mentoring
• Aerospace
• Strategy
• Divestitures
• International Business
• Investments
• New Business Development
• Team Building
• Supply Chain
• Leadership Development
• Pricing
• Black Belt
• Executive Management
• Problem Solving
• Business Planning
• Global Operations
• Strategic Planning
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Portfolio Management