FRANÇOIS SÉGUIN
President and founder
FRANÇOIS SÉGUIN, M.Sc.A.
President and founder
Customer project management
Packaging and Reliability
Photonics Design
Manufacturing equipment design
François has over 30 years of high-reliability photonic product development experience. He started his career in 1986 at Canadian Marconi Company as Development Engineer in the Electro-Optics group of the Avionics division. Two years later, while working at CMC, he completed his Master’s degree in Engineering Physics at École Polytechnique de Montréal. He perfected his photonics R&D skills in the aerospace and military sectors for 10 years, developing airborne LIDARs and various fiber and integrated optics sensors. He then joined EG&G for 3 years, contributing to high-reliability optoelectronic packaging development for laser diodes and APDs. An 8-year tenure followed at ITF Technologies, where he left his mark as VP R&D, leading a team of 35 engineers and technicians, establishing several technologies and novel fiber optic components and systems for high-reliability telecom, aerospace and industrial applications. François joined IR Photonics in 2006 as VP Engineering, developing mid-IR optical fibers and various related products for spectroscopy, processing and airborne directed infrared countermeasures. He launched XVP Photonics in 2008.
François’s track record for innovation and problem solving originates from a rare combination of analytical rigor, methodical thinking and creative intuition. Born into an artistic family, he inherited a passion for drawing and playing the classical guitar. Launching XVP came from a need to be continuously challenged, innovate, solve problems, and develop new products as a creative outlet.
François embodies XVP’s commitment to contribute expertise, creativity and common sense to successful customer projects.
JULIEN MAGNÉ
Photonics director
GEORGE UJHEGYI
Director of operations
CHARLES ST-HILAIRE
Director of mechanical engineering
FRANÇOIS SÉGUIN, M.Sc.A.
President and founder
Customer project management
Packaging and reliability
Photonics design
Manufacturing equipment design
François has over 30 years of high-reliability photonic product development experience. He started his career in 1986 at Canadian Marconi Company as Development Engineer in the Electro-Optics group of the Avionics division. Two years later, while working at CMC, he completed his Master’s degree in Engineering Physics at École Polytechnique de Montréal. He perfected his photonics R&D skills in the aerospace and military sectors for 10 years, developing airborne LIDARs and various fiber and integrated optics sensors. He then joined EG&G for 3 years, contributing to high-reliability optoelectronic packaging development for laser diodes and APDs. An 8-year tenure followed at ITF Technologies, where he left his mark as VP R&D, leading a team of 35 engineers and technicians, establishing several technologies and novel fiber optic components and systems for high-reliability telecom, aerospace and industrial applications. François joined IR Photonics in 2006 as VP Engineering, developing mid-IR optical fibers and various related products for spectroscopy, processing and airborne directed infrared countermeasures. He launched XVP Photonics in 2008.
François’s track record for innovation and problem solving originates from a rare combination of analytical rigor, methodical thinking and creative intuition. Born into an artistic family, he inherited a passion for drawing and playing the classical guitar. Launching XVP came from a need to be continuously challenged, innovate, solve problems, and develop new products as a creative outlet.
François embodies XVP’s commitment to contribute expertise, creativity and common sense to successful customer projects.
JULIEN MAGNÉ, PH.D. FIBER LASERS
Photonics director
Fiber lasers and amplifiers
Photonics design
Optical components and process development
Customer project management
Julien graduated in 2007 with a Ph.D. in fiber lasers from Université Laval. Winner of a post-doctoral NSERC industrial research grant, he joined ITF Technologies, where he worked for 12 years, first as R&D manager for Fiber Bragg Gratings, then as head of the fiber lasers R&D group. A specialist in fiber optic components and systems for LIDAR and high-power industrial laser applications, Julien Magné led and actively participated in developing several new product lines, from fundamental design to transfer to production. Julien’s combination of qualities as a versatile and passionate scientist, and a gifted communicator with extensive expertise and strong leadership skills, resulted in his leading a team of 16 scientists and engineers, a position he held for 7 years before joining XVP in 2020.
Julien brings state of the art photonics skills and a profound understanding of that industry. He’s a first-class photonic product designer and a born project leader, putting customers at ease and smoothly, methodically delivering challenging projects.
Most of all, Julien is an achiever. What’s important to him is that the job is done well - not just his job, but everyone else’s job also. That’s why he invests himself fully in every project, a trait that extends to his personal life through sports like climbing, downhill skiing and endurance running.
GEORGE UJHEGYI
Director of operations
Electronics
Process development
Quality and conformance testing
Project and resource management
George started his career in R&D Electronics in 1995, working for EG&G on process development, test and technology transfers of semiconductor laser diodes. In 2000, he moved to Alfalight, a laser diode module manufacturer, where he set up and managed the production line. When the company was restructured, George moved to Classé Audio where he worked for 15 years. A technician by training, George’s talent, skills and strong work ethic eventually led to a position as General Manager of the company for a period of 6 years. He then joined XVP as Director of Operations in 2017, where he installed a new infrastructure and a new network of collaborators, enabling XVP to grow and offer new capabilities in electronics design and manufacturing.
George’s contributions go well beyond management skills. Backed by solid expertise in electronics and photonics, he can plan and execute design, manufacturing, process development, procurement, qualification and production transfer. His planning and execution approach is both global and meticulous, enabling him to deliver on any project with a constant and upbeat can-do attitude.
This mindset goes beyond his professional life. On weekends, you will find him either building or improving something around him or giving in to his passion for assembling and flying model aircraft.
CHARLES ST-HILAIRE, P.ENG
Director of mechanical engineering
Mechanical Design
Automation programming
Project management
Engineering methods
After graduating in 1991 from Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal with bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Charles worked for a wide range of companies developing and manufacturing solutions in industrial automation, military simulators, transportation, industrial equipment, and packaging machinery. He held several positions from mechanical designer, programmer, project manager, to supervisor and team leader.
Charles joined the company in 2021 as director of mechanical engineering. His deep and diverse technical expertise combined with a large experience in defining and communicating customer’s needs is a great asset for anyone requiring XVP’s services. For him, the best solution is the simplest solution that satisfies the customer. On weekends, Charles spends his time cycling, skiing or woodworking.
SÉBASTIEN ALLEN
Director of process development
DANIEL BAPTIZET
Senior technologist
JOSEPH ANDRÉ BÉLANGER
Senior photonics specialist
MOHAMMAD ABTAHI
Senior photonics specialist
SÉBASTIEN ALLEN
Director of process development
Process development
Automated process equipment design
Instrumentation and controls
Mechanical design
Product design
Sébastien started his career as an Engineering Physics Technician at the National Optics Institute (INO) in 1994. From the onset, he immersed himself in developing specialized detection systems and manufacturing processes, and remained active in these fields for 17 years. He worked on ultra-pure metal refining methods (Anrad, 1995), optical fiber component manufacturing (Corvis Corp., 2000), and semi-conductor growth of LEDS and solar cells (The Fox Group, 2002 & Sixtron 2005). He gradually moved into higher responsibilities consisting of production infrastructure design and setup, production management and maintenance, technology transfer and project management. In 2012, Sébastien became Product Manager for Consumer LED Lighting at BAZZ. He joined XVP 6 years later.
Thanks to his exceptional hands-on experience, Sébastien has developed an instinct for all things mechanical, thermal, chemical and electrical, which he applies with outstanding efficiency to develop automated processes in production environments. Sébastien is a genuine inventor, a kind of technological wizard, who can bring elegant, down-to-earth, innovative solutions to any manufacturing challenge.
Self-taught and insatiably curious, Sebastien has accumulated a treasure trove of miscellaneous hardware in his basement. If it’s not in there, it probably doesn’t exist!
DANIEL BAPTIZET
Senior technologist
Laser diode and micro-optics specialist
Process development
Mechanical design
With a degree in Mechanical Engineering and solid multidisciplinary training, Daniel brings years of experience in optoelectronics process development. He began his career in France in 2000 at Thales Laser Diodes. With responsibilities ranging from production planning and monitoring to the development of laser diode assembly processes, he acquired valuable knowledge of R&D and quality assurance. In 2007, Daniel came to Canada, initially as Methods Technician at Pyrophotonics Laser Inc. He then moved on to Laser Components Canada in 2010, where he gained significant experience in all aspects of the development of pulsed laser diodes and their integration with fiber optomechanical processes, participating in R&D, manufacturing transfer and production support.
Grounded in substantial hands-on experience, Daniel’s exceptional grasp of fine optical alignment and systematic process optimization is an essential asset to XVP. His expertise and unwavering commitment to rigour arises in everything he does, from planning and executing experiments to comprehensively documenting his work.
Daniel is passionate about Japanese culture and has practiced Kendo, the modern Japanese martial art of the sword. Epicurean by nature, Daniel likes to try different culinary cultures – of course, with a good dose of sushi, sashimi, and other maki. A lover of all film genres, he remains a fan of Hayao Miyazaki's works, one of Japan's greatest animation directors.
JOSEPH ANDRÉ BÉLANGER
Senior photonics specialist
Fiber lasers and LIDAR
Test systems
Photonic design
Optical modeling
Joseph earned a Master of Applied Science in Engineering Physics from École Polytechnique de Montréal in 2014, with courses in biophotonics, spectroscopy, and microfabrication, among others. In 2015, after a short stay as a research associate at Laboratoire de Microphotonique, where he designed silicon optical switches, Joseph joined the Fiber Laser R&D group at ITF Optical Technologies. There, he led a team of five senior engineers and technicians to advance the company’s future laser products. Among his many responsibilities, Joseph was in charge of developing pulsed fiber lasers for LIDAR and satellite communication. He joined XVP in 2022.
Joseph's experience designing and developing lasers and optical systems is a key asset in challenging customer projects. He applies exceptional analytical skills equally to simple and complex design problems. No problem is a match for Joseph’s efficient problem-solving approach
Joseph is an enthusiastic team player, resourceful, inventive, and results-oriented. Fluent in English and French, he enjoys cooking, travelling, soccer, and volleyball.
MOHAMMAD ABTAHI, PH.D.
Senior photonics specialist
Tuneable optical filters
Optically generated ultra wideband signals
Photonic design
Optical modeling
Mohammad received his Ph.D. “with distinction” in Opto-electronics from INP Grenoble in France in 2000. Soon after, he joined the Iran Telecom Research Center (ITRC) in Tehran. As an academic staff member, he was in charge of several research projects and obtained the best researcher award from Iran’s ministry of ICT in 2003. He was later promoted to head of the wireless communication department at ITRC, where he supervised a team of over 35 engineers on various projects.
In 2005, Mohammad moved to Canada to join the Centre for Optics, Photonics and Lasers (COPL) at Université Laval as a post-doctoral fellow to pursue his original passion: optics and photonics. During his research fellowship, he was involved in several research projects, establishing a new ultra-wideband (UWB) lab and co-supervising graduate students.
Mohammad joined O/E Land Inc. in 2011 as Director of R&D, where he was directly involved in product development projects, from idea generation to final product fabrication, including optical design, mechanical design, software development, electronic control boards, and troubleshooting. His contributions significantly promoted the quality and diversity of products in the company. A few examples of such products are a series of new wavelength-tunable devices and high-power tunable fiber lasers. In 2022, Mohammad joined XVP-Photonics as Senior Photonics Specialist.
In his free time, Mohammad enjoys photography, travelling, gardening, and, if time allows, calligraphy. During the long Québec winters, he impatiently awaits the warmer seasons to tend to the plants and flowers in his backyard.
Cédric Galipeau
Senior designer
FRANÇOIS MARCIL
Senior mechanical engineer
NICOLAS SÉGUIN
Mechanical designer
CÉDRIC GALIPEAU
Senior designer
Electronics and firmware
Electronic design
Firmware
Software and automation
In 2010, Cédric graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering from École de technologie supérieure. He then joined the physics and biomedical engineering department of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), where he worked as a hardware and firmware designer on an innovative medical device to treat chronic wounds.
Cédric’s passion for electronic design and programming led to a job at Matrox and various startups making graphics cards, long-distance RFID antenna, electronic fitness and activity tracking bracelets, and medical vision algorithms for cancer detection in microscope slides. From 2015 to 2022, Cédric managed an R&D electronic hardware design team at ITF Technologies that developed laser sources for automotive LIDAR applications and telecommunication satellites.
A highly versatile professional, Cédric’s expertise ranges from lab debugging complex circuits to programming machine-learning algorithms. He has distinguished himself through his active and sustained contributions to the development of projects, from small electronic products to large-scale mandates.
With interests that include ancient history, the economy, sciences, anthropology, astronomy, and much more, Cédric is THE person to have on your team for trivia night!
FRANÇOIS MARCIL
Senior mechanical engineer
Mechanical Design - Optical metrology equipment
Assembly equipment and methods
Configuration management
After graduating from École Polytechnique de Montréal in 2000, with a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering, François accepted a position at Cynovad, where he worked developing dental imaging and digital manufacturing solutions. As R&D Engineer, he made significant contributions to all product lines, and ultimately lead the design and first run production of an optical scanner. In 2008, François joined Dental Wings, where he played a similar role in optical scanner hardware development. Deeply involved with the product line, he took on both engineering and production responsibilities, culminating in a position as Director of Operations. In 2012, François moved to Elekta, where he continued to refine his mechanical design skills. In 2018, after 18 years in the medical technology field, he joined XVP. There, he added finite element analysis to his expertise.
François is highly motivated, disciplined and organized. He has a passion for doing things meticulously and well. In addition to his mechanical design and modelling skills, he has significant experience in developing manufacturing processes. These skills and personal qualities make him the ideal person to set up production lines with demanding regulatory requirements, from workstation design to operator training and production transfer.
For François, discipline is a way of life. An avid endurance sportsman, he has run several marathons and now practices long-distance swimming and biking.
NICOLAS SÉGUIN
Mechanical designer
Mechanical Design
Prototyping and assembly
Nicolas sees the world through 3D glasses. Summoning solid objects from pure thought has been his calling since childhood. While studying to become a Mechanical Engineering Technologist, he completed two work terms at Allegiant 3D, where he was involved in developing and designing complex assembly tools and fixtures. To further leverage his natural mechanical insights and creative skills, Nicolas sought to perfect his training by enrolling in the Mechanical Engineering program at École de Technologies Supérieure (ÉTS) in Montréal.
Nicolas has worked summer and full semester internships at XVP as a mechanical designer throughout his undergraduate studies, developing assembly mechanisms, optical alignment benches and contributing to creating tooling and manufacturing processes for product assembly and packaging. His training as a professional CNC machinist makes him an asset in the shop.
Nicolas is an avid athlete and outdoorsman. He spends his free time training as a triathlete and paddling for his university’s dragon boat racing team.
JEAN-CHARLES GONTHIER
Director of business development
marie-claire amiot
Communications strategist and administrator
JEAN-CHARLES GONTHIER, M.Sc.A.
Director of business development
Jean-Charles graduated in 1994 with a Master’s degree in Photonics. After a 2-year internship at ONERA in France, he worked for 17 years in IT, gradually moving from technical and systems expert to product and customer management functions, working in companies such as CAE Electronics, Ericsson and Bouygues. In 2014, he went back to his roots as Product Manager at Genia Phonics and three years later as CEO of an optical fiber instrumentation start-up. He joined XVP in 2020.
Jean-Charles is curious about almost everything: technology, history, physics, cooking, art, people, you name it. He is self-taught in history, tensor calculus, Italian. He loves puzzles, and what gives him the greatest satisfaction is finding solutions for his customers and the people around him. Jean-Charles brings 25 years of experience to XVP, establishing customer relationships and launching projects for a wide range of customers, from start-ups to multinational corporations.
MARIE-CLAIRE AMIOT, B.F.A.
Communications strategist
Administrator
After graduating from Concordia University’s Graphic Design program in 1987, Marie-Claire first worked as a designer and then as artistic director in numerous agencies, such as Paginart Communications, Virage and Bouvry, Bienvenue, Castonguay. Specializing in corporate communications, she has created a wide range of marketing materials: logos, graphical standards, annual reports, leaflets, posters, internal magazines, packaging display stands, etc. Marie-Claire’s work has been recognized in several prestigious design competitions. She is currently XVP’s communications strategist.
Marie-Claire is very sensitive to the beauty she sees in us and around us. Her natural artistic flair comes to life in corporate communications as it does in real life, as she refurbishes and embellishes the objects and furniture she finds around her.