General Manager
Peter Aczel has over a decade of experience as a leader in providing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) solutions. Before joining Vontas, he worked at Kapsch TrafficCom North America, where he was most recently a Vice President and General Manager focused on solution delivery, operations, and customer management. During his career, he grew his organization from the ground up to a market leader in the electronic toll collection and ITS fields, having delivered numerous major projects in the United States and Canada. As an experienced and respected leader in transportation technology, he has worked with customers all over North America, producing solutions through integrated technologies. Peter is passionate about working closely with his team to help customers through innovative technological systems and operational excellence. Before joining the transportation industry, Peter was focused on delivering large infrastructure projects in Central Europe.
Peter studied at the University of Economics in his hometown of Vienna, Austria. In his free time, Peter enjoys studying history and watching and playing sports, including football and golf.
Vice President, Operations
Naomi Schellenberg is the Vice President, Operations at Vontas, where she will concentrate on driving effective execution within the Operations team, specifically in system implementation, production operations, and customer care and support. She will also lead key initiatives that align with Vontas’ strategic goals, including delivering adaptable, modular solutions that integrate seamlessly with mission-critical agency software, and strengthening Vontas’ position as a trusted technology partner for transit agencies.
Naomi joins Vontas in the company’s recently established office in Calgary, AB. Outside of her professional life, Naomi is an avid ice hockey player and outdoor enthusiast, spending her free time skiing and camping. She is also actively involved in her community, volunteering with her son’s hockey teams and her daughter’s dance studio. Naomi’s dedication to mentoring students through the Women in Science and Engineering Club at the University of Calgary further demonstrates her commitment to leadership and personal development.
Karley Wahl, PHR is the Human Resources Business Partner for Vontas where she is the trusted advisor across all aspects of HR including employee relations and initiatives, organization design, compliance, strategic/resource planning, and career/professional development.
With more than 10+ years in private sector human resources, her experience in diverse settings include the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Internal Medicine, BRL Human Resources and Payroll Consulting and KASA Practice Solutions.
Karley received her BA in Business Administration with an emphasis in Computer Information Systems (CIS) and Business Management Development (BMD). Karley furthered her commitment to being in Human Resources through HR Certification Institute (HRCI) and holds a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification.
Karley lives in Cedar Rapids, IA and outside of work, she enjoys traveling and exploring the outdoors (either by hiking trails or kayaking as weather allows), painting, gardening, and training at the gym. She is an Iowa native with family all over the state but is especially close to her nieces/nephews located in Iowa City.
Paul Comfort is the Senior Vice President, Chief Customer Officer at Vontas, and is Executive Director of the North American Transit Alliance.
He’s also the author of the Amazon #1 bestseller, The Future of Public Transportation and host of the world’s top public transportation CEO podcast, Transit Unplugged, heard in 99 countries and counting. Paul is a longtime industry veteran and the former CEO of one of America’s top transit systems, the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) in Baltimore. He has also served as an elected County Commissioner and County Administrator and is the recipient of the transportation industry’s highest individual honor – The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) Presidents Award.
Zac Herness is the Vice President, Product Management at Vontas, where he oversees product management, product documentation and our New Product Initiatives teams where he will focus on bringing additional innovative new products to the market based on evolving industry trends and customer needs.
Zac holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Minnesota and Bachelor of Science degree from North Dakota State University. He lives in Medina, MN with his family and in his free time, he loves mountain biking, skiing, hiking, and anything outdoors.
Teresa Mateus joins Vontas with over a decade of experience as a lawyer and having worked as in-house legal counsel for some large international companies such as Thales and Bombardier in the past. Most recently Teresa has served as the Associate Director for Legal at The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation, Ontario.
Teresa received her bachelor’s degree from the Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Ottawa. In her spare time Teresa enjoys hiking, activities by the water, photography and travelling the world.
Hans is the Vice President, Development Operations at Vontas where he oversees software development, hardware and on-board solutions, quality assurance, and more.
Bryan brings more than 20 years of experience in advanced corporate accounting across a range of industries from construction to technology to lease financing to telecommunications. During that time he has also built expertise in strategic planning, forecasting, and modeling.
Bryan’s six children keep him busy with involvement in numerous activities and organizations, like basketball, dance, and autism awareness.
Kris Hoy is the Director of Marketing for Vontas. Previously, she led the Marketing team at Equivant, a technology provider for the justice industry, focusing on marketing strategy, brand development, content marketing, inbound/outbound demand generation, and digital experience.
Prior to joining Equivant, Kris was responsible for marketing revenue generation, go-to-market strategies, and digital marketing at Enghouse Interactive, an interaction management contact center technology company, and at Trapeze Group, a provider of intelligent transportation software solutions to transit agencies.
Kris lives in Scottsdale, Arizona and volunteers for Desert Labrador Retriever Rescue in her free time. She uses her marketing expertise to help the organization with its website, social media, email marketing, and more.