Sonia Vahedian serves as NEMA’s Chief Operating Officer.

Before joining NEMA, Vahedian was vice president of Product Management at the American Petroleum Institute (API), managing Global Industry Services (GIS) revenue-generating programs: Monogram & API Quality Registrar (APIQR), Engine Oil Licensing (EOLCS) & Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF), Individual Certification (ICP), and the Training Programs.

Prior to joining API in 2019, Vahedian served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Mobile Giving Foundation, the founding organization for the platform supporting mobile Text-to-Give campaigns for 1000+ charity organizations in the US and Canada.

She previously served in multiple engineering executive roles in the wireless technology and interoperability startups, including Sybase/SAP, building and managing world-class high availability data center operations in North America, Europe, and Asia. Vahedian started her career in the natural gas and oil industry, specializing in implementing production solutions for enhanced recovery and tight sand development technology, supporting rapid growth and Mergers & Acquisitions. She served in various industry segments in business development, technical and operational roles with BP/Amoco, Statoil/Equinor, and Kinder Morgan in the Midcontinent and Appalachian Regions.

Vahedian holds a degree in Chemical Engineering and Material Science from the University of Oklahoma and lives in Maryland with her husband and two kids.