Don Pathirana

Don Pathirana is an experienced Senior Manufacturing Engineer currently employed at Rocket Lab since June 2024 and serves as an Advisor in Technical Strategy at Interius Farms since February 2024. Prior to these roles, Don held various positions at Plenty® from November 2019 to January 2024, where responsibilities included leading Automation, Process, and Industrial Engineering teams towards manufacturing excellence. Don’s experience at Tesla from February 2018 to November 2019 involved significant improvements in assembly line efficiency, while previous work at ArcelorMittal included overseeing a $2M heat-exchanger installation. Don began professional development with a Mechanical Engineering internship at Vale and has held managerial roles in the hospitality industry, as well as in customer relations at Canada’s Wonderland. Education includes a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from McMaster University, completed in 2013.