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Michael Lilien
Senior Principal Forensic Electrical Engineer
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Professional Summary
Mr. Lilien’s range of engineering experience is wide and deep. He has worked as a forensic engineer, managing projects as varied as manufacturing plant fires, commercial electrical system issues, to utility renewable energy investigations. Starting in 2022 he became certified to investigate wind turbine farms from the Global Wind Organization (GWO), including climbing nacelles. He has trained engineers and fire investigators from EFI, Hawaii, Missouri, Florida, and the Pacific Northwest, along with EFI’s various insurance partners, in transformer use and design, overhead utility equipment, lithium-ion batteries, electric vehicles, and electrical forensic investigation along testing equipment. Mr. Lilien has spent considerable time at San Diego Gas & Electric working field operations, including assessing damaged overhead utility equipment after
wildfires in San Diego County in 2003 (Cedar Fire) and 2007 (Witch and Harris Fires). He also headed construction projects that help to harden SDG&E back-country system, supervised distribution operations as lead engineer during normal and storm-related times and wrote equipment and safety standards for new pieces used in the system hardening effort. While with Ameren Missouri, Mr. Lilien was responsible multi-million-dollar capital project work outside of the St. Louis-metro
area, including distribution/transmission substation work and line hardening. While in transformer manufacturing at ABB (now Hitachi Energy) Mr. Lilien led electrical engineering teams, did considerable troubleshooting and forensic work of product and testing issues, and led teams in product research, development, and design. Most recently prior to EFI Global Mr. Lilien functioned as an electrical engineering consultant for DEMSI, Inc. in a mediation case for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in New Orleans, LA.
His areas of expertise include, but are not limited to:
• Utility Damage Assessment
• Electrical Contact/Failure Analysis
• Forensic Project Management
• Forensic Accounting and Invoice Examination
• Vehicle Fire Investigation
• Design/Drawing Production and Review
• Technical Writing
• Project Work Efficiency Methods
Education
Master of Art, Business Administration, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 2015
Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL, 2003
Certifications
Professional Engineering, Arizona, License #80299
Professional Engineering, Arkansas, License #18549
Professional Engineering, California, License #19847
Professional Engineering, Florida, License #95280
Professional Engineering, Georgia, License #PE052393
Professional Engineering, Idaho, License # P-22886
Professional Engineering, Illinois, License #062-072249
Professional Engineering, Indiana, License #12500304
Professional Engineering, Iowa, License #P25978
Professional Engineering, Idaho, License # PE22886
Professional Engineering, Indiana, License # PE12500304
Professional Engineering, Kansas, License #27650
Professional Engineering, Kentucky, License #39986
Professional Engineering, Louisiana, License # 0045971
Professional Engineering, Michigan, License # 6201341821
Professional Engineering, Missouri, License # 2018037496
Professional Engineering, Montana, License # PEL-PE-LIC-76252
Professional Engineering, Nebraska, License # 19494
Professional Engineering, Oklahoma, License # 33463
Professional Engineering, Oregon, License # 098949PE
Professional Engineering, South Carolina, License # 43327
Professional Engineering, Tennessee, License #130653
Professional Engineering, Texas, License # 151053
Professional Engineering, Utah, License # 13757080-2202
Professional Engineering, Washington, License # 21035607
National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors, License #12-516-37
Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (NAFI): License #23657-14780
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