Title: Engineering Program Manager for the Battery Program
Company: Apple Inc.
Location: San Jose, California, United States
Michael Romeo Villalpando, engineering program manager for the battery program at Apple Inc., has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Engineers for dedication, achievements, and leadership in mechanical engineering.
Active in the engineering world for 10 years, Mr. Villalpando has quickly established himself as someone willing to work hard and adapt to the challenges that life throws at him. In 2015, he started his career by completing an engineering internship with the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy Foundation. During this internship, Mr. Villalpando was a mentor for high school seniors completing their senior capstone projects. Following that, he took on the position of junior mechanical design engineer at Observables Inc., where he aided in product management, hardware design and inventory tracking.
In 2018, Mr. Villalpando joined Hornet Racing as the lead of electrical systems, later shifting to lead of brakes system. Working in conjunction with California State University Sacramento’s Formula SAE racing team, he helped design both the electrical systems and sensors powering their cars and the braking components that slowed them down.
Marking a major leap in his professional journey, Mr. Villalpando took on the role of new product introduction (NPI) engineering technician at Tesla in 2020. Across five years at the company, he was later promoted to associate project engineer, associate technical program manager and finally, technical program manager. During his tenure with Tesla, Mr. Villalpando experienced a highlight of his career when he was tasked with creating a program for bringing a new version of the popular Model 3 car to the Taiwanese market. To accomplish this, he collaborated closely with Taiwanese officials and navigated complex compliance regulations, successfully completing the project and bringing the Tesla Model 3 to a new territory.
The culmination of his professional life, Mr. Villalpando has served as the engineering program manager for the battery program at Apple Inc. since 2025. In this position, he works on new product development, with a focus on battery technology that will be implemented in future versions of the iPhone. Though not directly involved with the phone’s design, Mr. Villalpando collaborates closely with design engineers to stay on top of any potential issues. He manages a team, ensuring that benchmarks are hit and that the overall roadmap for product development is adhered to.
Mr. Villalpando’s performance in the field has been supported by his academic work. He obtained an Associate of Science in engineering from Santa Barbara City College in 2018. Subsequently, Mr. Villalpando earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from California State University Sacramento in 2020. He remains affiliated with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), through which he took part in Formula SAE racing during his college years.
Beyond his career, Mr. Villalpando married his wife, Marguerite, earlier this year. When considering the source of his success, he points to the values instilled in him by his parents, immigrants to the United States who worked hard and sacrificed to give him and his siblings opportunities for a better life. Mr. Villalpando aspires to carry those same values into his future, with the aim of progressing further in his field while also connecting more strongly to his community. He particularly hopes to become more active with The Reach Foundation, a nonprofit that provides mentorship and funding to low-income students looking to earn college degrees, where he has previously volunteered.
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