As Director of Product and Commercial Development, Liam brings experience from the clean-tech industry where he specialized in renewable fuels process technologies.
Maria Beschid possesses a Diploma in Philology and English literature from Samara State University, Russia.
As Director of Product and Commercial Development, Liam brings experience from the clean-tech industry where he specialized in renewable fuels process technologies.
Maria Beschid possesses a Diploma in Philology and English literature from Samara State University, Russia.
As Chief Investment Officer, Jon is responsible for the financing of Electrochaea’s asset-level and corporate investments
Beth is a retired professor from the University of California at Riverside. She taught classes in plant biology and researched the mechanism of plant response to dehydration stress.
Arianne holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Resource Management from the Technical University of Munich
Alberto earned a Chemical Engineering Degree followed by a Master´s Degree in Chemical and Energy Engineering
Sabine joined Electrochaea as an Executive Assistant and is responsible for the executive and administrative support of the Managing Directors.
As Chief Investment Officer, Jon is responsible for the financing of Electrochaea’s asset-level and corporate investments
Beth is a retired professor from the University of California at Riverside. She taught classes in plant biology and researched the mechanism of plant response to dehydration stress.
Arianne holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Resource Management from the Technical University of Munich.
Alberto earned a Chemical Engineering Degree followed by a Master´s Degree in Chemical and Energy Engineering
Sabine joined Electrochaea as an Executive Assistant and is responsible for the executive and administrative support of the Managing Directors.
Financial professional with over 35 years of strong accounting expertise in limited partnerships, private equity, venture fund, and tax accounting.
Gianluca has more than 15 years´ diverse experience in capital projects for the Energy Industry in Europe, Middle East and the Caspian Region
Saruul studied Mongolian and Literature at the State University of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar.
Utsav is primarily responsible for enabling sales for Electrochaea’s biomethanation technology at strategic intersection of markets, policies & framework, and customers.
Johannes is a physicist and process engineer. He holds a diploma in Engineering Physics from the University of Würzburg
An experienced project manager, Nuno brings to Electrochaea more than 15 years of experience mainly in managing multimillion-dollar capital projects for the Oil and Gas industry.
Financial professional with over 35 years of strong accounting expertise in limited partnerships, private equity, venture fund, and tax accounting.
Gianluca has more than 15 years´ diverse experience in capital projects for the Energy Industry in Europe, Middle East and the Caspian Region
Saruul studied Mongolian and Literature at the State University of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar.
Utsav is primarily responsible for enabling sales for Electrochaea’s biomethanation technology at strategic intersection of markets, policies & framework, and customers.
Johannes is a physicist and process engineer. He holds a diploma in Engineering Physics from the University of Würzburg
An experienced project manager, Nuno brings to Electrochaea more than 15 years of experience mainly in managing multimillion-dollar capital projects for the Oil and Gas industry.
Bruna is a senior scientist and a part of the development team. She holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Biology and Environmental Engineering from the University of Blumenau, Brazil.
Katrin Härtling-Tindl completed her biology studies at LMU Munich and graduated with a neuroimmunological diploma thesis at the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology.
Doris has enjoyed a successful career as scientist and corporate executive in the biotech and pharma industry in the US and Europe.
As an inventor, entrepreneur and corporate executive, Mich has 35 years experience in technology development and commercialization.
Bruna is a senior scientist and a part of the development team. She holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Biology and Environmental Engineering from the University of Blumenau, Brazil.
Katrin Härtling-Tindl completed her biology studies at LMU Munich and graduated with a neuroimmunological diploma thesis at the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology.
Doris has enjoyed a successful career as scientist and corporate executive in the biotech and pharma industry in the US and Europe.
As an inventor, entrepreneur and corporate executive, Mich has 35 years experience in technology development and commercialization.
A chemist by training, Ivan specialized in the development of materials and systems for sustainable electrochemical energy storage.
Carina earned her BSc in Bioprocess Engineering at the Federal University of Itajubá, Brazil. She completed her MSc in Molecular Biology at the University of Debrecen
Maren earned a BSc. and a MSc. in chemical and biological engineering at Friedrich Alexander Universität Erlangen Nürnberg
Birgit has extensive management experience in R&D, production and QA in industrial biotechnology.
A chemist by training, Ivan specialized in the development of materials and systems for sustainable electrochemical energy storage.
Carina earned her BSc in Bioprocess Engineering at the Federal University of Itajubá, Brazil. She completed her MSc in Molecular Biology at the University of Debrecen
Maren earned a BSc. and a MSc. in chemical and biological engineering at Friedrich Alexander Universität Erlangen Nürnberg
Birgit has extensive management experience in R&D, production and QA in industrial biotechnology.
NarcÃs Margall is in charge of developing Electrochaea’s business opportunities in Southern Europe.
Sajeev is Senior Project Engineer with the Electrochaea North American Team, bringing in experience from the Biogas/Gas Processing industry.
Mark joined the company in April 2022 with the primary responsibility of securing contracts for deployment of our biomethanation technology in North America.
Nitant holds a M.Sc. degree in Process Engineering and Energy Technology from Hochschule Bremerhaven
NarcÃs Margall is in charge of developing Electrochaea’s business opportunities in Southern Europe.
Sajeev is Senior Project Engineer with the Electrochaea North American Team, bringing in experience from the Biogas/Gas Processing industry.
Mark joined the company in April 2022 with the primary responsibility of securing contracts for deployment of our biomethanation technology in North America.
Nitant holds a M.Sc. degree in Process Engineering and Energy Technology from Hochschule Bremerhaven
Maximilian Pfister completed an apprenticeship as a mechatronics engineer at MAN Truck&Bus SE. His interest in renewable energies then brought him to the start-up CM Fluids
Gabriele has more than 20 years of experience in leading business units and complex projects in the Power Generation and Energy Transition environment.
Through Peter diplomatic experience, his appointment adds an additional dimension to Electrochaea’s expertise in the regulatory and international environment.
Felix is a microbiologist with broad experience in molecular biology, genetics and prokaryotic physiology.
Caitlin is the Executive Assistant at Electrochaea North America and is responsible for all executive support and administration.
Maximilian Pfister completed an apprenticeship as a mechatronics engineer at MAN Truck&Bus SE. His interest in renewable energies then brought him to the start-up CM Fluids
Gabriele has more than 20 years of experience in leading business units and complex projects in the Power Generation and Energy Transition environment.
Through Peter diplomatic experience, his appointment adds an additional dimension to Electrochaea’s expertise in the regulatory and international environment.
Felix is a microbiologist with broad experience in molecular biology, genetics and prokaryotic physiology.
Caitlin is the Executive Assistant at Electrochaea North America and is responsible for all executive support and administration.
Steve has more than 30 years experience in leading teams and developing leadership capability in organizations across sectors.
Sven has many years of practical experience in balance sheet accounting, real estate and foreign asset management and financial services.
Jose has a solid experience in environmental biotechnology. Before joining Electrochaea, he completed postdoctoral studies
Jana studied management, marketing and accounting at General Business Administration College in Presov, Slovakia.
Aafko Scheringa has over 30 years experience in international sales management. He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering
Steve has more than 30 years experience in leading teams and developing leadership capability in organizations across sectors.
Sven has many years of practical experience in balance sheet accounting, real estate and foreign asset management and financial services.
Jose has a solid experience in environmental biotechnology. Before joining Electrochaea, he completed postdoctoral studies
Jana studied management, marketing and accounting at General Business Administration College in Presov, Slovakia.
Aafko Scheringa has over 30 years experience in international sales management. He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering
Iulia is a Chemical and Process Engineer with a background in Chemical Processes.
Clara is a biologist with a strong background in microbiology and biotechnology.
Hans joined Electrochaea.dk ApS as an Operations Technician in 2015. He brings 15 years of operating experience to Electrochaea's technical team.
TBA
Iulia is a Chemical and Process Engineer with a background in Chemical Processes.
Clara is a biologist with a strong background in microbiology and biotechnology.
Hans joined Electrochaea.dk ApS as an Operations Technician in 2015. He brings 15 years of operating experience to Electrochaea's technical team.
TBA
Chris is a Renewable Energy Engineer at Electrochaea where he assesses and quantifies the environmental benefits of the company’s synthetic methane.
Chris is a Renewable Energy Engineer at Electrochaea where he assesses and quantifies the environmental benefits of the company’s synthetic methane.
Martin Kröner is a managing partner of Munich Venture Partners, and prior to that he was co-founder and CEO of Agnion Energy Inc.
Daniele Marcucci is Engineering & Technology Director of Climate Technology Solutions (CTS), within Baker Hughes’ Industrial & Technology Solutions business segment.
Victoria has spent thirty years leading as a change agent. Educated as an engineer, she has worked in large corporations.
Christian is an active business angel working with the b-to-v Group, and serves as a Partner with Wellington Partners.
Read more
Johannes is serving as investor, board-member and business angel in a number of young companies.
Read more
Martin Kröner is a managing partner of Munich Venture Partners, and prior to that he was co-founder and CEO of Agnion Energy Inc.
Daniele Marcucci is Engineering & Technology Director of Climate Technology Solutions (CTS), within Baker Hughes’ Industrial & Technology Solutions business segment.
Victoria has spent thirty years leading as a change agent. Educated as an engineer, she has worked in large corporations.
Christian is an active business angel working with the b-to-v Group, and serves as a Partner with Wellington Partners.
Read more
Johannes is serving as investor, board-member and business angel in a number of young companies.
Read more
Dr. Lars Angenent is interested in waste conversion to generate specific products such as energy carriers or platform chemicals.
Read more
20 years of experience in power plant commissioning, operation & maintenance, service contracting and project management.
Read more
Dr. Laurens Mets, Associate Professor of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology at the University of Chicago, is the Electrochaea technology founder.
Read more
Fernando is an experienced industrial engineer with a wealth of experience in project management, plant commissioning, and technology development.
Read more
Dr. Lars Angenent is interested in waste conversion to generate specific products such as energy carriers or platform chemicals.
Read more
20 years of experience in power plant commissioning, operation & maintenance, service contracting and project management.
Read more
Dr. Laurens Mets, Associate Professor of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology at the University of Chicago, is the Electrochaea technology founder.
Read more
Fernando is an experienced industrial engineer with a wealth of experience in project management, plant commissioning, and technology development.
Read more
Antoine Altasserre - Project Manager
TBA
April Arbour - Sustainability Specialist
TBA
Tim Baack - Chief Commercial Officer
Tim is an experienced executive and has worked in the energy and finance industry as a manager, advisor and entrepreneur for 25 years.
Prior to joining Electrochaea he was the CCO of Bullfinch Asset AG, a start up providing and financing decentralised power solution for home owners and businesses. Tim worked in business and project development, transaction execution and financing of thermal and renewable power projects for the likes of AES, E.ON, DZ-4, OX2, and investment companies. He is part of the founding team of ubitricity, was the Chief Investment Officer of a renewable fund and has hands on experience as MD of an asset operations and management company in the wind sector.
Tim holds a BS and Master in industrial engineering from the Technical University of Berlin and a MSc in Management from the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ (DAAD Scholar).
Maria Beschid – Communications Manager
Maria Beschid possesses a Diploma in Philology and English literature from Samara State University, Russia. Before joining Electrochaea, Maria worked in the regional Parliament in Samara, Russia as a Personal Assistant of the Head of the Legal Department and later as an Administrative Unit Consultant. She was responsible for the administrative support of the legislative process. Maria also worked at Shell Global Solutions International B.V., Netherlands as a Personal and Team Assistant in the company´s Learning Center. At Electrochaea Maria works as a Communications Manager. Â
Alexander Benson – Project Manager
TBA
Liam Bansen – Director of Product and Commercial Development
Liam is Director of Product and Commercial Development bringing experience from the clean-tech industry where he specialized in renewable fuels process technologies. Before joining Electrochaea, Liam worked for Quadrogen Power Systems, Inc. in Vancouver, Canada where he focused on the design, construction, and commissioning of novel biogas processing systems for fuel cell and power applications, hydrogen production, and gas grid injection.
Liam started his career as a mining consultant working in remote locations such as Bolivia and the Yukon where he concentrated on mining logistics and operations. Liam holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Waterloo where he focused on heat transfer and fluid dynamics.
Jon Dyar Boles – Chief Investment Officer
A sustainable investment and finance professional, Jon brings thirty years of experience as a banker, energy industry professional and independent advisor to renewable energy and cleantech companies to Electrochaea. Jon began his career with Dresdner Bank in Germany and served as the group’s head of project finance in Latin America, advising on, structuring, arranging and financing investments throughout the region.  He subsequently joined E.ON, the global utility, as Head of Corporate Finance for continental Europe, and went on to establish and lead the Group’s Structured Finance team, then moved to Italy where he integrated and restructured operations across the value chain and served as the newly established market unit’s CFO and chaired the Risk Committee. Over the past decade Jon has worked with businesses delivering solutions for climate change, including i.a. Fjord Capital, KGAL, Deutsche Telekom’s Smart Cities Unit and Climeworks.
Jon earned an A.B. with Honors in International Relations from Davidson College, North Carolina, was a Fulbright Scholar at the Universität zu Köln and holds an M.A. in International Economics from the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. He is a CFA Charterholder.
As Chief Investment Officer, Jon is responsible for the financing of Electrochaea’s asset-level and corporate investments and communications with investors.
Beth Bray, PhD – Consultant
Beth is a retired professor from the University of California at Riverside, where she was a faculty member for 20 years. She taught classes in plant biology and researched the mechanism of plant response to dehydration stress.
Beth is excited to be learning all she can about archaea and power-to-gas, while participating in company advancement in technical writing, business development and BioCat plant operation. Beth has a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, MN.
Arianne Bhérer-Breton, Business Development Manager
Arianne holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Resource Management from the Technical University of Munich and a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Management and Entrepreneurship from the University of Ottawa in Canada.
Her master thesis focused on the hydrogen fuel cell train technology, for which she performed a patent-based forecast and cost-benefit analysis. Arianne is a Business Development Manager at Electrochaea where she develops and manages business opportunities to achieve commercialization in key markets.
Alberto Carrillo - Process Engineer
Alberto earned a Chemical Engineering Degree in the Simón BolÃvar University in Venezuela followed by a Master´s Degree in Chemical and Energy Engineering at the Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg, Germany. His Master´s Thesis at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems focused on the evaluation of a carbon membrane for the improvement of the Methane Dehydroaromatization reaction in a membrane reactor.
Previous to Electrochaea, Alberto worked firstly for an international specialty chemicals company where he executed projects in Germany in the areas of Operational Excellence and Conceptual Engineering, and later on joined an engineering office where he focused on projects in the Detail Engineering phase.
Alberto is a Process Engineer at Electrochaea and his role is to deliver and review all the necessary engineering documentation for clients and contractors, clarify internal and external engineering questions and work together with the different departments to optimize Electrochaea´s technology.
Anna Ciofalo – Process Engineer
TBA
Sabine Creutzburg – Executive Assistant
Sabine joined Electrochaea as an Executive Assistant and is responsible for the executive and administrative support of the Managing Directors.
With diplomas from the European Management Academy, Sabine has many years of international work experience as an Assistant to CEOs in various branches of industry. She started her career in the film industry at Tele Munich Group, handling the licensing rights of all film productions of 20th Century Fox, MGM, and Universal Studios for the DACH region. Furthermore, she gained experience in mechanical engineering in the Sales Department at Krones AG, Neutraubling, where she acted interdisciplinary as a contact between the European subsidiaries and the internal technical departments.
Previous to Electrochaea, Sabine worked for many years as Assistant to the CEO and CFO at Fair Media Holding, Munich, and later as Assistant to the Directors for RD and Program Management for Charging Solutions at Webasto SE.
Jay Dalal – Controller
Financial professional with over 35 years of strong accounting expertise in limited partnerships, private equity, venture fund, and tax accounting. A strong organizer, communicator with proven track record in managing and leading people in multiple organizations.Â
A seasoned practitioner in M&A transactions including due diligence and post-acquisition integration. Â
Previous professional experiences have included specific roles as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Financial Controller for a number of portfolio companies and Founder/Entrepreneur firms ranging in size from less than $5M to over $50M.
Assisted in the successful sale, divestiture & investment of US & Foreign Portfolio Entities (China & Mexico). Â
At Electrochaea Jay is responsible for the North American operations activities, book-keeping, payroll, Health Plans, 401k plans, corporate Insurance, banking, financial and related reporting.Â
Gianluca Del Frate -Â Project Manager
Gianluca has more than 15 years´ diverse experience in capital projects for the Energy Industry in Europe, Middle East and the Caspian Region. In his previous roles, he worked in all project development phases, from concept, to front-end and detailed engineering and, also disinvestment plans. He brings professional experience by having successfully managed interfaces with internal and external stakeholders based in multiple countries for the timely delivery of multibillionaire projects. Moreover, he coordinated cross-department teams for the delivery of both technical and commercial documentation. He worked in Energy firms and world class engineering companies.
At Electrochaea, as a Project Manager Gianluca will lead integrated teams of internal and external stakeholders.
Gianluca holds a Master in Chemical Engineering from the University of Bologna, Italy, and a Full-Time MBA from Cranfield School of Management, United Kingdom.
Saruul Demberel - Office Administrator
Saruul studied Mongolian and Literature at the State University of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar. She used to work as a teacher at a comprehensive school. She also worked as an Event Manager at Mongolian Youth Federation and was in charge of the press contacts.Â
Saruul moved to Germany where she studied German as a foreign language and Japanology at the Ludwig Maximillian University of Munich (LMU). For several years she worked in adult education and taught German and Mongolian. Later she got a qualification in Office Management. At Electrochaea Saruul works as an office-administrator.Â
Utsav Vikram Dutta - Senior Manager Business Development
In his role as Senior Business Development Manager, Utsav is primarily responsible for enabling sales for Electrochaea’s biomethanation technology at strategic intersection of markets, policies & framework, and customers.
Utsav has about 15 years of experience in sales, proposals, and business development across a wide range of power generation industries and markets. Due to his techno-commercial competence, he has been successful in developing markets to secure projects in the bio energy, waste to Energy, pulp & paper, IBA treatment, and utility power generation across Europe and Asia. In his previous assignments he has been responsible for development of channel partners for global expansion, realization of long-term service business model and for leading the commercial contract signing process.
Utsav will help build strategic partnerships, analyze market to identify target customers, develop business opportunities to secure commercial projects, and support the commercial contract negotiations to contribute to Electrochaea’s profitable growth.
He holds a bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and earned his Master’s in Business Administration from Kellogg-WHU in Germany.
Johannes Erben -Scientist Biotechnology
Johannes is a physicist and process engineer. He holds a diploma in Engineering Physics from the University of Würzburg (Germany) and received his PhD from the University of Bremen (Germany) investigating the electrode-microbe interaction in bioelectrochemical systems. He also developed tailored, carbon-based, electrode materials for the application in bioelectrochemical systems.
At Electrochaea he investigates the feasibility of new methanation bioreactor concepts for industrial application.
Nuno Eusébio - Project Leader
An experienced project manager, Nuno brings to Electrochaea more than 15 years of experience mainly in managing multimillion-dollar capital projects for the Oil and Gas industry, in Africa through Norway, but also a capital project in the Pharma industry, in Belgium. Nuno started his career in the Utility sector but soon moved to the Oil and Gas industry at Galp Energia, where he managed the first field experience of the application of biodiesel in Portugal. Next, he moved to Norway to manage challenging and complex projects in Africa, i.e., work packages of the projects Total CLOV, in Angola, and Total Moho Nord and Bilondo 1 Bis, in the Republic of the Congo.
After, he developed skills in the artificial intelligence domain and developed his master's thesis together with the National Institute of Oncology of Portugal to help identify colorectal cancer genetic biomarkers. Later, Nuno joined EMEA’s Google team through a third party to collect, analyze, and produce valuable data insights to help the management team make decisions. More recently, he managed the delivery of the electrical work package of the European manufacturing hub for the CAR-T therapy of Johnson and Johnson, a state-of-the-art facility located in Ghent, Belgium.
Nuno’s role at Electrochaea is to lead projects integrating teams of internal and external stakeholders.
 Nuno holds a BSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Instituto Superior Técnico, followed by a BSc in Mechanical Engineering at the Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa, and an MSc in Analysis and Engineering of Big Data from the NOVA University Lisbon, Portugal. Nuno further developed his skills by participating in executive education programs from INSEAD, France, and Harvard Business School, US. He is a certified PMP professional.
Francesco Fianelli – Process Development Engineer
TBA
Bruna Grosch - Senior Scientist Technology
Bruna is a senior scientist and a part of the development team at Electrochaea. With her extensive experience in anaerobic microbial cultures and the design, construction, and operation of anaerobic reactors, she contributes to improving the process control of the company's bio-methanation technology.
Bruna holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Biology and Environmental Engineering from the University of Blumenau, Brazil. She conducted her Ph.D. thesis at the University of Leipzig in cooperation with the Department of Environmental Microbiology at the Helmholtz Environmental Research Centre (UFZ - Leipzig/Germany) and the German Biomass Research Centre (DBFZ). Bruna has been involved in projects aimed at producing renewable energy from waste and finding sustainable solutions to society's consumption demands.
Katrin Härtling-Tindl – Head of Administration
Katrin Härtling-Tindl completed her biology studies at LMU Munich and graduated with a neuroimmunological diploma thesis at the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology. Subsequently, she worked for several years in project and quality management at Eurofins Medigenomix and established the sub-department "Subcloning and Molecular Biology". Afterwards she worked for ten years at IBB Netzwerk GmbH, first as a project manager, later as a project leader and authorized signatory with administrative tasks, pre- and post-project work, PR & PR & specific communication measures. In 2022 she traveled around Europe in her caravan and joined Electrochaea in 2023 as Head of Administration.
Doris Hafenbradl, PhD - CTO and Managing Director
Doris has enjoyed a successful career as scientist and corporate executive in the biotech and pharma industry in the US and Europe. She joined Electrochaea from Axxam, a leading provider of integrated discovery services for the life sciences industry, where she was responsible for the company's discovery services activities. Prior to Axxam, she held several senior management roles in international, industry-leading pharmaceutical firms including BioFocus, Proteros, GPC Biotech, Axxima Pharmaceuticals, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, and Diversa.
Doris dedicated her doctoral research in mircobiology to the study of hyperthermophilic archaea in the laboratory of Prof. Dr. Karl Stetter at the Archaea Centre at the University of Regensburg.
Karsten Hanich - Chief Financial Officer
Karsten brings 20+ years of experience from various finance roles in the Information & Communications industry in Germany and in the Middle East & Africa region. Before joining Electrochaea, he worked as CFO for the Software-as-a-Service-company GreenCom Networks AG and supported its acquisition by and integration into Enphase Energy, Inc.Karsten holds a diploma in industrial engineering from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, a master's degree in economics from the University of Aix-Marseille II and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts.
Mich Hein, PhD - CEO and Managing Director
As an inventor, entrepreneur and corporate executive, Mich has 35 years experience in technology development and commercialization. In addition to his role at Electrochaea, Mich is a Partner at Focus First Holdings (St Louis, MO). Prior to starting Focus First, Mich served as Executive in Residence at the University of Chicago's Office of Technology and Intellectual Property, and as Chief of Staff at the Illinois Medical District where he managed the Chicago Technology Park. He started his career as a research chemist with Monsanto and then PPG Industries before joining the faculty at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA. Mich's investigations into mucosal immunology and plant-based proteins led him to found Epicyte Pharmaceutical, Inc which was acquired by Biolex, Inc in 2004. His entrepreneurial career also included positions as CEO at Chromatin, Inc and as founder of Heliose.
Mich holds a BS degree from the Honors Tutorial College of Ohio University and both a MSc and PhD in Plant Physiology from the University of Minnesota.
Ivan Ilic - Senior Development Scientist
Ivan Ilic is a senior scientist working in the development team of Electrochaea. A chemist by training, he specialized in the development of materials and systems for sustainable electrochemical energy storage.
He studied chemistry in Zagreb and Berlin. During his doctoral research at the Max-Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Germany, he developed novel biomass-based sustainable cathodes for Li-ion batteries. Later, he researched sustainable anodes for Na-ion batteries at the same institute. During his postdoctoral stay at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Milan, Italy, he developed the first edible rechargeable battery.
Carina Inoue – Junior Development Scientist
Carina earned her BSc in Bioprocess Engineering at the Federal University of Itajubá, Brazil. She completed her MSc in Molecular Biology at the University of Debrecen, Hungary, majoring in Human Genetics. Carina’s Bachelor thesis focused on the molecular biological analysis of an operating biotrickling filter in Germany. Her Master thesis involved RNA screening from blood plasma of ovarian cancer patients and cell culture of ovarian cancer cell lines in order to investigate potential disease biomarkers.
Before joining Electrochaea, Carina worked in the research group of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sabine Grüner-Lempart, in Freising, Germany. There, she gained considerable hands-on experience in the laboratory working with microorganisms. At Electrochaea, Carina supports the development team, in particular bringing in her expertise in biotechnology and molecular biology.
Dheeraj Kanaparthi -Â Senior Development Scientist
TBA
Sabrina Lamminger - HR Manager
TBA
Maren Lang – Scientist Biotechnology
Maren earned a BSc. and a MSc. in chemical and biological engineering at Friedrich Alexander Universität Erlangen Nürnberg. Her master thesis focused on the topic of electromethanogenesis. Through that she gained experience in designing, starting up and operating bio-electrochemical systems.
At Electrochaea Maren works as a scientist in the development team where she brings in her expertise and supports the projects in relation to bio-electrochemical systems.
Birgit Lewandowski, Director Development
Birgit has extensive management experience in R&D, production and QA in industrial biotechnology. Thanks to her profound understanding of market needs, Birgit was able to successfully improve operational and technical processes and expand business segments with focus on economic parameters. In her previous roles, she was responsible for the scale-up of microbial culture production from lab-scale to industrial processes and has led international large-scale environmental assessment projects for the electricity industry as well as for the pulp and paper industry. Furthermore, Birgit has deep experience in writing patent and funding applications as well as drafting expert reports.Â
With her strong interdisciplinary background, Birgit leads a diverse team of biologists, biotechnologists, and process engineers at Electrochaea. As Development Director, she serves as strategic and scientific representative of the development team for building partnerships and developing commercial projects. She supports the planning and execution of funded and commercial projects with academics, technology partners and clients and supports the extension of Electrochaea´s IP portfolio.
Birgit is a graduate engineer from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna followed by studies and teaching at international academic exchange programs between Europe and Africa.
Svenja Lohner - Group Leader Product Development
TBA
Narcis Margall – Business Development Manager
NarcÃs Margall is in charge of developing Electrochaea’s business opportunities in Southern Europe. Narcis has a 25 year consistent track record assisting companies in executing their business development strategies, mainly in Denmark and Spain.Â
Narcis has been working in all cleantech sectors, especially in the bioenergy and environment sectors. The last 20 years Narcis has worked for the Danish Foreign Ministry, in several positions in Spain and Denmark. He has served for 13 years as Danish Trade Commissioner in Barcelona.Â
Narcis will contribute to Electrochaea’s business development in this area through his market knowledge, strategic insight and ability to identify and develop business opportunities into well-defined projects.
Narcis educational background is a Degree in Business Administration and MBA from ESADE and a Master in International Trade and Marketing from Copenhagen Business School.
José Luis Mendieta Garcia - Patent Engineer
José Luis Mendieta, Electorchaea's Patent Engineer, brings extensive experience in intellectual property, R&D strategy, and competitive intelligence. His tenure in various industries laid the groundwork for his current role in managing IP portfolios and steering strategic development. José's educational foundation, including a degree in European Patent Law from the University of Strasbourg’s CEIPI  and a Master's in Intellectual Capital Management from Chalmers University of Technology, equips him with a deep understanding of the intricate IP landscape.
In his role at Electorchaea, José is dedicated to developing comprehensive IP strategies that align with the company's vision, navigating the complexities of global IP regulations to secure and enhance Electorchaea's market position. His multilingual proficiency fosters international collaborations, while his contributions, such as the publication on IP compliance and patents, reflect his commitment to innovation and IP acuity, solidifying Electorchaea as a frontrunner in the technology sector.
Sajeev Moorthiyedath – Senior Project Engineer
Sajeev is Senior Project Engineer with the Electrochaea North American Team, bringing in experience from the Biogas/Gas Processing industry. Sajeev’s recent experience was working for Anaergia in Carlsbad, California where he led the Design and Engineering, Project Execution and Commissioning for Renewable Natural Gas Projects in Southern California.
Sajeev started his career as a Scientist doing Research & Development in Catalysis and Fuel Cells. He later migrated towards project engineering, supporting commercial projects through various organizations such as Altamira Instruments, GE Oil & Gas and Ship & Shore Environmental. Sajeev holds a Master’s degree in chemical engineering from Mississippi State University, where his research focus was on chemical methanation and bimetallic catalysts.
Mark Pastore – Director of Sales and Business Development North America
Mark joined the company in April 2022 with the primary responsibility of securing contracts for deployment of our biomethanation technology in North America.Â
Mark Pastore brings over 20 years of experience in sales and business development for innovative early-stage technologies. Mark’s renewable energy experience includes consulting and sales development for commercial and utility solar, battery storage and waste to energy projects with a focus on building the circular economy. In his previous role at Environmental Energy Services, he was responsible for building an International Sales Channel Partner Network to grow sales for developing new markets in the industrial and utility power generation sector.
Mark earned his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the State University of New York College at Purchase. Â
Nitant Patel -Â Junior Development Engineer
Nitant is a development engineer at Electrochaea, where he supports projects in relation to process control optimization and bio-electrochemical systems. Additionally, with his expertise and experience in various simulation software, he handles projects related to reactor simulation and designing.
Nitant holds a M.Sc. degree in Process Engineering and Energy Technology from Hochschule Bremerhaven, in Germany. He did his internship at Electrochaea focused on the microbial electrolysis technology and continued with his master's thesis in the company, studying the heat management in the microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). For his thesis, he developed a model which can simulate the heat generation profiles within the MEC and predict the temperatures attained at the electrode and electrolyte, with variable inputs. Nitant completed his bachelor's degree in India focused on the mechanical engineering.
Alejandra Peña – Senior Process Development Engineer
TBA
Maximilian Pfister – Sales Manager
From 2018-2021, Maximilian Pfister completed an apprenticeship as a mechatronics engineer at MAN Truck&Bus SE. His interest in renewable energies then brought him to the start-up CM Fluids, where he was responsible for sales and site acquisition. In 2023 Max got a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering at FOM Munich.
Due to his experience in the field of decentralized Bio-LNG production, he possesses strong knowledge of the German biogas market.
As a Sales Manager, his role involves identifying and managing business opportunities to achieve commercialization in key markets.
Gabriele Pinzone -Â Vice President of Business Development
Gabriele has more than 20 years of experience in leading business units and complex projects in the Power Generation and Energy Transition environment. In his previous assignments he was responsible for project development and implementation of Power-to-X and biofuels facilities and had P&L responsibility in leading sales, project management and engineering services for EPC power plants, hydrogen, and new-fuels projects, with more than 60 resources from 10 nationalities and coordination on 4 oversees offices and branches. Gabriele has a successful track record on projects of national relevance up to 10 billion USD at different stages (feasibility, development, implementation, operation), on worldwide base and with direct contacts with Ministers, Stakeholders and Decision Makers. As Vice President Business Strategy, Gabriele will support Electrochaea profitable growth in dealing with Strategic Partners, to implement sustainable, utility-scale Power-to-X projects.
Gabriele has an M.Sc. in Nuclear Engineering from the Polytechnic University in Milan, Italy.
Peter Plesner - Business Development Director
Peter Plesner is accelerating Electrochaea’s development of business opportunities in Europe. Through Peter diplomatic experience, his appointment adds an additional dimension to Electrochaea’s expertise in the regulatory and international environment. As the Clean Tech Team Leader of Invest in Denmark, a branch of the Danish Foreign Ministry, Peter provided political advice to companies and cooperation with Danish authorities on framework conditions for energy investments in Denmark.
Peter was instrumental in bringing Electrochaea to Europe and de-risking the technology in Denmark. His interest in supporting businesses as they interact with the energy framework continued in his work with Copenhagen Capacity. As owner of Mr Cleantech.dk, Peter provided consulting support to Danish and international companies in their effort to understand energy framework conditions and establish business cases.
Felix Popp, PhD -Â Team Leader Biology
Felix is a microbiologist with broad experience in molecular biology, genetics and prokaryotic physiology. Before joining Electrochaea, he completed postdoctoral studies at Helmholtz Zentrum München in the field of groundwater ecology. There, he gained experience in the quantitative analysis of microbial communities and next generation sequencing approaches.
Felix received his PhD from LMU München after completing his doctoral studies in the lab of Prof. Schüler where he investigated the motility of magnetic bacteria. He holds a degree in Biology from the University of Freiburg where he worked on bacterial metal respiration processes.
Caitlin Proctor - Executive Assistant North America
Caitlin is the Executive Assistant at Electrochaea North America and is responsible for all executive support and administration. She has over thirteen years’ experience as an assistant in medical test development, SEO and digital marketing in pharma. She studied Modern American History in Milwaukee and is also a published children’s book author.
Steve Read - Senior Chief of Staff
Steve has more than 30 years experience in leading teams and developing leadership capability in organizations across sectors. After a successful first career in hospitality, and a brief spell in the recruitment industry, Steve moved into the world of leadership development. In 2003 he set up The Helix Consultancy and served as CEO of Adair International for 12 years. Steve was heavily involved with clients in the pharmaceutical and drug discovery sectors.
Steve holds a degree in Hotel Management and post-grad diplomas in Employment Law (UK), Performance Coaching, and Employment Relations. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Steve provides support to the executive team and is responsible for bringing together teams across disciplines, geographies, and time zones.
Sven Reimann - Accountant
Sven Reimann studied law in Jena and works as a consultant for various companies. He has many years of practical experience in balance sheet accounting, real estate and foreign asset management and financial services. This expertise is supplemented by secondary professional trainings and qualifications.
Sven was involved in the structural organization and founding of biotech as well as IT companies in Thuringia and Bavaria and participated in several major projects, including the nationwide implementation of the occupational pension scheme at ATU Autoteile Unger. Sven is experienced in accounting, audit monitoring and controlling of various funding projects.
Jose Rodrigo Quejigo - Group Leader Innovation
Jose has a solid experience in environmental biotechnology. Before joining Electrochaea, he completed postdoctoral studies at Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ (Leipzig, Germany) in the field of microbial electrochemical technologies. There, he developed bed electrode reactors and electrochemical methods to analyze the interaction between electroactive bacteria and granular electrodes.
Jose received his PhD from UAH/Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid (Spain) investigating bioelectrochemical methods to degrade pollutants. As part of his PhD training, Jose worked in the Helmholtz Zentrum München (Germany) working with 14C-radioisotope techniques. He also holds a degree in Biology from the Univesity Autónoma of Madrid (Spain).
Jana Schütz – Office Administrator
Jana studied management, marketing and accounting at General Business Administration College in Presov, Slovakia. After graduation, she moved to Munich in order to learn German.
Before joining Electrochaea as an Office Administrator, she worked in the Munich hotel and conference industry where she was responsible for purchasing, conference management and general administration. At Electrochaea, Jana is in charge of travel management, accounting support and purchase and team support.
Aafko Scheringa - Senior Director, Sales
Aafko Scheringa has over 30 years experience in international sales management. Before joining Electrochaea GmbH he was a Global Account Manager with Paques Technology BV, one of the world’s leading companies in the development and construction of biotechnological purification systems for wastewater and gases. In this role, he was responsible for the capital sales management in North America, Northern Europe and Global Accounts. Prior to that, he spent six years as a Sales Engineer and Account Manager for a global U.S. chemical company.
Aafko Scheringa holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Applied Sciences in Groningen. Within Electrochaea GmbH he is managing and leading the Sales and Business Development departments for implementing commercial bio-methanation projects.
Matthew Shaver – Process Engineer
TBA
Iulia Sintamarean – Process Engineer
Iulia is a Chemical and Process Engineer with a background in Chemical Processes Modeling and Simulation. She holds a Degree in Computer Aided Chemical Engineering from the BabeÈ™-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca in Romania followed by a MSc in Thermal Energy and Process Engineering at Aalborg University in Denmark. She continued her academic journey at Aalborg University by completing a PhD in the field of Liquid Biofuels Production with Steeper Energy as an industrial partner.
Focused on environmental solutions, Iulia continued her carrier in the field of Industrial Exhaust Gas Abatement Systems as Product and Process Development Engineer at CS CLEAN SOLUTIONS GmbH.
Strongly motivated to contribute to the Renewable Energy Industry Sector, Iulia joined Electrochaea as Process Engineer in the Engineering Team.
Manuel Tertsch – Process Engineer
TBA
Clara Tschiersch – Scientist Biotechnology
Clara is a biologist with a strong background in microbiology and biotechnology. Before joining Electrochaea, she gained experience in industrial biotechnology in a private company where she was responsible for the implementation of bioreactor experiments in a high-cell-density fermentation process for the production of biodegradable plastics. There she also worked on projects to investigate plant growth-promoting microorganisms.
Clara holds a diploma degree in biology from the Technical University Munich TUM majoring in ecology, ecotoxicology, and microbiology. At Electrochaea Clara supports multiple projects in the development team with her expertise in process optimization and genetic analysis.
Stephanie Weishaupt - Senior Coordinator
TBA
Hans Wendelboe – Operations Technician
Hans joined Electrochaea.dk ApS as an Operations Technician in 2015. He brings 15 years of operating experience to Electrochaea's technical team and has worked in the district heating and water and wind industry.
Julia Wessinghage - Senior Investment Manager
THB
Chris Wilson - Manager, Global Sustainability
Chris is a Global Sustainability Manager at Electrochaea where he assesses and quantifies the environmental benefits of the company’s synthetic methane. These characteristics underpin Electrochaea’s technology and its importance in the global energy transition. Chris holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Engineering and a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, both from Villanova University in Pennsylvania.
Prior to joining Electrochaea, Chris served in the US Peace Corps as a water, sanitation, and hygiene volunteer working with rural communities in Peru, and as a thermal engineer for communications systems in the aerospace industry.
Dr. Martin Kröner
Martin Kröner is a managing partner of Munich Venture Partners. Prior to joining the MVP team, Martin was co-founder and CEO of Agnion Energy Inc. and worked at Linde Engineering as member of the R&D team developing green hydrogen production. Prior to Linde, Martin built up Thermotec Engineering Services, a spin-off of the Technical University of Munich. Martin holds an M.S. in mechanical engineering and a Ph.D. in combustion engineering from the Technical University in Munich. During his industrial career, he made several inventions reflected in 10 international patent applications.
Daniele Marcucci - Engineering & Technology Director of Climate Technology Solutions (CTS), Baker Hughes Industrial & Technology Solutions
In this role, he leads the Engineering and Technology organization of the CTS business unit, which is designed to accelerate the decarbonization of both energy and hard-to-abate industries. CTS encompasses CCUS, hydrogen, clean power solutions, and emissions abatement capabilities to enable energy operators and users, as well as industrial companies, to achieve their emission reduction goals.
Before his appointment in his current role in 2022, Daniele covered different global leadership positions within Baker Hughes.
Victoria Gonzalez
Victoria Gonzalez has spent thirty years leading as a change agent. Educated as an engineer, she has worked in large corporations like DuPont and Monsanto, learning how big corporations implement new technology solutions, and rising to the level of Director of a chemical ingredients business. She has also spent more than eighteen years with tech start-ups, learning what it takes to gain the confidence of the market – passion, reliability, relentless customer service and always delivering on a promise. Gonzalez’s experiences building start-up companies include assembling extraordinary management teams, raising investment and grant funding, creating company strategy and innovative & rapid product development.
Victoria Gonzalez received a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Texas A&M in 1984 and a M.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis.
TBA