Ed Kuenz

Senior Industry Technical Consultant
Nalco Water

Ed Kuenz’s industrial experience spans 48 years.  After getting BSChE degree from University of Missouri in 1976, he worked for Monsanto in engineering and manufacturing roles for 8 years, then moved into the Water Treatment industry with Betz Industrial.  After 11 years with Betz, he joined a regional industrial water treatment company (Trident Chemical), which was subsequently purchased by Nalco.  In his 40 years in the Water Treatment industry, he has been an account representative (14 years), District Manager (18 years), and Industry Technical Consultant (8 years).  He has been involved in the Ammonia industry for all those 40 years.

VK Arora

Director- Process Tech & Projects
Kinetics Process Improvements (KPI)

VK Arora is a Texas‑licensed professional engineer with more than four decades of experience in petrochemicals, refining, and syngas technologies. A chemical engineering graduate from IIT Delhi, he has worked on several dozen ammonia and methanol plant revamps worldwide and contributed to feasibility studies and significant project developments in Ethylene, Propylene, Acrylic acid, low-carbon ammonia, methanol, and integrated carbon capture. He holds three patents in ammonia process improvements and has served in senior roles at Lummus Technology, KBR, SABIC, Reliance, Technip, and KPI Inc. He has also been part of the Ethylene Producers Technology subcommittee since 2017. He remains committed to practical solutions, knowledge sharing, and advancing decarbonization across the industry.

Heinrich Ormann

Key Account Director CIS
ARVOS GmbH

Mr. Heinrich Ormann holds a MA in Chemical Engineering from Technical University of Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany, finalized in June 1987.   In 1987, he started his career in Schmidt'sche Heissdampf GmbH firstly as Project and Sales Engineer involved in design and sales of Heat Recovery Systems for Ethylene, Steam Reforming and Metallurgical plants and afterwards as Head of Project and Sales Department.   In 2014 he was appointed Key Account Director CIS of ARVOS GmbH (former Schmidt'sche Heissdampf GmbH) responsible for projects mainly on the territory of CIS countries.

Evan Almberg

Director of Process Boiler Engineering
HRST, Inc.

Evan Almberg is the Director of Process Boiler Engineering at HRST, Inc. His area of focus includes boiler engineering and design, thermal performance modeling, and root cause failure analysis. Evan’s experience consists of the design and assessment of boilers in various applications, including clean and dirty flue gas waste heat boilers, process gas boilers for hydrogen/syngas and sulfuric acid plants, and combined cycle gas turbine HRSGs.

Jose Corcega

Customer Success Engineering
John Zink

Jose is an engineering leader with a commitment to delivering value through innovative technologies and services at John Zink, where he has worked for the past 10 years. He holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and has spent his career focused on combustion equipment design, testing, development, and furnace operation. Jose is dedicated to developing solutions that enhance the profitability of fired heaters and furnaces. His approach to engineering challenges emphasizes collaboration and continuous improvement, aiming to meet the evolving needs of clients while focused on advancing combustion technology in a way that supports sustainable and efficient energy use.

Brian Keenan

Applications Engineer
LG Chem

Brian is an Applications Engineer at LG Chem supporting Thin Film Nanocomposite (TFN) membranes in Houston, TX. Brian graduated from Penn State University with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering in 2010, working with Xylem’s Leopold brand before joining LG Chem in March 2022.

Daragh Blennerhassett

Snr Business Development manager
KBR

Daragh Blennerhassett is the Snr Business Development manager for the Technology Led Industrial Solutions business of KBR, focused on operational excellence of existing KBR designed Ammonia and Nitric Acid facilities. Daragh is a chemical engineer with 10 years experience in the Syngas and Oil & Gas industry, working with Johnson Matthey and AECOM prior to KBR.

Robert F. Smith

Process Engineer
Casale

Robert F. Smith holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University and is a licensed engineer in the state of Texas. He has over a decade of professional experience in full project lifecycle process engineering from feasibility studies to basic/detailed engineering and onto commissioning and start up. He has many years of leadership experience in the Oil & Gas and Chemicals industries, in both EPC and technology licensing. He joined Casale in the spring of 2024 in the Casale Houston office to assist with the development of Casale's North American based engineering team.”

Terry Roehm

Machinery Division Manager
Becht

• - 35+ years experience
• - API-687 Chairman 
• - Risk-based overhaul analysis
• - Overhaul engineering SME
• - Equipment strategy SME
• - ex-Marathon CEG

George Galloway

Lead Process Engineer – Hydrogen
Chevron Products Company

George Galloway has been with Chevron for 15 years, based at their Pascagoula Refinery, in various roles in the Technical Department.  He is currently the Hydrogen Senior Process Engineer supporting the safe, reliable, and efficient operation primarily of Chevron’s North American plants while also supporting both operating and non-operating joint ventures overseas.  Previous roles within Chevron include plant support engineer (Hydrogen, Alky, Crude, and Hydrotreating), Senior Process Engineer, Heat Exchanger Specialist, and Process Engineering Team Lead.  George received his bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from Mississippi State University in 2009.

Jakob Krummenacher

Vice President of Clean Energy
LSB Industries

Jakob leads the clean energy strategy, including initiatives to lower the company carbon footprint, environmental sustainability, and developing markets for future low carbon products, like ammonia as marine or power generation fuel. Jakob started the clean energy strategy at CF Industries before joining LSB. He began his career with BP in chemicals and moved to oil and energy trading. Jakob has ample knowledge of commodity markets, energy trading, corporate development, technology, and strategy. He holds a B. S. in Chemical Engineering from UW-Madison, a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Steve Lancaster

Chief Engineer
BD Energy Systems, LLC

Steve Lancaster is the Chief Engineer at BD Energy Systems, responsible for steam methane furnace technology, in particular the thermal and process design. He has worked with fired heaters in general, and steam methane reformers in particular, for more than 40 years, including at Kellogg/KBR for over thirty years, and IHI E&C (former Davy/Kvaerner).BD Energy Systems, located in Houston, Texas, USA is a world leader in plant revamps and modernizations, specialized in executing turnkey projects, revamps, modernizations, and supply of engineered process equipment, including furnaces for ammonia, methanol, hydrogen, and gas-to-liquids (GTL). 

Andrea Zambianco

Low Carbon Solutions Product Development Manager
Saipem SpA

Andrea Zambianco is a Chemical Engineer with 29 years of experience in Fertilizer and Syngas chain Technologies, with increasing responsibilities in the whole phases of the projects from design until start-up and project completion. He is a Technical Manager and Project Manager of large-scale Fertilizer Projects, as well as a Project Manager for development of innovative solutions in the Carbon Capture and Energy Transition.

He is currently responsible for the development of Low Carbon Solutions Products, focusing on customer satisfaction from the early phase of commercial engagement until the assistance post plant take over.

Sergio Robledo

Senior Technical Manager
UNICAT Catalyst Technologies, LLC

Sergio is the Senior Technical Manager at UNICAT Catalyst Technologies, LLC, where he provides expert technical advice on the selection, use, and operation of catalysts and technologies. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Chemical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ, and has over 25 years of refining experience, including 8 years working directly for an operating company, specializing in hydroprocessing catalyst operations. Sergio began his career with ExxonMobil and has held roles at Delek US and another catalyst supplier.

Winandyo Mangkoto

Process Engineer
PT Pupuk Sriwidjaja Palembang

Winandyo Mangkoto is a graduate of Diponegoro University with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He has dedicated his professional journey to PT Pupuk Sriwidjaja Palembang since 2014. Initially serving as an Operations Engineer for two years, Winandyo currently works as a Process Engineer. In the dynamic world of process engineering, merging academic skill with hands-on experience, He is driven to continually enhance operations, ensuring excellence and compliance in every facet of his work. Alfredo’s Energy Auditor and Hazops Leader certifications underscore his commitment to energy efficiency and process safety.

Paul Wells

Project Engineer
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Compressor International Corporation

Paul Wells is a dedicated and results-driven Mechanical Engineer with extensive expertise in failure analysis and repair engineering, specializing in steam turbines and compressors. He excels in creating inspection and repair reports, developing repair routers, and drafting procurement specifications, seamlessly integrating customer requirements with industry standards. His experience encompasses detailed design and analysis, along with implementing quality control practices to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. Paul’s work is firmly grounded in turbo-machinery repairs, risk management, quality assurance, and continuous improvement.

Dian Munawar

Jr Engineer Instrument
PT Pupuk Sriwidjaja Palembang

With a bachelor’s in management from Tridinanti University and a vocational high school background, Dian Munawar's professional journey has flourished at PT Pupuk Sriwidjaja Palembang since 2006, where he excels as an Instrument Engineer. Already certified in Instrument Technician Level 2 and Hazops Analysis, he can combine theoretical and practical expertise. In the dynamic field of instrumentation, he ensures precision and safety. His commitment to excellence is his work principle, as he continues to contribute to the success of PT. Pupuk Sriwidjaja Palembang's operations with expertise and loyalty.

Joao Guilherme Dessi

R&D Coordinator
ENGEMASA

Joao Guilherme Dessi holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Materials Engineering from the Federal University of São Carlos. He has been with ENGEMASA for 8 years, specializing in manufacturing cast and centrifugally cast parts, alloy development, and quality control. He focuses primarily on high-temperature testing, failure analysis, and remaining life assessment. Since 2022, he has led the Research & Development Department, developing and optimizing alloys for extreme environments, such as carburizing, oxidizing, corrosive, and high-temperature conditions. He holds a high-temperature alloy patent and several paper publications in peer-reviewed Journals. Mr Dessi also collaborates with universities on alloy development projects and provides technical training for future materials engineers.

Amit Gupta

Corporate Scientist
Nalco Water, An Ecolab Company

Amit is a Corporate Scientist at Nalco Water and has served the water treatment industry in a technical R&D role for almost 25 years.  His area of expertise is Microbial Control, and he has functioned in several fields including academia, industry and as independent consultant to industry.  Amit’s current responsibilities include the development of new microbial control technologies, providing technical expertise to customers and the Nalco water team for application of technologies, registration of antimicrobials, developing best practices, and delivering training. Amit also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology and has many international research publications and patents to his credit.

Samuel Sladaritz

Process Engineer
Natgasoline

Samuel Sladaritz is a Process Engineer with 3 years of experience in water treatment at a Methanol Production facility. He graduated from Lamar University in May of 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. Afterwards, he worked for an engineering design firm for 3 years primarily focused on PSV sizing calculations before receiving a job at Natgasoline in 2022.

Working at Natgasoline, Sam has spent his time troubleshooting and optimizing water systems such as Demineralization, Filtered Raw Water, Cooling water, Boilers. He has become well versed in water treatment systems through his experience at Natgasoline, greatly reducing utility operating cost during his stay.

Krista Johnson

US President
Johnson Matthey

Krista Johnson serves as the US President for Johnson Matthey, Inc., assuming the role as the company's most senior leader in the United States. In this capacity, Krista represents JM's diverse businesses, fostering and maintaining relationships with clients, partners, governmental entities, and civil society. Moreover, she stands as a dedicated advocate for the approximately 3000 JM employees, who diligently work to deliver the innovative products and solutions that JM is known for, addressing the challenges of a world striving for both increased and cleaner energy.

Krista transitioned to JM from Shell USA, Inc., the US subsidiary of the energy multinational, where she held various roles including Head of US Corporate Relations, President’s Chief of Staff, and Vice-President of International Organizations. Prior to her tenure at Shell, Krista held senior leadership positions in other energy companies, consultancies, and trade associations, following the commencement of her career in the office of US Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT).

Krista earned a BA in English Literature from the University of Puget Sound, and later obtained a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center.

George Sneed

Principal Technical Services Engineer
Johnson Matthey

Years of JM Service: 1.5 yrs (30 years experience in Chemical Industry), Location: Augusta, GA

Career History:  Started career in 1995 as Technical Engineer in Surfactants Technology with Procter & Gamble, liquids detergents. Transitioned into Nitrogen Technology with Nutrien (formerly PCS) in 2008 as Sr. Process Engineer, Nitric Acid. Rotated into Ammonia Plant in 2013, then promoted to Superintendent - Site Process Engineering in 2018. Joined JM catalyst business as Principal Technical Services Engineer - Americas in 2023, primarily involved in technical service to syngas catalyst market, primarily focused on Ammonia Technology.

Degrees: Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering (Tuskegee University, ‘96)

Prasanna Joshi

Project Manager
Jacobs engineering Group

Prasanna Joshi is a Chemical Engineer and Project Manager at Jacobs with experience in various aspects of Energy Transition, such as Decarbonization strategy, Energy assessments and Hydrogen value chain development. He focuses on management and technical delivery of hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives related projects for utility, industrial, transportation and municipal clients. Prior to joining Jacobs, Prasanna managed opex and small capex Procurement for Hydrogen BU at Linde Inc. (NYSE: LIN), with emphasis on maintenance contract negotiations and critical parts inventory strategy. In an earlier role within Linde (formerly Praxair), he managed cost reduction projects for Hydrogen, CO2 Liquefaction and Air Separation processes, to debottleneck and optimize production and distribution processes with sustainable improvement in cost, volume, and profitability.

Adil Pervaiz

Project Engineer - Executive
Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited

Adil Pervaiz is a mechanical engineer, currently working at Fauji Fertilizer Company Plantsite, Goth Machhi, Pakistan. He holds extensive experience in engineering assessment of plant modifications, design of static equipment & piping and fitness for service evaluations to ensure plant integrity & operational reliability. He has undertaken numerous modification projects in his career to enhance plant reliability and improve service factor. He is skilled in stress & flexibility analysis of piping and has hands-on experience in use of advanced engineering software to resolve plant problems. Apart from that, he is a certified API 510 Pressure Vessel Inspector (API).

Jesus Gonzalez Rebordinos

Digital Process Engineer
Stamicarbon

Jesus is a Chemical Engineer by the University of Valladolid with a PhD on Chemical Reaction Engineering from the Technical University of Dortmund.Jeths has been dedicated professionally to the fields of modeling, simulation and digitalisation in the process industry.Currently he is a Digital Process Engineer at Stamicarbon where he is involved in the design of dynamic and static modelling libraries, the delivery of Operator Training Simulators and the development of digital products.

Steve Lancaster

Chief Engineer
BD Energy Systems

Steve Lancaster is the Chief Engineer at BD Energy Systems, responsible for steam methane furnace technology, in particular the thermal and process design.  He has worked with fired heaters in general, and steam methane reformers in particular, for 38 years, including at Kellogg/KBR for over thirty years, and IHI E&C (former Davy/Kvaerner).

BD Energy Systems, located in Houston, Texas, USA is a world leader in plant revamps and modernizations, specialized in executing turnkey projects, revamps, modernizations, and supply of engineered process equipment, including furnaces for ammonia, methanol, hydrogen, and gas-to-liquids (GTL).

Ali El Sibai

Process Engineer
Stamicarbon

Ali El Sibai earned his PhD in Process Systems Engineering from Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg, Germany. He gained extensive experience in large-scale process modeling and optimization during his work as a scientific researcher at Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, focusing on renewable energy production and storage. He joined Stamicarbon three and a half year ago as a modeling engineer and since then, he has been involved in the development and execution of projects related to digital products.

Amina Khan

Project Engineer-Junior Executive
Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited

Amina Khan is a dedicated mechanical engineer and has been excelling in project management at a leading fertilizer plant. With expertise in managing critical projects, she ensures timely execution, cost optimization, and alignment with industry standards. Amina also specializes in resolving day-to-day plant maintenance challenges by leveraging advanced engineering software to enhance equipment reliability and streamline operations. Her technical acumen, combined with practical problem-solving skills, has minimized downtime and improved plant efficiency. As a collaborative team player, Amina is committed to driving innovation and implementing sustainable solutions, making her an invaluable asset to the fertilizer industry.

Mike Hubbell

Sales Manager – North America Syngas Catalysts
Johnson Matthey

Mike Hubbell is a North American Catalyst Sales Manager at Johnson Matthey. Mike has over 14 years of experience in the North American ammonia and methanol markets having served in various roles in technical service, catalyst and licensing sales. Prior to joining Johnson Matthey, Mike spent 16 years working in the industrial gas business with various roles in operations, project management, plant efficiency, and process safety. Mike has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.

Justin Dansbury

Corrosion and Materials Engineer
Becht

Justin Dansbury is a Corrosion and Materials Engineer with 10 years of experience in integrity management, welding, materials selection, failure analysis, and corrosion control across downstream, petrochemical, and syngas facilities. He has supported major operators including Chevron, Phillips 66, and BP on domestic and international projects, including LNG and GTL plants. He has led damage mechanism reviews and RBI assessments across units from crude to urea and ammonia. He holds BS and MS degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Florida and chairs API 939-C.

Matt McEachran

Technical Consultant
Veolia

Matt McEachran is a Technical Consultant supporting the ammonia and fertilizer industry in the United States. His role is to ensure the cooling programs outlined in the bid align with best practices as well as interpretation of performance metrics. Matt's experience ranges between Canada and the United States where he held various roles in varying industries throughout his 13 years of experience. This experiende will be used to ensure a seamless transition and achieved performance metrics.

Bernard Schulze

Principal and Unit Manager
Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.

Bernard Schulze is a metallurgical engineer with more than 30 years of experience in industrial consulting and forensic investigation. He has extensive experience in failure analysis, nondestructive inspection, instrumentation, and component testing in a broad range of industries, including refinery, petrochemical processing, bridges and civil structures. Much of his experience has focused on fixed equipment mechanical integrity programs, corrosion, failure analysis, inspection planning and turnaround support.

Bill Eichholtz

Senior Industry Technical Consultant
Nalco Water

Bill Eichholtz has spent his entire 36-year career with Nalco Water in sales.  His first experience with syngas was at the Coal Gasification Department at Eastman Chemical. He has been the Account Manager for major customers including Eastman Chemical, Alcoa Aluminum, TVA, and US Nitrogen. In 2025 he transitioned to the Industry Technical Consultant Group of Nalco to bring his experience to a wider part of Nalco in the Chemical and Downstream Groups.

Lisa Krumpholz

Managing Director
Navigance

Lisa Krumpholz brings over 15 years of experience in catalyst technology, process optimization, and their real-world application in chemical production. She joined Navigance, a Clariant-founded digital solutions provider based in Munich, in 2019. In her role as Managing Director, Lisa works closely with customers and partners to drive digital transformation and unlock value from process data through AI-based services. Combining deep process expertise with practical change management, she helps plants adopt advanced analytics and intelligent monitoring solutions. Lisa holds a Master’s degree in Chemical and Industrial Engineering from the University of Applied Sciences Münster.

Dean Potter

Mechanical Engineer CFD Optimization
MKEC Engineering

Dean Potter is a Mechanical Engineer who graduated from Iowa State University in 2002.  He worked for Kiewit Power/Refining Group for 10 years before taking a Senior engineering role at MKEC where he has been for the last 14 years.  He currently specializes in plant optimization solutions and recently developed and patented the stagnation weir distributor which is now an ECS licensed technology.  He lives in Wichita Kansas and enjoys water skiing and gravel cycling in the summer and cross country skiing in the winter.   

Mike Mancini

President, Hydro Total Solutions
Hydro, Inc.

Michael started his career in 1974 at Ingersoll-Rand designing pumps for the US Navy SSN 688 and Trident submarine program. He was Vice President of Worldwide Aftermarket Services for Ingersoll-Dresser Pumps. He had profit responsibility for a $370 million-dollar business and control of over 22 repair centers. Michael went into business as an independent pump consultant in 2003. He worked with many customers in varied markets in the training of personnel, specification development, root cause analysis, and strategic planning and process improvement. Michael is now President of Total Solutions for Hydro, Inc. His job responsibilities mirror his consulting and work, supporting customers in reducing their total cost of pump operation.

Matt Rattan

Process Engineer
Koch Fertilizer

Matt Rattan is a Process Engineer for Koch Fertilizer. Matt has two years of experience in North American ammonia markets having worked with two Ammonia units. Prior to joining Koch Fertilizer, Matt spent a little under two years working in the herbicide industry with roles ranging from project management and process engineering. Matt has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Oklahoma State University.

Enrico Masciarelli

Senior Process Engineer
Casale US

Enrico Masciarelli has deep experience in plant design, commissioning, startup, and project management. He began his career in the refining sector and later specialized in fertilizer, syngas, and methanol production. He is currently based in the US, after having spent a significant part of his career leading projects worldwide. His work has always been focused on ensuring the technical and economic success of complex industrial projects.

Trace Marshall

Account Manager – Chemicals & Clean Air – North America
Topsoe

Trace Marshall graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. After transitioning from a process engineering role to Topsoe’s Technical Service department in 2022, Trace has since developed within the Syngas industry and currently sits as a Topsoe North American Account Manager.

Emir Zahirovic

Chief Technology Officer
Catmasters, LLC

Emir Zahirovic is the Chief Technology Officer and co‑founder of Catmasters LLC. Prior to founding Catmasters LLC, he held multiple roles at Haldor Topsoe (Topsoe) in Denmark and the USA, ranging from Catalyst Engineer and reactor internals development to Marketing Project Manager for hydroprocessing reactor internals. Throughout his career, Zahirovic has consulted for many major catalyst handling companies globally and has worked with OLI Systems as a European sales representative and specialist in computer simulation of water‑based chemical reactions. He holds multiple patents and a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering, specialising in computer simulations of chemical reactions, from Aalborg University, Denmark.

Lester Stanley

Principal Engineer
HRST, Inc.

Lester Stanley is a Mechanical Engineer with over 35 years of boiler inspection and boiler problem investigation experience. Over his career, he has performed field service engineering on coal fired utility boilers, pulp & paper cogen boilers including black liquor and biomass fired, waste-to-energy boilers, package boilers, waste heat boilers and gas turbine heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs). Lester continues to perform "hands-on" with "coveralls-on" field engineering service at over 15 boiler sites per year, with office-based involvement in several dozen more sites per year to support HRST clients around the world. This perspective provides helpful forward-looking guidance for power and industrial boiler users.

Brian Wolf

Director of Strategic Partnerships
Caravel Solutions

Brian D. Wolf is an engineer with over 20 years of experience in leadership, strategy, organizational change, and operational improvement across various industrial sectors. He has held key leadership roles in operations excellence, strategic partnerships, and business development, driving efficiency improvements, digital transformation, and stakeholder management. His expertise includes remote monitoring asset management, process optimization, and leading cross-functional teams to enhance productivity and reliability. Brian has a background in mechanical and nuclear engineering and has successfully led multimillion-dollar projects, expanded business lines into new industries, and mentored teams to drive sustainable solutions.

Syed Khizar Ailia Naqvi

Senior Executive Production (Coordination)
Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited

Syed Khizar Ailia Naqvi is a Chemical Engineer currently serving as Senior Executive Production (Coordination) at Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited (FFC-II), based at the Goth Machhi plant site in Pakistan. With over 16 years of extensive experience in the Operations Department, he has been an integral part of the company, excelling as a Lead Engineer at Ammonia, Urea, and Utilities Plants. He is proficient in plant operations, process monitoring and optimization, plant commissioning, and team leadership. He is well-versed in Process Safety, HSEQ, IMS and Risk Survey Audits, and holds NEBOSH-IGC, IOSH Managing Safely, and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certifications.

Kraig Simpson

Vice President of Technology
Rotating Machinery Services (RMS)

Kraig Simpson is the Vice President of Technology for Rotating Machinery Services (RMS). He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Mississippi State University. Prior to RMS, Kraig worked for ExxonMobil for 10 years. His professional experience has been primarily focused on turnaround, maintenance, and project support. Much of his experience is related to leveraging technology and innovative solutions to reinvent maintenance techniques for turbomachinery. He has applied the virtual assembly philosophy for numerous applications including turbomachinery overhauls and brownfield project execution.

Jason Danos

Owner
Kinetix Solutions

Jason Danos is an owner of Kinetix Solutions.  Jason received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University in 1997, Summa Cum Laude.  Jason Has 28 years of experience in industrial plant process engineering and specialty chemical sales & service.

Jason began his career in Koch Industry’s Nitrogen division and then moved to CF Industries’ Donaldsonville facility.  After spending 5 years in the production sector, Jason began his supplier career with Chemtech Chemical Services where he spent 10 years.  Jason has been part of Kinetix since 2013.

Jason has been involved with many aspects of the plant engineering, production, and operations sectors. This includes but is not limited to CO2 removal, catalyst, utilities (water and steam), rotating equipment, heat exchange, process optimization, water treatment, etc.  Kinetix has a key presence in the nitrogen sector including specialty chemicals as well as technical services and consulting.

Charlie Wang

Process Engineer
Koch Methanol

Charlie is a process engineer at Koch Methanol, where he has worked since earning his graduate degree seven years ago. He joined the company during the plant’s early construction phase and played a key role in its commissioning, initial startup, and day-to-day operations. Over the years, he has gained extensive knowledge and experience in the methanol manufacturing technology, plant performance optimization, troubleshooting, and project execution. These days, his work primarily focuses on long-term debottlenecking projects and optimization initiatives aimed at improving capacity, efficiency and reliability across the facility.

Ken Wohlgeschaffen

Team Leader
Chevron Products Company

Ken Wohlgeschaffen has been with Chevron for over 20 years, based at their Richmond California Refinery, in various roles in the Technical and Operations Departments. He is currently the Team Leader for Hydrogen Plants supporting the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the plants located in Chevron's North American and overseas refineries and complex facilities. Ken also supervises SMEs supporting several other refinery technologies including Crude & Distillation and Hydroprocessing.  Prior to joining Chevron, Ken spent 7 years at the Exxon Chemical Canada (now Nutrien) Redwater, Alberta world scale fertilizer complex. And 8 years with FMC (now Evonik), a major global hydrogen peroxide producer.. He is a member of the American Petroleum Institute, and on the Syngas U.S.A. Committee. Ken received his bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Calgary in 1989.

Michelle M. Anderson

Senior Account Manager
Clariant

Michelle Anderson is a Senior Account Manager at Clariant. In this role she provides commercial and technical support to Koch Methanol and other syngas customers in North America and the Caribbean. She is a Chemical Engineer by training and worked for a number methanol plant producers in technical roles during plant construction, commissioning, start-up, debottlenecking and optimization.

Seth Tate

Machinery Division Manager
Becht

Seth Tate has 20 years of experience in equipment maintenance, reliability, and technologysolutions. As an owner/user engineer, Seth performed duties such as FEED studies, RCA, FMEA,developing equipment specifications, maintenance strategies, and performance analysis. As thedivision manager for Becht, Seth works with industry experts to provide technical solutions andoversight on the most complicated issues that arise in machinery engineering and maintenance.Seth's machinery expertise is in pump systems, mechanical seals, and rotating equipmentstrategy, helping facilities succeed in many industry segments including ammonia, hydrogen,pipeline, and olefins.

Felipe Ramon Fernández Latorre

Head of Technical Department
Fertiberia

Felipe Fernandez Latorre, born in Ubeda, Spain, in 1981, is a Chemical and Industrial Engineer with a robust academic foundation from University of Huelva, where he obtained degrees in Chemical Engineering and Industrial Engineering. Prior to his current role, Felipe's diverse experience included positions as a laboratory analyst, consultant, and researcher, working on projects ranging from quality management systems to the characterization of heavy petroleum fractions. Since joining GrupoFertiberia in 2007, Felipe has been instrumental as the Technical Department Manager at the ammonia and urea plant in Palos dela Frontera. Thanks to his solid technical training and industrial experience, he has driven significant advancements in the field of industrial engineering. His efforts have been crucial in the modernization of Fertiberia's Palos Factory facilities, enhancing operational efficiency and sustainability. His leadership in applying best available techniques underscores a commitment to continuous improvement, securing his reputation as a pivotal figure in the chemical processing industry.

Brianna Fay

Process Engineer
Koch Fertilizer Wever

Brianna Fay has been a Process Engineer at Koch Fertilizer Wever for the past two years where she has had the opportunity to lead and support projects and operations aimed at improving plant safety, efficiency, and environmental stewardship. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in December of 2023 with her bachelor’s degree in chemical and biological engineering and certificates in engineering for energy sustainability and environmental studies. She also holds a leadership certificate from the University of North Georgia.

Jackson Lee

Process Engineer
Koch Fertilizer

Jackson Lee has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Iowa State University and has worked for Koch Fertilizer at their Fort Dodge facility since 2021. In that time, he has been a production engineer responsible for the Utilities area, Loading and Storage, and the ammonia plant. Recently he has taken on a process engineering role supporting multiple Koch Fertilizer facilities.

Scott Bouse

Senior Associate
Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.

Scott Bouse holds a Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University and has been engaged in consulting in the Fitness For Service area for 17+ years. During that time, he has performed hundreds of brittle fracture assessments and numerous hydrogen diffusion simulations in support of owners’ safe operation and maintenance of refineries, chemical plants, nitrogen facilities, syngas sites and olefins producers. As a committee member on API 579, he engages in development work in parts related primarily to corrosion assessments.

Mahesh Gandhi

Principal Process Consultant
Kinetics Process Improvements (KPI)

Mahesh Gandhi is an Ammonia process consultant with KPI, supporting revamp and optimization projects across the industry. He retired from KBR in 2025 after more than 35 years in process engineering for Ammonia, Urea, Methanol, and Hydrogen plants, including extensive experience on dozens of Ammonia revamps. He holds chemical engineering degrees from the University of Cincinnati and the M.S. University of Baroda and is a Texas‑registered Professional Engineer.

Alex Scheerder

Advisor Principal Engineer
Stamicarbon, Nextchem

Alex Scheerder studied Applied Physics and graduated in 1985 at the Technical Alex started in 1986 as a Research Associate at the NOT (Non destructive Testing) Department of DSM in the Netherlands. From 1992 Alex headed the NOT Department, responsible for the inspection services for all DSM facilities as well for Stamicarbon urea plants worldwide. In 2001 he joined Stamicarbon as a Mechanical Lead Engineer responsible for the mechanical expertise field. As from 2007 Alex headed the Mechanical Department, responsible for delivering services with respect to the design and engineering of urea process equipment, in-service corrosion inspections and QNQC during manufacturing of the critical high-pressure equipment. Also, he was responsible for innovations such as the successful development of Stamicarbon proprietary steel grade, formerly known as Safurex. As from 2018 Alex holds the position of Principal Engineer within Stamicarbon.

Dr Dominique Flahaut

Group Technical Director
Paralloy Group

Dr Dominique Flahaut is a seasoned expert with 33 years of experience in the reformer tube metallurgy and production. After completing her PhD in Manoir, she started her career in Paralloy as Technical Manager, spent brief time at Schmidt + Clemens as a R&D consultant to come back as Technical Director of Paralloy during the last 15 years and she is now Technical Director of Paralloy Group.

Brigit Balmer

Key Account Manager
Topsoe, Inc.

Brigit Balmer is a Key Account Manager at Topsoe, Inc. with 14 years of experience in the Syngas department. She holds a degree in Chemical Engineering and has worked extensively with syngas process technologies supporting ammonia and hydrogen plants. Her experience includes reactor operation, catalyst performance evaluation, layered catalyst loading strategies, and process optimization under a wide range of operating conditions. Brigit collaborates closely with technical and operations teams to assess plant performance and troubleshoot operational challenges, bringing a strong analytical and engineering-focused perspective to syngas-based production plants.

Michael Dunlop

Senior Manager, Process Engineering
Nutrien

Michael Dunlop is a Senior Manager, Process Engineering at Nutrien. He is responsible for advancing technical strategy and performance improvement in nitrogen fertilizer production assets. He leads the application of rigorous process engineering, analytics, and digital technologies within Nutrien. His work addresses safety, reliability, capacity growth, energy intensity, and emissions performance across Nutrien’s facilities in North America and Trinidad. Michael brings a systems-level perspective to aligning engineering execution with business objectives, translating technical insight into sustained operational and economic value.

Brad Rachal

Senior Process Engineer
Nutrien

Frank Engli

Regional Group Lead - Canada | Reliability, Maintenance, Turnarounds and Capital Projects
Becht

Frank Engli, P.Eng., is the Regional Group Lead – Canada for Becht’s Reliability, Maintenance, Turnarounds and Capital Projects Group and resides in Edmonton, Alberta. Frank has over 40 years of experience working in operation settings at six different sites across Canada on project, maintenance, HSSE and turnaround management and continuous improvement processes in the energy, refinery, and petrochemical industry. He has extensive expertise in solving site problems and a proven track record to implement change and create sustaining management programs and processes including improved business controls practices and contracts management.

David Polerstock

Sales Director, Chemicals & Clean Air – North America
Topsoe, Inc.

David Polerstock has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas in Austin, TX. For the last 17 years, he has been working for Topsoe, Inc. in Houston, TX. He has had the pleasure of working with all things catalyst related to the design, startup, commissioning, and technical sales efforts within the Hydrogen, Ammonia, Methanol, and Syngas industry. He currently holds the position of Sales Director for Chemicals & Clean Air in the North American market; Topsoe are looking forward to the very bright future that our industry has as we all work to provide clean energy of the future.

Mel Esmacher

Principal Senior Researcher
Veolia

Mel has over 40 years of experience in the water treatment industry and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas. Mel has a BSE in Materials and Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He has authored many technical papers and has received numerous honors; including the “Edison Award” while employed at General Electric.Mel is currently a Principal Senior Researcher, Metallurgical Services Lab, within the Veolia WTS Technology Center in Tomball, Texas, responsible for collaborating with industrial clients to conduct failure analysis investigations and help resolve corrosion problems that involve customer equipment and processes.

Dan Barnett

Vice President of Engineering
BD Energy Systems, LLC

More than 40 years of experience in execution of Furnace related work. Currently serving as VP of Engineering for BD Energy Systems, LLC. in Houston, TX, USA. Experience includes design of high-temperature reaction furnaces concentrating on steam-methane reformer furnaces for ammonia, methanol, hydrogen, & GTL plants, and cracking furnace designs for ethylene plants. Experience includes commissioning, start-up, and field advisory services on all types of furnaces in grassroots plants, furnace revamps, and plant expansions. BS Chemical Engineering, 1981, Drexel University, Philadelphia Member of AIChE. Member Ethylene Producers Conference – Maintenance & Reliability Subcommittee Named in five furnace-related Patents plus two Patents Pending.

Jesper Naimi Funch Poulsen

Senior Sales Manager
Baker Hughes

Jesper Poulsen is currently working as a senior sales manager at Baker Hughes. He comes with a combined 11+ years of experience within the syngas and petrochemical industry and have previously worked in both commercial and technical roles within those industries. His background is chemical engineering. Jesper combines two side of a coin, with a deep technical experience combined with a thorough commercial understanding. He has a passion to drive forward the energy transition in a sustainable and affordable manner. His current area of responsibility is the promotion and selling of digital solutions for the process industry. 

Nicola Coslett

CEO - Communities
CRU

Nicola Coslett currently heads CRU’s Community division, which builds lifetime value for customers through sharing valuable information via newsletters and magazines, while simultaneously organising networking events.

Nicola has 30 years of experience in the B2B information sector, working in marketing as well as leading the strategy and growth of flagship events across metals, mining and fertilizers. Her expertise covers a range of formats including conferences, trade shows and managed events where she has worked with leading associations and organisations, developing high level content-led events.

Nicola has been instrumental in several CRU acquisitions over the years including Ryan’s Notes, Steel Market Update, RefComm and BCInsight where she was involved in both the due diligence process as well as integrating teams into the business.

Taylor Archer

Senior Sales Manager, Syngas
Clariant

Taylor Archer – Senior Sales Manager, Syngas – has over 30 years’ experience in the Syngas industry including operations/engineering/project management experience in ammonia plants and catalyst sales and technical service expertise

Brett Tossey

Market Manager - Emerging Markets
Haynes International, Inc.

Brett Tossey holds a M.S. in Engineering (The Ohio State University) and has been a practicing metallurgical engineer for over twenty years. He has authored over 20 papers, holds a US patent, chaired technical symposia, and presented peer-reviewed work. He is the Market Manager for Emerging Markets and high temperature alloys for Haynes International, Inc.

David Keen

Specialist
Becht

David Keen is a Metallurgist with over 45yrs experience in fertilizer and explosives manufacturing facilities across 12 countries globally. David is a Subject Matter Expert on equipment integrity management and has developed a series of training modules focused on preventing equipment failures through experiential learning and team problem solving sessions.

Charlie Stephen

Head of Nitrogen
CRU

Charlie Stephen joined CRU’s London office in July 2023 as a Senior Analyst to lead the Fertilizer Cost & Emissions Team. Charlie is a Chartered Chemical Engineer with a decade of experience working in engineering and operations functions within manufacturing plants in the Australian fertilizer industry.

Stephan Whitley

CEO
Caravel Solutions

Stephan Whitley began his career at Exxon USA Refining, spending most of his ten years there as a Senior Refining Economist building economic models of oil refineries and later working on real-time optimization as a Process Control Engineer.

During his 22 years of consulting experience, he has participated in more than 30 manufacturing due diligence projects for strategic buyers and private equity. Spanning over a wide variety of industries and have a total of more than 40+ Billion in value.

He has benchmarked, analyzed, and assessed the operating performance of more than 400 manufacturing facilities globally, for industries ranging from Crude Refining, Power Generation, Pulp & Paper, to Fine Chemicals and Flavors & Fragrances. He also modeled and optimized Production and Supply Chains for various companies.

Currently, he is involved with the University of Washington on how to best apply Advanced Analytic techniques (ex: statistical analysis, neural nets, machine learning) in industrial settings. Helping discover insights into manufacturing performance, improving profitability as well as understanding the probability of risks such as EHS and Process Safety Events.

Stephan as a degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Washington, Seattle WA, and is fluent in English (native) and German

Kyle Bowlin

General Manager – Reliability Services
Hydro Reliability Services

Kyle Bowlin has 25 years of experience in the aftermarket pump repair business, having worked around the world as a field engineer specializing in vibration analysis and pump & system interaction for the last 15 years. Bowlin is a Category IV vibration analyst who specializes in Operating Deflection Shape and Modal Analysis and manages the field troubleshooting division of Hydro Inc (Reliability Services). Kyle also serves at the principal vibration analysis resource for Hydro Inc globally. He is married with 2 children and is based in Conifer, Colorado.

Jay Corwin

Vertical Industry Leader
Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions

Jay Corwin has over 10 years of experience in the industrial water and process treatment industry. He is a lifelong resident of Kansas and has supported the AgChem industry since entering the water treatment industry. Throughout his water treatment career with GE/SUEZ/Veolia he has held increasing roles of responsibility from Account Manager (5 years), Area Manager (3 years), to Vertical Industry Leader/Key Account Manager (2 years). Jay is dedicated to helping current and future customers with any water or process related challenge. He received his Bachelor of Arts in science degree in Biology from Bethany College in 2008.

Yoojung Kim

Global Process Technology Engineer
Celanese

Yoojung Kim is Global Process Technology Principal Engineer at Celanese with over 20 years of process engineering, technology, and operations experience in the chemical industry. She has a wide range of experience including process optimization and expansions, as well as technology assessments for business development. In addition to her syngas and methanol technology expertise, she was instrumental in successfully implementing one of world largest carbon capture and utilization projects in the world. Also, she is serving as the Treasurer for the Global Syngas Technology Council (GSTC), an international syngas industry organization.

Elena Truffa

Technical Services
Kinetix Solutions, LLC

Elena is a senior technical service engineer with 33 years of expertise in CO2-removal systems mostly during almost 30 years with UOP/Honeywell in the Gas Processing department.  Her experience spans from process design, simulations and technology development to HAZOPs, commissioning, and operational life support for CO2-removing solvent systems, namely amines, potassium carbonate and physical solvents.  Elena has provided direct technical support to more than 100 such solvent units focused on operations, troubleshooting, training, and plant start-up advisory roles.  She continues that direct service and product support for the last 3 years with Kinetix Solutions.

Tiffany Chen

Technical Marketing Manager
BASF

Tiffany Chen has over 10 years of global experience in BASF with roles in manufacturing, project management, plant start-up, sales, and business development across APAC and America. During her tenure with BASF, she has spent time in the global headquarters, as well as at manufacturing sites in the US and China. Prior to her current role, she developed strategy and managed a portfolio of the chemicals business for the APAC region. Currently serving as a Technical Market Manager for OASE® Gas Treating Technologies portfolio at BASF, Tiffany is responsible for designing and licensing CO2 removal technology, with a focus on hydrogen and syngas, which can be used in CCS applications.

Tomohiro Masuda

Senior Engineer
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Compressor Corporation

Tomohiro Masuda is Senior Engineer of Marketing & Engineering Group in Business Development Division, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Compressor Corporation, in Hiroshima, Japan. He has 17 years’ experience in the design and application engineering of centrifugal compressor for new unit& revamp project. Tomohiro Masuda has B.S. degree in material engineering from Kyushu Institute of Technology and M.S. degree in molecular and material sciences from Kyushu University in Japan.