Omar Talib

Omar A. Talib serves as President of ControlRooms, the first AI-assisted troubleshooting software for energy and chemical producers. Before founding ControlRooms, he served as Managing Director of Splice Machine where he created and led its Critical Infrastructure & Defense division. He seeded, built, and launched Livewire, the Operational AI platform for critical infrastructure. Prior to Splice Machine, Omar founded Crescent Groupe S.à r.l., a tech focused merchant bank where he led several strategic partnerships to scale breakthrough technologies. Omar established a consortium with Granahan McCourt to build a global manufacturer of high throughput satellite equipment. Omar strategically positioned Crescent to deliver AI-driven energy efficiency solutions for energy producers in oil-exporting countries as they rapidly eliminated domestic subsidies. Prior to Crescent, Omar was a commodities trader at Goldman Sachs in New York. Omar holds a double bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University.

Alvaro Jara

Alvaro Jara holds a Chemical Engineering degree and MSc in Process Engineering from National University of Engineering - Perú. He joined Southern Peru in January 2015, where he has worked as a Metallurgist within the Smelter Technical department giving support to smelter, conversion, anode and sulfuric acid plant.

Marco van Son

Marco van Son is the current Technical Director of the Worley Comprimo® group and is based in Calgary, Canada. He has been with Worley for over 20 years and has over 29 years experience in sulfur, amine and sour water stripper related projects. Marco is the past president of Alberta Sulphur Research Limited and currently the Chair of the Laurance Reid Gas Conditioning Conference. Marco has written several articles and presented a number of papers related to gas processing and sulfur recovery.

Blake Stapper

Blake Stapper leads an R&D team within Messer Americas' Applications Development group and is responsible for developing innovative solutions for the cost-effective utilisation of industrial gases in the chemistry, energy and environmental industries

Elmo Nasato

Elmo Nasato is a process engineer specializing in sulfur recovery, amine treating and sour water processing. He has 35 years' experience including design, retrofit, start-up and optimization, On-site field activities have included support of construction activities, turnaround assistance and operator training. Elmo graduated from the University of Waterloo, Canada with a B.A.Sc. Chemical Engineering (1987) with an option in Management Science. He is the president of Nasato Consulting Ltd. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors for Alberta Sulphur Research, Technical Advisory Committee for the Laurance Reid Gas Conditioning Conference, and the Brimstone Sulfur Symposium Technical Advisory Committee. He has eight patents for SRU operation, oxygen enrichment and sulfur degassing technologies, has published 42 papers and has made over 74 presentations at conferences worldwide.

Allison Belgard

Allison Belgard is BASF’s Technology Manager for sulfuric acid catalysts in North and South America. In her 11 years with BASF, she has focused primarily on catalysis and technical service. She has a chemical engineering degree from Louisiana State University and is based in Huntsville, Alabama in the US.

Collin Bartlett

Collin Bartlett was born in Liverpool, United Kingdom. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an honors degree in Mechanical Engineering. He held various technical and sales roles at Davy McKee, supporting their global activities in the Iron & Steel division. Collin later joined Lurgi Metallurgie, now part of Metso, where he has spent the past 25 years in numerous acid sales and business development roles.

Johannes Hofer

In his current position, Dr. Johannes Hofer is the Senior Vice President of the Catalysis and Analytics group of P&P Industries AG, based in Austria. Innovating at the company since 2018, he has held several positions as a Project Manager, R&D Manager and Head of Research and Development.
His work is focused on the development of new catalytic systems for the oxidation of SO2 in Sulphuric acid plant systems to hydrocarbon and ammonia removal in waste gas treatment. With international experience from working on plant systems of clients all around the world he applies a scientific approach to solving problems at industrial scale.

Ron Pitman

Ron Pitman is the Manager of Technology (SME) for Crude, Sulfur, Energy, and Utilities in Motiva’s corporate Technical Excellence group.   A Technical Leader with over 30 years of demonstrated success in process engineering management, operations management, technical support, and plant optimization that also includes 6 years of nuclear power experience in the US Navy.

Romesh Sharma

Having invested three plus decades in oil & gas business, Romesh established and leads Energy & Infrastructure Business for Nuberg. He was trained to be a Chemical Engineer with advance qualifications in Management and has worked with Fortune 100 companies in four continents. As a business leader, Romesh is an uber learner and enjoys sharing his learnings with industry, particularly with young entrepreneurs. Romesh is married with one son and lives in Noida, India.

Doug Hall

Doug Hall is a Process Engineer at Elessent Clean Technologies, where he specializes in MECS® Sulfuric Acid technologies and DynaWave® scrubbing technologies. Prior to joining Elessent, Doug spent nearly a decade in the oil and gas industry as a Facilities Engineer, working on both small and major capital projects. He has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Mississippi State University.

Ashwin Patni

Ashwin Patni holds a graduate degree in Chemical Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. With over 15 years in the Air Pollution Control industry, he specializes in two-phase flow and spray-based mass transfer applications in combustion systems, scrubbers, absorbers, and deaerators. As Director at Lechler Inc., Ashwin drives commercial and technical strategies for advanced spray technologies that enhance quenching, absorption, and gas-liquid contact in open spray towers. His work combines deep engineering expertise with practical solutions, delivering measurable value creation through efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective process improvements.

Faizal Alianto

Jawad Farisi

Justin Thiems

Justin Thiems is a process engineering supervisor with MECS (Elessent Clean Technologies). Hehas 7 years’ experience in the sulfuric acid industry designing sulfuric acid, oleum, and SO3systems as well as supporting costumers with commissioning, start-up, and troubleshooting activities.

Ricardo Sepulveda

Ricardo Sepulveda has 29 years of experience in Process Design, Product Development, and Management. Industry experience includes refining, petrochemical,  waste treatment, energy, and natural gas industries. His primary responsibilities as Senior Business Development Manager provides Business Development Leadership and direction for the Chemical, Renewable Fuels, Fertilizer, Petrochemical, and Refinery market sectors and other opportunities on an agreed tactical basis.

Pete Sanders

Pete Sanders is the Director of Technology for WSI, a provider of specialty automated welding solutions primarily serving the power generation and refining industries. He has an extensive background in robotic design, holding a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech. Since starting at WSI in 2009, Pete has led a variety of initiatives to develop first-of-a-kind repair technologies, focusing on life extension of critical equipment through innovative welding applications.

Ethan Schrader

Ethan Schrader joined the CG Thermal team in 2022 as Project Manager of System Design. After graduating with a BSME degree from Michigan State University, Ethan spent a year working as an R&D Engineer at Clover Imaging in Mt Pleasant, MI. His experience in SOLIDWORKS modeling, and training in both CFD and FEA, have made Ethan an invaluable part of our team.
In January of 2023, Ethan was promoted to the role of Product Manager, AirBTU VPRR, overseeing the basic engineering coordination, implementation, and completion of projects related to the AirBTU VPRR product line. Ethan will continue to be an integral part of the systems team.

Steve Puricelli

Steve Puricelli is currently the Senior Technical Director at Saconix, a sulfuric acid logistics and marketing company. Over the course of his career, he has designed, started up and analyzed operating problems on a wide variety of sulfuric acid plants. He has also worked to bring several new technologies from the laboratory to commercial operation. Mr Puricelli also had P&L responsibility for several businesses and was a member of the MECS management team for many years. In the early days of his career, Mr Puricelli worked in a support and operating role at a manufacturing company that produced nitrogen fertilizers, flexible urethanes (Toluene diisocyanate) and sulfuric acid. He has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Missouri S&T and a Masters of Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis.

Viviana Alvarado

Viviana Alvarado is a market analyst based in CRU’s London Office. She joined CRU in February 2023 as part of the sulphur and sulphuric fertilizer team. She has a background in Economics and holds an MSc (Distinction) in Development Economics from the University of Sussex. Before joining CRU, Viviana worked as an economic analyst at the tax administration of Colombia.

Nelson Clark

Nelson Clark is a Chemical Engineer, graduated from the University of São Paulo, MBA Maua, with 30+ years working in the sulfuric acid industry in drying and absorption processes, mass transfer. He had several articles and papers published and presented at conferences, has patents granted in Brazil, the United States and Europe in the areas of mass transfer (drying and absorption with sulphuric acid of air and gases), energy recovery and mist elimination. For more than 30 years, he has been the creator and organizer of COBRAS, the Brazilian Sulphuric Acid Congress, which is now the second largest event on the subject in the world. He is currently Technical Director at Clark Solutions.

Peter Harrisson

Dr Harrisson has worked on CRU’s Sulphur and Sulphuric Acid analysis since joining the company in early 2011 and is Head of the Sulphur team. He also works across other nutrient areas, including both market and cost analysis. Prior to joining CRU, Dr Harrisson completed a PhD in Industrial Chemistry at Durham University.

Cal Lockert

Mr. Lockert joined Ohio Lumex as Senior Program Director following their acquisition of the Breen Acid Dewpoint technology in 2023.  Prior to that, he was the President of Breen Energy, a supplier of technology and process knowledge for measurement and control of sulphur based condensable in process flue gas.
He has over 30 years of experience in the development and commercialization of new technologies for environmental and efficiency improvement in heavy industrial applications. 
Mr. Lockert has a degree in Electrical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and currently resides in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

Angie Slavens

Angie has 28 years of experience working in the oil and gas business, primarily focused on sulphur recovery and sour gas treating. She has served as sulphur technology manager for two of the world’s leading sulphur technology licensing firms and has been involved in the delivery of several world-class projects. In 2014, Angie initiated an owner’s engineering focused consulting business, UniverSUL Consulting, based in Abu Dhabi, which has since been relocated to the USA.

Angie has published numerous papers, is a member of several international conference committees, and previously served on the Board of Directors for ASRL (2013-2023).  Angie received her BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kansas in 1996 and MBA from Hult International Business School (Dubai, UAE) in 2018.  

In her free time, Angie enjoys distance running; she completed the Abbot Marathon World Majors (Berlin, Boston, Chicago London, New York, Tokyo) in 2021.   

Pamela d'Anterroches

Pamela works as BP‘s central subject matter expert for Sulphur Recovery and Gas Treatment. She holds a BS in Environmental Engineering and an MSc in Process Engineering from the Technical University of Berlin. After several years working as a Project Manager, she joined BP in 2010 and worked in various technical roles. In 2018 she took on the role as Principal Engineer Treatments, providing support to BP and BP joint venture refineries globally. Her experience includes operations support, unit troubleshooting, project design support, turnaround inspections and training. In 2023 she became a member of the CRU Technical Committee.

Prashanth Chandran

Prashanth Chandran is the Technical Development Lead at Optimized Gas Treating, the role he has been holding since 2021. He joined OGT in 2018 as a Development Engineer. At OGT, Prashanth has developed and implemented several models and algorithms in ProTreat®, including robust and fast flash algorithms, reaction kinetics and equilibrium solvers, and a fixed bed catalytic reactor model. He has also led major product advancements including the release of the hybrid solvents thermodynamic package, expansion of sulphur plant modeling capability, and development of general-purpose mass and heat transfer rate models. Prashanth holds a B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering from India and an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Oklahoma State University.

Payton Wanstreet

Payton Wanstreet is a Senior Process Engineer with 11 years of experience with specialty chemicals and industrial facilities. As a Senior Process Engineer, his duties focus on the development and execution of process design elements. This experience includes the development of high-level detailed process information such as process design bases, basic and complex process modelling, and detailed process simulations. His experience also includes the development of equipment design bases, specifications, and sized equipment lists. His experience also includes the development of detailed process documentation such as process flow diagrams, heat and material balances, and P&IDs, as well as assisting with the generation of plot plans, site plans, and equipment arrangement drawings.  Furthermore, his experience also includes other process tasks, such as populating instrument lists and sized line lists, reviewing and approving vendor prints, and supporting cost estimate activities. His duties also include more specialized items like Process Hazard and Operability Analyses (PHA) facilitation, complex hydraulic modeling, and relief device calculations.  

Darshan Sachde

Darshan Sachde is a Senior Process Engineer at Trimeric Corporation. Darshan earned his B.S. and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.  Following his Ph.D., Darshan joined Trimeric Corporation, a 24-person process-engineering-focused technical services company. During his time at Trimeric, Darshan has developed deep experience with acid gas treating and removal, sour water and amine systems, sulphur recovery, and molten sulphur handling. Of relevance to this session, Darshan has supported several projects involving the design of molten sulphur tanks, sulphur loading and re-melting facilities, scrubbing of vents from molten sulphur systems, and sulphur degassing technologies.

Benjamin Senyard

Johann Le Touze

Johann Le Touze works for Axens as Lead Sulphur Recovery Technology Engineer, within the Acid Gas Group – Low Carbon Solutions & Gas Product Line. He started his professional career in 2013 as R&D engineer and then as a Marketing & Business Line manager for a world leading TiO2 manufacturing company. He holds an Advanced Master degree in Chemical Engineering from ESPCI – Paris and a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering & Materials Science from Doshisha University (Kyoto, Japan).

Martin Alvarez

Martin Alvarez holds an MSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Buenos Aires and brings more than 10 years of experience in the chemical industry. Since joining Topsoe in 2019, Martin has held various roles, always focused on the sulfuric acid catalyst department. He has provided technical support and services to sulfuric acid plants worldwide, including numerous hands-on visits to plants in Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. His expertise spans plant optimization, catalyst design, turnaround planning, catalyst loading, and troubleshooting—helping customers achieve optimal plant performance and reduce emissions. Prior to joining Topsoe, Martin worked for 5 years as a Process Engineer in Argentina, specializing in revamps and equipment design for refinery and chemical plants.

Nesho Plavsic

Nesho Plavsic, P.Eng., is a Senior Project Manager with over 20 years of experience leading large-scale industrial projects in the chemical, oil & gas, and renewable energy sectors. At NORAM Engineering, he oversees international projects for sulfuric acid plants,providing engineering studies, process optimization,and equipment supply. Nesho has a bachelor’s degree in Process Engineering from the University of Sarajevo(BiH) and an MBA degree from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC. Nesho is a member of the associations of professional engineers in Alberta and BC and a registered Project Management Professional (PMP).

Abdulrahman Muabber

Abdulrahman Musa Muabber is a Natural Gas Process Engineerworks with Saudi Aramco in Jafurah Gas Plant (JFGP)’s SulfurRecovery Unit (SRU) and Tail-Gas Treatment Unit (TGTU). He hasalso received specialized training as a Crude Distillation (CDU) &Hydroprocessing (HCK) Process Engineer, in addition to Power &RO Desalination Operations Engineer. Abdulrahman has graduatedfrom Jazan University in 2023 with BSc in Chemical Engineeringand First-Class Honor Degree.

Tammy Chan

Tammy is pleased to be in her hometown of Houston to present again at Sulphur.  As a process engineer, she has worked only in sulphur with Fluor (USA and Calgary) and WorleyParsons now Worley Comprimo (Los Angeles).  She has worked on sulphur loads from 50 lb/day to 1300 TPD, on studies and PDPs, most recently with renewables facilities processing < 10 TPD of sulphur. She holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Rice University, a M.S. and a Ph.D. in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering from the University of California, Irvine, and Professional Engineer licenses in California and Texas.

Stephen Streich

Stephen Streich is the Sales Manager – North America for the Industrial Corrosion and Wear Protection group of ErgonArmor, a division of Ergon Asphalt and Emulsion. Stephen has been in the protective coatings and linings business for 38 years and has focused much of his work on concrete repair and protection.

Rodolfo Gonzalez

Rodolfo (Rudy) Gonzalez is currently serving as the Technical Market Manager for the BASF Gas Treatment group, specializing in Selective Sulfur Technologies OASE® yellow and FLEXSORB. With over 30 years of experience in the process industry, Rudy has dedicated 20 years to the Oil and Gas sectors, focusing on gas processing and gas treating.
He holds a master’s degree in industrial engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nuevo Leon. Throughout his career, Rudy has successfully assisted clients in troubleshooting operations, providing design assistance, and optimizing plants.

Lisa Connock

Mark Ferra

Mr. Ferra is a Process Performance Manager for REXA and has worked at REXA for eleven years. REXA makes high performance electro-hydraulic actuators used in critical applications requiring precise positioning and reliability. REXA is recognized as a leading customer-centric solutions provider enabling end-users to optimize process efficiency and enhance safety. In his role, Mark creates marketing messaging highlighting the application ROI and/or safety improvements using REXA actuators. Previously Mr. Ferra worked seven years for Freeport McMoRan as a Chief Engineer in the Marketing Technical Services group. Mr. Ferra has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Arizona State University and lives with his family in Phoenix, Arizona.

Craig Jorgenson

Craig Jorgenson is a member of TSI's senior staff, serving as director of transportation, regulatory affairs and operations. Mr Jorgenson joined TSI after a 25-year career with the US military. Jorgenson brings to TSI vast experience in the intermodal transportation sector, past affiliation with non-profit associations, and global expertise in his field. During his career, he has led various teams focused on strategic planning and project management in aspects of logistics and supply chain operations. Mr Jorgenson holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Indiana University and the National Defense University.

Emanuel Hofer

Emanuel Hofer is Product Manager at Anton Paar. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Petroleum Engineering and a Master's degree in Drilling Engineering from the Mining University of Leoben in Austria. Before joining Anton Paar in 2021, he spent over three years as a process engineer in the sulphuric acid industry, where he was involved in key projects such as the implementation of new oleum plants and the automation of inline sulphuric acid concentration measurement. At Anton Paar, he is responsible for the success of the L-Sonic 5100 series—an innovative inline solution for liquid concentration measurement—as well as the L-Cor 8000 Coriolis flow meter series launched in 2024. His work focuses on advancing high-precision instrumentation for challenging process environments.

Dr. Peter Harrisson

Dr Harrisson has worked on CRU’s Sulphur and Sulphuric Acid analysis since joining the company in early 2011 and is Head of the Sulphur team. He also works across other nutrient areas, including both market and cost analysis. Prior to joining CRU, Dr Harrisson completed a PhD in Industrial Chemistry at Durham University.

Sebastien Duval

Sebastien Duval is a Senior Research Consultant in the Oil and Gas Treatment Research Division at Saudi Aramco. His work focuses on advanced gas separation technologies, particularly H2S and CO2 removal from natural gas using polymeric membranes and adsorbents. He is part of a team developing CO2 capture solutions from acid gas upstream of sulfur recovery units and reducing the cost of SO2 emissions control from these units.
He has led projects on pipeline integrity related to H2S and CO2 corrosion, as well as hydrogen embrittlement. He has also developed online instruments for monitoring crude quality, including salt and water content. Sebastien holds a PhD in Electrochemistry from Sorbonne University, a chemical engineering degree, and a postgraduate degree in materials science from the Chemical Engineering School of Toulouse.

Frank Nikolic

Frank has over two decades of experience in the mining industry, holding senior leadership roles across strategy, market intelligence, metallurgy, digital transformation, and global commercial operations. During his time at Vale Base Metals, Frank led initiatives that improved Vale Base Metals’ commercial operations, including overseeing global logistics, optimizing contract management, and implementing digital transformation projects that enhanced operational efficiency and provided valuable strategic insights.

In his strategic planning and market intelligence roles, Frank helped shape Vale Base Metals’ approach to commodities such as nickel, copper, and cobalt, supporting the company's involvement in the energy transition and electric vehicle markets. His expertise guided commercial strategies and engaged investors and stakeholders through clear, forward-looking narratives about the future of these commodities.

Now serving as Vice President for Base and Battery Metals in North America at CRU, Frank focuses on providing thought leadership and strategic guidance to support the commodity value chain as it adapts to meet the demands of a sustainable energy future. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mineral Processing from the University of Toronto and an MBA specializing in Strategic Planning and Industrial Relations from York University. Frank’s extensive background in both the technical and strategic aspects of the industry makes him well-positioned to address the opportunities and challenges in the evolving mining and metals landscape.

Jenny Hedenblad

Jenny started her carrier at TOPSOE in 2002, when she took up a position as process engineer for TOPSOE’s Wet gas Sulfuric Acid (WSA) technology for SO2 abatement. Between 2010 and 2023 she worked as a Project Manager executing engineering and supply projects, mainly within the WSA technology. In 2023 she took up the position as Project Director for Clean Air technologies, including the WSA technology. In 2024 she transferred to TOPSOE’s commercial department, taking up the position she currently holds as Senior Licensing Manager for Clean Air technologies in Europe and North America.

Joseph Acevedo

As Area Sales Manager for CP Pump Systems, Joseph Acevedo works with producers in the fertilizer, chemical, and energy sectors to deliver tailored solutions for demanding process applications. With nearly a decade of experience in rotating equipment and process industries, he combines technical expertise with commercial insight to help operators improve reliability, extend asset life, and lower operating costs. In his presentation, Mastering Molten Sulphur, Joseph will highlight strategies to improve efficiency, reduce safety risks, and drive sustainable performance in one of the industry’s toughest applications.

Michael Labbe

Michael Labbé brings nearly 40 years of experience in industrial services, specializing in integrated maintenance and corrosion protection for sulphuric acid, fertilizer, and mining operations. As Executive Director of Business Development at REMA TIP TOP AG, he leads global initiatives to optimize plant reliability, extend asset life, and reduce downtime. With a background in marketing and key account management, Michael is known for building long-term partnerships and delivering innovative solutions in surface protection and conveying systems. His focus on reliability, safety, and sustainability has positioned REMA TIP TOP as a trusted partner to leading producers worldwide.

Joseph Weiner

Joe is a chemical engineer with 8+ years of experience in advanced energy technologies, spanning biofuels, gas processing, and zero-emission power cycles. He has led lab- and pilot-scale R&D at RTI International and now serves as Research Engineer at 8 Rivers, driving commercialization of novel systems like SepR8 and the Allam-Fetvedt Cycle. With degrees in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and a background in nuclear coursework, Joe blends deep technical insight with practical design and commercialization. He’s presented internationally on energy topics and, outside of work, is a father of three and passionate about regenerative agriculture and sustainable systems.

Hannes Storch

Before joining Outotec in 2002 as a process engineer in Sulfuric Acid Technologies, Dr. Storch studied at the Technical University of Clausthal and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Dr. Storch holds a doctor degree in Chemical Engineering.  

In the course of his work for Metso Outotec, Dr. Storch held various positions, including several years in Chile. 

Today, he is on the management board of Metso Outotec's German subsidiary and heads the Metals and Chemical Processing business line.  

Dr. Storch is also a member of the board of the VDMA - AG Großanlagenbau (Large Plant Building Section).

Hanno Hintze

After his Ph.D. at the Technical University Hamburg-Harburg, Hanno Hintze started working at the R&D department of Aurubis AG, Hamburg in 1999. From 2001 - 2015 he was Production Manager and since 2012 director of the sulphuric acid department of Aurubis Hamburg, being responsible for the copper smelter offgas and wastewater treatment. After being director of the Hamburg primary smelter Projects (2015-2018) in 2018 he took over responsiblility for the large acid and wastewater projects at Aurubis Group Technology. In 2006 Dr.-Ing. Hintze started leading the technical working group on sulphur within the German VCI, and he is a member of the IPPC technical working groups of the non ferrous metals BREF and the waste gas common BREF taking care of SO2 emissions off sulphuric acid plants.

Maria Garcia

Samuel Scherman Johansson

With an engineering masters' degree from Lund University in Sweden, Samuel has worked for Topsoe for 12 years within the clean air segment, focusing on sulfur recovery technology. He has spent 4 years working in China from the Topsoe Beijing office, and has since 2018 been the global proposal manager for Topsoe's clean air technologies based in the Copenhagen, Denmark headquarters of Topsoe A/S.

Steven M Puricelli

Steve Puricelli is currently the Senior Technical Director at InterAcid, a sulfuric acid logistics and marketing company. Over the course of his career, he has designed, started up and analyzed operating problems on a wide variety of sulfuric acid plants. He has also worked to bring several new technologies from the laboratory to commercial operation. Mr Puricelli also had P&L responsibility for several businesses and was a member of the MECS management team for many years. In the early days of his career, Mr Puricelli worked in a support and operating role at a manufacturing company that produced nitrogen fertilizers, flexible urethanes (Toluene diisocyanate) and sulfuric acid. He has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Missouri S&T and a Masters of Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis.

Rene LeBlanc

Dr. Rene LeBlanc has over 20+ years of experience in a variety of development and production operations as well as commercial experience in supply chain development for the energy storage industry. He currently leads the growth and product development areas for Lithium Americas.Previous experience has been managing efforts to develop supplies of critical materials for Tesla Inc., and after a decade on lithium production projects for FMC Corporation’s Lithium Division.Rene earned his Bachelors and PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of South Carolina.

Dan Deaver

Dan’s 30+ years of worldwide heavy industrially focused engineering experience encompasses a wide range of industries and commodities.   For the past 13 years he has served as Vice President of Manufacturing for Georgia Gulf Sulfur improving systems, workforce and safety while ensuring the constant quality of manufacturing their ground, formed and liquid sulfur products.  He oversees all aspects of manufacturing throughout their 3 facilities including design/management of all projects, troubleshooting/continuous improvement, safety, and the ISO 9001 Program.   Dan and Robin have 2 kids (Chesley and Andrew), 3 cats and a dog.  Dan is very involved in Scouting America as a Council Commissioner and will be running the Mountain Biking Program at the 2026 National Jamboree.

Jay Davis

Jay is a Senior Sulfur Technology Leader for Chevron’s Refineries and Chemical Plants. After graduating from Mississippi State University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Jay worked in various process engineering, process control, and capital project roles at Shell Oil and Chevron. He has been at the Pascagoula, Mississippi refinery since 1998, starting in the Process Engineering group. Jay serves as Task Group Chairman for API-565, Board of Directors for Alberta Sulfur Research Ltd, and Leader of the Amine Best Practices Group.

Andrea Vaccari

Ms. Vaccari has spent the majority of her 26 plus year career in the mining and metals industry in sustainability and operational roles. She is currently Vice President Responsible Production Frameworks & Sustainability at Freeport-McMoRan Inc. In this role she leads the Sustainability, Social Responsibility and Responsible Production Frameworks functions for the business. Ms. Vaccari holds a Joint Honors B.E.S., from the University of Waterloo, Canada. She is Chair Emeritus of the ICA Material Stewardship Council, a member of the Copper Mark Advisory Council and Mining and Metals Editor for the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.

Andrew Nissan, Ph.D., P.E.

Aleksandr Benke

Aleksandr joined EuroChem in 2021 and has since led major strategic and business transformation initiatives in the Brazilian subsidiary and at the Group level. Most recently, he served as Strategy Director at EuroChem Brazil and Head of Commercial Strategy for EuroChem Group, spearheading projects across Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Before that Aleksandr held key strategy roles at companies such as General Electric, Chelpipe Group, and Petrovax.   

Willis Thomas

Willis joined CRU in February 2017 with more than five years in metals sales, production, and procurement activities. As Head of CRU+ he is responsible for a team focused on efficiently delivering CRU data and custom reports which fall outside of the subscription or consultancy/advisory service offerings.Before moving to CRU+, he managed consulting projects across a wide range of mined commodities, metals and fertilizers. Willis has significant experience in ferroalloys (silicon, manganese, vanadium & niobium), steel metallics and raw materials, base & minor metals (zinc, tin, germanium), as well as broad coverage across fertilizer markets for nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and sulphur.Willis holds a Masters in Finance from Colorado State University and a BA in Political Science from Washington & Jefferson College. Willis is based in CRU's Pittsburgh office.

Christopher Larson

Christopher Larson leads Global Operations for Lithium Americas Corporation (LAC) with a focus on improving and expanding operations as well as developing new opportunities utilizing LAC’s technology in the Lithium Market. Prior to joining LAC, he was the Vice President of Supply Chain and Operations for Arysta LifeScience. He has held several other roles in the Specialty Chemical and Consumer Products industry in his 30+ year career focused on Process Technology, Chemicals/Specialty Chemicals, Mining, Operations, Product Development, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Corporate Strategy and Analysis. He has also worked for Dow Chemical and L’Oreal. He holds an MS from Columbia University and Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia.

Rustin Heflin

Rustin Heflin is a Lead Applications Engineer in Zeeco's Thermal Oxidation and Combustion Systems group. He joined Zeeco in 2014 and brings over 20 years of in-depth expertise in the hydrocarbon processing industry and a wide range of applications. Rustin holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and is from Hollis, Oklahoma.

Divakar Singh

Divakar Singh is a Chemical Engineer with over 11 years of experience in Sulphur Recovery Unit (SRU) operations at HPCL Mumbai Refinery. His expertise spans the Claus process, tail gas treatment, and VGO and diesel hydrotreating unit operations. He is dedicated to enhancing sulphur recovery efficiency, minimizing SO₂ emissions, and improving plant reliability through process optimization and best operating practices.  He has authored standard operating procedures (SOPs), spearheaded ISO 14001 environmental compliance initiatives, and successfully addressed critical operational challenges. With a strong passion for process safety, sustainability, and team development, he consistently drives operational excellence and fosters innovation in SRU performance—contributing meaningfully to both environmental stewardship and organizational success.

Frank Scheel

Frank has been in his current role with Worley Comprimo for over six years.  As leader of Worley Comprimo Frank is responsible for the Gas treating and Sulphur Recovery Technology Business in Worley. Prior to this he was with Jacobs for 24 years in roles ranging from Process Engineer, Business Development Manager, Director of Technology and Director Business Development. Most of these roles were under the Gas Treating and Sulphur Recovery Technology group within the Jacobs organisation.

Dr. Ben Egelske

Ben is the Lead R&D Engineer at Recalibrate and Applied Catalysts + Technologies (AC+T) with 14 years’ experience in the process industry that includes a history in both R&D and chemical manufacturing. Ben currently leads the engineering team in support of the AC+T businesses. Ben is deeply engaged in the new sulfuric acid production technology as both a leader and individual contributor since its early conception. He is an expert in the development and application of commercial catalysts and processes for chemistries including hydrogenation, reductive alkylation, and selective oxidation. In prior roles, Ben has supported numerous projects with a diverse range of clients that include Lyondell Basel, BP, and Abbot-AbbVie. Ben earned his B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota Duluth and his Ph.D in Chemical Engineering University of South Carolina.

Stuart Hinze

Stuart Hinze serves as the Senior Process Engineering Manager in JR Simplots Mining and Manufacturing Group. Stuart leads the central engineering team that provides process engineering, project and research support for the mining and manufacturing of phosphate and nitrogen fertilizers.
Before joining Simplot Stuart began his career working in the sulfuric acid division of Chemetics where he worked as a process engineer, commissioning manager, & proposal manager for projects located around the planet.
Originally from Vancouver Canada but now residing in Boise, USA, Stuart holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of British Columbia.

Ganesh Gujar

G M Patel

Ghanshyam Patel is a chemical engineer with 45 years of operating cum technical experience in M/s GSFC Ltd from1970 and retired as Executive Director having rich experience in all areas of diverse functional departments at apex management level like enhancing productivity in true sense by continual improvement in energy, cost reduction, environment issues, safety, quality control, fire fighting, IMS cell for GSFC. Mr Patel is on panel of RC logo auditors in ICC. At present he is Technical Director in CIFC Pvt Ltd (Rahimtula Group) since December 2010. Mr Patel has presented many technical papers in FAI, IFA, SYMPHOS and AFA conferences. He is active member in Technical Advisory and Environment committees and annual award selection committee of FAI.

Guy Cooper

A professional process engineer with 30 years experience in sulfuric acid

Mathijs Sijpkes

Mathijs Sijpkes is a project engineer from the Netherlands. After finalizing his studies in Chemical Engineering in 2018 he started working for Sulphurnet in the field of sulphur melting and purification.  Mathijs specializes in process design and has been working on numerous liquid sulphur melting and filtration projects with different capacity’s starting from 86 MTPD up to 1400 MTPD. During these projects the focus was to provide the clients with a process that is completely tailor made to help them achieve their goals.