Don Hawley brings over thirty-five years of financial, operations, and general business management experience to the company. Having been intimately involved in the networking and communications services industry for the last fifteen years, he has served as Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President, Consultant, Board member, and Advisory Board member for a number of small and medium-size companies in the industry. In addition to his communications and networking experience, Don has consulted to, and held positions as CEO, CFO, COO, and President in, public and privately held companies. One company of note is Worlds of Wonder, Inc., where he was a founder, and served as CFO and Executive Vice President from startup through $600 million in revenue, substantial profitability, and a successful initial public offering of more than $100 million. He has been active in merger and acquisition transactions and in the integration of subsidiary companies. Don is a CPA, with a proven track record of developing financially and administratively sound organizations, capable of carefully managing rapid growth through the implementation of increasingly sophisticated management information systems, as well as building experienced, motivated corporate organizations. Don holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley.
Robert Horton
Robert Horton brings over forty years of sales, management, deal structuring, and energy experience to the company. As founder, Chairman, and CEO of Alchemix Corporation, Robert has invented, financed, demonstrated, patented and pursued commercialization of various energy technologies. As founder and developer of China Coal Pipeline Company, a joint venture with the Coal Ministry of China, he developed, organized, and received approvals for the 500 mile Yu-Wei pipeline from the coal fields of China to its Eastern coast. Rights to the pipeline were sold to Enron Corporation in 1997. Additionally, Robert was founder and CEO of Custom Coals Corporation where he developed, patented, and commercialized two advanced clean coal technologies; the Genesis Cyclone and Self Scrubbing Coal. Through these various ventures, Robert has become sophisticated and well-versed in the energy field, taking technologies from development to commercialization. Robert holds a MSc in Finance from The University of Texas and a BS from Southern Illinois University.
Paulo Avelino Costa
Paulo Avelino brings more than twenty-five years of business management and leadership from the oil and energy industry, biotech industry, as well as the sugar and ethanol industry. Paulo currently acts as a consultant to Acucar Guarani, one of the largest sugar and ethanol producers in the world, where he consults on key strategic decisions associated with the commercial department for both sugar and ethanol. Additionally, Paulo sits on the strategic advisory board of Amyris Biotechnologies, assisting with strategy and business developments on both the US and Brazil. Previously, Paulo acted as President, CEO, Chairman, and Board Director of several Sugar and Ethanol businesses in Brazil. Paulo received his engineering degree from an acclaimed Brazilian University and currently is finishing an advanced degree at Stanford University in Decision Analysis and Risk Management.
Matthew E. Hawley
Matthew Hawley brings over five years experience in business development, sales, marketing, finance, and leadership. Matthew acted as Controller and Operations Manager of one of Arizona’s largest telecommunications companies where he specialized in the accounting and finance aspects focusing on financial analysis, cash flow, and cost structure. Additionally, Matthew oversaw all divisions within the state of Arizona completing projects state-wide. Previously, Matthew worked as a Project Coordinator at Steve LeVine Entertainment, one of Arizona’s largest entertainment companies where he specialized in sales and marketing campaigns including numerous successful projects for large scale clients such as the W Hotel and the Phoenix Suns. Prior to SLE, Matthew acted as President for an Arizona-based marketing and promotions company specializing in marketing and promotional campaigns for various Arizona businesses in the restaurant and nightlife industries. Matthew is a graduate of Arizona State University and holds his BIS Degree in Business Management & Communications with a minor in Urban Planning & Sustainability.
Ted Gladish
Holds an MBA in International Business with a concentration in Finance from University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business and a BA in Finance from Indiana University's Kelly School of Business. Has a background in operations, investment banking, capital formation, internal audit, risk management and financial controllership both domestically and internationally. He has performed extensive analysis of business processes and control environments within Commercial Lending & Investments, Venture Capital, Development Finance, Transportation, and Oil & Gas industries. Most recently, Mr. Gladish has been involved with a global investment start-up providing Capital Raising Services to diversified Fund Managers however previously invested time in various roles in his career at JP Morgan, ExxonMobil, Protiviti Management Consulting, and Itau Unibanco.
Bryce Perry
Bryce brings diverse experience in management and strategy in both private and public sector organizations. For the past two and a half years, Bryce ran the International Rescue Committee's humanitarian and post-conflict interventions in the troubled North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He oversaw a $30 million programming portfolio funded by a variety of donors, including USAID, DFID, The World Bank and other multi-lateral funding bodies. Prior to his most recent work in the humanitarian world, Bryce spent six years in financial services sector most recently with Wells Fargo's Wealth Management Group in strategy, focused on client profitability initiatives and corporate development. Previously, he worked in corporate finance at JP Morgan in New York, primarily dealing with risk mitigation of merger integration issues. Bryce holds an MSc in Development Management from The London School of Economics and a BA in English from Sewanee, The University of the South.
Ryan W. Hawley - Advisory Board Member
Ryan Hawley brings over seven years of experience in investment banking and real estate development. Ryan joined Starwood Capital Group, a real estate private equity fund based in Greenwich, CT, in 2006. At Starwood, Ryan worked worldwide on projects ranging from investments in corporate entities that either develop or operate real estate to joint ventures with developers for the development or redevelopment of real estate projects. More recently, Ryan has focused on Brazilian opportunities and is spearheading Starwood’s effort to invest in this country. Prior to joining Starwood Capital, Ryan worked in corporate finance and M&A advisory at Bear Stearns, where he focused on real estate and hospitality. Ryan holds a MSc in Political Economy from the London School of Economics and a BA in Political Economy of Industrialized Societies from the University of California, Berkeley.
Wilfred Young - Advisory Board Member
Wilfred Young brings over thirty-five years of diesel engine technology experience. He began his professional career in 1973 in the military and has been honing his knowledge and skills ever since. Wilfred has been associated with national and international companies offering his expertise to companies such as Caterpillar, Cummins, and Detroit Diesel. Additionally, he has had a successful business working as a consultant with major organizations and educational institutions in the industry. Most recently, Wilfred has spent his time teaching and certifying technicians at the Universal Technical Institute on Caterpillar, Cummins, and Detroit Diesel engines as well as stationary power generation units. His educational background includes numerous certifications and professional achievements in all areas of diesel engines, fuel systems, power generation, and failure analysis.
Brian Lucas - Advisory Board Member
Brian Lucas brings more than forty years of experience from the automotive and diesel industry. Early on he opened and operated an auto mechanics shop that offered general repairs and maintenance on nearly all makes and models. His love for teaching brought him to Universal Technical Institute more than 26 years ago. UTI is a national automotive and diesel technical school. Currently Brian is a Cummins Engine qualifier as well as being well-versed on Detroit Diesel, International and Caterpillar Engines. Brian joins the Brazil Green Energy Technology team as an Advisory Board member bringing his expertise in the diesel industry and his teaching ethics.
Doug Newton - Advisory Board Member
Doug Newton has over thirty-four years as a business consultant, including twenty-seven years with Deloitte Consulting. Through his professional career, Doug consulted on the feasibility of business investments and new ventures, restructured operations to improve customer service and profitability, and strengthened clients’ business development programs. Doug’s career at Deloitte Consulting included 7 years of international consulting, based in Singapore and then Hong Kong. During that time, he was the lead consulting client service executive for several of the Firm’s multinational clients and managed major projects in eleven countries. Doug has provided high value consulting services to multiple industries including pharmaceutical, manufacturing, automotive, publishing and health care. Doug holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, and an MBA in Management from Fairleigh Dickenson University.
Robert S. Koenig - Advisory Board Member
Robert Koenig brings over thirty years of Transportation Industry experience. Rob has worked in almost all areas of surface transportation. With both an operations and sales background, he is uniquely qualified and knowledgeable about the inner workings of both large and mid-sized transportation providers. He has strong customer and professional relationships with a multitude of manufacturing, production and distribution companies throughout the United States and Canada. He has been involved in startup operations requiring the selection and specification of equipment for over the road use (tractors, trailers), intermodal use (trailers), and warehouse/distribution facility use (forklifts, cranes, etc). Rob has shown a consistent success in maximizing corporate performance. He is adept at overcoming complex business challenges and making high-stakes decisions within a fast-paced, high-pressure environment. Innovation, experienced-backed judgment, a strong work ethic, humor and irreproachable integrity all define Rob. Rob holds a BA in Psychology from California State University, Hayward.
Nelson Borba - Advisory Board Member
Nelson Borba brings more than 20 years of biofuel and chemical engineering experience from both private ventures as well as world-wide companies like BASF and Dow. Recently, Nelson began his own venture called TRILUB that among its main activities assessments had strategic alliances with national and international groups, developing technical / commercial market, identifying and technological support to companies in Brazil and abroad and also obtain financial resources from local banks to meet the assumptions of defined business plans. Through these experiences he has had the opportunity to deal with sales, marketing, logistics and plant operation. When at BASF he had led the turnaround of a chemical plant located in Northeast region of Brazil offering efficiency to return the results to the breakeven. Additionally, he was responsible for the management of chemicals commodities, when he had worked for DOW, such as caustic soda, with total turnover of MUS$300/year in Mercosur region, dealing with big accounts and several and complex contracts. Nelson is experienced with people leadership and has a background in organizing employee development programs, has been accountable for P&L, marketing and promotion activities, and highly oriented to customer success. Nelson is a chemical engineering by background and holds his degree from one of the most renowned business finance schools in Brazil – IBMEC – The Brazilian Institute of Capital Markets.
