MEDIA RELEASE
May 2015
BCleantech Announces World-Class Advisory Board
BCleantech co-founder and CEO Gaetan Borgers said that “he is delighted to announce the formation of a world-class advisory board with the highest level of global experience in industry and academia”.
Co-founder Stephane Paquier said “BCleantech aims to be at the forefront of sustainable energy development and frontier markets. The formation of the advisory board signals our intent to service critical markets through evidence-based know-how and practical experience”.
“BCleantech is committed to providing cutting-edge technology and one-stop solutions, including financing to a diverse range of clients and industries. The advisory board will ensure that our operations deliver profitable outcomes while complying with the highest standards of corporate governance and ethics”, said Borgers.
The five-member Advisory board is comprised of Professor Edward Ayensu, who brings to the board decades of development experience with key institutions, including the World Bank and the African Development Bank. Dr Charlie Gay is an internationally renowned solar industry executive, having held leading positions with the likes of Siemens, Sunpower, Applied Materials, and the United States Department of Energy. Chris Laursen is a highly respected Engineering, Procurement and Construction executive with expertise in virtually every kind of power plant. His last corporate role was as the CEO of Quanta Power Generation. Geoffrey Merszei is the founder and owner of Zolentis Advisory. He was previously Corporate CFO and Board Member of the Dow Chemical Company and Executive Vice President and CFO of Alcan Inc. Finally, Dr Leif Sjolblom is Professor of Financial Management at the renowned IMD Business School in Lausanne, a former director of the school’s program for executive development, and also actively advising in Africa.
Borgers and Paquier said, “the formation of the advisory board represents an immense step forward for BCleantech. The wealth of knowledge we’ve assembled from renowned leaders in their fields validates our vision and provides continuous innovation and strength to the company”
Summary of Biographies:
Professor Edward Ayensu, Accra – Ghana
Professor Ayensu is an international development advisor on science, technology and economic development. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) Ghana and the President of the Energy Globe Foundation. He was formerly Chairman of the World Bank Inspection Panel, Chairman of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Ghana and Senior Advisor to the President and Director of Central Projects Department, African Development Bank. He was a Director and Senior Scientist during his 20 years at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC. Prof. Ayensu obtained his doctorate from the University of London, and was appointed a Visiting Fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford University. He is twice the recipient of the Ghana National Science Award.
Dr. Charlie Gay, San Francisco, United States
Dr. Gay began his career in 1974 designing solar power systems at Spectrolab, Inc. and later joined ARCO Solar, where he led the R&D program and the commercialization of crystalline silicon PV. In 1990, Dr. Gay became president and CEO of Siemens Solar Industries. From 1994 to 1997, he served as director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. In 1997, Dr. Gay was president and CEO of ASE Americas, Inc., and in 2001 became chairman of the technical advisory board at SunPower Corporation. He joined Applied Materials in 2006 as corporate VP and general manager of the Solar Business Group. In 2009 he was named president of Applied Solar. Dr. Gay holds a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of California, Riverside. He is the holder of numerous patents for solar cell and module construction, winner of the Gold Medal for Achievement from the World Renewable Energy Congress and a member of the U.S. Academy of Engineering.
Chris Laursen, Denver, United States
Chris Laursen is the Owner of Byers Peak Power Consultants, LLC, which provides management consulting to the power generation industry. In 2013, Chris retired as Chief Executive Officer of Quanta Power Generation, an EPC contractor for utility scale solar- and gas-fired power generation projects, and a subsidiary of Quanta Services (NYSE: PWR), a $5 billion specialty contractor. Prior to his tenure with Quanta, Chris worked for Shaw Power, Gibbs & Hill, and Stone & Webster, all EPC contractors in the power generation industry. Chris has 40 years’ of global experience in the engineering, design and construction of large-scale utility power plants, including coal-fired, gas-fired, geothermal, solar, and nuclear. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from City College of New York.
Geoffery Merszei, Zug - Switzerland
Geoffrey Merszei is the Chairman and co-founder of Zolentis, a global investment and advisory firm based in Zug, Switzerland. Geoffery brings with him decades of executive level experience from the industry. While at The Dow Chemical Company, he served on the Board of Directors from 2005 to 2009. During his career with Dow, he held various senior roles including as CFO and Executive Vice President of the company; President of Dow Europe, Middle East, and Africa; Chairman of the company’s Geographic Leadership Council; and as a member of Dow’s Executive Leadership Committee. Between 2001 to 2005, he served as Alcan Inc as Executive Vice President and CFO. In 2013, Geoffery founded Zolentis, a global advisory and investment company that focuses on investing and developing businesses in the advanced materials and specialty chemical sectors. He has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Albion College, Michigan.
Dr. Leif Sjoblom - Lausanne – Switzerland
Dr. Sjoblom is Professor of Financial Management at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Lausanne, Switzerland. Dr. Sjoblom has over 22 years of teaching experience in a diverse number of roles, which include open enrollment and company-tailored executive education programs. He was Director of the Program for Executive Development (PED) 2001-2003 and Director of the Building on Talent Program 2005-2008. Dr Sjoblom is currently co-director of the Foundations for Business Leadership program. Some of his international experience include his current high-level engagement across the African continent where he is a member of the Advisory Board of EMPRETEC Africa Forum, UNCTAD, Regional Editor (Africa) of Emerald Emerging Markets Case Journal, Editorial Board, IMA Educational Case Journal. Dr. Sjoblom is also the author of numerous journal publications. He holds a Ph.D from Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Bachelor of Laws (Llb, Hons) from the University of London, International Programs, and is a qualified Chartered Financial Analyst and Management Accountant.
For more information, please contact:
Gaetan Borgers : gaetan.borgers@bcleantech.com or +33778121530
Stephane Paquier : spaquier@bcleantech.com or + 971566828497
Or visit www.bcleantech.com
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