Featured Presenters

Born in Madrid in 1970, Industrial Engineering Ph.D since 2002, specialised in Energy Technologies by the ETSII of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, staff professor of the Department of Power Engineering of the ETSII-UPM. He collaborates with Nobel Laurate Prof. Carlo Rubbia since 1996 when at CERN he was involved in the TARC experiment regarding the Energy Amplifier project. Later, he was project leader at the LAESA company, established in Zaragoza (Spain) for the development of a proton accelerator laboratory and an Energy Amplifier prototype (1998-2001). He starts his academic career in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Fluid-Mechanics of the University of the Basque Country in 2001 involved in Fluid-mechanics analysis. At present time he develops academic and research activities in the field of thermal systems, concentrated solar technology, hydrogen production, low-carbon technologies and transmutation of nuclear wastes, being invited to specialised seminars and conferences in those fields, with a background that has produced 15 patents, 38 international publication in highly cited journals, 80 paper in international and national conferences, and 6 doctoral Ph.D thesis. He has participated in international projects from the 4th-7th european Framework Program, and become senior fellow of the Institute of Advanced Sustainability Studies, in Potsdam (Germany) from 2011 to 2013 and currently is scientific advisor in the Spanish Research Agency (AEI) of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) since the end of 2015.

Mr. Achadinha assumed the role of President and CEO in 2008. Since his tenure as CEO, annual revenue and ridership have grown to over $261 million and 51 million passengers, respectively. In his 20 plus year career, Mr. Achadinha has built a reputation for his strong work ethic, results-oriented drive and exceptional ability to forge and maintain strategic alliances.

Mr. Achadinha works closely with the leadership team on implementing BC Transit's business strategy. He represents BC Transit with riders around the province, as well as partners, businesses, government leaders and other key external groups. Mr. Achadinha is also focused on BC Transit's sustainability efforts with a commitment to lead the growth of transit-oriented communities across the province.

Prior to serving as CEO, Mr. Achadinha was with BC Ferries as the Vice President of Terminal Operations with management responsibility for several operating groups. In addition, he held a senior position at the Treasury Board with the Province of British Columbia.

Mr. Achadinha serves on the Board of Directors of the Braefoot Community Association. He is a frequent speaker at business and transportation forums across Canada. He attended the University of Victoria and received a Bachelor of Economics degree and a Masters of Public Administration.

John Q. Adams was appointed CGA’s Managing Director, Natural Gas Innovation Fund in September 2016. As the Managing Director, John is responsible for raising capital from industry investors for project investments and building its strategic partnerships. He is responsible for developing the fund’s investment process, governance and accountability, and implementing the fund’s investment strategy for natural gas priorities. This includes managing the fund’s portfolio activities such as technology scouting and deal review, technical and business evaluation, due diligence and evaluation, project management, corporate performance and entrepreneurial support. John has 25 years in cleantech/clean energy experience with industry. Prior to CGA, he was with Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) and occupied a range of increasingly senior positions over a five year span. He joined SDTC as Director, Applications/Funding Advisory in 2011, and then became Director, Stakeholder Relations in 2012, and Vice President for Industry in 2013. While at SDTC, John raised almost $40M in partnership agreements with industry and federal/provincial government agencies, led a series of national funding competitions, created a national virtual incubator, and launched a pilot for a more simplified applicant process. Prior to SDTC, John was with Mitsui & Co. (Canada) Ltd. holding positions in infrastructure business and international trade. Born in Toronto, Ontario, John graduated from University of Toronto in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in science, specializing in environmental science.

Jacob Andersen, MBA is the Corporate Operations Officer for Altmerge LLC, an early stage combustion technology development company, primarily in chemicals. As the business and program manager, he oversees development of industry partners, investors, and works with the project teams to ensure technical development is well grounded in the needs of the market. Jacob is a serial entrepreneur with experience in cultivating and growing multiple startups. As a valued and trusted business partner, he has an instinct for knowing when to listen and when to contribute. With relevant experience in new product development, business strategy, and an obsession with efficiency, Jacob is looking forward to championing many successes with commercializing combustion technologies at Altmerge.

My keen interest and aptitude in mathematics, physical sciences along with solving practical problems motivated me to select mechanical engineering as my career. I have over five years of experience in renewable energy technologies, CFD modeling, energy modeling, energy management, thermal comfort analysis, energy efficient retrofit and cost benefit analysis for residential, commercial and institutional buildings.

I graduated with bachelor and master degrees from Shiraz University at the top of my undergraduate and graduate classes. Currently I am pursuing my career as a PhD candidate and research assistant at Dalhousie University working on a project within the Smart Net-zero Energy Building Strategic Research Network (SNEBRN). SNEBRN is currently the major Canadian research effort in smart net-zero energy buildings.

The objective of my PhD research project is to identify and develop economically and technically feasible approaches, as well as policies and strategies to support the wide scale conversion of existing Canadian houses into net zero energy buildings.

I always look for opportunities to expand my engineering knowledge, skills and the field of my expertise. Also, I am always interested in sharing my expertise with others. Therefore, please let me know if you have something to share with me in science, technology or business, or if there is a possibility that I can contribute to your endeavour.

Dr. Majid Bahrami, P.Eng. is the founder and the director of the Laboratory for Alternative Energy Conversion (LAEC), Canada Research Chair in Alternative Energy Conversion Systems and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the School of Mechactronic Systems Engineering. His research focus is on sustainable adsorption air conditioning, graphite heat exchangers, thermal storage, transport phenomena in emerging microstructured porous composites related to fuel cell and water generation technologies. Dr. Bahrami (PhD, U of Waterloo: 2004; Post-doc, U Waterloo: 2004-2006) has authored/co-authored more than 200 publications, is a fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) a member of AIAA, ASHRAE, ECS, SAE; and won several national and international awards, including Clean50 award for sustainable design 2015 and 2016. He recently developed a patent-pending atmospheric water technology that enables cost-effective sustainable water harvesting from air in all climate including hot and dry conditions. Dr. Bahrami practiced for 5 years (1995–2001) as a thermal engineer and consultant in industry. Dr. Bahrami is the Founder and CEO of WATERGENICS Ltd., a SFU spin-off active in sustainable air energy and water solutions.

Salman Bin Tayyab is responsible for Siemens interests in Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) projects. Salman is an MBA and expert of LNG financial modeling with extensive LNG experience from Qatar, the largest LNG export country. He deals with the LNG developers, International Oil Companies, FEED and EPC Contractors. He is also actively supporting the government, universities, environmental organization with state-of-the-art technologies supporting Climate Leadership Plans, Innovations, NOx, GHG and Carbon Tax related issues. Siemens is a fortune 50 company and is in Canada for over 100 years and supporting with their rotating equipment, automation, electrification and digitization

Paul Blomerus is Industry Partnerships Advisor and Natural Gas Sector Lead for the Clean Energy Research Centre at UBC. He is also an independent consultant in clean energy technologies. Dr. Blomerus gained his experience in natural gas vehicles at Westport Innovations where he was a Vice President. Dr. Blomerus joined Westport from Rolls-Royce Aerospace in the UK. Prior to Rolls-Royce, Dr. Blomerus was a consultant for McKinsey and Co. out of the firm’s Chicago office. Dr. Blomerus holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford and a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cape Town.

Serge Buy is a government relations and public affairs executive who has worked on Parliament Hill and led or advised numerous corporations, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations for over two decades. He has been the CEO of the Canadian Ferry Association since 2012. During his tenure, he has led the association through a significant renewal and achieved key milestones for the ferry sector. This includes the removal of tariffs on international vessel purchases and the inclusion of ferries for funding eligibility under the Build in Canada Fund, which have meant millions of dollars for the sector and an overall increased profile. Serge is also a senior partner at Flagship Solutions, a public affairs firm headquartered in Ottawa.

Jaeson is the CleanO2 project leader and hardware designer. He has 15 years of experience in the heating industry. Jaeson is responsible for the current design, ongoing refinements and pilot testing of the CARBiNX prototype units currently in operation. He also provides design, technical, market access, heating industry expertise, credibility and reputation, as well as financial expertise to the development of technology.

Ronan Chester is Manager, Strategic Environmental Initiatives, with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (dba Port of Vancouver), responsible for leading programs and projects related to air emissions, energy conservation and social responsibility across the Port of Vancouver.

Ronan is a Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Energy Manager (CEM), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP), Envision Infrastructure Sustainability Professional (ENV SP), and holds a Master’s Degree in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability.

Ronan led a multi-stakeholder initiative to define what sustainability means for the port, and integrated this into the port’s long term scenario planning process which helped inform the port authority’s new vision – To be the world’s most sustainable port. He led the development of the port’s sustainability reporting program, establishing Port of Vancouver among the first ports globally to meet international guidance on sustainability reporting. Ronan’s day to day work includes the Port of Vancouver emissions inventory program, the EcoAction Program for Ships, the Energy Action Initiative in partnership with BC Hydro, the Non Road Diesel Emissions Initiative, the Climate Smart Initiative, and the expansion of shore power to container terminals. Currently, Ronan is leading the port authority’s efforts to facilitate the use of liquefied natural gas as a marine fuel.

Mark F. Collins experience in the marine industry spans more than 30 years. Presently he is Vice President, Strategic Planning & Community Engagement with British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., one of the world’s largest ferry systems. Mr. Collins leads a team of planning and deployment specialists crafting long range investment and construction plans for BC Ferries’ network of 35 vessels, 25 routes and 47 terminals. Prior to strategic planning, Mr. Collins was Vice President, Engineering at BC Ferries for nine years. In this capacity he oversaw vessel new construction and maintenance, terminal engineering and construction, environmental management, fleet technical operations and BC Ferries’ ship repair yard. Other posts held by Mr. Collins include Vice President, Global Technical Services at CSL Group, a leading international bulk carrier operator based in Montreal. Internationally, he has been President of Rolls-Royce Marine firms in South America and Europe. Earlier he served as Vice President, Marketing & Service for Rolls-Royce Marine Canada in Vancouver, BC. Mr. Collins is active in the development of the marine industry having served as Vice President of the Canadian Ferry Operators Association and Chair of the Shipbuilding & Ship Repair Board of British Columbia. He is currently Vice President of the Association of British Columbia Marine Industries (ABCMI). Mr. Collins is a certified Marine Engineer with sea experience aboard container vessels, bulk carriers, offshore support vessels, and tankers. Mr. Collins holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration (Transportation and Logistics) from the University of British Columbia, a degree in Marine Geography from Saint Mary’s University, and a Diploma of Mechanical Engineering from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Elena Corin is leading business development for the Power Generation segment of Rolls-Royce Power Systems (RRPS) in the Americas. RRPS portfolio includes Bergen as well as MTU reciprocating internal combustion engines and systems. Elena has been involved in natural gas and LNG since her first involvement in construction of LNG carriers for Teekay Shipping in early 2000s. She continued working with LNG for marine transportation when she joined Rolls-Royce Canada in 2010. Elena has led LNG as marine fuel campaign in BC, and is now promoting RRPS solutions for efficient generation of power and heat using natural gas and biogases in North America. Ms.Corin is a Marine Engineer holding Master’s degree in Business Administration from Queen’s University.

Rob Costanzo is the City of Surrey's Engineering Operations Manager responsible for the maintenance of the City's roads, utilities and fleet, as well as the City’s waste management services, including waste collection, waste planning and policy development, marketing and public education. In addition, Rob leads Surrey's sustainability goals related to waste diversion and reduced carbon emissions from its fleet operations. He is presently overseeing the development of Surrey's Organic Waste Biofuel Facility which will process kitchen and yard waste collected at curbside into a renewable natural gas that will be used to fuel the City’s Compressed Natural Gas waste collection fleet, resulting in a closed-loop, net-zero carbon impact system.

Larry Davey was appointed Vice President, Planning and Development in May 2016. He joined Teck in 2002 and was previously Vice President, Development, Coal. He is currently responsible for business planning and sustainable development of our coal resources, including environment, engineering, development projects and water quality management. Mr. Davey also leads the business improvement program within Coal and has Teck-wide responsibilities in this area.

Mr. Davey has more than 30 years of experience in the mining industry with a focus on processing, mining, smelting, project management and engineering. Mr. Davey has held the role of General Manager at Elkview Operations and at the Pogo gold mine in Alaska, as well as several senior roles at Trail Operations.

Mr. Davey holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Metallurgy equivalency from Technikon Witwatersrand in South Africa.

Brad has 25 years experience in the alternative fuel commercial vehicle industry, in both engineering and business roles. He was a founding employee of UBC spinoff company Westport Innovations Inc. in 1996 and also a founding member of Cummins Westport, Inc. when the joint venture company between Cummins and Westport was formed in 2001. Brad is currently Vice President of Business Development & Product Management at Westport responsible for Westport’s portfolio of technology and new product development investments and partnerships for global markets spanning light-duty automotive to medium and heavy-duty trucks to high horsepower applications such as large mine trucks and locomotives.

Brad holds a Master of Applied Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of British Columbia, where he was part of the technical team that invented the HPDI technology upon which Westport was formed. Brad also holds an Executive Program certificate from the Stanford School of Business.

Timothy M. Egan became President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Gas Association in September 2010. Prior to his appointment he was President of High Park Group (HPG), a public affairs consulting firm. Mr. Egan serves as Canada’s representative at the International Gas Union, sitting on the Executive Committee and as the Regional Coordinator for North America. Mr. Egan is publisher of the Energy Regulation Quarterly, and editor of the magazine Energy. He has an undergraduate degree in history from the University of Ottawa, and common and civil law degrees from McGill University. He was called to the Ontario bar in 1995. He is married to Patricia (nee Armstrong) and they have five daughters.

Brent Gilchrist is an accomplished finance executive with extensive experience in the investment and banking sectors. He is currently the President of JDS Resources Inc., the JDS Group of Companies’ venture capital and private equity arm responsible for investment management, acquisitions and project financing. Brent is also the President and Co-founder of JDS Silver Inc. (along with Jeff Stibbard, CEO), the owner and operator of the Silvertip Mine located in Northern British Columbia.

Prior to joining the JDS Group of Companies in 2012, Brent led the management of individual portfolios at RBC Dominion Securities, the investment branch of the Royal Bank of Canada, for over seven years.

Prior to RBC, Brent played for 15 years in the National Hockey League with five teams, drafted by the Montreal Canadiens and debuting with the club in 1988. Brent was a member of the 1998 Stanley Cup champion, Detroit Red Wings. Brent retired from the NHL in 2003.

Les Gingell started his career with marine gas turbines at Avco Lycoming, where he was involved in projects as diverse as the Transatlantic world speed record, to the Navy’s Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft. He joined MAN B&W Diesel in 1994, and has again been involved in many of the most innovative marine propulsion applications, including the first application of slow speed diesels in LNG tankers, the first diesel electric applications for the US Navy, and most recently, alternate fuelled vessels, such as LNG fuelled vessels for Jones Act merchant vessels, and methanol powered tankers for international customers.

Woodfibre LNG Limited is proposing to build a natural gas liquefaction and export facility in Squamish, BC, at a cost of $1.4-1.8 billion (CAD 2014). The Woodfibre LNG Project is licenced to export approximately 2.1 million tonnes of LNG per year for 25 years.

Byng joined Woodfibre LNG Limited in April 2013, and is responsible for the day-to-day operations with a particular focus on regulatory affairs, government relations, aboriginal and community relations, and communications. He is also currently Chairman of Ridley Terminals Inc. and board member of the Vimy Ridge Foundation.

Byng holds an MScEcon from the University of Wales and an MBA from the University of Cambridge. On weekends, he collects bruises playing old boys rugby.

Mark has worked in the renewable energy sector for close to 10 years. He was appointed Vice President of Bridge Power Holdings in 2016 having previously served as Vice President of Rupert Peace Power Holdings from 2014 to 2016. His experience has ranged from leading all regulatory and compliance issues, including having projects certified through the BC EAA process. He is also responsible First nations engagement, negotiating benefits agreements, business development, project origination and financing. Prior to entering the renewable space Mark served as Executive Director of the Liberal Party of Canada in BC, from 2006 to 2008 and as an advisor to provincial cabinet ministers from 2004 to 2006.

John Hatley PE, (MBA, MSE ) Americas VP Ship Power for Wartsila North America, has over 30 years of combined marine experience spanning business development, sales, project management of domestic and overseas vessel construction, owner's representation, pension fund marine investment advisor, ship operations, and vessel design. Prior to joining Wartsila he held positions with General Electric, Marine Industries NW, US Lines, Pension Fund Investment First American Bulk Carriers, Trinidad Tankers, and John J. McMullen Naval Architects. He is a licensed Chief Engineer for Steam, Diesel, and Gas Turbines. He is a graduate of 3 schools; BS United States Merchant Marine Academy Kings Point, MSE University of Michigan, and MBA University of Washington. He holds presently positions of trust; Board Member Society Gas Marine Fuel "SGMF", Gas Tech Japan 2017 Governing Body Commercial, Advisory Board University of Michigan Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering. Former Wartsila North America Board 2005-2012.

Anne Kari H. Ovind presented her credentials to the Right Honorable Governor General David Johnston on 26 January 2016 and became Norway’s Ambassador to Canada. She has served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more than 20 years. Most of her career has been in the field of security policy, including Arctic affairs, bilateral relations with Russia and NATO affairs. From 1999-2002 she served at the Norwegian Delegation to NATO in Brussels. She also has extensive multilateral experience from responsibilities within climate change, sustainable development and management of natural resources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Over the past 6 years, her work has focused on implementing Norway’s Arctic policy, including coordination across all ministries to produce a coherent and comprehensive policy, the Arctic Council and regional cooperation and bilateral relations in the field of Arctic affairs. She attended the National Defence College in 2004. Her formal education comprises a Master of Science (MSc) in Economics and Business Administration from the Norwegian School of Business and Administration (Bergen), a Master of Arts in European Integration Economics from the College of Europe (Bruges) and a Master of Science in Sea Use Law, Economics and Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

In an energy industry career spanning 33 years David has conducted business in over 16 countries. He has managed various forms of the business and has established a strong external reputation in the energy industry.

As BC LNG Alliance’s President, David has responsibility for promoting and developing a robust LNG export industry in British Columbia that is safe, environmentally and socially responsible.

David was named President of the BC LNG Alliance in August 2014. Prior to joining the Alliance, David was with BG Group for 10 years serving as Vice President, Policy and Corporate Affairs. Before joinging BG he was with Dynegy Inc. as Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Dynegy Europe. David also spent several years with Apache Corp. and Conoco, Inc. He also spent nine years as a helicopter pilot in the US Army.

David is Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Premier’s LNG Working Group on Labour and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Immigrant Employment Council of British Columbia.

David is a cum laude graduate of Kansas State University, and holds a bachelor's degree in business administration. He is married, has two grown children and two grandchildren and lives in Vancouver, Canada.

Charlie joined Cummins Westport Inc. (CWI) in 2010 and currently oversees the company’s business interests as Director, Industry Relations & Refuse Segment. He works closely with Cummins’ North American distribution network to help private companies, governments and industry groups on broad policy issues as well as fleet-specific projects. Prior to CWI, Charlie held numerous sales and marketing positions at Westport Innovations where he oversaw the launch of natural gas truck programs at the Port of LA and Long Beach as well as along Canada’s “Clean Air Corridor” from Toronto to Michigan. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario, Charlie serves on the board of the Canadian Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance and California Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership. CWI is the leading manufacturer of natural gas engines for North American truck and bus markets.

Ron Klopfer is CEO at Etalim, a Vancouver based company developing a unique form of energy recovery technology. Ron is an experienced technology entrepreneur and manager, having co-founded, financed and managed four technology startups over the past 15 years, three of which have attained exits with strong returns to investors. Ron holds an MBA in technology marketing from Queen’s University, and a Bachelor of Computer Engineering from the University of B.C.

Sylvain Langis has accumulated several years of experience as a manager in the alternative fuel sector. A member of the Gaz Métro director team since 2015, he has worked on developing the market for natural gas vehicles by identifying business opportunities and promoting the emergence of partnerships with existing industry players.

Mr. Langis currently sits on the Canadian Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance board and is involved with a number of transportation associations for promoting natural gas in vehicles. During his career, Mr. Langis worked as an energy efficiency specialist for a leading energy distributor before assuming leadership of Electric Circuit’s business partners and market development activities.

Tim Lesiuk is Executive Director of Business Development and Lead Negotiator in the Climate Action Secretariat, the agency responsible for meeting the province’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets. Tim leads British Columbia’s negotiations with the 
Western Climate Initiative (WCI). He is the Canadian Co-chair of the WCI and is also Chair of the Offsets Committee. Tim leads the development of the Cap and Trade system in 
British Columbia and the establishment of the Pacific Carbon Trust. Prior to joining the Climate Action Secretariat, Tim was responsible for climate change management in BC Hydro.

Mark MacLachlan is Professor of Chemistry at UBC and Associate Dean of Research & Graduate Studies pro tem in the Faculty of Science. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Supramolecular Materials and is the Director of the NSERC CREATE Training Program in Nanomaterials Science & Technology at UBC. Mark’s research incorporates many types of materials, including porous materials, biopolymers, nanocatalysts, and photonic structures, to address interesting real-world problems. He is part of a team at UBC actively pursuing new methane oxidation catalysts with Westport Fuel Systems.

Jason has worked in senior management positions within the LNG and natural gas industries, and logistics and transportation companies. As VP Business Development at Cryopeak Jason has helped develop LNG solutions for pipeline outages, pipeline peaking, remote power generation, optimized transportation and emergency response. Previous to Cryopeak Jason was at FortisBC helping develop the LNG market in the High Horse Power sector and was instrumental in securing the first LNG fuel for Mine Haul trucks project in Canada with Teck Resources. Jason is extremely well connected across the industry and is widely regarded as an expert in terms of the planning, business decisions for LNG versus other fuels for off-grid industries. Jason graduated from Simon Fraser University with a bachelor of business degree.

Edson Ng is Principal and co-founder of G4 Insights Inc. He has over 30 years experience in technology development and commercialization. His past experience includes roles at Pathway Industries Inc. (Design and manufacturing), QuestAir Technologies Inc. (Industrial gas equipment), Creo Inc. (Digital prepress equipment), and IBM Canada (IT systems). Edson has a B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Alberta and is a Professional Engineer and Certified Management Consultant.

Harly is an experienced and highly competent Marine Operations Professional and Marine Engineer and with more than 13 years of experience in the maritime industry in roles ranging from Marine Engineering Officer to New Build LNG Vessel Project Manager. He has hands-on experience working on onboard various vessels including ice breakers in the pacific region and was responsible for the oversight of installation and commissioning of complex marine systems which were designed and manufactured by a local marine engineering firm and exported globally.

In his current role with Seaspan Ferries Corporation, Harly is the Project Manager and Technical Lead responsible for the new vessel build program which consists of two state-of-the-art 150m LNG / Hybrid RO-RO vessels.

Harly earned an M.B.A specializing in Maritime Business and Logistics Management from the University of Tasmania and a Bachelor of Science in Nautical Sciences from the University of Cape Breton.

Arvind Ramakrishnan spent over 8 years with FortisBC in areas such as Forecasting, Resource planning, Energy efficiency and conversation, managing and taking the Biomethane program to the market, developing and implementing the natural gas for transportation incentive program and more recently leading a sales team to drive additional growth in CNG/LNG business for domestic and regional markets. The last 4 years, the incentive program alone was instrumental to add about 500 vehicles, 6 mine haul trucks and 5 Vessels in the province to drive growth and throughput in the company. Currently, Arvind is responsible to grow that business to identify new markets and opportunities specifically in the marine segment to drive additional investment opportunities. Prior to FortisBC, Arvind spent about 4 years with a local technology company as a business analyst conducting market research and identifying growth opportunities for new products for battery powered vehicles such as Golf carts etc. Arvind has an MBA from Sauder school of business, Product management certification from the University of California, Berkley and an Engineering degree from India.

Amir Sharafian is a postdoctoral fellow in the Clean Energy Research Centre at the University of British Columbia in Canada. Dr. Sharafian is an expert in adoption of renewable and sustainable energy resources and developing technologies with minimum climate impact. At the University of British Columbia, he is developing energy models for liquefied natural gas storage and distribution facilities, and refueling stations. Designing innovative technologies to detect and mitigate methane emissions from natural gas infrastructure are areas of his expertise. Dr. Sharafian holds a Ph.D. (2015) in Mechatronic Systems Engineering from Simon Fraser University where he designed and built adsorption-based thermally driven air conditioning systems for the first time in Canada. Dr. Sharafian received his M.Sc. (2010) in Energy Conversion Systems and B.Sc. (2007) in Mechanical Engineering from Shiraz University, Iran.

Doug is Vice President, Market Development & External Relations at FortisBC, involved in both natural gas and electricity businesses in BC and responsible for the development of new business opportunities as well as negotiations with municipal, provincial and governments of Aboriginal Peoples. He also oversees the corporate communications group. Doug has led the development of the Tilbury and Mt. Hayes LNG projects for FortisBC, the repatriation of customer service activities to the business, and the development of natural gas for transportation activities in BC. He has held several board positions with various industry organizations, including Chair of the Board of the CNGVA and a Board member of the Northwest Gas Association. Most recently, Doug is a member of the BC LNG Alliance Board.

His previous roles in the organization includes: Fleet in Service Surveyor (Singapore), LNG Carrier New Building Project Manager (Korea) and Head of Department for Offshore New-building and Conversion (Singapore).

Currently based in Houston, he is responsible for business development with a strong focus on new technology for maritime application, LNG as a marine fuel, Gas ships, energy efficiency and hybrid ships/ technology. He received a Naval Architecture (Hons) degree from the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow) in 1998. When he finds time, he enjoys golf, archery and running.

Todd Thompson is CEO and a co-founder of Carnot Compression LLC. Todd has over 20 years of strategic, financial, and corporate development experience. Prior to co-founding Carnot, Todd held multiple leadership roles with a publicly traded industrial company, where he led efforts to enter multiple new markets, both organically and via acquisition. Todd began his career in management consulting, where he advised clients on corporate finance, strategy, and value based management. Todd is a CFA Charterholder and earned a BS in Commerce from the University of Virginia.

In his role as vice president, planning and operations, Mr. Xotta is responsible for the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s long term planning, operations, security, and trade development activities. Mr. Xotta joined the port authority in 1995, and has held diverse portfolios including business development and leading strategic port projects. Mr. Xotta’s experience has included acting as president of Modalink Distribution Hub Ltd., a multi-modal logistics facility in South Richmond, British Columbia and a 50 per cent joint venture with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. He is the former chair of Canada Place Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, and currently sits on the board of directors of the Van Horne Institute and Crossroads Hospice Society. Mr. Xotta has a Masters in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University’s Segal Graduate School of Business and is an active mentor in the program.

Fred Zweep is the President of the Vedder Transportation Group a privately held diversified truck transportation, warehousing and logistics company with its head office located in Abbotsford, British Columbia employing over 650 staff members.

Currently, the Vedder Transportation Group is ranked 38th on Canada’s Top 100 For-Hire Truck Transportation Companies list.

Mr. Zweep is a highly innovative and entrepreneurial Transportation Executive with over 20 years of senior management experience in Truck Transportation, Warehousing and Logistics both in Domestic and International Trade, where he has demonstrated the ability to lead diverse teams of professionals to new levels of success within the transportation industry.

In November, 2012 Mr. Zweep was one of five outstanding individuals from around the world to be recognized for their contribution to the natural gas industry and Fred was awarded the prestigious Natural Gas Vehicle Global Champion Award for his dedication to both operational and environmental excellence, combined with his passion and integrity. In December 2010, Vedder Transport was the first operation of its kind in Canada to announce its purchase of 50 Peterbilt liquified natural gas (LNG) trucks powered by Westport HD systems. Fred’s constant commitment to achieving excellence and safety has also positively influenced the perception of Natural Gas operated LNG trucks.

Mr. Zweep holds a Business Degree from the University of Manitoba along with a Transportation Management and Policy Certificate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Fred resides in Abbotsford, British Columbia with his wife Rhonda and their two (2) children Rebecca and Nolan.