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Smart Solutions from Top Industry Minds

Utility Global was created to bring forth sustainable business solutions, enabling an affordable energy transition to a low-carbon world. This is our passion, our drive and the reason we exist. Our team of experts combines the best of world-renowned technical proficiency and respected leadership with many decades of industry experience.

Our proprietary eXEROTM technology platform of products and services, extensive patent portfolio and successful track record of taking technology to engineering to market has produced an unparalleled competitive edge for us—and most importantly for our customers, investors and partners.

Meet Our Team

Our company was incubated by top engineers from renowned institutions with the mission to deliver transformative sustainability solutions that are both near-term and make good business sense. Today our team consists of top talent of professional engineers and technologists, guided by highly experienced industry minds.

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  • Executive
  • Board of Directors
  • Advisory
Claus-Nussgruber

Claus Nussgruber

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER and PRESIDENT

Preparing corporations for the markets of tomorrow has been the hallmark of Claus Nussgruber’s career. As an accomplished global executive leading P&L, business development, product management, and end-to-end commercialization, he provides 25+ years’ leadership experience in the industrial gases’ growth space. With his focus on delivering game changing energy transition solutions, he continues to drive the commercialization of novel technologies and business approaches. Mr. Nussgruber holds a Chemical Engineering degree from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, as well as a MBA from Heriott-Watt University in Scotland.

Greg-Heinlein

Greg Heinlein

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Greg Heinlein is a proven financial executive with an extensive career spanning more than 30 years, marked by achievements in executive-level financial management. His expertise encompasses diverse industries, including manufacturing, distribution and service businesses, with a proven track record of success in renewable fuels, chemicals, oil and gas, laboratory distribution and life sciences, and semiconductors. With a wealth of experience in fund-raising and financial operations, Mr. Heinlein has raised nearly $35 billion over his career, a testament to his ability to secure capital and drive financial growth. Notably, he has executed two successful initial public offerings (IPOs) and two leveraged buyouts (LBOs), generating substantial gains for investors and management teams. Mr. Heinlein has held senior finance positions in public and private companies, including Dow Chemical, ION Geophysical, Stallion Oilfield Services, and most recently, Fulcrum BioEnergy, where he served as the Chief Financial Officer. In each role, he demonstrated sound financial leadership, fostering growth and optimizing operational efficiencies. He holds a B.B.A in general management from Saginaw Valley State University and an MBA from Michigan State University.

Novak

Vladimir Novak, Ph.D.

CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER

Vladimir Novak dedicated his career to energy transition towards a zero-carbon society. He has a deep commercial and technical background with 24 years of experience developing and commercializing clean energy and mobility technologies. As boards advisor and C-suite executive, he has been setting course for corporations, creating new markets, building new lines of business, and pioneering multi-industry global ventures that fueled commercial growth for international energy/power supermajors (Chevron, GE) and clean energy startups (Ultra Safe Nuclear, CT-Coating). Vladimir holds a PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an Executive MBA from Rice University.

Reinartz

Stefan Reinartz, Ph.D.

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

Dr. Reinartz was formerly Vice President of the Lithium-Ion battery electric drive vehicle (EDV) & energy storage systems (ESS) business at Celgard, a manufacturer of battery separator membranes and a subsidiary of Asahi Kasei. Dr. Reinartz joined Celgard in 2015 and served in roles of expanding responsibility in the areas of product management, R&D and quality. Earlier in his career, he spent more than 10 years in technology and product management positions at Axalta Coating Systems and DuPont. 

Dr. Reinartz holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an Executive MBA from Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania.

Nigel-McMullen

Nigel McMullen

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Mr. McMullen brings more than 30 years of industrial gases experience including 20+ years of P&L management where he delivered significant growth in the large scale, long term supply segment of the business. His strong business acumen, balance of operations and technical skills, combined with the ability to build strong results oriented teams has enabled him to successfully deliver major capital projects. Utilizing a customer focused approach, he has provided leadership in new product development and product portfolio management to world leading companies in the semiconductor, chemicals and materials industries. Mr. McMullen holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology and an MBA from the No. 1 globally ranked program at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Kelly-Goranson

Kelly Goranson

VP OF PEOPLE

Kelly brings more than 20 years of progressive HR experience both in Fortune 500 companies and start-up portfolio companies. Prior to joining Utility Global, Kelly led the People function at G2O Technologies, a chemical manufacturing company. Kelly has spent much of her career in the energy industry, most notably leading progressive global HR teams with ExxonMobil, Baker Hughes and GE. More recently, she has worked in start-up portfolio companies owned by Warburg Pincus and Arsenal Capital Partners. Kelly has a B.A. degree from Rutgers University and an MBA from Vanderbilt University.

Cory-Steffek

Cory Steffek, Ph.D.

BOARD MEMBER

Mr. Steffek is a Partner at Ara Partners. He brings 25 years of experience launching new products and investing in the advanced materials and energy space. He currently serves on the board of directors for several Ara portfolio companies. Prior to Ara, he was the founding Managing Director of Aramco Energy Ventures in North America. At Aramco Ventures, he led investments in companies involved in renewable energy, low carbon chemicals and fuels, advanced materials, and energy efficiency through digital automation and robotics. Before joining Aramco Ventures, Mr. Steffek was Director of Corporate Development and Strategy at First Solar, responsible for strategic investments and acquisitions, with an emphasis on new technologies and products. Prior to that, he led sustainability investments in a broad range of energy technology companies at the Altira Group. Mr. Steffek holds a PhD in materials chemistry from the University of Michigan and a Master of Business Administration from The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Bill-Hammarstrom

Bill Hammarstrom

BOARD MEMBER

Mr. Hammarstrom was formerly the President of HyCO Americas Region with Air Products and Chemicals. He is a profit-driven leader of business strategy, tactics, and execution with over 32 years of experience managing businesses exceeding $2 billion in revenue. He joined Air Products in 1988, initially in the Merchant Gases division. He held roles ranging from business development and business management to managing director, Vice President, and President. In 2015 he was appointed vice president, Americas HyCO, responsible for the profitability and growth of the of the company’s HyCO franchises and stand-alone plants in the Americas region. In 2020, he assumed the role of President of the HyCO Americas Region with expanded responsibilities for carbon capture and storage and hydrogen for mobility. Mr. Hammarstrom is on the Energy Institute Advisory Board of Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business. He holds a B.A. degree in economics and MBA degree from Tulane University.

Ari David

Ari David

BOARD MEMBER

Ari David is a Principal at Ara and is involved with all aspects of the firm’s investment process.

Prior to joining Ara, Ari was a Vice President at AUA Private Equity where he was responsible for origination, structuring, due diligence, execution and monitoring of investments in the consumer and food sectors. He was a board member of Epi Breads, Profectus Beauty, Westminster Pet Products, and Gourmet Culinary Partners. Prior to joining AUA, he was with J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

Ari holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Tufts University, where he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa and was a member of the Varsity Baseball team. He received a Master of Business Administration from the Columbia Business School.

MATTHEW-DAWSON

Matthew Dawson, Ph.D.

SPECIAL ADVISOR

Dr. Dawson’s track record of developing and commercializing industry-shaping technologies is widely recognized. As a respected expert in the energy industry, he has held leadership & technology roles in several Fortune 500 companies, including the roles of President, Chief Technology Officer, and Venture Capital Investment Manager. In addition to founding Utility Global, he has founded two other successful companies, one of which went on to receive the World Oil Award and E&P’s Meritorious Award For Engineering Innovation and was successfully acquired. He received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and currently holds more than one hundred (100) patent, patent applications, and publications in the energy field. He’s a seasoned executive, experienced director, savvy venture capitalist, and technology leader.

Michael-Idelchik

Michael Idelchik

SPECIAL ADVISOR

Mr. Idelchik is an innovative thought leader, board director, and executive advisor who develops new technology across multiple industries and evolves it to compete and win in the global market. A leader of five divisions during his career at GE, he was on the front line of creating “world’s-first” products that revolutionized healthcare and aviation. A system-level thinker, he has intricate knowledge of the global technology supply chain from conception to market and has developed talent and led teams throughout the world. His nearly 40 years of success culminated in receiving GE’s highest honor recognizing lifetime achievement. Michael currently leverages his ability to connect industry and technology as a board member and trusted advisor to business leaders. He serves as a strategic and technology consultant for a variety of companies and fills a much-needed role in the start-up sphere where he guides product maturity, scale up, and supply chain development that is tailored to making each specific technology a success. He additionally serves on the Advisory Board of Singapore National Research Foundation, where he is valued for helping simplify the complexities of positioning the country as a global technology competitor. As Vice President of Advanced Technology at GE Global Research, Michael led a team of 1,200 scientists, engineers, and technicians to develop and mature products and services in vital technological areas. He created collaborations to access and inspire internal and external innovation, and he coached and mentored top technical talent. As a voting member of GE Ventures and Strategic Advisor for GE technology spinoffs, Michael drove growth and created a new supply chain benefitting the entire company, evaluating and determining engagement levels with more than 100 companies a year from around the world.

Nicholas-Farandos

Nicholas Farandos, Ph.D.

SPECIAL ADVISOR

Dr. Farandos received his MEng in Chemical Engineering from University of Cambridge and went on to receive his Ph.D. from Imperial College. He has a proven track record as a technology specialist who has developed innovative breakthroughs that have pushed the industry to the next level. With over twenty (20) patent applications in the field of electrochemistry, he is an electrochemical contributor to Utility Global.

Our History

TimeLine

The first patent application covering the eXERO gas production technology platform was filed on April 26, 2019, with the United States Patent Office, by Dr. Nicholas Farandos, Dr. Matthew Dawson, Dr. Jin Dawson and Dr. David Hall.

2018

Utility Global was founded 

2019

The eXERO gas production technology platform is invented

3 Employees

2020

Thermodynamics of the technology validated

10 Employees

2021

Demonstrated commercial scale electrochemical cells

11 Employees

2022

H2GenTM pilot successfully built and started up

2022

May

First hydrogen produced from a H2Gen reactor

27 Employees

2022

August 

Utility Global raises $25M in funding

2023

January

H2Gen pilot program complete with full report and results 

2023

February

Utility Global expands global sales capability via appointment of Intralink in Asia

2023

February

Utility Global presents test results of revolutionary zero-electricity hydrogen reactor to industry experts

2023

March 

Partnership on first installation of H2Gen with Stelco 

2023

April

Utility Global launches first commercial website

2023

April

Utility Global opens new headquarters in Houston, Texas

2023

May 

Advanced Technology Center opens in Denver, Colorado

2023

June

Utility Global begins construction of cell manufacturing line

2023

October

Utility Global presents at ADIPEC and other important international events

2023

October

Delivery of field demonstration plant at Stelco

2023

November

Utility Global starts up H2Gen demonstration plant at Stelco for first time

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

WHERE YOU'LL FIND US

Locations-Map-v3 (1)
Offices

Houston, TX

15330 Park Row Houston, TX 77084

15721 Park Row Ste 175 Houston, TX 77084

281-944-9338

Denver, CO

373 Inverness Pkwy Ste 200 Englewood, CO 80112

BRING YOUR ENERGY AND JOIN OUR TEAM.

We are always looking for talented, motivated individuals to join and complement our growing team of professionals. If you’re eager to make a positive impact on the world, we’d like to talk. 

Reach us at: recruitment@utilityglobal.com