Our Experts

President, Xebec Europe and President, Global Hydrogen Group

Marinus Van Driel has devoted the last 25 years to clean energy, most notably as the CEO of HyGear, a leader in on-site gas production and delivery. After filling various technical and commercial positions at several engineering and production companies, Marinus served as general manager of Plug Power’s Europe division. He later started his own company, Hexion (currently HyGear). As President of Xebec Europe, Marinus is responsible for solidifying the company’s presence in the growing European biogas market, overseeing general management, finance & administration as well as business development. Marinus has a master’s degree in materials science and engineering, focusing on fuel cell research, and an MBA from RSM Erasmus University in Rotterdam.

General Manager, Xebec China

Peter Cheng is an accomplished executive with 20+ years of experience in business development, strategy, and operations at the management and executive levels with energy and oil & gas firms in North America and China. His technical expertise spans performance and procurement engineering, quantitative strategies, pricing and structured products. Peter brings extensive management know-how to the table, spanning business development, sales & marketing, strategic planning, consulting and more. As General Manager of Xebec’s operations in China, Peter is responsible for leading the success of all company activities across Asia Pacific.

Director of Sales and Business Development (West Coast)

A senior sales executive, Antonio Saavedra is an industrial chemical engineer by training with extensive experience in international business development in the clean tech, energy and chemical industries. In his current role as Director of Sales and Business Development at Xebec Adsorption Inc., Antonio is responsible for the North American West Coast, and Latin American market development and has been involved with a broad array of biogas upgrading projects, including landfills, wastewater treatment plants, and agricultural, animal and food waste digesters.

Senior Business Manager

Alan Johnson is a results-oriented leader who develops strategies that optimize resources, workflows, revenues and costs. His hands-on business expertise encompasses product development and support, project management, process improvement, strategic customer relationship management, and niche market development. Over the course of his career, Alan has worked on numerous renewable energy projects across the U.S., including facility feasibility studies, anaerobic digestion retrofits, municipal wastewater treatment plants and electric & gas interconnection projects. He has negotiated contracts, supervised development, engineering & construction teams, managed the relationship between clients & subcontractors, and provided technical oversight.

Manager, Application Engineering

Behrang Mansoornejad is a process and chemical engineer with 15+ years of experience. His technical expertise includes the detailed design of processes in petrochemical, biorefinery and biogas industries, techno-economic analysis, environmental assessment and flexibility analysis, process simulation and modeling, mathematical optimization, supply chain design, optimization and management. At Xebec, Behrang oversees Xebec’s Application Engineering team in developing technical/commercial project proposals, developing equipment sizing and pricing tools, providing technical support to clients and the sales team, supporting project management and more. He holds a Ph.D. in process systems engineering from the École Polytechnique de Montréal.

Manager, R&D

Richard Jewell is a seasoned chemist who has spent the last 35 years working in process engineering, innovation, research and development (IR&D), technology development and management. His technical expertise spans synthesis gas generation, Hyco, SMR, ATR, and gasification, process design and economic analysis, process certification and validation, carbon life cycle analysis, cleantech and energy, renewable electricity, renewable natural gas, and renewable hydrogen, GxP and ISCC. Richard holds a B.Sc.(Hons.) in Applied Chemistry from Nottingham Trent University with post graduate training in Chemical engineering disciplines and certificates in risk management, project management and advanced biofuels from McGill University.

Director, Business Development

Amir Ghasdi is a chemical and material engineer with 10 years of business development experience in the renewable and environment industry. His technical expertise spans process engineering in oil refineries, food, petroleum industry and waste water treatment plants, gas separation and purification processes, and advanced gas purification systems. Amir holds a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Sharif University of Technology, a Ph.D. in material engineering from Université Laval and a master’s degree in business administration from Concordia University.

Manager, Business Development

Laurent Amram is a mechanical engineer who has spent nearly 20 years honing his skills in sales management while working for pump and compressor manufacturers in Asia, Europe and Canada. His hands-on expertise spans leading and managing sales teams and distributor networks, developing sales & marketing, and account management. Laurent holds a bachelor of mechanical engineering degree from the École Polytechnique de Montréal.

Director, Quality, Testing and Conformity

Michel Tousignant is a mechanical engineer with 20+ years of experience in team management in manufacturing environments. He boasts extensive technical expertise in materials and manufacturing processes. As head of Xebec’s Engineering Office, Michel is responsible for managing process, mechanical and electrical engineering services over two continents. His know-how encompasses leading and planning the design and development of complex gas purification products, implementing the Stage-Gate method, overseeing product development processes and providing support for regulatory compliance and standardization. He holds a bachelor of mechanical engineering degree and is a member of the Order of Engineers of Quebec.

Director, Project Management

Shaun Gaudet is a results-oriented manager with 10+ years of experience in engineering and project management. He holds a master’s degree in aerospace engineering with technical expertise in gas turbine performance and controls. Shaun has worked for globally renowned manufacturing companies, where he delivered high-value, customer-focused projects while gaining hands-on experience in product development, cross-functional team leadership, continuous improvement, and research and development. He is a strong believer in collaboration, communication, and customer satisfaction.

Director, Information Systems and Quality

Michaël Nadeau has 10+ years of experience in operations, finance, sales, and management. His solid academic background, combined with his excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, enable him to juggle multiple projects while producing high-quality work in deadline-oriented environments. Over the course of his career, Michaël has gained hands-on experience in strategic planning, process improvement and organizational efficiency, as well as in leading ERP implementation projects. He holds a master’s degree in business finance and a B.Sc in business administration.

Director, Customer Care

Jean-Philippe Labrie is a veteran engineer with nearly 20 years of experience in process and integration/automation engineering. Since 2019, he has overseen the implementation of Xebec’s customer service department and its four subdivisions: service engineering, parts planning & logistics, installation, commissioning & maintenance, and data analysis & reporting. Jean-Philippe has hands-on experience in developing and implementing service business strategies such as commissioning, parts replacement, critical spare part inventories, preventive maintenance, and customer training. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering.

Team Lead, Electrical Engineering

George Ciucurel is an electromechanical engineer with technical expertise in power, control, wiring, grounding, electrical machinery and equipment, low, medium and high voltage, air conditioning, and intruder and fire alarms. His hands-on project management experience ranges from consulting, design and development to planning, coordination and supervision. This know-how also encompasses quotation, construction and maintenance. Over the course of his career, George has worked on numerous projects across Canada, including the electrical infrastructure of hospitals, wind farm substations and mines.

Team Lead, Mechanical Engineering

George Said is a mechanical engineer with 10+ years of experience in design and team management. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and is a member of the Professional Engineers in Quebec and Ontario. His technical expertise spans manufacturing, mining, piping, pressure vessels design, pumping station design, finite element analysis, simulation, equipment selection, and consulting. He specializes in design & BOM for skid-mounted packaged equipment and has in-depth knowledge of numerous industry codes. He is also a National Board Certified Individual for Miniature unfired ASME vessels.

Director, Biogas Product

Cristian Iuhas, is an engineer with 30+ years of experience in design, project execution and management, commissioning, and start-ups. He is a member of the Quebec provincial association of professional engineers, holding bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, a diploma in engineering management and PMP certification. His experience in the gas, petrochemical, chemical and energy industries includes coordinating and supervising the construction, erection and installation of equipment in compliance with design deliverables, quality standards, plant requirements, and pre-start-up safety reviews.

Team Lead, Process Engineering

Alberto Torres is a process engineer with 13+ years of experience in process design, simulation, product development, biogas purification, compressed air, and nitrogen generation. Alberto has been at Xebec Adsorption Inc. for the last 6 years, first as Product Lead for Compressed air and, since 2018, as Team Lead for the Process Engineering department. During this time, Alberto has gained hands-on experience in product development and in the design of biogas plants. Alberto holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemical engineering.

Vice-President, Industrial

Russell Warner is a well-rounded leader with extensive business experience in the compressed air industry as an executive at Sullair and Doosan Infracore Portable Power (formerly Ingersoll Rand Utility Equipment). At Xebec, he leads the company’s Cleantech Service Network expansion strategy for renewable natural gas and hydrogen installations. Throughout his career, Russell has been responsible for launching new products and services, establishing product roadmaps and driving business growth. He is based out of Charlotte, North Carolina and holds an MBA from Marquette University.

Sales Manager, Compressed Air

Patrick Lapalme is a seasoned sales professional with 14+ years of experience working in the industrial, channel and building materials industries. His hands-on experience spans managing sales teams, building business plans, determining costs and pricing, and implementing distribution networks. In his current role, Patrick leads Xebec’s Canadian sales team for compressed air solutions. He holds a certificate in marketing management from HEC Montréal.

Sales Manager, CNG/RNG

Daniel Routhier is a highly successful sales professional with 20+ years of experience working for globally renowned manufacturers. His hands-on expertise spans customer service, new business development, and sales management. Daniel has been at Xebec Adsorption Inc. for the last 4 years, where he has worked as a sales representative and territory manager in both Canada and the U.S. In his current role, Daniel is responsible for developing the North American market for Xebec’s compressed natural gas solutions. He holds a B.Sc from the Université de Montréal.

Director, Customer Care

Martin Louis is a passionate and results-oriented leader with 20+ years of procurement, logistics and project management experience. Over the course of his career, he has acquired extensive hands-on expertise in organizing projects and leading teams in remote locations with low availability of local technical service suppliers. Martin’s technical expertise spans the areas of maintenance, repair processes, machining, civil works and contracting. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Université du Québec à Montréal.

External Sales Representative, Quebec and Maritimes

Armando Alonzo is a seasoned sales professional with 14 years of experience in business development. Over the course of his career, he has worked in both inside and outside sales for a number of equipment manufacturers. His hands-on expertise spans customer service, account management and new business development. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from HEC Montréal.