Robert Niven, MSc
Chief Executive Officer & Founder

Rob Niven is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CarbonCure Technologies, the global leader in carbon dioxide (CO₂) removal technologies for the concrete industry. Rob has the simple goal of making concrete sustainability both profitable and easy for industry. Under his direction, CarbonCure and its partners are achieving their mission to reduce 500 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually by 2030.

Rob has received countless international awards recognizing his leadership in sustainability, innovation and technology development including the Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, the 2016 Ernest C. Manning Innovation Award, the Cleantech Group’s Top 100 Global Cleantech Companies and the BloombergNEF New Energy Pioneers Award.

Rob holds an MSc in Environmental Engineering from McGill University and a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Victoria, British Columbia. In his spare time, Rob is an avid outdoors enthusiast and devotes his time to nature conservation and environmental community events.

Jennifer Wagner, MSc, MBA
President

Keith Abriel, CPA, CA, CFA
Chief Financial Officer

Keith is a seasoned financial executive, known for bringing a practical, tenacious and entrepreneurial approach to senior financial leadership roles. Keith’s 25 years’ experience includes serving as Chief Financial Officer of several publicly traded and venture backed companies, raising over a billion dollars of capital while in those roles, and extensive M&A experience. Keith also spent 9 years with PwC.

Sean Monkman, PhD, PEng
Senior Vice President of Technology Development

Sean oversees CarbonCure’s research and intellectual property activities. His focus is on the scientific and materials performance aspects of the company’s offerings. 

Sean holds a Doctoral degree in Civil Engineering from McGill University. His career has included more than 25 years working in concrete materials including 15 years working on CO₂ utilization approaches.

He is active within the American Concrete Institute on the Materials, Admixtures, Nanotechnology and Performance Specification committees and is the chair of the Sustainability committee. Sean has authored more than four dozen papers and presentations on beneficial CO₂ utilization in concrete production and is a co-inventor on more than 40 issued and pending patents related to the work.

In 2019, Sean was recognized as the Mission Innovation Champion for Canada at the Fourth Mission Innovation Ministerial (MI-4) in Vancouver.

Dean Forgeron, PhD, PEng
Senior Vice President of Engineering

As a concrete innovator, Dean is responsible for the engineering and product development activities at CarbonCure. Along with industry partners, Dean has successfully developed and commercialized technologies for the concrete sector that have been adopted in international markets. His background includes development of concrete macro-synthetic fiber reinforcement, material characterization of fiber reinforced concrete, self-consolidating and self-leveling fiber reinforced concrete, and green concrete technologies.

Dean completed his BEng at TUNS in Halifax before completing his PhD at Dalhousie University. Outside of work, Dean enjoys traveling, outdoor activities and motor sports.

Lori Aizer Bryenton
Vice President of Marketing

Lori Aizer is Vice President of Marketing, responsible for developing and executing CarbonCure's marketing strategy designed to accelerate global expansion. Lori is a strategic marketing executive who has spent over 25 years leading global marketing organizations and developing go-to-market strategies for technology companies across many industries including wireless, software, IoT, fintech and cleantech.

Based in Vancouver, Canada, Lori has worked with the local technology sector providing advisory services to technology start-ups and also founded and runs a local Executive Women in Tech networking group.

Sean Zuberbier
Vice President of Sales

As Vice President of Sales, Sean is responsible for driving exponential growth in CarbonCure's primary market, North America. A veteran leader in the technology space, he has led growth strategies that have transformed start-up’s to multinationals in building long-lasting client relationships around the world. He is an advocate of customer success driven growth; his high-performing teams are known for empowerment, ambition, and client empathy.

Sean is proud to be part of the CarbonCure team; engaged in market leading work to bring a new route to sustainability for the global building materials industry. He lives with his family in Vancouver, Canada.

Kaja Salovsky
Vice President of Business Development

Kaja Salovsky is Vice President of Business Development responsible for accelerating CarbonCure’s growth outside of Canada and USA.

With 25 years experience developing world-class sales organizations to support partners with ‘win-win’ strategies, his global industry background includes: Speciality Concrete Admixtures, Building Materials, Transportation, Logistics, Manufacturing and Telecommunications.

Based in Vancouver, Canada, Kaja is excited to make sustainability profitable for ready mix, precast and masonry concrete producers, in support of CarbonCure’s mission to reduce CO₂ emissions by 500 megatonnes annually.

Robert Niven
Chair; CEO & Founder of CarbonCure Technologies

Rob Niven is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CarbonCure Technologies, the global leader in carbon dioxide (CO₂) utilization technologies for the concrete industry. Rob has the simple goal of making concrete sustainability both profitable and easy for industry. Under his direction, CarbonCure and its partners are achieving their mission to reduce 500 megatonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.

Rob has received countless international awards recognizing his leadership in sustainability, innovation and technology development including the Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, the 2016 Ernest C. Manning Innovation Award, the Cleantech Group’s Top 100 Global Cleantech Companies and the BloombergNEF New Energy Pioneers Award.

Rob holds an MSc in Environmental Engineering from McGill University and a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Victoria, British Columbia. In his spare time, Rob is an avid outdoors enthusiast and devotes his time to nature conservation and environmental community events.

Michael S. Burke
Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AECOM

Michael S. Burke is the Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AECOM (NYSE: ACM), a premier, fully integrated infrastructure firm that designs, builds, finances and operates infrastructure assets in more than 150 countries through nearly 60,000 employees.

After joining the company in 2005, Mr. Burke served as a key AECOM leader and was instrumental in the evolution of AECOM from a private company to a public firm whose staff of architects, engineers, designers, planners, scientists and management and construction professionals serve clients virtually anywhere in the world. Mr. Burke directed the company’s initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which was one of the 10 largest NYSE listings for 2007, and one of the largest engineering industry IPOs of all time.

Mr. Burke is a former member of the Business Roundtable Board of Directors and Chair of its Infrastructure Committee. The Committee is leading the organization’s efforts to advocate for the modernization of U.S. infrastructure assets. Globally, he is the former Co-Chair of the Steering Committee, Infrastructure and Urban Development Industries, World Economic Forum. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Archer Daniels Midland Company, one of the world’s largest agricultural processors and food ingredient providers.

Lisa Bate
Global Sustainability Lead + Advance Strategy, Senior Principal at B+H Architects

Lisa is the Immediate Past Chair of the World Green Building Council Board and sits on B+H's five person Global Management Board. Adopting a big picture perspective with focus on Climate Action under three global goals of Advancing Net Zero Carbon, Health & Wellbeing, Resources & the Circular Economy, Lisa unpacks the complexities that are inherent in every problem and project she works on to identify key objectives that may not have otherwise been considered. By applying a comprehensive project methodology from visioning through to measuring performance in occupancy, Lisa optimizes design solutions to help clients build and develop their people, culture, and business portfolios. Her focus is on ROI, ROSR (Return on Sustainability & Resiliency) and ROHC (Return on Human Capital) to ensure the best design and technical performance for People + Planet + Profit.

B+H acquired Lisa's firm in 2007. Her design experience spans across Canada to China, the US, the Caribbean, SE Asia, and India. From 2012 to 2016, she was based in Shanghai as B+H’s Managing Principal, China and EVP, Asia. From 2016 to 2018, she was B+H’s Regional Managing Principal for the Americas. Lisa has built trust with her clients and colleagues over the years by being a careful listener who uncovers the most important elements of the goals for every project and tailors the process to deliver on them. Her focus on project schedules and design quality – coupled with her determination to innovate for high performance and a commitment to lifelong learning – tie all the pieces together to inform strategic, successful outcomes.

Lisa is a passionate advocate for environmental, economic, and social sustainability and resiliency. Her recent leadership roles on large-scale complex projects include Mohawk College's Net Zero Carbon Design and Operational Performance Certified Joyce Centre for Partnerships & Innovation and Humber College's Passive House EnerPHiT and Net Zero Carbon Design Certified Building Nx, the retrofit of a 1980s structure. Lisa led the firm’s delivery of over a dozen venues for the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games. Lisa has helped mentor many future leaders in the design and construction sector. Lisa is extremely proud that B+H’s Global Director of Specifications, Matt Roberts, had the foresight to have CarbonCure as base specification for more than a decade.

Lisa’s experience with supporting global studios combined with the broader Surbana Jurong group of companies equips her with a global perspective of how to serve clients, grow their as well as B+H’s and Surbana Jurong’s business, and deliver meaningful sustainable and resilient projects.

David Green
President of Carmanah Management Corporation

David Green founded Carmanah Management Corporation, a private corporation incorporated in 1988, in Victoria, British Columbia. David spent three years as a Technical Expert with the Commonweath Secretariat at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, and then returned to start Carmanah Management. Carmanah has been involved in the development and commercialization of technology since 1993. Carmanah also runs a Technology Centre to house technology companies.

In addition, David is the founder of the publicly traded company Carmanah Technologies Corporation, which provides signalling and solar lighting solutions for infrastructure projects around the world. 

David is a professional engineer who graduated from the Royal Military College in Engineering Physics (B.Eng.), and from the Institute of Oceanography at the University of British Columbia (Ph.D).

William C. Holden
Chairman of the CarbonCure Industry Advisory Council

As Chairman of the Industry Advisory Council, Bill Holden helps guide CarbonCure on the issues that matter most to today's concrete producers. Holden possesses over thirty years of executive and general management construction materials experience in aggregates, ready mix, masonry products and building materials.

Bill served as the President of Block USA, one of the leading concrete masonry producers in the country, and as President of Couch USA, a major producer of ready mix, block and building materials serving the Southeast USA. As well, Bill was formerly Chairman of the Board of the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) and Alabama Concrete Industries Association, and Chairman of the NCMA’s Long Range Planning Committee. Bill currently serves as a board member of The Concrete Industry Management Program.

Tony Van Bommel
Senior Managing Partner of BDC Capital

Tony Van Bommel is Senior Managing Partner in the Industrial, Clean and Energy (ICE) Technology Venture Fund in BDC Capital’s Toronto office. He is responsible for overseeing the ICE Fund investments and maximizing value creation across the portfolio. Tony has been with BDC Capital since 2001 and with the ICE Fund since its inception in 2011.

Prior to joining BDC, he spent four years as Senior Investment Manager with InNOVAcorp, a General Partner for the Nova Scotia First Fund, an early stage knowledge‑based venture fund. For 10 years prior to this, he worked as a lawyer and partner in the business law firm Little & Wright in London, Ontario.

Tony has held multiple directorships in both public and private emerging growth companies across Canada. Tony was recognized in 2015 as one of Canada’s CLEAN50 and in 2014 as one of the world’s most influential environmental investors by the Journal of Environmental Investing.

Tony received his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Western Ontario where he won the Pitney Bowes Award for the top graduating law student in Ontario who combined academics, athletics and service to the community.

Chris Poirier
Member of Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Over the last 25 years, Chris has started or led six technology-based companies that span industries ranging from medical device manufacturing to design automation software to energy technology. Prior to joining BEV, Chris was the Chairman & CEO of CoalTek, Inc., a clean coal technology company. During his 12-year tenure at CoalTek, Chris led the company’s entry into the China market. Chris continued to serve on the board of CoalTek and CoalTek’s joint venture company in the PRC through 2018.

Chris was a three-time appointee to the National Coal Council, a special advisory committee to the US Secretary of Energy, under both the G.W. Bush and Obama administrations. He is an investor in and a member of the board of directors/advisors for a number of traditional technology, energy/environmental technology and materials companies. 

Chris earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing and finance from Boston College. Chris lives in Wellesley, MA with his wife and four children.

William C. Holden
Chairman, CarbonCure Industry Advisory Council

As Chairman of the Industry Advisory Council, Bill Holden helps guide CarbonCure on the issues that matter most to today's concrete producers. Holden possesses over thirty years of executive and general management construction materials experience in aggregates, ready mix, masonry products and building materials.

Bill served as the President of Block USA, one of the leading concrete masonry producers in the country, and as President of Couch USA, a major producer of ready mix, block and building materials serving the Southeast USA. As well, Bill was formerly Chairman of the Board of the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) and Alabama Concrete Industries Association, and Chairman of the NCMA’s Long Range Planning Committee. Bill currently serves as a board member of The Concrete Industry Management Program.

Bob Haldrup
President, Irving Materials, Inc. North Division

Bob Haldrup is the President of the North Division of the family-owned Irving Materials, Inc. (imi), which has 155 active ready mix locations spanning through the states of Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Founded in 1946, imi has been at the forefront of concrete innovation, including the development of the front discharge concrete mixer that is now an industry staple. In January 2019, imi announced the adoption of the CarbonCure Technology across 15 of its concrete plants.

Alan Wessel
President, Thomas Concrete Inc.

Alan Wessel is President of the US division of Thomas Concrete, a leading supplier of high quality ready-mix concrete in the Southeast USA. Thomas Concrete is known for its innovative concrete solutions and its commitment to sustainability. Under Alan’s direction, Thomas became the worldwide leader in the production of concrete made with carbon dioxide (CO₂). Thomas Concrete was also a member of the Carbon XPRIZE team, helping Team CarbonCure advance into the final round (which they won). Thomas Concrete has supplied over 3 million cubic yards of concrete made with CarbonCure to construction projects, resulting in over 35,000 tons of CO₂ saved.

Steven Cox
Vice President of Business Development, Command Alkon

As Vice President of Business Development at Command Alkon, the global innovation leader in integrated software solutions for the construction materials industries, Steve Cox provides insight into the unique sales and customer service needs of the concrete industry. Steve brings additional concrete sales experience as the former North American Sales Director for W.R. Grace’s Concrete Admixture business.  

Jeff Davis
Former Vice President, U.S. Concrete Inc.

Prior to serving as Vice President of U.S. Concrete from April 2017 to October 2018, Jeff Davis served as Vice President and General Manager of U.S. Concrete’s northern California business units, including Central Concrete. Under Jeff’s direction, Central Concrete consistently spotted and capitalized on emerging industry trends, becoming a leader in low-carbon concrete solutions, developing thousands of high performing, low-carbon mixes and the first ready-mixed concrete company in North America to publish Environmental Product Declarations. In addition, Central Concrete was a founding member of the Carbon Leadership Forum and actively participates in legislative actions to streamline the adoption of sustainable technologies, products and processes.

Jamie Gentoso
Chief Executive Officer, US Cement, LafargeHolcim Ltd.

As Chief Executive Officer of US Cement at LafargeHolcim, the world’s largest cement and concrete company, Jamie Gentoso provides a global perspective in helping CarbonCure position its value proposition to serve the entire concrete value chain. Prior to assuming her current position at LafargeHolcim, Jamie was responsible for the concrete admixture division at Sika, an international construction products company. Jamie, a professional engineer, is based in Chicago and holds an MBA and BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Robert Niven
Chief Executive Officer & Founder, CarbonCure Technologies

Rob Niven is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CarbonCure Technologies, the global leader in carbon dioxide (CO₂) utilization technologies for the concrete industry. Rob has the simple goal of making concrete sustainability both profitable and easy for industry. Under his direction, CarbonCure and its partners are achieving their mission to reduce 500 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.

Rob has received countless international awards recognizing his leadership in sustainability, innovation and technology development including the Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, the 2016 Ernest C. Manning Innovation Award, the Cleantech Group’s Top 100 Global Cleantech Companies and the BloombergNEF New Energy Pioneers Award.

Rob holds an MSc in Environmental Engineering from McGill University and a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Victoria, British Columbia. In his spare time, Rob is an avid outdoors enthusiast and devotes his time to nature conservation and environmental community events.

Kevin Cail, PEng
Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board

Kevin was formerly the Director of Sustainability and Commercial Innovation at Lafarge North America. In his previous positions he was responsible for commercial development, management and policy development of various innovation projects and product changes.

Kevin has served on the board of directors for the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) and the Strategic Development Council of the American Concrete Institute, working on industry issues related to sustainability. Kevin is a native of Eastern Canada and a graduate of the University of New Brunswick in Civil Engineering.