Tom Nealon

CEO, SAFFiRE Renewables

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Tom Nealon has over 30 years of senior executive leadership experience.  Tom is the CEO of SAFFiRE and also serves as the President of Southwest Airlines Renewable Ventures, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines.  His career includes transformative roles as the President of Southwest Airlines, and prior to that he served as the EVP of Strategy and Innovation at Southwest. Tom has also left his mark within the retail and consumer goods industries. Tom has served on several public company boards, including Southwest Airlines, and currently serves as the Lead Director of Academy Sports & Outdoors.  Tom is an alumnus of Villanova University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, as well as the University of Dallas, where he earned his MBA. 

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Anthony Gregory

COO, SAFFiRE Renewables

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Anthony Gregory’s experience spans transportation, technology, and infrastructure. He served as VP of Ground Operations at Southwest Airlines, leadings operations at over 120 airports in North America. Anthony also served as VP of Commercial Operations at Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors developing autonomous vehicles. Anthony holds a Bachelor of Science from Purdue University, and an MBA and a Masters in Economics from West Virginia University.

Marykate O’Brien

CTO, SAFFiRE Renewables

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Marykate O’Brien is an internationally experienced process engineer with a 15-year record of success in analysis, research, and development of alternative fuels and breakthrough process improvements. She is currently leading SAFFiRE’s technology development efforts ensuring technical excellence, versatility, safety, resiliency and scalability in the engineering of product solutions. Marykate has served as a Technology Manager for the Department of Energy, managing a portfolio of Bioenergy Technology projects and focusing on scaling technologies to ready them for industrial applications. She also worked as a BioProcess Engineer for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for 8 years and has an Undergraduate degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering and a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from the University of Colorado.

Astri Farber Martin

Senior Manager of Strategy & Operations, SAFFiRE Renewables

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Astri Martin leverages an extensive background in management consulting with a focus on technology transformation and digital strategy for companies committed to social responsibility and environmental sustainability. Astri holds a Bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University and an MBA from the University of Texas.

Nitin Kolhapure

Director of Engineering, SAFFiRE Renewables

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Nitin Kolhapure’s career spans over two decades in the biofuels space, including more than 15 years at DuPont. There, he spearheaded R&D and technology teams, playing a pivotal role in the development and commercialization of next-generation biofuel technologies. Nitin holds a Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering from UDCT, a Master's from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University.

Mark Yancey

Principle Investigator,

SAFFiRE Renewables

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Mark Yancey has been at the forefront of the bioenergy revolution and he serve as the Principal Investigator at SAFFiRE and is also the Chief Technology Officer of D3MAX. Boasting over 30 years of groundbreaking work in the ethanol industry, Mark's expertise spans project development to technology commercialization. His pioneering spirit has led to the development of seven bioenergy plants, showcasing his commitment to sustainable energy solutions. Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University.