ALLEN BARBIERI
Chairman and CEO
For over 20 years, Allen has served as CFO, CEO or Chairman of numerous successful public and private companies. Before joining Biosynthetic Technologies LLC, Allen was CEO of a biomedical company with manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and Mexico. This company was ultimately sold to a larger European distributor. While there, Allen also assisted in the creation, growth and ultimate sale to 3M Corporation of LingualCare, a technology based orthodontics company. Prior to the biomedical company, Allen was CFO of BUY.COM. While there, BUY.COM received $200 million in funding from the ventures community. At the time, BUY.COM’s revenues were second only to Amazon among online retailers.
Prior to BUY.COM, Allen served as CEO of Pacific National Bank (PNB). During his tenure, PNB went from very poor performance, losing millions of dollars in 1992 and 1993 (prior to his arrival) to among the top 3% of banks in the nation during 1997 and 1998. After-tax ROE in 1998 exceeded 33%. Also while at PNB, Allen was the CEO and co-founder with Lehman Brothers of Alta Residential Mortgage Trust a mortgage REIT, which focused on high-quality “A-Grade” mortgage loans. Alta was eventually sold to Washington Mutual. Under Allen’s management, PNB’s stock appreciated from $3 per share to $35 per share. The bank was sold to US Bancorp in 1999.
Previous to Pacific National Bank, Allen was the President of Capital Bancorp, which he eventually sold to BancOne. Before that, he was CFO of First Federal Bank, which he also sold to a larger bank. Allen began his professional career as an investment banker with Merrill Lynch in New York.
Allen received an MBA degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in 1987, and a B/S degree from Brigham Young University.
JAKOB BREDSGUARD
Chief Technical Officer
Jake directs the work of a sizable team of chemists and engineers involved in technical research and product development for Biosynthetic Technologies. He leads the company’s ongoing efforts to develop synthetic base oils for new applications and manages the formulation of finished products in partnership with outside oil and additive companies. In addition, he oversees the company´s manufacturing efforts, including process development, toll manufacturing, and the design and engineering of a planned large-scale production facility. Jake is an inventor on over 30 of the company’s issued or pending patents.
Jake began his career as a process engineer at Jacobs Engineering, one of the world´s largest engineering firms. He specialized in improving process efficiency, reducing energy consumption, and mitigating operating costs, working with clients such as ConocoPhillips, BP, Tesoro, Valero, and Chevron. As part of one energy reduction project for ConocoPhillips, he helped reengineer an FCC unit at a California refinery, which resulted in an estimated energy cost savings of over $15 million annually. In another project he was asked to reengineer an existing vacuum tower to allow for increased gasoline production. As part of the new design, Jake found a way to recover 45 MMBtu/hr of energy that was previously wasted. During his tenure, he also evaluated and studied new technologies as part of the company’s effort to support the growing demand for clean technology.
After Jacobs Engineering, Jake was retained by Trinity Consultants for his experience to help expand the portfolio of services Trinity could offer clients. He was part of a team that focused on sustainability and energy efficiency projects, and was the point person for such projects in the California area.
Jake holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Irvine with a specialization in biochemical engineering.
BRUCE MARLEY
Senior VP, Sales and Marketing
Bruce Marley serves as Senior VP—Sales and Marketing for Biosynthetic Technologies.
Bruce’s experience in the commercial lubricant industry is expansive and impressive. Most recently, Bruce was Commercial Director for Chemtura, a $2.7B global chemical company. He was directly responsible for industrial lubricants, aviation lubricants, esters, and additives/components portfolios with OEM partners in Shell, BP, Castrol, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and many others. He was also a member of the leadership team for the Petroleum Additives Strategic Business Unit.
Prior to that Bruce spent over 15 years at BP/Castrol, growing from National Sales positions to Regional Sales Management to Director of North American Consumer Sales and ultimately General Manager of the entire Consumer Business Unit. In each sales leadership position he grew sales year over year, in most years double digit growth was experienced. In 2000, after BP’s acquisition of Castrol, Bruce spearheaded integration efforts between the two companies and identified and capitalized on shared business opportunities and development of new business units.
Bruce has served in many leadership positions and provided sales mentoring and training to his organizations. Bruce received a B.S.B.A. in Marketing from Nichols College
GREG BLAKE
Director, Strategic Development
Greg Blake serves as the Director of Strategic Development for Biosynthetics Technologies. He brings twenty years of experience in high profile commercial real estate, new product development, start up ventures, and building myriad businesses’ portfolio of products and offerings.
Greg’s responsibilities at Biosynthetic Technologies include: developing and managing strategic business contacts, alliances and partnerships; government regulations and lobbying; communications and public relations and aligning companies to mutually benefit from the Biosynthetic product lineup.
Prior to coming to Biosynthetic Technologies, Greg was the President of Blue River Advisors in Irvine California, delivering consulting and brokerage services to the commercial real estate industry in southern California. He led the marketing effort on over $1.6 billion of assets. On behalf of customers, he also performed valuation and project feasibility studies. In addition, he has built many entrepreneurial ventures in the technology, media, and real estate fields.
Greg received a Masters in Business Administration from the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University in 1994 and he also studied Finance at the University of Utah, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in 1992.
NATE MCOMBER
VP of Finance & Operations
Nate McOmber has served as Vice President of Finance and Operations since Biosynthetic Technologies’ inception in 2009. In addition to leading the finance and investor relations functions, Nate has sourced and cultivated several of the company’s key strategic relationships and is driving the company’s entry into the personal care market.
Prior to joining Biosynthetic Technologies, Nate held a business development role with Edison International. In addition to securing a wind power purchase agreement with a major utility, he helped develop the company’s solar portfolio, which was ultimately acquired by one of the sector’s largest operators. Earlier, Nate financed urban infill real estate for a multifamily developer and worked in Deutsche Bank’s loan origination group.
He began his career in marketing at iManage (now part of HP). He subsequently spent three years with AT&T selling wireless data infrastructure to major enterprise customers.
Nate holds a BS from the University of Utah and an MBA from Wharton.
JEREMY FOREST
Corporate Counsel and Secretary
Jeremy manages the company’s day-to-day legal affairs. Jeremy focuses on negotiating and drafting corporate transactions, including strategic partnerships and investments. In addition, he oversees the company’s extensive intellectual property portfolio, which includes preparing and prosecuting patent applications in the U.S. and internationally. Jeremy ‘s role with the company also includes new business development and corporate strategy.
Prior to joining Biosynthetic Technologies, Jeremy was an attorney with Finnegan LLP, where his practice included patent prosecution, litigation, opinion work, and client counseling primarily in the chemical and pharmaceutical areas. In addition, he has been closely involved in other entrepreneurial endeavors, and is the co-founder of several high-tech startups in the software and IT industries.
Jeremy received a B.S. in Biochemistry from St. Anselm College and an M.S. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Hawaii. He also holds a J.D. from the University of New Hampshire School of Law (Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property).
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JOHN HOPKINS
Director
John Hopkins has over 30 years of senior level managerial, operational and transactional investment banking experience. Most recently, Mr. Hopkins served as Senior Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Bears Stearns’ Financial Institutions Group. Prior to that role Mr. Hopkins served as a division Co-Head and Management Committee Member within the Investment Banking Division at Lehman Brothers, Inc. Previously he was Managing Director and Group Head at Merrill Lynch Capital Markets. Mr. Hopkins is also a co-founder and managing director of two merchant banking boutiques, and a residential mortgage REIT. Mr. Hopkins graduated from The George Washington University with a BA in International Affairs and earned an MBA in Finance from Georgia State University.
GERALD L. KOHLENBERGER
Director
Jerry Kohlenberger retired in 2008 from ExxonMobil after serving for nearly 34 years in various senior downstream and corporate capacities. Most recently Mr. Kohlenberger spent six years as President of ExxonMobil’s Lubricants & Petroleum Specialties Company and Vice President for the ExxonMobil Corporation. Mr. Kohlenberger’s prior positions with the company included managing over $5 billion per year in downstream construction activities, managing three refineries, and serving as President of Global Services, which managed the corporation’s IP, procurement and real estate. Mr. Kohlenberger is currently President and Managing Director of a small venture capital firm that invests in and advises startup companies. He is also active in several civic causes. Mr. Kohlenberger holds a BS degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Southern California, an MSCE from CSU Long Beach and an MBA from the University of Southern California.
MEGHAN SHARP, Ph.D., BP Ventures
Director
Meghan Sharp is a member of the corporate venture team within BP Alternative Energy. AE Ventures invests in early to growth stage technologies across a diverse range of strategic sectors including wind, solar, biofuels, bio-based products, carbon management, energy efficiency, and energy storage. Meghan focuses on bio-based investments, and is also responsible for incubating new businesses affiliated with the Energy Biosciences Institute, a BP Group Technology partnership with University of California, Berkeley and University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Meghan serves on the board of Chromatin, Verdezyne, and Biosynthetic Technologies. Meghan received her Ph.D. in Bacterial Genetics from the University of California, San Francisco, performed post-doctoral work at the University of Chicago and the Carnegie Institution of Washington at Stanford University, and received her MBA from Columbia University.
KENT WASSON
Director
Mr. Wasson is an oilseed grower from Whitewater, Montana. He has also begun cattle back-grounding operations in Canada. Mr. Wasson has served as an advisor to the MSU Dean of Agriculture for the Montana Agriculture Experiment Station. Currently, he is a member of the Administrative Council for Western SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) for 17 western states and also, serves as a local airport commissioner. He has been involved with a variety of business ventures and agricultural projects throughout Montana and Western Canada. Mr. Wasson holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering from MSU.
STEVE BIERSCHENK
Director
Steve Bierschenk is a member of the corporate strategy team at Monsanto Company. Monsanto is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality, while producing more with less. Steve leads the company’s quality oil platform and other key strategic growth initiatives. Steve joined Monsanto in 2000 and has held various business leadership, marketing and strategy roles in a range of business units. Before joining Monsanto, he worked at The Procter & Gamble Company for eight years in Brand Management and Global Strategy within the health care division. Steve also previously worked for two farmer-owned cooperatives. He holds a BS in Dairy Science from Iowa State University and a MBA in Marketing & Innovation Management from Syracuse University.
