Our team
We are an experienced cross-functional team motivated to get the job done
Why we’re here
Executive team
Adrian Corless
Chief Executive Officer
Adrian has spent over 25 years developing and commercializing products in the cleantech industry. From 2013 to 2018, he was the CEO of Carbon Engineering, where he successfully developed the company into a recognized global leader in CO₂ direct air capture, piloting industrial scale systems in under two years. In addition, Adrian has spent 15+ years commercializing industrial hydrogen, fuel cell, and pump technologies, serving as CEO of Rotoliptic Technologies, CTO of Plug Power, and CTO of Cellex Power Products. He holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Victoria, BC Canada with specialization in Energy Systems, Cryogenics, and LNG.
Saeb Besarati
Chief Technology Officer
Saeb Besarati holds a PhD degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Thermal Mechanical Engineering. He has more than 10 years of experience in developing technologies to address climate change. Saeb is a certified model-based system engineer and project manager (PMP). He’s also contributed to more than 20 papers and books in the field of renewable-based power generation.
Patricia Loria
Vice President,
Business Development
Most recently, Patricia was Senior Client Engagement Lead at the Global CCS Institute, where she supported companies and governments looking to deploy carbon capture solutions and achieve net-zero goals. Based in Washington, DC, Patricia is a seasoned marketing and business development professional with more than 20 years of experience in financial services, insurance, and NGO sectors. She received an MBA from Darden Business School and a Master of Natural Resources degree from Virginia Tech’s Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability.
David Apps
Vice President, Manufacturing
David has a 25-year career in the automotive industry in advanced manufacturing engineering and manufacturing operations roles. He’s been part of four new factory builds and launched numerous new vehicles. In addition to spending 14 years in the traditional automotive space, he's worked with four EV start-up companies, including spending five years overseeing operations at Tesla’s Fremont factory and leading manufacturing line development at Nikola Motors. David holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, Canada.
Richard Weil
Vice President, Finance
Richard is an experienced finance and operating professional, having served as CFO or in a similar capacity for start-up companies operating in industries as diverse as near field communications hardware and software, video game commerce, paid search advertising, and electricity transmission. He also co-founded Mount Wilson Ventures, a venture fund that invests in early-stage hard science companies. Richard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University and is a CFA charterholder.
Robert Whyte
Vice President, Projects
Robert is a professional engineer with 25 years of progressive technical and leadership experience in the energy industry, having served in senior roles managing and delivering large scale projects in North America, the Middle East and Europe. He has expertise in full life cycle asset planning and economics and has developed a risk-based process for project management. Robert has successfully led large and diverse operations and maintenance organizations. He received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Victoria.
Aidin Sadr
VP, Corporate Development
Aidin brings nearly 14 years of energy experience in both finance and engineering roles. Most recently, Aidin was an investment banker with a prominent North American bank, where he successfully executed ~$15 bn of M&A and capital markets transactions across both traditional energy and energy transition sectors. His finance skillset is complimented by his experience as an engineer executing large scale energy projects for a large Canadian E&P. He received his Bachelor of Science in Oil & Gas Engineering from the University of Calgary and is registered as a professional engineer in Alberta.
Meghan Kenny
Senior Director, Strategy & Projects
Meghan has a background in chemical engineering and consulting. With Johnson Matthey, she worked across several different facilities and helped JM stand up their refining operations in China. Before CarbonCapture, she was a manager with Bain & Company, focusing on projects in energy and heavy industry. Meghan has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Artena Stepanian
Director, People
Artena leads HR initiatives focused on organizational development, employee relations, performance management, and talent acquisition. With a strong background in cross-functional engineering and R&D environments, she is a strategic partner to the executive team, connecting organizational strategy with a dynamic employee experience. Before CarbonCapture, she spent approximately nine years at Applied Minds, managing HR for a multidisciplinary team in the federal defense and energy sectors. Artena holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology & Global Studies from UC Santa Barbara.
“We’re dedicated to addressing climate change head on by decarbonizing the atmosphere as quickly as possible.”
Adrian Corless
CEO
Our origin story
Incubated at IdeaLab
Bill is Co-founder and Chairman of CarbonCapture. He’s also Founder and Chairman of Idealab Studio, a leading technology incubator. Over the last 23 years, Idealab has created and operated more than 150 companies and had more than 45 successful IPOs and acquisitions in the areas of renewable energy, software, online advertising, Internet services, robotics, social media, and transportation. Prior to CarbonCapture, he founded a number of energy storage and solar companies, including Energy Vault, Energy Cache, eSolar, Duron Solar, Raytracker, Thermata, and others. Bill received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University.
