Transforming waste into sustainable value

As the President and CEO of Arbios Biotech, Rune Gjessing brings over 30 years of experience in the biofuel, forest resource, and investment industry in Canada and Norway. 

Prior to joining Arbios, he was the founding CEO of Silva Green Fuel, a start-up JV company created in 2014 to commercialize the production of advanced biofuels.  Rune has also held various corporate management positions at Norske Skog, a global publication paper producer based in Oslo, where he led multiple successful optimization initiatives, extensive financing and investor relations programs, and was responsible for asset transactions worth more than USD 1 billion.

Rune’s passion for creating a sustainable future is evident from his work in advancing translatable manufacturing technologies that promote a sustainable future.  He holds a B.Sc. (Wood Science) from the University of British Columbia, an MBA from Simon Fraser University, and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

As Chief Operating Officer for Arbios Biotech, Stef is a results-driven technical leader, and is passionate about accelerating global decarbonization.  Leading operations, technology development and project delivery in the forest-based biomass industry for more than 20 years, Stef’s long-range goal is to maximize the economic and environmental value of residuals.  He does this by leading every stage of large decarbonization infrastructure projects from concept to fruition.  

Prior to joining Arbios Biotech, Stef held the position of President at Vyterra Renewables and SVP Project Engineering at Ensyn where he oversaw the design, engineering, and construction of Canada’s largest biofuel facility. Stef has held various other roles in senior management within related fields, including engineering, business development, operations and research and development, and is the co-inventor on several patents.  Stef is a chemical engineer and received both his BEng and MEng from McGill University.

Katie Platt, the People and Culture Lead at Arbios Biotech, brings nearly a decade of experience from her time as a people and operations leader at lululemon. With a background in psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University, she is deeply passionate about leading individuals to their fullest potential. Katie is dedicated to fostering inclusive environments where diversity, equity, and inclusion thrive organically. Dedicated to cultivating spaces where every voice is heard and valued, Katie brings a unique blend of strategic vision, and empathetic leadership to her role, driving Arbios Biotech towards greater heights of excellence in people management and organizational culture   

Stephen is the Manager, Corporate and Operations Finance and is passionate about supporting the global energy transition.

He currently oversees the Corporate Finance team at Arbios Biotech and has an extensive background in finance and strategy. He previously worked in the Strategy and Corporate Development team at RB Global where he executed $1.6b in M&A transactions within various technology and industrial verticals. Prior he was a Manager in the Strategy and Transactions practice at EY.

He holds a Chartered Professional Accountant designation and graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelors in Business Administration Honours. 

As the External Relations Lead at Arbios Biotech, Tessa’s focus is the building of relationships and strategic partnerships in alignment with Arbios’ cultural intention “collaboration with humility”.     

With over a decade in External Relations roles with major infrastructure projects, Tessa’s career is built on a technical foundation of Engineering, construction, project management, and commercial and contracts management.  With experience in manufacturing, construction, natural resources and marine transportation, Tessa’s more recent experiences with large energy industry projects has led to working and partnering with local and Indigenous communities and supporting and leading regulatory functions.

Tessa holds a BEng in Mechanical Engineering.

Ian Rose is the General Manager of Operations at Arbios Biotech and a forward-thinking manufacturing leader with experience driving organizational success across international markets. As a professional engineer, Ian utilizes his technical background to analyze inefficient processes, generating improvements in productivity and resource management. Known for cultivating solid and enduring relationships with staff, stakeholders and communities, Ian excels at moving organizations from reactive to proactive strategies in meeting customer demands and excellent operational performance.

Ian is a chemical engineer with a B.E from the University of Auckland and a PhD from the University of British Columbia

Don G. Roberts is Chair of the Arbios Board. As a respected leader in the emerging bio-products sector, Don is also the CEO of Nawitka Capital Advisor Ltd, an investment banking boutique that raises capital and provides advice on strategic direction for companies and public sector organizations which are focused on building a circular economy. Prior to founding Nawitka in 2013, Don was a Vice-Chair of wholesale banking and a Managing Director in investment banking with CIBC World Markets Inc.  In this capacity, Mr. Roberts provided senior coverage for companies in the global forest products industry and he also founded and led CIBC’s cross- functional Renewable Energy & Clean Technology Team.

Don currently serves on the Board of Directors of several organizations, and is a certified board director with the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD).

Dr Len Humphreys was instrumental in the conception and development of Licella’s technology and is the inventor of a number of patents around the Catalytic Hydrothermal process, Cat-HTR.

Len is a chartered chemist and the former Director and Managing Director of several renewable energy companies including Novera Energy, a renewable energy company now listed on the AIM in the UK and also the ASX listed company IBA Health (now I-Soft), a healthcare IT software provider.

In addition Len held Managing Director and Regional President roles inside the European Invensys Group of companies.

Invensys is one of the world’s largest IT, process control and industrial process automation conglomerates. In Europe, Len was a senior executive inside the Mannesmann Group, the German multinational specialising in engineering, manufacturing and telecommunications; in particular he was CEO of the Hartmann and Braun process Analytical Division based in the UK.

David Calabrigo is a Board member for Arbios and former Senior Vice President, Corporate and Legal Affairs and Corporate Secretary for Canfor. David recently retired from Canfor after two decades with the company, where his extensive responsibilities included leadership of legal and corporate compliance as well as its global growth through mergers and acquisitions. 

Born and raised in Vancouver, David received his Law degree from the University of Alberta and in 2010 was appointed to the King’s Counsel.

As the previous President and CEO of Arbios Biotech, Alan now serves on the Board of Directors  for Arbios in addition to his role of  Managing Director for Licella.  

Previous to his appointment to Arbios and Licella, Alan was Executive Vice President, Bio-Based Solutions & Pulp Operations at Canfor, where he was responsible for building Canfor’s Bio-Innovation team that is focused on unlocking the full value of each log by diversifying the business into bio-based solutions as low carbon, renewable products become increasingly valued. 

Alan joined Canfor in 2008, serving in many positions including as the Chief Financial Officer of Canfor and Canfor Pulp and Executive Vice President Finance and Canfor Pulp Products Inc.  Prior to that appointment, Alan served as Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for both Canfor and Canfor Pulp. He has been a member of the Arbios Board and Management Committee since they were established and is excited to leverage innovative hydrothermal liquefaction technology to provide circular economy solutions around the world.

Ben Goodier is a Board member for Arbios and Head, Bio Innovation for Canfor.   Ben joined Canfor in April 2021 following prior consulting experience with McKinsey & Co. and as an engineer in the Pulp & Paper industry.  Ben oversees a number of Canfor’s internal and external innovation programs.  Born and raised in Vancouver, Ben received his Master’s In Business Administration and Bachelor of Applied Science from UBC.