Management

Robert has been working with early-stage companies for almost three decades and has participated as the principle investor in over fifty business ventures. In this capacity he has founded companies, listed numerous companies on the NASDAQ and Toronto Stock Exchange and variously worked full-time and consulted to numerous startups. Prior to working directly with these companies, Mr. Miller worked as a stock broker, investing on behalf of a large base of individual and institutional clients. He is one of the most experienced private investors in Miami, having raised over $400 million in early-stage investment capital.

Mr. Miller's experience includes being the founder and Chairman of Crystallex International Corporation, a mining company with an estimated 17 million ounces of gold. He was a director and financier of Zmax Corporation a "y2k" company. He was the founder and director of Nanovation Technologies Inc, a developer of fiber-optic products which realized a market capitalization of over $500 million and principle financier and consultant to Asiamerica Equities Inc., a merchant bank while it grew from a market capitalization of $3 million to over $250 million. Currently, Mr. Miller is a director and early investor of Lifespan Biosciences Inc., an industry leader in commercializing proprietary antibodies, providing immunohistochemistry services and developing localization databases.

Mr. Goss has served as a director of Gemocasha, SA, a specialist consultancy group with emphasis on giving technical, marketing and cash management advice to major firms such as Kraft, Heinz, Crystallex, and BP from 1987 to present. He served as the chief executive officer of Crystallex de Venezuela, a mining firm from 1992 to 1998 and Schindler Elevator from 1982 to 1987 in Venezuela, a role in which he successfully integrated multiple acquisitions. He also served as the Technical Maintenance and Installation Manager for Schindler Brazil between 1979 and 1982 in which position he managed over 2,000 people and turned it into one of the most efficient operations within Schindler worldwide. Stephen Goss speaks 5 languages fluently and has been decorated with the Order of the British Empire for his role in enhancing international trade.

Mr. Sherman has been in the nano engineered coatings field for 25 years and has built a number of businesses as a serial entrepreneur. In addition to serving as CEO for MesoCoat, Mr. Sherman is also CEO of Powdermet, a company which he founded in 1996 to develop nanocomposite materials and manufacturing technologies. Prior to founding Powdermet, Mr. Sherman was Chief Metallurgist and New Business Development Manager for Ultramet, Inc., a leading Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) company, in Pacoima, CA, where his technical and business developments resulted in a 10-fold growth in company revenues and the creation of three spinouts (including a $100M plus exit). Mr. Sherman’s developments have been the basis for the formation of eight successful companies to date.

Mr. Sherman was appointed to the DOE’s Hydrogen Safety Panel and has served on the review panel since 2006.  Panel duties include interfacing with codes and standards, accident investigations, site reviews, H2 project reviews, and H2 information and training, education, and best practices development.

Mr. Sherman received an MSc. and BSc. in Ceramic Engineering and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Ohio State University. He has also authored more than 95 papers and presentations on ceramics, metallurgy and composite powder coatings and was recognized with the 2000 R&D 100 award for his patented nano powder production and is a 2009 Ernst and Young entrepreneur of the year finalist.

After completing his PhD in Bio-Chemical Engineering at the University of Cambridge, Dr. Owen began his career with BP in 1997 as a Concept Engineer based in Norway. Dr. Owen then progressed into a number of engineering and operations roles on large developments in the North Sea, Angola and the Gulf of Mexico. In 2007, Dr. Owen was promoted to working directly for BP’s Head of Upstream Technology, where he developed a deep understanding of the broad challenges associated with the energy industry and how to build capability and organize resources to solve challenges. After his tenure at BP, Dr. Owen worked for consultants Wood Mackenzie and GlobalData advising industry players, government organizations and service providers on key strategic issues facing the industry. He currently continues to play an advisory role with leading energy technology incubators, at the Houston Technology Center (HTC) and at the Texas A&M; Clean Energy Institute.

Most recently, Dr. Owen worked with an emerging oil and gas operator, Ping Petroleum, as Manager of Surface Developments. He was involved with the firm since its inception and has had a broad range of responsibilities, including acquisition due diligence, developing operating capability, building contractor and service provider relationships, as well as being involved in fund raising.

Mr. Tellini is currently the managing member of Brennecke Partners LLC, a private investment firm located in New York that makes specialty finance and growth capital investments. He brings to Abakan’s board of directors independent management oversight with an expert accounting background garnered over two decades of accounting, management and investment experience. Mr. Tellini will also head Abakan’s audit committee and serve as a member of its compensation, nominating and ethics committees.

Kevin Chen joined UP Scientech in 1998. He currently serves as UP Scientech’s VP of Operations and recently served as the CEO of UP Scientech’s wholly owned subsidiary, Suzhou UP Compound Materials Co. Ltd. (“Suzhou UP”). Suzhou UP is a leading competitor worldwide in wear resistant compound steel manufacturing. Mr. Chen’s initial responsibilities at Suzhou UP were tied to enhancing operating systems, growing manufacturing facilities, and building sales. Over the last five years Mr. Chen has built sales at Suzhou UP from three million dollars ($3,000,000) to fifty five million dollars ($55,000,000). Since 2012 to date, Mr. Chen’s focus at UP Scientech has transitioned to company management, financial planning and strategic investments, in anticipation of a public offering of UP Scientech common shares on the Taiwan Stock Exchange.

Dr. Vogli Has 20 years of experience in R&D; with 10 years in management. Dr. Vogli worked at the University of Maryland on various research projects, including plasma surface treatment for carbon-based materials. Earlier, she was the head of the coating technologies division and Chief Technology Officer at the Dortmund University of Technology in Germany, where she planned and managed more than 20 research projects in cooperation with industries. She handled more than 30 claims for industry partners and was a scientific consultant in material selections, material characterization, coatings technologies and more. Her research work focused on composite materials development and their chemistry. The results of her works have been documented in more than 170 peer reviewed publications and presentations, as well as in two international patents. Currently, she is frequently invited to several international conferences, where she served also as a session chairman. Dr. Vogli is a reviewer of Surface and Coatings Technology Journal, Journal of European Ceramic Society, ASME Journals and Thermal Spraying Bulletin, as well as an editorial board member of ISRN Materials Science.

Anupam has diverse multi-functional experience spanning multiple industries and markets including corporate strategy and development, business development and sales, venture capital, evaluating opportunities and exploring its potential, and consulting for several companies. Anupam has worked at some of the most exciting startups in the US (one of the first 3 employees at 4 separate startups); developed and implemented corporate strategy; has commercialized products across the globe; played a key role in raising over $50 million in dilutive and non-dilutive capital for startups serving the energy and materials industry; and has evaluated and invested in startups on behalf of a public holdings company and high net worth individuals.

Anupam has over 10 years of diverse international experience spanning multiple industries, functions, and markets; has excellent understanding of the energy, cleantech, and advanced materials sectors - and keenly follows the information about new technology/companies, drivers, growth, patterns and trends, etc. in this space. Anupam is heavily involved with local technology startup ecosystem in Cleveland, and also consults for a few companies in the U.S. and Canada to assist with their strategic and globalization efforts. Anupam has represented the State of Ohio and Alberta in their trade and investment missions to Asia and Middle East, and continues to work with state and federal organizations to promote bilateral trade and other opportunities. Anupam holds a Bachelor’s degree with honors in Chemical Engineering from one of the leading institutes in India, and has graduated with honors from the Masters of Engineering Management program at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

Mr. Allen’s most recent position was Chief Executive Officer of Vortek, a Canadian technology company that had developed the world’s most powerful arc lamp. In 2004, Mr. Allen successfully sold Vortek to a public US semiconductor equipment manufacturer. Mr. Allen is considered a leading authority on applications of the focused arc lamp system that is employed by Abakan.

At Vortek, Mr. Allen assembled an international team of top-caliber staff and executed an ambitious business plan to commercialize the application of arc lamp technology in advanced semiconductor equipment manufacturing. Mr. Allen has over 30 years of experience working with engineering related solutions. We look forward to his involvement with Abakan.

James Rodriguez de Castro brings with him key industry insight and experience in the financial markets. A highly-experienced international trader and businessman, de Castro’s far-reaching investments have also connected him with an extensive network of operators in Asian oil and gas logistics, steel treatment and fabrication. His appointment marks an important step in Abakan’s work to bring its groundbreaking anti-corrosion and anti-wear technologies to Far East markets.

Mr. de Castro’s extensive professional background includes 14 years spent with Merrill Lynch based in Japan and Hong Kong. His numerous senior executive roles there included Head of Global Markets, New Initiatives and Advisory, Pacific Rim; Head of Trading, Equity Derivatives, CBs and Index Arbitrage, Asia; and Head Trader, Japanese Equity Derivatives. His experience in the oil and gas sector began with Bankers Trust during the 1992 Gulf War. He remains a very active investor in this sector in Asia, and maintains active interests in mining and offshore equipment rental.

Dr. Thomas has won seven teaching excellence awards as a professor of banking and finance at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Thomas’ research and consulting focuses on investment science and valuation, where he is actively engaged with corporate strategists, institutional investors, financial advisors and money managers and is known for his ability to materially integrate academic research with product development.

Andrew Hall is the founder and managing partner of Hall, Lamb and Hall P.A., based in Miami, Fla., where he specializes in complex commercial litigation, professional negligence, securities litigation and arbitration and international cases. From the Watergate trials and the Ohio savings and loan crisis, to the 2000 terrorist attack on the USS Cole, Hall’s trial skills have earned him national recognition, including being named one of “The Best Lawyers in America” by Best Lawyers for the past decade.

Vinod Gupta, based in Wadsworth, Ohio, is currently the chairman of the Ohio Board of Regents, where he also chairs the Commercialization Task Force and serves on the Shared Services Task Force. He also serves as an Entrepreneur-In-Residence (EIR) for the Cleveland-based venture development non-profit organization, Jumpstart Entrepreneurial Network (JEN) Advisors, where he helps to grow the northeast Ohio technology ecosystem by using his 14 years of materials sector experience to coach entrepreneurs.

Gupta is a successful entrepreneur focusing on Indian development, and is also an active member of the Ohio Indian-American community, including serving as founding president of the Columbus based Asian-Indian Alliance.