Michèle Labbé Cid

Chief Economist, Econsult

Chief Economist of Econsult, she works in Econsult since 2003. Previously, she worked at Fontaine y Paul, economic and financial leading consulting company. She was consultant for the Technical Secretariat of the Presidency of the Government of Nicaragua; in charge of the Pension reform Law studies and the evaluation of the fiscal cost of its implementation. She was involved in the design of the poverty reduction strategy to access to the HIPC countries, and participated in the macroeconomic negotiations with the IMF.

She was professor of economics at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and at the Gabriela Mistral University during 1995 and 2000. Since 2003 she is economics professor at the Andrés Bello University, where she has dictated courses of Macroeconomics, Industrial Organization, Economic Development and International Economics.

Rick Kowey
Middle East 2007 video

Rick Kowey

Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer and General Manager for Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc.

As Chief Marketing Officer and General Manager for Matheson Tri-Gas Inc, Mr Kowey is responsible for all Corporate Strategic Marketing Initiatives, including commercial product development and new opportunity development and innovation, across six business units of Matheson Tri-Gas. Kowey also serves as general manager of the Global Specialty Gas and Equipment strategic business units.

Kowey joined Matheson Tri-Gas in 1997. Prior positions at Matheson include executive vice president, Global Speciality Gases Group, research and development, and corporate innovation; senior vice president, sales and marketing, Electronic and Specialty Gas Group; and Eastern Region sales manager. Prior to joining Matheson Tri-Gas, Kowey held several leadership positions during his 14 year tenure with Scott Speciality Gases, Inc. in Plumsteadville, PA.

Kowey holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA and an MBA in Marketing from Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA. He is also a graduate of the prestigious AeA/Standford University Executive Institute.

Raghu Menon

Head, Tonnage Business Development, Americas, for Linde.

Dr. Raghu Menon is Head, Tonnage Business Development, Americas, for Linde. Previous positions that Dr. Menon held included global roles in Market Development, Business Development, Marketing, Program Management and Technology management. Prior to Linde, Dr. Menon worked with Mobil Corporation in the oil and petrochemicals sectors.

Dr. Menon holds Sc.D. and MSCEP degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA, and B Tech (Chem Eng) from IIT, Madras.

Eduardo Pelitti

Business Consultant in Latin America.

Mr Pelitti works as a Business Consultant in Latin America, and is Cryogas International's Latin American correspondent. Eduardo has more than 20 years of both experience in the gas business in Latin America and has worked with BOC and Messer. He has been involved in business development in the on-site and merchant markets in the region, and has experience in many Latin American countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru. He holds a degree in Economics from the Universidad Central de Venezuela and a Master's degree in International Business from the Universidad de Belgrano/ENPC in Buenos Aires.

Sébastien Prat

South America Business Development, Cryostar

Sébastien has a mechanical engineering background from French Engineering University, INSA Lyon. He started his career working with vibration applications and measurements in France.

In the last three years, he has been in charge of developing business in South America, operating from Cryostar Brazil offices in São Paulo, working with major industries and industrial gas companies. A significant part of this time has been invested in developing projects for filling operations, gas pumping for cryogenic applications and special gases projects, using Cryostar technology.

Carlos Pinelo

Latin American Sales Manager for Chart Inc.

Carlos F. Pinelo is the Latin American Sales Manager for Chart Inc. based in New Prague, MN, USA. Carlos is a native of Guatemala and has studied abroad, obtaining his Bachelors Degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University, Indiana.

Pinelo's constant effort is to further expand Chart's reach in Latin America. His extensive travelling promotes Chart's various products and manufacturing facilities around the world. Successfully, Pinelo is expanding Chart's presence in the Latin American region with the support of several Chart managers.

Henning G. Langas

Director, Sales & Marketing, Hydrogen Technologies

Henning Langas is the Director for Sales and Marketing for the company Hydrogen Technologies. His has a degree in Master of Business and Economics from the Norwegian School of Management, and has had positions within sales and marketing over a period of 12 years for Norwegian industrial companies (paper and paints) with global presence with regards to both manufacture and sales. He joined Hydrogen Technologies in 2006.

Hydrogen Technologies is a daughter company of the Norwegian oil & energy company StatoilHydro, and is a world leading manufacturer and supplier of water electrolysers for production of hydrogen gas.

Jim Gordon

Sales Manager for Taylor-Wharton Cryogenics

Jim is the Sales Manager for Taylor-Wharton Cryogenics; he has also served as Director of Sales and Marketing and Vice President of Sales and Marketing for T-W. Jim has over two decades of experience in our industry and previously worked in the engineering sector for Rolls Royce in the UK.

Jim is an Engineering Graduate of Strathclyde University in the UK; he did graduate studies at Warwick University in the UK; he has lectured in mathematics, engineering science and materials at Newtownabbey Technical College in Ireland and he is a chartered member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in the UK.

Roger Smith

Technical Director, Compressed Gas Association

Roger Smith is an industry veteran with over 35 years of experience. Industry experience includes the management of manufacturing facilities, both single and multiple site operations. He is currently Technical Director at the Compressed Gas Association (CGA). CGA promotes the safe manufacture, transportation, storage, transfilling, and disposal of industrial and medical gases and their containers, located in the Washington D.C. metro area.

In this position, Mr. Smith is responsible for developing and directing the technical operations of the Association to ensure CGA has the necessary expertise to support its activities worldwide. Mr. Smith also works with member companies to solve complex technical issues, interacts and supports international activities with ISO, the United Nations and the International Harmonization Council (IHC), and provides leadership in building and maintaining relationships with U.S. legislative and regulatory agencies regarding initiatives that affect industrial gases. Mr. Smith serves as technical liaison with the National Fire Protection Association and the International Code Council in the development of building and fire prevention codes. He also reviews and approves all technical documents produced by CGA.

Previously, Mr. Smith was the Senior Vice President, Operations, for Matheson Gas Products where he directed of all activities related to manufacturing, engineering, regulatory affairs, quality assurance and research and development for 8 years. Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1978.

John Raquet
Middle East 2007 video

John Raquet

Managing Director of Spiritus Consulting

John Raquet is the Managing Director of Spiritus Consulting Ltd, an international consultancy specialising in the industrial gases sector. He has been associated with the industrial gases business for over 26 years, formerly working with Air Products in both the UK and South Africa, before joining Taylor-Wharton (a major equipment manufacturer). Following his direct involvement in the gases business, Raquet joined Chem Systems - a leading chemical consultancy firm based in London, before starting up what became 'Spiritus' in 1995.

Spiritus provides a variety of industrial gas services to various industries which range from market research, techno - economic analysis and strategic planning, to M&A due diligence assignments. Raquet is a regular speaker/commentator to the financial institutes in Europe and the US and presents papers at both industrial and investor conferences.

Raquet is the original founder of gasworld.com

View Roy's Articles Compressed Hydrogen Compressed Natural Gas Oxygen: Life Promoter Cylinder Package issues

Dr Rohintan Irani

Technical Director, Gas package Solutions

Dr Rohintan (Roy) S. Irani is currently the Technical Director at Gas Package Solutions (GPS) ltd, based in the UK. GPS assists gas companies and cylinder manufacturers in optimising their processes for all types of compressed gases' issues including cylinder package design, periodic inspection procedures/test shops an all aspects of regulatory and standards concerns. GPS also undertakes failure investigations related to gas cylinder packages in a totally professional and confidential way.

His previous job, which he held for 24 years, was as the Global Technical Authority, Cylinders, for BOC (now a member of the Linde Group). He joined BOC from the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). He has a B.Sc. (First Class Honours) in Materials Science and a Doctorate in Physical Metallurgy (D.Phil.) both from The University of Sussex.

For BOC he has been responsible for designing, developing and specifying new cylinders, whilst also ensuring the tens of millions of cylinders already in service within the group are operated with maximum safety and at optimum efficiency. Over the past 25 years he has audited a large number of cylinder manufacturers in different parts of the world, to include seamless steel, aluminium alloy, welded steel and composite (types 2/3/4) cylinders.

Dr. Roy Irani is the author of over 65 publications and editor of many conferences. He has been invited to present keynote lectures by major nations including UK, US, India, China and Canada, International Standards Bodies at ISO, CEN and BSI.

Michael Blondin

Worldwide Sales for Cryolor

Michael Blondin comes to us from Michigan, where he obtained a Double Bachelors Degree in Strategic Management and International Business. Michael moved from the US to France in 1994 and has now been with Cryolor for over 11 years.

At Cryolor he has held many positions and has experience covering Europe, the Middle East and Asia, where he was in charge of Cryolor's branch in Singapore. Since 2000 Blondin has been in charge of the Sales Department at Cryolor, where he is also a member of the Board of Directors.

With the official opening of Cryolor Asia, based in India, announced from 2009, Blondin looks forward to taking Cryolor to the next level in this growing region.

Hector Villarreal
Middle East 2007 video

Hector Villarreal

Co-owner of Weldcoa

1995 - Joined Weldcoa as it's Marketing Director
2001 - Villarreal with his partner Maynard Klotz purchased Weldcoa from his former employer.
2006 - Launched "Precision Specialty Gas Products Inc." as a division of Weldcoa.
2007 - Weldcoa Board names Villarreal President of Weldcoa and Precision.
2008 - Launches new venture "Absolute Zero Inc" Cryogenic Technology Management Company.

Hector Villarreal is:
An Executive Board Member of WEMCO/AWS
(Welding Equipment Manufacturers Committee of the American Welding Association)
Regional Midwest Chairman for GAWDA
(Gas & Welding Distributor Association)

Hector Villarreal has lectured on Cylinder Filling Optimization/Automation & Palletization for Gas & Welding Distributor Association (GAWDA 2005), Specialty Gas Conference (2006), the Trend Leaders Group (2007), Gas World Dubai (2007), Independent Distributor Association (2008), GAWDA Regional Michigan (2008) and Gas World South Africa (2008). He has also published several articles in Penton's Gas & Welding Distributor Magazine, Cryogas International, Specialty Gas Report and in Welding & Gases Today.

Hank Grieco
South Africa 2008 video

Henry Grieco

Publisher and Founder of Specialty Gas Report

Henry A. 'Hank' Grieco has been a major participant in the specialty gas business for the past 40 years. He is currently Publisher of Specialty Gas Report magazine.

After leaving Airco in 1982 as General Manager of Special Products (specialty gases, helium, hydrogen and international), he formed Special Gas Services, which brokered specialty gases throughout the world. Subsequently, Grieco and Ray Borzio, formed Special Gas Systems, which pioneered the development of specialty gas production systems designed specifically for gas distributors.

Grieco and his long time friend and associate, Mike Vasilakes, founded Specialty Gas Publishing in 1998 which produces the Specialty Gas Report magazine, operates a specialty gas website, publishes an annual Buyers Guide, and conducts specialty gas seminars.

Jan Van Houwenhove
Middle East 2007 video

Jan Van Houwenhove

Sales and Marketing Director for VRV

Jan Van Houwenhove lives and works out of Belgium where he studied industrial chemistry. In 2001, he finished his MBA at IMD, Switzerland and also speakes five languages.

Since 1990, he has been active in the field of cryogenics. First, as employee of BOC Gases in Belgium where he started the CRYOSPEED business and later in various sales development functions, within the industrial gas and cryogenic equipment business.

Currently, Van Houwenhove is responsible for the sales and marketing for the VRV Group, an Italian based cryogenic equipment specialist with sales offices in Italy, France, Belgium, Czech Republic and India.

Neil S. Amber
Middle East 2007 video

Neil S. Amber

Director of Global Business Development, Universal Industrial Gases

Prior to his present role, Amber was director for corporate development for Airgas and looked after the Acquisitions and Development of Airgas joint ventures in emerging markets like India.

Before this and until 1994, he served in various positions as marketing manager, product development manager and as technology manager for Industrial Gases at Air Products and Chemicals in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Amber has a Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology (1975). His hobbies are golf and reading.

Arturo Martinez

Sales & Marketing for ACD, LLC

Arturo Martinez is leading the Marketing and Sales efforts of ACD with the major industrial gas companies. He has 18 years of experience in the cryogenic equipment industry and has been involved in the areas of engineering analysis, project management, technical services and engineering management.

His breadth of experience involves cryogenic turbomachinery, as well as centrifugal and reciprocating pumps used in the production and distribution of industrial gases.

Martinez received his education in Mechanical Engineering at California State University, Long Beach.

Keith Stewart
Middle East 2007 video

Keith Stewart

General Sales Manager and Director globally on cryogenic valves for Herose UK

Stewart comes to us with a background in Mechanical Engineering (HNC) from Reid Kerr College, Paisley 1968-1973. His career started in Design Engineering in the Machine Tool Industry, following into control valves. After moving into sales and marketing over 26 years ago, more than 20 of these have been working with the Industrial Gases Business globally.

Much of this time has been spent in the industry majors and OEM's to identify opportunities to improve valve safety and reduce life costs through using new concepts. This continues today, with the LNG business in China being new in the horizon.