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Key Staff

Adventus' people are uniquely qualified technical specialists whose wide-ranging experience allows them to reduce remediation risks and costs while solving the most intractable remediation problems. The following key people are experts in microbiology, hydrogeology, strategic remedial solutions, innovative modeling techniques, client support, and project management.

Alan Seech, Ph.D. - CEO & Director of Technology

Alan holds M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Soil Chemistry and Environmental Microbiology, respectively, from the University of Guelph. Alan is involved in the research and development of innovative bioremediation technologies for the treatment of recalcitrant organic compounds, as well as providing key support to clients throughout the remedial process.

Alan has published numerous articles on bioremediation and biodegradation of organic contaminants in soil and presented more than 50 papers at international conferences on bioremediation. He is the inventor of the patented DARAMEND® technology for bioremediation of soils and sediments containing recalcitrant organic contaminants and holds four United States patents.

In 2002, working with a group of private investors, he purchased Grace Bioremediation Technologies from W.R. Grace & Co. and currently serves as CEO and Director of Technology for Adventus Americas, its successor.  Alan also serves as an Associate Graduate Faculty at the Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph.

Jim Mueller, Ph.D. - President / Director of Remedial Solutions & Strategies

Jim received a B.Sc. in Plant & Soil Science, M.Sc. in Agronomy/Soil Microbiology from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, and his Ph.D in Soil Microbiology & Biochemistry with a minor in Microbial Genetics from Clemson University in 1988.  His Post-Doctoral training in the Microbial Ecology & Biotechnology Branch at the U.S. EPA Environmental Research Laboratory in Gulf Breeze, Florida focused on the biodegradation of CHCs and PAHs and PCP.

His focus is on the conceptualization, development, validation and international commercialization of in situ remediation technologies and source management strategies.  He also provides technical design and client support on all EHC® and ISGSTM applications. Jim holds multiple patents and has authored/peer reviewed more than 250 scientific publications.  He has been a technical advisor in the design and application of many (>1,000) remedial solutions/strategies throughout the world. He was the chief scientist at an environmental biotechnology company that he co-founded in 1990. He also served as a Sr. Environmental Scientist and Coordinator of an international Advanced Remediation Technologies Group which he created for a large, multi-national environmental consultancy. In 2002, Jim helped a national consultancy expand their industrial remediation services program and open an office in Chicago, IL. In 2003, Jim created Adventus Americas Inc. in collaboration with the Canadian parent (Adventus Remediation Technologies, Inc.) and established offices in the USA and Europe to facilitate the implementation of various environmental biotechnologies. He is currently an assistant editor and reviewer for several scientific journals.

Kerry Bolanos-Shaw, M.Sc. - President, The Adventus Group Canada

Kerry received an M.Sc. degree in Environmental Microbiology at the University of Guelph, Canada in 1997. Kerry has been with company since 1996 and has developed expertise in optimization of multiple bioremediation technologies, and has contributed significantly to Adventus' portfolio of proprietary technologies. Kerry's current responsibilities include oversight of worldwide manufacturing activities, financial reporting, and business development activities.

Michael Mueller, B.Sc., MBA - Managing Director for Adventus Europe GmbH

Michael Mueller provides executive management and coordination of all Adventus activities in Europe. He graduated from Georgia State University, J. Mack Robinson College of Business with an MBA in International Business. Based in Austria, Mike is responsible for running the Adventus Europe GmbH joint venture. The countries involved in this initiative include all EU member states as well as Switzerland, Norway, the Russian Federation and other markets in Eastern Europe. From 2004 - 2010, he served as VP of Business Development & Marketing, ensuring the Adventus Group was properly positioned for growth in a highly technical and rapidly expanding marketplace. He began working for Delta Air Lines in 1981, serving in various technical and engineering positions in support of airline operations. From 1991 - 1999, he lived and worked in Germany and the UK, leading the sales, marketing and corporate planning efforts for management in numerous countries across Europe and South Asia. In 1999, he co-founded Insurity Inc., a B2B high technology firm in the financial services industry. He provides corporate training in cross-cultural management, and is a guest lecturer in the Executive MBA programme at Loyola University - Chicago.

Fayaz Lakhwala, M.A.Sc, Ph.D. - Director of Remedial Design & Engineering Services

Fayaz received his M.A.Sc and Ph.D in Chemical Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 1991. Fayaz has 20 years experience in the area of remediation and has worked on groundwater, soil, and sediment remediation projects worldwide. He has implemented conventional and state-of-the-art remedial technologies and been involved in developing new technologies. Fayaz' areas of technical expertise include: remedial strategy development, remedial technology screening, remedial design, groundwater circulation well technologies, enhanced anaerobic bioremediation, advanced oxidation technologies and multi-phase extraction. Fayaz leads Adventus' design and engineering efforts, including all AquaBlok and mGCW applications.

John Valkenburg, M.S., P.E. - Senior Engineer

John Valkenburg has more than 25 years of industry experience, including 5 years as an environmental chemist and 16 years in environmental consulting. John has worked on a broad array of environmental assessment, construction, and remediation projects for both industrial and governmental clients. His areas of technical expertise and proficiency include: soil and groundwater remediation; environmental remedial investigations and feasibility analyses; construction document and specification preparation; and construction administration. A 1991 graduate of the University of Illinois, John holds a M.S. in Environmental Engineering. He is also a licensed professional engineer in Michigan, and certified by the Construction Specifications Institute as both a Construction Document Technologist (CDT) and a Certified Construction Specifier (CCS). John also leads our DARAMEND product line.

Eva (Dmitrovic) Janzen, B.Sc. - Project Manager Lab Services

Eva Dmitrovic received her B.Sc. in Biology from Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada in 1999. Dmitrovic joined Adventus in August 2000, and is currently working towards her M.Sc. at the University of Guelph, Canada. During her graduate studies, her research focused on the development of the EHC technology for the treatment of chlorinated solvents in groundwater. At Adventus she is involved with project management of bench-scale treatability studies and is responsible for preparation of reports and providing updates to clients.

Josephine Molin, M.S. - Project Engineer

Josephine Molin received a Master's degree in Environmental Engineering from Uppsala University in Sweden, during which time she published and presented her work on using surfactant modified zeolites for adsorbtion of viruses and bacteria in groundwater. Her international experience includes conducting research on soil erosion and conservation tillage in Tanzania. Since joining Adventus in 2004, Josephine has been involved with remedial design work and technical field support focusing on EHC applications. She has worked with a number of different delivery methods for our EHC family of technologies and is involved with optimizing remedial design and construction approaches depending on site specific geology and geochemistry. Josephine leads our field operations.

Andrzej Przepiora, M.Sc., P.Geo. - Senior Geochemist & Hydrogeologist

Andrzej received his M.Sc. in Geology from the Department of Geology and Geophysics at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA. His graduate work involved research on fate of metals in the presence of mobile colloidal matter. Andrzej worked for 4 years as a research associate at North Carolina State University in the area of pesticide and suspended sediment transport in surface waters and groundwater. In August 1999, he joined EnviroMetal Technologies Inc., a division of Adventus Group since 2004. Andrzej's main responsibilities include initial data evaluation from potential remediation sites, development of field designs, including laboratory feasibility studies, geochemical and groundwater modeling, on-site field installation support and performance monitoring data review. Andrzej also leads our EHC-M product line.

Ravi Srirangam, Ph.D. - Environmental Engineer

Ravi Srirangam is based in our Union, New Jersey office. He has four years of relevant experience as an environmental engineer and has worked on several pilot and full scale remediation projects. His main areas of expertise include: remediation and destruction of PCBs in contaminated soils and sediments by physical and biological treatments; bioavailability and risk assessment of chlorinated organics in contaminated soils/sediments; active capping for remediation of POP's and metals in soils and sediments; and wastewater treatment technologies. A 2007 graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Ravi holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering. He also earned B.S. and M.Sc. degrees in Chemical Engineering from BITS (India). Ravi's principal focus areas with Adventus include remediation design for petroleum hydrocarbons, and leading our EHC-O product line.

Clement Schmitt, M.Sc. - Environmental Geologist

Clement received his M.Sc. in Geology from the Lasalle Beauvais (IGAL) University in Paris, France in 2003. Clement worked as a geologist with the French Geological Survey (BRGM) for 3 years in New Caledonia. In 2005, he joined the consulting company RoyalHaskoning in northern France where he worked for 3 years as a project engineer dealing with environmental sites assessments and health risks assessments. In 2009 he joined the International NGO Inter Aide and worked in Malawi for one year and a half as a Water & Sanitation Project Manager. In July 2011, he joined Adventus Group in Mississauga, Ontario. Clement's main responsibilities include initial data evaluation from potential remediation sites, remediation field design and on-site field installation support and performance monitoring data review.
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