Robert C. Mulverhill

Chairman of the Board, Executive Director

Robert Mulverhill has served on the Board Chairman since March 2012. In this role, he shares responsibility for shaping the company’s global strategic direction and leading business development initiatives. He plays a central role in developing and executing comprehensive growth strategies, forging corporate partnerships, structuring joint ventures, and overseeing agency agreements and distribution networks—including all aspects of technology licensing.

Robert leads shareholder relations and corporate financing, representing the company in engagements with global clients, strategic partners, and government and business agencies. He also co-leads efforts to commercialize the company’s technology across both domestic and international markets. With more than three decades of global leadership experience in the energy and technology sectors, Robert brings expertise to every facet of Octanex Technologies.

Prior to joining the company, he served as President and CEO of International Seismic Co. Inc. (iSeis) and Ascend Geophysical, Inc. His career also includes senior executive roles at Honeywell Corporation and the Cobham Group plc, with international postings in London, Bangkok, and Beijing.

Robert has a strong track record in technology commercialization, operations, and business development, having raised significant capital and private equity for various ventures—generating substantial returns for investors. Beyond his executive leadership, he actively supports corporate social and environmental responsibility initiatives and serves on both corporate and nonprofit boards. An entrepreneur and investor, he is committed to giving back to local communities and promoting environmental stewardship.

He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Millikin University and completed graduate studies at Arizona State University and American University in Washington, D.C.

Michael E. Pardun

Director

Mike joined the board in March 2012 and became CEO later that year. Mike is responsible for overall company strategy, commercialization, marketing, strategic partnerships and North American plant development. He shares responsibility with the Executive Chairman on shareholder relations, financing and International Business Development.

Prior to joining the company, Mike served as the Chief Operating Officer of Alternative Asset Development Group, LLC – a private equity partnership with retired US Senator Wayne Allard.

Mike has nearly three decades of leadership in start-up, private and public companies, where he has a solid track record of applying his skills to commercialize / monetize new technologies. He is an experienced operating executive and investor. Mike has participated in both sides of the fund-raising process, raising over $1 billion in debt and equity over his career. Mike has co-founded and led several companies across several industries, creating hundreds of millions in liquidity for his investors though M&A transactions and two IPO’s, including; co-founding one of the world’s first broadband Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the early 90’s (acquired by Microsoft), building a network-based cyber-security company in the Bay Area (acquired by Boeing), an enterprise software company in Boulder, CO (acquired by HP) and more recently as the CEO of a Denver-based renewable technology firm that developed a 250+ Megawatt pipeline of commercial and utility scale solar projects across North America. In addition to being a successful entrepreneur, Mike honed his skills as an investor and value creator in early stage and growth companies while a Partner at TeleSoft Partners, with such company notables as Cisco, Salesforce, Airbnb, T-mobile, Twitter, Groupon and Facebook.

Mike holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of San Diego and attended the International Management program at the London School of Economics. Mike resides in Denver, CO with his wife, two children & two dogs. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, mentoring, skiing, hiking, fishing and tennis. Mike volunteers with several organizations in the Denver area, including serving on the Board of Denver Scholarship Foundation and as President of the Crestmoor Community Association.

R. Gerald Bennett

Director

Mr. Bennett is an experienced Energy executive recognized for corporate and strategic development, evolving and advancing capacity and capabilities under changing market, economic and industry conditions. He has extensive executive, operational, P&L and policy experience in all aspects of the oil and gas industry, public and private. Mr. Bennett’s demonstrated financial acumen, corporate compliance, accountability and public reporting, as well as his leadership experience at Corporate, Non-Profit and University Board levels brings a wealth of pertinent skills and guidance to the company. He was appointed to the board in 2016.

Among his more notable positions are President and CEO at Total Safety, Inc., Senior VP at Equitable Resources, Inc., President and CEO of Fuel Resources, Inc., President at Enron Gas Services, Chairman and CEO at Houston Pipe Line Company, President and COO at Perry Gas Companies, and Manager of Conoco's domestic and international gas activities including regulatory compliance and commercialization. Gerald has been active in numerous prominent oil and gas industry associations, serving in Chairman and Director roles. He also participated in the National Petroleum Council Energy Conservation Study published in 1974 and the Energy Outlook Study published in 1987. 

Gerald’s extensive community activities include participation and leadership roles at the Memorial Herman Healthcare System Board, the Memorial Hermann Hospital Board, Houston Music Hall Foundation, the Houston Ballet Foundation, the American Leadership Forum, the Oklahoma State University Development Board and Oklahoma State Foundation Board of Governors, to name just a few. He earned both a B.S. (1965) and M.S. (1966) in Industrial Engineering and Management from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, and attended Harvard Business School in 1976.

Michael R. Gambrell

Director

Mr. Gambrell is a former Executive Vice President of the Dow Chemical Company, retiring in 2012, after serving 37 years with the company. During 2011-2012, he served as an advisor to the Chairman/CEO of Dow. In 2012, Mike founded GamCo, LLC, a privately held company providing advisory services to public, private equity, and start-up companies, as well as non-profit organizations. In 2013, he joined the company’s board.

From 2003 to 2011, Mike was Executive Vice-President of Dow serving in business and functional executive roles as well as geographical oversight.  He has served on Dow’s Executive Leadership Committee responsible for corporate strategy and financial performance. He also served on the company’s Strategy Board, Sustainability Team, Geographic Leadership Council, and is an ex officio member of Dow’s board of director’s Environment, Health & Safety Committee. From 2010-2012, Mike served on the U.S. Department of Commerce Manufacturing Council, which advised the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on matters related to the competitiveness of the U.S. manufacturing section.  He is also a Director Emeritus of the US-India Business Council and served as a member of The University of Michigan Engineering Advisory Council from 2006-2012.

He recently served on the Board of Directors of the National Safety Council and the strategic planning and nomination committees, and as Chairman of the Campbell Institute. He also served as a director on the Board of TRW Automotive Holding Corp. (NYSE: TRW) and on the Audit Committee. Mike currently serves as a Director of CSW Industrials, Inc. [NASDAQ “CSWI”] since 2015.In this role, he serves on the Nominating & Governance committee as well as the Compensation & Talent committee.

Douglas D. Troxel

Director

Mr. Troxel was appointed Director in 2010. He brings over 40 years of executive experience in the information technology industry and has sponsored extensive research into alternative and clean energy projects.

Doug graduated with a B.S. from Iowa State University with a major in Mathematics and minor in Physics in 1967.  He founded SERENA Software in 1980 and sold the company to Micro Focus in 2016. Doug serves as President of the family foundation, Change Happens, committed to helping highly motivated groups with pioneering programs and forward-thinking projects. He also serves on the Director's Council of the Kavli Institute of Theoretical Physics at the University of California Santa Barbara. Doug serves on the Executive Board of Novim, which studies big social problems, like long term climate change and methane leakage, using pure science. He also serves on the board of Caring Together In Hope which is a support group for those suffering with Alzheimer's Disease and Lewy Body Dementia.

Doug and his wife Deborah are residents of Kona Hawaii. He continues to pursue life-long interests in physics, astronomy and politics.