BECHT - Key Persons

A. S. Jamaluddin

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Combustion and Heat Transfer Process Expert

Abbey Wing

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Group Head - CCD and RBI Project Manager
Materials Engineer at FHR Corpus Christi

Mrs. Wing has 13 years of experience in the refining industry. She began her career at the FHR Corpus Christi refinery as a Plant Engineer managing projects and supporting the mechanical engineering needs of several operating units. She then spent 3.5 years working as the Corrosion and Materials Engineer at the same facility. As the Corrosion and Materials engineer, she developed and managed programs for assessing environmental cracking risks, naphthenic acid and sulfidic corrosion, and high- temperature hydrogen attack. Mrs. Wing also assisted with the RBI program, TA planning, failure analysis, and metallurgical selection for new projects. While serving as the Corrosion and Materials Engineer at FHR Corpus Christi, Mrs. Wing was an active NACE member and served as the Vice Chair for TG 176 - Sulfidic Corrosion Prediction Tools. After her time at FHR Corpus Christi, Mrs. Wing spent 5 years as a Quality Assurance Engineer at Codeware, Inc., assuring the accuracy and code compliance of COMPRESS and INSPECT software. Mrs. Wing contributed to the implementation and maintenance of the API 510, 570, and 653 inspection features, as well as API 579 Parts 3, 4, 5, 6, and 12 fitness-for-service assessments. She also worked on the addition of the ASME B31.3, ASME B31.4, and API 650 document types, and the interface for INSPECT to send and receive thickness surveys from ultrasonic thickness gages. As a Group Head & CCD and RBI Project manage at Becht, Mrs. Wing oversees the work of a group of Project Managers while continuing to manage CCD and RBI projects. Mrs. Wing has helped develop CCDs for various Amine Treating units, Caustic Treating units, Crude and Vacuum units, Cokers, FGRUs, Flare units, FCC's, GBRs, Hydroprocessing (DDS, DU, HDC, HDS, NHT) units, Isomerization units, NaHS units, Polymerization units, Saturated and Unsaturated Gas Plants, SRUs, SWSs, and TGUs.

Abby O. King

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Vice President of Plant Services

Mr. King has over 10 years of mechanical engineering experience in the Oil & Gas Industry. Mr. King's areas of expertise include FCCU maintenance and turnarounds, pressure vessel design, and risk-based reliability work. He has built turnaround work scopes and packages utilizing risk-based work selection and developed equipment strategies for existing and grassroots units. His turnaround engineering support includes unit coverage of FCC, HF Alkylation, Crude, Coker, Hydrotreating, Sulfur, and Utilities units. His software experience includes the use of Auto Cad 3D, PV Elite, Compress, Math Cad, VCESage 8.0 and Caesar II Software. Abby holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA and is an API Certified 510 Pressure Vessel Inspector.

Aleksandr Chernoff

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Mechanical Subject Matter Expert
Senior Refractory and Mechanical Subject Matter Expert

Aleksandr Chernoff is a Senior Refractory and Mechanical Subject Matter Expert. His experience in refining and chemicals was developed from refractory applications across the globe for units including Fluid Catalytic Crackers, Flexicokers, Powerformers, Heaters/Boilers/Incinerators, Olefins Furnaces, and Sulphur Recovery Units. His varied turnaround experience spanning a diverse set of business teams and international cultures ensures technical recommendations are fit for purpose. His work emphasizes innovative technology development and deployment. He holds a BS in Ceramic Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Amin Terouhid

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Project Management Subject Matter Expert

Andy Gysbers

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Refining Metallurgical and Corrosion Engineering Expert

Mr. Gysbers is a recognized industry expert in refining and petrochemical plant materials and corrosion mitigation. His expertise are recognized in HF Alkylation, Crude Corrosivity, Integrity Operating Windows, Corrosion Control Documents, Inspection Data Analysis among many others, With his 42 years of materials/corrosion/inspection experience, he has been involved in all aspects of materials engineering including materials selection and specifications, corrosion mitigation programs, failure analysis, and risk based inspection assessments. He has focused primarily on aging fixed equipment in refineries but has also worked with petrochemical and distribution facilities. Some highlights include:

Andy Saunders-Tack

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Managing Director Asia - Pac

Annette Karstensen

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Integrity and Corrosion Expert

Annette is an industry expert in structural integrity with extensive experience covering assessments of engineering components relating to hydro power, fossil power and petrochemical plants. Her main expertise is the application of crack assessment and remaining life assessment procedures such as BS7910 and API 579 to develop allowable crack sizes and/or time for failure for components subjected to cyclic loads or high temperature exposure. Prior to Becht, Annette spent 18 years with Quest Integrity in Asia Pacific and 7 years with TWI in the UK. With the project work predominantly focused on structural integrity or as parts of failure investigations. Over the last 12 years Annette has conducted more than forty API 579 training courses in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. Annette holds a MSc in Active Vibration Control of Engineering Structures subjected to earthquake (in Danish), Aalborg University, Denmark and a PhD in Constraint Estimation Schemes in Fracture Mechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Glasgow University, UK. She is a Registered Professional Engineer of Australia and Queensland (RPEng, RPEQ) and a professional member of the Welding and Joining Society in the UK (CEng, FWeld).

Arve Holt

Arve Holt has an extensive background in refinery/petrochemical operations, process instrumentation and control systems, process safety management, and energy conservation. A long-term Sunoco employee, Mr. Holt also managed his own consulting business and has been a Becht Advisor for more than 10 years. Mr. Holt's recent worked as included the evaluation of ship terminal crude oil unloading piping and related facilities and design of improvements resulting in reduced demurrage fees. He has also been involved in the design, installation and performance oversight for IR level control instrumentation in an extremely challenging service environment. In the area of process safety management, Are has coordinated and implemented OSHA 1910.119 PSM regulations for all Sunoco, Inc. refineries, introduced Computer Based Training and coordinated individual refinery implementation efforts, focusing on PSM. As the manager of Sunoco's instrumentation group, Mr. Holt has been involved in the design, procurement, and commissioning of Honeywell TDC-3000 Digital Control systems for a variety of refinery process units, as well as the design of instrumentation used in very sour and highly toxic heavy oil service. Additionally he has served as an expert third party for the inspection and certification of various refinery instrumentation and operations as mandated by state and federal agencies. Mr. Holt holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University and an MS in Chemical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. He has completed courses in linear programming, statistics, communications, management/supervision, quality systems and process safety management. He is a registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania and California.

ASME High

Job Titles:

Pressure Systems Committee - Former Vice - Chair & Member

Benjamin Brandt

Job Titles:

NDE and Inspection Specialist

With over 24 years of Conventional and Advanced Non-Destructive Testing Experience, Mr. Brandt has been providing testing and inspection solutions in an effort to always surpass client expectation. His straightforward and personable style has been an asset on many team projects. Ben's primary role is for Becht's Pono Division. Within Pono, he provides in-depth analysis of client inspection data supporting creation and updates of Corrosion Control Documents (CCD's) and Risk Based Inspection planning. Mr. Brandt also performs on site services such as metallurgical scoop sampling. He has also served in the role of refinery project manager at multiple client facilities.

Bobby Wright

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Director - Mechanical Integrity

Bonnie Winkler

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Advisor Resources

Bruce Scott

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Reliability

Bruce Scott began his professional career in with Shell Canada for 10 years, then moved to Imperial Oil for 25 years and retired in 2010. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering and is a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario. His experience is broad based including pipelines, marketing facilities, crude oil supply, facilities planning , numerous refining operating assignments in maintenance, projects, reliability, technical leadership and oil sands operations. During his refinery operating assignments in both Europe and Canada, he worked to develop and implement industry best practices for equipment reliability. Since retirement, he has provided a broad scope of consulting services through Becht to the petrochemical industry in North America and the far east.

Cassandra Manzato

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CCD / IOW Project Analyst

Charles (Chuck) Becht IV - CEO, President

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Chief Executive Officer
President

Dr. Becht, Fellow ASME, former Chairman of the ASME B31.3, Process Piping Code, is a recognized auth... Mr. Becht is a mechanical and nuclear engineer with expertise in FEA and thermo-hydraulics modeling ...

Chris van der Beek

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Managing Director EMEA

Clayton Smith

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Division Manager - Turnaround, Maintenance & Reliability Services

Dan Giuliani

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Division Manager - Capital Projects

Dana Baham

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Refining and Petrochemical Engineer and Chief Inspector

Danny Davis

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Site Manager

Darren York

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Manager - Value Chain Optimization

Dave Dewees

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Division Manager - Mechanical Engineering

David H. Vahlsing

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Division Manager - Philadelphia, PA

David Moore

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Refining Metallurgical and Corrosion Engineering Expert

Doug Knapke

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Division Manager - Process Engineering

Elena Niemi

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Software Developer

Eric Ye

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Process Group Lead

Everett Chatham

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Pressure Vessel Group Lead

Francie Bridgewater

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CCD Project Manager and Analyst

Frank Liu

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Chief IR Technologist

Frank Sapienza

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Refining Corrosion and Metallurgy Specialist and CCD Project Manager

Fred Lea

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Division Manager - Machinery / Rotating Equipment

George Antaki

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Chief Nuclear Engineer

Gordon Swett

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Division Manager - Performance Group

Grant Jacobson

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Division Manager - Fired Heater Services

Greg Zoll

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Division Manager - Electrical, Instrumentation and Controls Division

Haley Bechtle

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Billing Manager

Hearl Mead, Jr

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Refining Metallurgical & Corrosion Engineer & Asset Integrity Management Expert

Himanshu Joshi

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Heat Exchanger Specialist

Ida Soto

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Project Manager - Performance Group

J. Robert "Bob" Sims

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Senior Engineering Fellow and ASME past President

Mr. Sims is a recognized authority in risk-based technologies for optimizing inspection and maintenance decisions; design and analysis of high pressure equipment, including high pressure, high temperature (HPHT) equipment for oil and gas exploration and production and he has extensive experience in mechanical integrity evaluations of existing equipment and Fitness-For-Service analyses. Mr. Sims has served as President of the ASME and member of the Board of Governors; past ASME Senior Vice President for Codes and Standards and past Chairman of the Codes and Standards Board of Directors. He is past Vice Chairman and current member of the Joint API/ASME Fitness for Service Committee that is responsible for API 579-1 / ASME FFS-1, the joint Fitness-For-Service standard that was published in 2007 and he is a member of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Subcommittee VIII on Pressure Vessels. He is an ASME Fellow and has more than 20 publications and two patents and is a frequent speaker and chairman in technical forums. He was responsible for developing the recently published ASME "Guide to Life Cycle Management of Pressure Equipment Integrity". Mr. Sims has been recognized by his peers in the industry as a leader, having received the J. Hall Taylor Codes and Standards medal in 2004, and the Melvin R. Green Codes and Standards medal in 2006. Prior to joining Becht Engineering in 1998, he worked for more than thirty years with Exxon (now ExxonMobil), the last ten years as a pressure equipment specialist with Exxon Research and Engineering Company.

Jean-Gaël Le Floc'h

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Manager - EMEA Operations

Jeannie Lewis

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Division Manager - Engineering Standards

Jeff Everett

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Subject Matter Expert - Project Management

Jeff Goldstein

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Mechanical Integrity Group Lead

Jered Watt

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Director of Business Development - North America

Jeremy Staats

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Division Manager - Corrosion, Materials, & Integrity

Jim McLaughlin

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Refining Metallurgical and Corrosion Engineering Expert

Joe Collins

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Division Manager - Heavy Lift

John Conway

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Turnaround Inspection Planning Lead

John Hackett

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Manager - Human Resources

Jon Yutzy

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Senior Software Engineer

Karen Li

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CCD Project Manager and Refining Corrosion Engineer

Katherine ‘Katie' Taylor

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Vice President of Engineering

Katherine ‘Katie' Taylor is a Chemical Engineer with over 10 years of experience in the refining...

Kathy Lipski

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Marketing Manager

Keith McKinney

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Refining / Petrochemical / LNG Corrosion and Asset Integrity Expert

Kristen Becht

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Manager - BechtCONNECT & Technical Training

LaKeshia Taylor

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Reliability Engineering

Lauren Lopez

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Senior Financial Analyst

Libby West

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Business Manager

Lindell "Bob" Hurst, Jr

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Engineer - Chemicals and Refining Materials / Corrosion

Lindell R. ‘Bob' Hurst, Jr. has over 30 years of experience as a materials engineer in the petroleum refining and chemicals industries. His experience includes corrosion engineering, materials selection, coatings and insulation selection, and failure analysis. Provided corrosion and materials engineering support to Shell downstream operations. Lindell R. ‘Bob' Hurst, Jr. has over 30 years of experience as a materials engineer in the petroleum refining and chemicals industries. His experience includes corrosion engineering, materials selection, coatings and insulation selection, and failure analysis. Selected skills and accomplishments: Provided corrosion and materials engineering support to Shell downstream operations. Served as failure analysis focal point for Shell Americas. Led failure analysis on major refinery failure that had resulted in large financial loss. Provided testimony in arbitration. Worked on development of Shell internal standards. Developed over 40 corrosion control documents (CCD's). Prepared corrosion control documents for multi-billion dollar new chemical site. Section editor of the Materials of Construction section of the Ninth Edition of Perry's Chemical Engineering Handbook. Supported turn-around operations at refineries. Before Shell, worked for Solutia (formerly the chemical business of Monsanto) for 24 years. Spent 17 years at three different plant locations supporting plant operations. Familiar with all common NDE techniques. Supervised fixed equipment inspection program at two plants. Updated inspection software at both plants including UltraPipe installation for over 2,000 pieces of equipment. Familiar with all common corrosion testing and measurement techniques. Served as coatings and insulation focal point for Solutia. Was active on Process Industries Practices (PIP) Coatings/Insulation/Refractory Team including serving as Team Lead. Familiar with PIP coatings and insulation standards. Was the author of all Solutia engineering coatings and insulation standards. Proficient in the use of the 3E Plus insulation sizing program. Conducted materials engineering testing program and made materials recommendations for proposed $100M new chemical facility Conducted fitness-for-service study and wrote final report on eight 35+ year old chemical reactors. Resulted in extended service for reactors rather than replacement Conducted major failure analysis after brittle fracture of a pressure vessel. This study was published in March 1986 issue of Materials Performance, "Brittle Fracture of a Brick-Lined Pressure Vessel". Mr. Hurst holds a B.S. Degree and an M.S. Degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, MO. In addition, he holds M.S. Degrees in Engineering Mechanics, and in Engineering Management, from the Missouri University of Science and Technology Extension. He is a Registered Professional Metallurgical Engineer in the states of Alabama, and North Dakota. He is a National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) Certified Corrosion Specialist and NACE Certified Materials Selection/Design Specialist. Mr. Hurst is based in Humble, TX.