POLYCHEM SOLUTIONS - Key Persons
Dan Hathway has a 29-year international career in consulting, technology, real estate development and construction. He has helped small, mid-sized and large businesses achieve growth objectives through advisory, business planning and hands-on project delivery. Dan has led sales teams and has expertise in business data analytics.
He is the Principal Consultant for his Consulting firm and serves as COO for a Vancouver consulting and technology firm that specializes in digital stakeholder decision-making. Dan has an MBA from the University of Warwick, and a Bachelor of Computer Science (Hons.) degree from the University of Wolverhampton.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Abbas S. Milani is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Tier 1 Principal's Research Chair in Sustainable & Smart Manufacturing at The University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada. He is leading expert in the field of composites/biocomposites manufacturing with applications of Industry 5.0 including AI and immersive technologies under multiple criteria decision-making environments. He is a highly community-engaged researcher who excels in bringing together people and ideas. His interdisciplinary research, in collaboration with several national and international industrial sectors and institutes, link theoretical concepts to real-world applications, thereby enabling innovations in manufacturing high-quality and cost-effective products. He is a Killam Laureate, the founding Director of UBC Materials and Manufacturing Research Institute, Lead of the Canadian-International Biocomposites Research Network, and Technical Director of the Composites Research Network (CRN) in Canada. He was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada in 2020.
Dr. Anna Mirani is a Ph.D. candidate in Architecture at Mines Paris-Tech and ENSA Paris-Malaquais, France. Her dissertation topic is on the "Reinterpretation and revalorization of stone as a material for the massive envelope with low environmental impact." Mirani's applied academic work has been on the evaluation of building energy behavior and neighbourhood sustainability in greater Paris. Previously Mirani worked as an architectural engineer specializing in mixed-use, low-carbon buildings and renewable energy production systems in Tehran, Iran.
Job Titles:
- Director of International Finance
Dr. Ahmadi has over 30 years of experience in international business, asset management, investing in start-up businesses, mergers and acquisitions, investment immigration and the medical field. As the co-founder and the Director of International Finance for Polychem Consulting Solutions, Dr. Admadi oversees sales and the expansion of the company in Canada and internationally.
The main assets that he brings to our company are leadership, being a visionary, hard work, loyalty and trustworthiness. He is a keen philanthropist and strongly believes that we must leave a better world for the next generations. His motto is to work resourcefully to bring innovative solutions together, and to hope for the best while being prepared for the worst.
Parisa Mehrkhodavandi is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of British Columbia. She completed her Ph.D. work at MIT and her postdoctoral work at Caltech before starting her independent career at UBC in 2005. Professor Mehrkhodavandi has garnered a number of awards including the Killam Research Fellowship, the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, and is a Peter Wall Scholar in 2022.
Job Titles:
- Director of Research & Development
- Senior Research Scientist
- Director of Research and Development
Reza Korehei is a senior research scientist in the field of polymer chemistry (fibre and foam plastic materials) at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC. He holds a BSc from Tehran University in Applied Chemistry, and obtained his MSc and PhD in Advanced Biomaterial
Chemistry from the University of British Columbia. His area of research is material and polymer chemistry, with a focus on the production and development of novel materials from any recycled paper, plastic, and foam waste resources. He has designed and conducted several projects, which resulted in more than twenty scientific research publications.
Reza has a proven record of designing and performing research projects where he could control the extent and strength of intermolecular polymer interaction by employing the appropriate components to create the desired material for targeted commercial application. As the Director of Research and Development at Polychem Consulting Solutions, Reza's focus is on reprocessing and recycling of polyurethane foam waste materials into value-added polyol products.
Job Titles:
- Senior Industry Consultant
Geoff Forrester has studied architecture at Carleton University and Urban Planning at University of Ottawa, as well as project management and construction management at BCIT. He has extensive experience in equity financing and construction debt for real estate land assemblies. As an architectural apprentice Geoff has been involved in luxury home development in West Vancouver and the redevelopment of commercial rental properties.
In his prior career Geoff was engaged in the internet and telecommunications field before switching focus to clean technology and sustainable community energy projects in BC, Alberta and the US. Geoff has a strong family history and circle of influence in the BC lumber industry, which has led to opportunities in waste management and the conversion of solid waste to energy projects. Geoff also works closely with persons in First Nation's natural resource development.
Kambiz Taheri and has more than 25 years of experience in the engineering plastics and chemical industry. Kambiz was Director of Technology for Sole Gear (now Good Natured Products) where he developed numerous grades of bio plastics for variety of industries. Kambiz has an extensive background in international trade, turnkey contracts, process development, importing and exporting of chemicals, as well as process equipment design of industrial foams and engineering plastics and applications.
For more than a decade prior to founding Polymer Research Technologies, he was CEO for several businesses involved in developing packaging techniques and developing environmentally safe foams and recycling techniques. Kambiz has supervised many projects including the insulation of a 300,000 square foot residential construction, the insulation of power plant pipelines and the development of dashboards for Kenyan automotive. He has worked with adhesives and acrylic, nitrocellulose, PVC and polyurethane based coating for automotive plastic parts.
Kambiz holds a Master's Degree in Industrial Management Organization, a Master's Degree in Business Administration from San Francisco State University, a Master's Degree of Science (Chemical Engineering) from Middlesex University, and a Bachelor of Science (Chemical Engineering) from North London University.
Maryam Manesh has over ten years of experience as an accounting specialist in bookkeeping, taxation policies, income tax procedures, payroll, accounts payable and receivable, feasibility reports, as well as developing positive client relations. Previously Maryam was a Project Engineer in Iran.
Job Titles:
- Public Relations and Media Advisor
Nora Weber's current work grew out of her background in public affairs (an NGO at United Nations in New York), story editing for a television drama, and media production for current affairs in radio and television. Among the many different requirements for the NGO was to spearhead a press conference for Prince Philip (within the context of the World Wildlife Fund) and organize numerous symposia for Prince Alfred of Liechtenstein in events that involved our collaboration with the Vienna Academy for the Study of the Future and collaborate with International Status of Women to co-organize a conference in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations. Nora has collaborated with Indigenous organizations, institutions, and artists; tourism bureaus; museums; cultural centres; conservation organizations; and business start-ups. In the best of worlds, she works with organizations that help create a circular economy by eliminating waste.
Her specialty in communications strategy includes routinely directing or executing needs assessments, evaluations, and strategic planning exercises in the context of marketing and communications. She has managed and curated the production of events, videos, photo shoots, media kits, press releases, promotional materials, newsletters, and content for websites and social media. Supporting these initiatives is a great deal of collaborative work to ensure the message is cogent, target publics are clearly defined, and the message matches the medium.
For over 25 years Sophie Bartek has held private and public sector management positions in marketing communications, operations, administration, change management (Lean), organizational development, and leadership, the latter as the Vice President of the Board of Directors for a not-for-profit organization. Sophie has expertise as a coach, counsellor, facilitator, and as an instructor at the University of British Columbia. She also has a background in quantitative and qualitative research that has been published in peer-reviewed journals.
Together with her core values of innovation, collaboration, strategy, and human development, Sophie is excited to bring her professional experience to the global movement of green technology and the circular economy. Sophie has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology (Honours) and Criminology from Simon Fraser University, and a Master's Degree in Counselling Psychology from the University of British Columbia.
Job Titles:
- Procurement and Supply Chain Manager
An organized business professional, Yaser ensures that Polychem Solutions has the necessary supplies and materials to ensure smooth operations, as well as maintaining strong relations with vendors, clients and stakeholders.