Partners
John Mitchell
Managing Partner
John has over 30 years leading growth companies in specialty chemicals, energy and advanced materials, utility infrastructure, industrial gases, venture capital and ETF index creation, mostly within the New Energy Economy thematic.
He has been at the forefront of the energy transition with specific experience in battery advanced materials, hydrogen, decarbonization, integrated utility islands, renewable energy and energy storage. He has spearheaded strategy and transformational agreements with corporations, governments and strategic partners all over the world.
In 2020, he led the creation of a public equity index focused on leaders and innovators within the New Energy Economy.
John’s prior leadership roles include President at Albemarle Lithium & Advanced Materials, Board Director at Talison Lithium Ltd, President at Rockwood Lithium North America, Senior Advisor to the Executive Board at Linde AG, Division President at Linde-EMC and President of a Private Venture Holdco.
Tim Johnston
Operating Partner, CFA, PE
Mr. Johnston is a highly experienced entrepreneur and business leader having invented technologies and founded businesses to address the challenges associated with extracting and processing energy transition metals into valuable products for the energy industry.
His multidisciplinary experience includes serving as Founder, Executive Director, CEO, and Senior Consultant across many businesses in the new energy economy. As a chartered professional engineer and CFA charter holder, he is an expert in capital project management and transactional analysis. He has provided strategic consulting services for a wide range of companies across the lithium-ion battery value chain, including many corporations that hold leadership positions today. He has evaluated hundreds of projects around the world. He has co-authored seven technical publications with a focus on project execution and brings a unique techno-economic perspective when creating value.
Govind Arora
Managing Partner
Govind Arora
Managing Partner
Govind has over 25 years of senior executive leadership and global experience in Fortune 500 companies like GE, Honeywell, Stanley Black & Decker, and Albemarle equipping him with a strong foundation in commercial, operational and financial leadership.
He has driven growth and profitability across multiple countries, business models, and industries, including energy materials, automotive, industrial tools, aerospace, and new energy venture capital.
As the former Chief Commercial Officer of Lithium at Albemarle Corporation, he was responsible for all aspects of business management, including global sales, marketing, strategy, and commercial excellence. He also served as a Regional Business President for Stanley Black and Decker where he ran the full P&L and led commercial, operational, and functional teams. Govind also spent more than 10 years at Honeywell in various senior roles, including Vice President Finance, Honeywell Aerospace and Chief Financial Officer, Asia Pacific for Honeywell Process Solutions.
He is lean and six-sigma black belt certified and holds an Executive MBA in Global Management and a BA in Finance.
John Mitchell
Managing Partner
Tim Johnston
Operating Partner, CFA, PE
Our Team
Morgan Avitabile
Morgan Avitabile
Morgan brings a breadth of experience in business and financial analysis to Blue Horizon Advisors, gained from a 25-year career in specialized finance.
His experience includes fundamental analysis of individual companies, both in the new energy space and generally, as well as financial modeling and industry and market research. Prior to joining BHA, he held positions in portfolio management and analysis.
Andrés Barrientos
Andrés Barrientos
Has more than 25 years of chemical engineering experience. Andrés has led piloting testing and process development for companies in Argentina, overseeing feasibility studies and acquisitions. He was responsible for technology contract implementation in mining equipment and executed several capital and improvement projects in Chile, including the construction of lithium-related plants.
Andrés has driven numerous projects focused on improving lithium yield, reducing plant downtime, and cutting capital costs, resulting in millions of dollars in savings. His experience extends to Management and control of technological and infrastructure projects in large-scale copper mining with global companies.
Greg Brown
Greg Brown
Greg brings a wealth of experience as the CFO of multiple venture capital backed private and early- stage public companies, as well as significant experience as an angel and venture capital investor. His career has been devoted to serving entrepreneurs and the companies that they create as a trusted business partner. Greg has a particularly deep understanding of investment transactions of all types, having participated in over 100 private and public financings. Prior to forming Cardinal Finance, via which he provides CFO services to Blue Horizon Advisors and other clients, he held CFO or COO roles with Patient Infosystems, Metrix, BidRx, BioForceNanosciences, and Edge Health Initiatives. His investing activities have been as Sr. VP of Pappajohn Capital Resources, Partner with P3 Technology Partners and Residex Ventures, and Administrator of Charlotte Angel Fund.
Ashish Desai
Ashish Desai
Ashish is a seasoned Corporate Development leader with over 15 years of experience driving organizational transformation, strategic growth, and high-impact M&A transactions ranging from $10M to $3B. He specializes in executing complex deals, structuring joint ventures, and advising executive teams to align initiatives with long-term business goals. With a strong focus on operational excellence and team leadership, Ashish consistently delivers results that enhance market expansion and shareholder value.
Mary Ferreira
Mary Ferreira
Mary joined the team in May 2021 and handles the administration and operations of the business. She is fluent in Spanish and has a varied background in providing over 25 years of professional support to C-level executives in many industries. She has extensive experience with the board, office management, project management, as well as a proven track record of strong performance in high-volume, and high-pressure environments.
Tony Fusco
Tony Fusco
Tony has over 25 years of experience in asset management, bank proprietary trading, hedge funds, the '40 Act space (mutual funds and ETFs), and venture capital.
Much of his professional experience was focused on equity derivative strategies and alternative investments. He has also found a passion for investment opportunities in the energy transition theme.
George Guo
George Guo
Dr. George Guo has over 30 years of experience in renewable/energy storage industries and specialty chemicals.
He is an expert in lithium extraction, cathode material manufacturing, and specialty chemical industries, with leadership experience in business strategy development and technology commercialization. He has successfully led cross-regional organizations, built supply chain strategies, and operated in multicultural global environments. Additionally, Dr. Guo has a strong focus on process safety, with expertise in emergency runaway reactions, two-phase flow system design, and continuous improvement in manufacturing environments
Anthony Hall, Esq.
Anthony Hall, Esq.
Has over 25 years of commercial experience in a wide range of disciplines including executive management, strategy, business development, investor relations, risk and compliance, and venture capital.
Anthony has also led a number of advanced materials and mining companies as CEO, Executive Director and/or Founding Member.
Terry Hammons, Esq.
Terry Hammons, Esq.
Terry has 25 years of experience as a complex commercial and corporate finance legal counselor with companies in specialty chemicals, industrial gases, construction materials and healthcare industries. He was also lead legal advisor on many transformational deals and M&A for a leading battery materials company.
Rolly McFarlin
Rolly McFarlin
Rolly has over 42 years of domestic and international aerospace business development and sales leadership experience. Proven ability to lead pursuit teams to win new strategic business and interact with leadership and customers at all levels.
He has extensive knowledge of start-up businesses, the broad AAM ecosystem and strong experience with top eVTOL manufacturers.
Scott Martin
Scott Martin
Has 40 years experience in the specialty chemicals, catalysts and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries where he has leveraged his manufacturing and global business expertise.
Scott has held various global executive roles including Global Business leader, President, and Executive VP. He is also a licensed Professional Engineer.
Heiner Marx
Heiner Marx
Dr. Heiner Marx has over 40 years of professional experience in the salt, mineral and lithium processing industry.
He is an international entrepreneur and industry leader with decades of experience in the lithium and potash sectors. Heiner possesses significant expertise in all aspects of salt and mineral ventures, including exploration, mining, processing, and project operations.
Glen Merfeld
Glen Merfeld
Dr. Glen Merfeld has over 25 years of experience in the chemical engineering field. He built and led a team of 200 scientists and engineers across four continents, establishing a global company as a leader in lithium resources, advanced battery materials, and performance-differentiated products. He drove technological advances in lithium mining, refining, and materials innovation, while also creating a world-class data science organization to forecast market dynamics and guide product innovation.
Additionally, Glen directed research on energy storage technologies, emerging technologies, and material innovations, overseeing 150 scientists across global laboratories in areas like grid-scale energy, industrial transportation, and healthcare.
Mori Mitsuhiro
Mori Mitsuhiro
Has over 25 years of experience in the battery materials and specialty chemicals industry, working with multinational corporations to develop products for both global and Japanese markets.
His career advanced as he took on roles in market analysis and business development focusing on various battery materials.
Eduardo Morales
Eduardo Morales
Eduardo is a visionary leader with over four decades of experience in the lithium and mining industries. Renowned for his pioneering role in developing Chile’s first greenfield lithium company, Eduardo has been at the forefront of shaping the global lithium supply chain. More recently, he has solidified his legacy by developing and successfully monetizing two major lithium projects in Argentina. His career is a testament to his strategic acumen, technical expertise, and unwavering commitment to sustainable development.
Pedro Morales
Pedro Morales
Pedro Morales Has over 50 years experience leading process developments in base metals, by-products, precious metals, and energy materials.
Pedro has led technology collaboration agreements and joint ventures with strategic partners in Americas, Europe and Asia. He has supported the constitution of six process technology start-ups. He has held CTO and Board Director roles for both leading global companies and start-ups.
Mark O’Neill
Mark O’Neill
Dr. Mark O’Neill has more than 25 years of industrial experience in the creation, development, and commercialization of advanced materials and technology for the semiconductor industry.
Mark has served as CTO and Global EVP for Research & Development for leading semiconductor advanced materials businesses. He has presented more than 50 papers and has co-authored more than 70 patent families.
Clint Parham
Clint Parham
Clint brings nearly 30 years of experience in specialty chemical plant operations and project execution.
He has spent the past 10 years focused on the battery grade lithium salt industry, managing the technology, design, and product quality for large scale brine and spodumene based buildouts in Chile, China, Australia, and the US.
John Parks
John Parks
Has over 40 years of experience as a Chemical Engineer focused on developing and designing processes for new chemicals. He has designed, built, and started up numerous production facilities for fine and specialty chemicals.
As Senior R&D Director, he and his teams developed and piloted numerous agricultural, pharmaceutical, and electronic chemicals. He holds 12 US patents.
Markus Pfänder
Markus Pfänder
Dr. Markus Pfänder has over 20 years of professional experience in the energy, mineral processing and lithium processing industry.
He is an international senior executive with a strong technical and economic background. Markus has significant know-how and experience in project management, techno-economic assessment of technologies and projects, in the salt and mineral processing, energy and Li industry.
Seema Phull
Seema Phull
Has more than 25 years of management consulting and industry experience in high-tech manufacturing, batteries, consumer goods, and aerospace defense, delivering complex strategy solutions.
Deep knowledge in understanding sales and operations planning and forecasting, next generation design of supply chain including footprint optimization.
Ravi Rajamani
Ravi Rajamani
Dr. Ravi Rajamani is an acknowledged authority in the area of model-based diagnostics and prognostics for aerospace and energy applications, with more than three decades of relevant experience leading technical teams and delivering tangible results. In recognition of his accomplishments and expertise in this area, Ravi has been elected a Fellow of SAE International and of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), and is a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE). He is also the editor-in-chief of the SAE International Journal of Aerospace.
Ram Ramprasad
Ram Ramprasad
A seasoned global executive with over 25 years of experience in senior leadership roles in strategy, corporate development, and global business development. Ram was responsible for shaping sustainability strategies, and capital project execution at a global industrial gas leader, Linde.
Bernd Schulthies
Bernd Schultheis
Dr. Bernd Schultheis has over 25 years of professional experience in the salt, mineral and lithium processing industry.
He is a brine chemistry and process development specialist having significant experience in process design and optimization of salar operations and production processes for Lithium compounds.
Matt Smalley
Matt Smalley
Matt works in market research, industry insights, and financial analysis for clients.
Bob Smith
Bob Smith
Bob has over 30 years of experience and strong technical capabilities across the aerospace & defense industry. He worked and managed federal labs, led developments at a large government contractor, grew businesses at a Fortune 100 multinational and scaled up a launch and space systems startup.
Bob also has extensive international experience and has worked with suppliers and OEMs in all the major aerospace regions, including establishing new sites and factories in Europe, India, China and Puerto Rico.
Max Steinman
Max Steinman
Max specializes in market research, industry insights, and financial analysis for clients. He has experience sourcing and conducting due diligence for B2B software investments and supporting sustainable energy initiatives by modeling debt financing for solar projects.
Additionally, Max has experience in energy-related fields, including critical materials, process technologies, and energy storage. He offers investor support and financial analysis to clients in the industrial energy sector.
Michael Valente, Esq.
Michael Valente, Esq.
Michael has over 20 years of global business and legal experience in Western Europe, East Asia and Latin America in the specialty chemicals, building materials, advanced materials and semiconductor industries. He has completed more than 40 merger and acquisition transactions, including a hostile takeover attempt and the sale of three public companies.