Passionate about
sustainability & innovation.
With a rapidly changing climate, a team of experts have assembled to meet the challenges of the growing waste problem.
Executive Team
Our executive team is a powerhouse of seasoned professionals with diverse, cross-continental experience in Norway, the US, Europe, and Asia. Driven by a knowledgeable Technical Advisory Board, we are poised and ready to revolutionize the resource recovery and manufacturing industries with our cutting-edge solutions.
Managing Director, Founder
Nick Narsavidze —
Nick Narsavidze, a seasoned entrepreneur and former Head of Research and Development at U.S. Science & Technology, has made a significant impact in the fields of sustainability and technology. He founded two innovative companies focused on environmentally sustainable textile manufacturing processes. Nick utilized his expertise in business development and product design to identify profitable opportunities in waste-to-manufacturing through the plasma gasification process, surpassing traditional waste management and waste-to-energy systems.
Chief Financial Officer, Co-Founder
Per Kristian Knutsen —
Per Kristian Knutsen brings a wealth of expertise and accomplishment to the table, with a distinguished career spanning both operational and managerial roles. Currently serving as an Executive in Residence at Startup Lab in Bergen, Norway, Knutsen previously held the position of CFO for a specialized company in the field of military logistics with Wilhelmsen for 17 years. Per Kristian Knutsen has a Master’s degree in Economics from NHH, the Norwegian School of Economics.
Commercial Manager, Co-Founder
Ådne Tveit —
With over 30 years of professional experience, Mr. Tveit possesses a unique combination of engineering, entrepreneurial, internationalization, and business skills. He has held a number of commercial and managerial positions in the computer and software industry including positions at IBM and Oracle. He has since founded his own business focusing on digitalization of business processes. Mr. Tveit holds a M. Sci. (sivilingeniør) degree from Ohio State University.
Chief Engineer
James Santoianni —
Mr. Santoianni, is a plasma gasification expert with comprehensive experience in thermal process engineering. James was awarded 9 patents in the areas of plasma gasification, syngas generation, and alternatives to metallurgical coke. He also created simulation tools for heat & material balances, refractory design & vessel sizing for projects utilizing biomass, MSW, and other waste feeds. He is currently operating in a consulting capacity at Refacture. James has a Bachelor of Engineering with a Concentration in Mechanical Engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. He is also Six Sigma Black Belt certified.
Chief Marketing Officer
Sunny Landeros —
Ms. Landeros has over 23 years of marketing experience in various senior leadership roles around the world. Key specialties include branding and advertising, strategic partnerships, PR, communications, and digital strategy including social media. Sunny recently served as Chief Marketing Officer and Brand Strategist for Husary Group and ExecuJet/Luxaviation. Ms. Landeros earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Texas Tech University and is currently a contributing editor for Forbes.
Chief Development Consultant
Nadeem Hussain —
Having practiced as a litigation lawyer, Mr. Hussain has a strong background in UK law. Over the last twenty years, he has also excelled in business and held numerous senior management roles in a variety of sectors ranging from energy to technology to investments. As Chief Development Officer, Nadeem brings strong commercial leadership experience and an outstanding record of building and executing growth strategies in both start up and large enterprise environments. He is a graduate of Liverpool University with a Bachelor of Law.
Technical Advisory Board
Refacture’s board is comprised of the world’s leading scientists and engineers in the fields of plasma technology, civil engineering, gasification technology, waste management, and bioinformatics.
Chief Scientist
Louis J. Circeo, Ph.D., PE —
Dr. Louis J. Circeo is known as the world’s leading expert on plasma gasification and has been involved with its research since its formation in 1971. In 1990, he established the plasma applications research program at Georgia Tech. The program was directed toward engineering and environmental applications of plasma arc technology for the treatment and energy recovery of municipal and hazardous/toxic wastes. Dr. Circeo is a registered professional engineer, he holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with Nuclear Engineering Minors from Iowa State University.
Chief Plasma Expert
Alexander Rutberg, Ph.D. —
Alexander Rutberg is a highly accomplished expert in the field of plasma technology. He holds a PhD in Plasma Physics from the Institute of Electrophysics and Electroenergetics of the Russian Academy of Science and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University. He has a proven track record in the design, assembly and testing of plasmatrons for waste gasification and metal recovery. Rutberg demonstrated the successful acceptance of the first commercial plasma waste gasification facility in Taiwan and the analysis of a hazardous solvent gasification system. With numerous technical papers to his credit, Rutberg is recognized as a leading figure in the field of plasma technology.
Chief Chemical Engineer
Gary C. Young, Ph.D., PE —
Dr. Gary Young has over 50+ years of experience in R&D, design, construction and operations in areas of coal gasification, biomass gasification, waste gasification, Carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion to fuels/energy, gas processing, food processing, pharmaceutical processing, agricultural and industrial processing, and enhanced energy recovery. Dr. Young is a published author and holds B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nebraska and is a licensed professional engineer in California, Texas, Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin.
Chief Biochemist
Biswarup Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D. —
Dr. Biswarup Mukhopadhyay is a professor of the Virginia Tech Bioinformatics Institute. With over 2,438 citations, Biswarup is one of the leading researchers in the fields of biochemistry, microbiology engineering, bioinformatics, and bioenergy production. Biswarup is in discussions with the team to establish a technology for microbial electricity generation with key enzymes already identified. He has a Ph.D., in microbiology from the University of Iowa, a B. Tech in Biochemical Engineering from Jadavpur University, and an honorary B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Calcutta.