Meet the Leadership Team
Mahmoud Taha, Ph.D., PE
Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Mahmoud has more than 25 years of research and development at the University of New Mexico and engineering consulting and brings a wealth of knowledge on using polymer materials and nanotechnology. He has over 350 publications and 13 issued U.S. patents. Dr. Taha is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute (FACI), and a licensed Professional Engineer in the U.S. and Canada.
John Stormont, Ph.D., PE
Chief Technology Officer and Founder
John has more than 35 years of experience at Sandia National Laboratories and the University of New Mexico in the field of geomechanics and sub-surface engineering. John has managed over 100 research grants over his career funded by national funding agencies of more than $20M. He has over 200 publications and 5 issued U.S. patents. He is currently a board member of Rainforest Innovations which is a 501C non-profit corporation with the mission to nurture innovation and economic development for the UNM community. John is a licensed Professional Engineer in the U.S.
Abdalla Awara, PE, EMEM
Chief Operating Officer
Abdalla brings 30+ years of experience in the global upstream energy sector, demonstrating a proven track record in steering multinational corporations to operational excellence and market leadership. Abdalla served as VP for Halliburton from 2011 to 2018 and was Expro Director of Africa, Europe, and Eurasia from 2005 to 2010. Abdalla holds a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from Cairo University (Egypt) and an Executive Master’s in Energy Management from BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo.
Daniel Heras Murcia, Ph.D.
VP, Engineering and Founder
Daniel received his Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico with distinction. He holds a B.S. from the University of Granada and a M.S. from the Technical University of Madrid (first-class honors). His experience includes engineering and characterization of polymer nanocomposites for wellbore sealing technology, additive manufacturing, and other infrastructure applications.
Kary Ann Taha, MBA, CPA, CGMA
VP, Business Operations
Kary Ann has more than 20 years of combined business finance and accounting management experience, including a technology startup company and global corporate controllership in manufacturing. Currently, she serves as Board Treasurer of HAC – Serenity Mesa, a local 501C non-profit. HAC provides sober living facilities for New Mexico adolescents and young adults who are struggling with addiction. Kary Ann earned her MBA at UNM Anderson School of Management in 2011 and obtained her CPA, CGMA certifications in 2014.
Bernard Leung, P.Eng.
VP, Canada & Global Solutions Advisor
Bernard is a forward-thinking entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry and field operations. Bernard holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary, is a registered Professional Engineer (PEng) in Alberta, and is actively working towards completing a Master of Engineering Management at the University of Ottawa. Bernard’s strategic business development skills make him a valuable asset to build success for both TS-Nano and its customers.
Our Advisory Board Members
Kevin McDonald
Business Globalization
Kevin is the Managing Director of K. McDonald & Co. LLC, with over 35 mergers and acquisitions under his belt, working with clients such as PPG, RPM, and Earthlink. His expertise spans multiple sectors, including business services, CPG, food processing, and healthcare. Previously, Kevin served as CEO of the Defense Enterprise Fund, managed U.S. assistance programs for the former Soviet Union at the U.S. Department of State, and founded Poland’s first Western management consulting firm. He holds an MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a B.A. from Vanderbilt University.
John Strong
Climate Tech Entrepreneurship
John brings extensive experience in venture investing and startup business incubation, with expertise in fundraising for both startups and established companies. He has served as CEO of public companies and on various boards across sectors such as finance, technology, blockchain, healthcare, and consumer products. Currently, his focus is on climate and clean energy initiatives.
Gerry Boyer, P.Eng.
Wellbore Technologies
With 50+ years of experience spanning Canada, Siberia, and the Sahara, Gerry has held technical and management roles in production, drilling, completions, pipelines, and HSE. Gerry served nearly six years as a senior advisor in well operations at the ERCB/AER and now consults in semi-retirement. His focus is on well integrity, primarily working with InnoTech Alberta to develop well remediation and abandonment technologies. Gerry is a Mechanical Engineering graduate from the University of Saskatchewan.
Johanna Haggstrom, Ph.D
Technology Scalability
Johanna is a Research & Development Executive with over 20 years of experience in product development and research. She currently serves in executive roles at LanzaTech, a leader in carbon recycling, after more than 12 years at Halliburton as Director of Technology. Dr. Haggstrom holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Mälardalen University and a PhD in Chemistry from Kansas State University. With over 35 patents and publications, she is recognized as a top leader in energy, receiving multiple prestigious awards for her contributions to the industry.
Garry Randal
Wellbore Abandonment
With over 50 years of experience in well operations, Garry has a diverse background in Drilling Fluids Engineering, Pumping Services, Drilling Supervision, Completions, and currently serves as a Well Abandonment Subject Matter Expert (SME). Actively involved in both field and office roles, Garry focuses on improving tools and understanding the science behind successful well abandonments. He is currently working on a 71-well abandonment project in Bakersfield, California, leading efforts in data gathering, modeling wellbore interference, and overseeing wellsite operations.
Greg Wallace
Climate Tech Economics
Greg is the founder and Board Member of DynaVert Holdings, LLC, focusing on carbon offset projects. With over 35 years of experience in energy and finance, he is the Senior Vice President at MapleMark Bank, overseeing government stimulus programs and energy transactions. He co-founded and sold Lakewood Midstream LLC and SemGroup, L.P., a $20 billion energy company. Greg holds an M.S. in International Management from Thunderbird and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma.