The Applied Gaia Team

Sheila Macdonald Kyger

Sheila Macdonald Kyger

CEO

Sheila is CEO and a member of the Board of Directors. Sheila established strategic relationships, research and developed pyrolysis technologies, applications, and markets for over a decade. Sheila has experience as the CEO or Trustee of companies in the oil and gas, real estate, and technology industries. She is a graduate of Harvard Business School.

James MacPhail

James MacPhail

Executive Vice President

James is a respected expert in the biochar space…with an extensive global network of commercial and academic relationships from a decade spent in the world’s leading biochar brand, Carbon Gold. He has also been a Strategic Advisor for the International Biochar Initiative – the global advocacy body for biochar. James is also Managing Director of Sequest – Climate Smart Biochar, an independent consultancy responsible for international trading strategy and pyrolysis product positioning; with particular emphasis on biochar usage and Carbon Dioxide Removal certificates. James is a graduate of the Royal Agricultural University and has a Masters of Science, Honours degree in Agriculture (with an emphasis on soil science and organic production) and; a Bachelor of Arts, Honours degree in Corporate Communication from the University of the Solent.

Seb Burn

Seb Burn

Director of Engineering and Product Development

Seb Burn has diverse hands-on experience in engineering and project management – having worked for start-up companies, corporations, NGO’s and government agencies around the world. In the UK, he developed biochar pyrolysis kilns and delivered biochar projects for Carbon Gold. In India, he worked with Engineers Without Borders developing small scale agricultural equipment and in Australia has developed large rail projects. He has a Masters degree in Civil and Structural Engineering, is a Chartered Engineer with the Institute of Engineering and Technology and has Project Management Professional accreditation through the Project Management Institute.

Stephen Irving

Stephen Irving

Expert Advisor - Policy, Regulations & Compliance

Stephen has a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Environmental Management from the University West of England and is a Chartered Environmentalist. He has spent a number of years traveling and working between the UK and Sweden within the biomass heating industry and within water quality. He was part of the pioneering team in 2009 that set up the EU funded Bio-Agro project in Sweden, to pyrolyse agricultural crop residues and woody biomass into a biochar for land application and has been a very keen supporter of biochar development ever since.
Vicky Hao

Vicky Hao

Finance Manager

Vicky has a Masters in Accounting from McCombs School of Business and a BSc in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University. She is fluent in both Mandarin and English and is a licensed CPA. Vicky manages AG finance forecasting and relationships with customers domestically and internationally.

Mike Newby

Mike Newby

Head of Communications

Mike is a communications specialist with nearly two decades of experience working agency-side and in-house in the biochar sector. He is skilled in everything from link-building digital PR to old school media relations, and is uniquely able to translate complex technical information into easily-digestible narrative. Mike’s career has seen him repeatedly deliver business-critical campaigns targeting businesses, policy makers, the third sector and consumers.
William Macdonald

William Macdonald

Advisory Board Member

Bill is a lifelong conservationist and ecologist committed to advancing the company’s mission since its beginnings. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, and a JD from Fordham Law School (Law Review) in New York City and is respected for his work in the entertainment industry.

Lawrence Mortorff

Lawrence Mortorff

Advisory Board Member

Larry is a lifelong environmental activist and member of the original American Conservation Movement. He has worked unrelentingly for efforts as diverse as the Cousteau Society – Greenpeace – The Carbon Underground and The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and is part of an elite global network of seasoned protectors of the planet.

Larry is also an experienced entertainment attorney, as well as an agency and film company executive and a film and television producer and executive producer. He is licensed to practice law in California as well in U.S. Federal Court.

Larry Price

Larry Price

Advisory Board Member

Larry is an accomplished senior executive with 40 years’ experience in Operations, Manufacturing and General Management. He has optimized production systems for companies in diverse industries such as forestry products, pulp paper, power generation, metal manufacturing, cement and agriculture.  Most recently, Larry has been engaged in the hydrogen, black pellet and green carbon markets.

Larry is a trained engineer with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from West the Virginia Institute of Technology and an MBA from The College of William and Mary, Va.

Sampo Tukiainen

Sampo Tukiainen

Advisory Board Member

A serial climate entrepreneur, with over 20 years in the renewables industries – Sampo has been at the forefront of pioneering pyrolysis technology and driving ambitious Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) projects worldwide.
He has an extensive track record of leading more than 15 international projects, including innovative ventures in gasification, pyrolysis and liquid biofuels.