Sustainable Aviation Fuels, Advanced Biofuels, Algae, Biomass & Forestry Feedstocks, Seaweed, Biotechnology, Project Management

Michael has a Ph.D. from the University of Washington in Seattle, with a focus on microalgae.  He is a top bioeconomy expert with deep experience in all aspects of bringing pre-commercial technologies to market.  Michael has more than a dozen years at Boeing Commercial Airplanes where he was a central figure in the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuel – from ideation through to commercial-scale production.  He successfully led the execution of several world-first biofuel flights, developed and executed Boeing’s enterprise technology investment strategy, led collaborative R&D programs of over $25M in value, and been a lead author on numerous industry roadmap publications.  He has business experience across the globe, with a focus on Asia-Pacific.

Michael’s technical expertise and insights have seen him take advisory roles on multiple large complex R&D programs.  In  2017 he was selected as Chairman of the Steering Committee for the US Dept of Energy’s peer review of the entire $2B+ Bioenergy Technology Office portfolio with his other appointments including a role at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as an expert for sustainable aviation fuels’ role in the global Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation; Co-lead of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuel Initiative’s R&D team; Director of the Algal Biomass Organization; and Founding Director of the Algae Foundation.  Currently, Michael is the principal of Rock Stack Innovation, a bioeconomy consultancy located in Auckland New Zealand, and serves as Chief Science Office of CH4 Global, a seaweed-based zero-methane agriculture company. Contact Michael.