David Peterson, MBA

Managing Director

Pulp, Paper, Forestry, Biomass, Biofuels, Feedstocks & Biochemicals Projects, BioProcess & Biomaterials Product Development & Scale-Up

David has 40+ years of diverse bio-economy experience evaluating and deploying technical solutions. He was the founder and CEO of a company that produced novel bioactive chemicals from sustainable biomaterials. As CTO, he led the scale-up of an innovative pyrolysis/syngas-based technology, and, as an owner’s representative, he analyzed pilot plant and engineering design data for a second-generation cellulosic ethanol biorefinery. David was the site executive and co-developer for a wood-to-fuel biorefinery and served as the technical director for a top-rated, world-class pulp and paper biorefinery.

Having served in leadership and technical roles for Potlatch Corporation, David has in-depth operational experience in papermaking, coating technology, pulping (kraft sulfate), woody biomass handling/forestry, bleaching, industrial landfill, and wastewater treatment. His experience also includes active pharmaceutical ingredients, pellet plant operations, natural product extraction/derivatization, artificial skin, skincare, nutraceuticals, and agricultural chemicals/bioactives. To complement these achievements, David has IP strategy, trade secret, and patent (17+ issued) portfolio management experience. With wide-ranging experience in complex, multi-product biorefinery operations, he understands how to develop successful bio/circular/green technologies.

He led multi-organizational teams to negotiate complex agreements (joint development, industrial property leasehold/purchase, contract services/research, foreign contract manufacturing, EPC, and technology licensing). As a regulatory compliance officer, David has developed/executed environmental permits. He completed detailed engineering (FEL1-FEL3) and R&D projects, established facility-wide QC/QA/training programs, and led a myriad of multi-stakeholder product and process development projects.

David authored a study on the sustainability of Northeastern Minnesota’s bioeconomy and was selected for a Canadian-USA International Joint Commission (IJC) task force to represent the pulp and paper industry where he was elected to be a co-chair for the biorefinery and zero-discharge subcommittees.  He authored articles on the pulp and paper industry and biomass processing. David has an MBA from Purdue University (Krannert School of Management) and a BS in Forest Products, Pulp & Paper Engineering, from the University of Minnesota. Contact David.