Fortera appoints chief strategy officer
US-based cement decarbonisation specialist Fortera has appointed Kas Farsad as its chief strategy officer (CSO). According to the company, Mr Farsad will lead a multidisciplinary team focussed on forging commercial partnerships with cement and building industry leaders, overseeing Fortera’s policy and legislative efforts, as well as maximising the company’s carbon impact strategy.
“In our acceleration to commercial-scale low carbon cement production, Kas has been instrumental in aligning industry pain points with science-based solutions,” said Ryan Gilliam, co-founder and CEO of Fortera. “To drive adoption of a new technology, we had to be just as creative on the business side as we were with research and development. Kas blends his science and business acumen with a relentless focus on commercialising a scalable technology founded on strong business fundamentals.”
Mr Farsad was the lead inventor of Fortera’s novel cement chemistry over a decade ago while working as a technical contributor. Since then, he has built a career around innovating within the commercial and industrial sector, bridging the gap between new technologies and go-to-market strategies.
“Fortera is not just a new cement, we are a carbon mineralisation company that is teaming up with the cement industry to solve for CO2,” said Mr Farsad. “By adapting our technology with the tried and true capabilities of the industry we are working in, we are able to partner with the industry to maximise our CO2 impact together. For me it’s about building bridges with practical, market-ready solutions, while tunnelling through barriers with mutually incentivised collaboration.”
Mr Farsad has an extensive technical background with almost 50 patents globally, and over 20 patents before the age of 25. He is a serial inventor and entrepreneur operating across multiple industrial verticals including cement, desalination, distillation, energy storage and nutrition.
Fortera’s first manufacturing plant is nearing completion and is expected to be operational this year.
