Team

Javier has more than 20 years of experience designing, specifying, installing, and maintaining instrumentation and electrical systems, spanning 24 VDC controls to 138 kV distribution and everything in between. Prior to joining Blue Energy, he gained extensive experience in petrochemical plants and refineries. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Houston and recently obtained his Professional Engineer (P.E.) license in Texas.

Jen is an operations professional with a background in performance sport, bringing a structured and people-focused approach to Blue Energy. She supports operational systems, processes, people coordination, and executive administration, with a focus on helping the company scale efficiently and enabling its people to operate effectively.

She holds a BSc in Physiology & Sport Science and an MRes in Strength & Conditioning Technology.

Outside of work, Jen enjoys travelling, yoga, Pilates, strength training, and board game nights. She lives in the Scottish Borders and is based in the Edinburgh office.

John has more than a decade of project finance and development experience in the energy industry, spanning nuclear, LNG, oil and gas, refinery, petrochemical and renewable sectors. Prior to joining Blue Energy, he was a Vice President at Greengate LLC, an independent financial advisory firm specializing in complex project, corporate and hybrid financings for energy and infrastructure projects around the world, including first-of-a-kind technology projects. In this role, he advised sponsors, investors, and lenders (including export credit agencies and other government financing institutions) on the structuring and financing of large energy and infrastructure transactions. Earlier in his career, he worked for a project developer on energy and infrastructure projects in Central America. John holds an M.A. from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, with a focus on political economics and finance and a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania

John has over 30 years’ experience in New Product Introduction, Project and Business Development and Project Delivery, gained in the Marine, Aerospace, Defence, Energy  and Nuclear sectors.

Before joining Blue Energy, he served as CTO in Assystem and HiiROC, Programme Director and Chief Engineer in Rolls-Royce and founding Technical Director in Intelligent Energy and KAD Nuclear, the joint venture between KBR, Assystem and Doosan Babcock.

In these roles, he focused on building effective teams and collaborative relationships, delivering complex and novel projects using systems engineering techniques, and delivering technical assurance and governance, always with a commercial and customer focus.

He has an honours degree in aeronautical engineering, is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a Member of the International Council on Systems Engineering.

John has over 26 years in Project Director, Manager and Engineering Manager roles on Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) projects. His experience includes engineering and business development in upstream oil and gas and 20 years in project EPC including green and brown field, domestic and international refinery and chemical plant engineering through construction and gas turbine power generation projects. He also worked as a PMC to initiate project execution and permitting for owners and worked 4 years in South Florida EPC in development of new municipal water plants. He now leads the Port of Victoria gas to nuclear FOAK power project execution with Blue Energy.

John has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Chemistry from Texas Tech University and served in the US Marine Corps.

Juan Carlos Puente brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in the energy sector, spanning Renewables, Oil & Gas, and Chemicals, underpinned by a robust foundation in banking and consultancy.

He has held multiple senior finance roles at Shell plc, beginning in 2002 with the Liquefied Petroleum Gas business in Spain. From 2010 to 2014, Juan Carlos led the financial strategy for Shell’s Global Solvents and Phenol businesses, delivering a 35% increase in EBITDA. In 2014, Juan Carlos and his family relocated to the United States. As Project Finance Manager for Pennsylvania Chemicals, he successfully managed financial operations through the COVID-19 pandemic during the construction of the large-scale chemical facility near Pittsburgh. From 2022 to 2025, he served as Chief Financial Officer of Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, where he oversaw the company’s transformation from a start-up into a mid-sized enterprise poised to develop and operate utility-scale renewable energy projects. He led the formulation of strategic and funding plans exceeding $5 billion in debt financing.

Juan Carlos holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador and both a Master’s in Economics and an MBA from Pompeu Fabra University in Spain. During his tenure at Shell, he completed several leadership and finance programs, including the Executive Development Program at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2022. Juan Carlos and his wife, Ines, are proud parents of twin sons, now young adults. He enjoys cooking, traveling, and practicing CrossFit.

Julie Le Négaret is a Chartered Engineer with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and holds a First-Class Honours degree in Mechanical Design Engineering from the Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC), awarded in 2019. Since graduating, she has accumulated six years of experience in the energy sector, working on the development of energy storage technologies including gravity storage, hydrogen storage, and offshore renewables. At Gravitricity, Julie contributed to the design and delivery of a 250kW gravity energy demonstrator, for which she won the 2023 Scottish Renewable Innovator Award. She also led the technical planning of a underground hydrogen storage project, she was responsible for developing the technological roadmap and coordinating with academic and industrial partners. While at Mocean, she contributed to the design and manufacturing storyboarding of a first-of-a-kind wave energy converter, and supported decommissioning operations and inspection planning of the demonstrator, Blue X.

EA to the CEO and Corporate Operations Manager with a hands-on approach to building smart, scalable operations. I work across leadership, finance, and cross-functional teams to ensure the business runs smoothly and can grow with confidence.

I’m passionate about using Microsoft 365 to create practical systems that actually work for people not against them. Organised, proactive, and detail-driven, I enjoy turning busy, fast-moving environments into structured, efficient, and well-run spaces.

Prior to joining Blue Energy, Lee served as the CEO of American Offshore Structures at EEW Group, focusing on building the offshore wind industry in the US. Previously, Laurendeau served as Director of Operations at Holtec International, where he was responsible for the design, construction and fit out of Holtec’s new technology center recently constructed in Camden, NJ. He also served as the Director Business Development – Renewable Energy and Battery Storage at Johnson Controls, where he developed multi-million dollar energy projects with the military, government, colleges, hospitals throughout the Northeast. In addition to his work with Johnson Controls, he was also the Founder and CEO of PV Design Associates which was acquired by Johnson Controls in 2011.

Laurnedeau received his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology and his Master’s in Engineering Management from NJIT. He is a graduate of GE’s Manufacturing Management Program and received a Six Sigma Black Belt certification from Villanova University.

Lydia is a recent graduate of University of Maryland, where she earned a master's degree in Nuclear Chemistry, following a bachelor's degree in Chemistry from University of Charleston, West Virginia. At UMD, Lydia trained as a reactor operator for the UMD TRIGA reactor and conducted research on Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC in collaboration with CERN. Lydia is passionate about nuclear science and advancing reliable and accessible nuclear energy.

Matt has 15 years of experience leading technical organizations and developing products for businesses, consumers, and universities.  Matt previously co-founded Vowel, a venture-backed AI/video company acquired by Zapier. Before that, Matt led the technical team in the Systemized Intelligence Lab at Bridgewater Associates, where he worked directly with Bridgewater’s founder and reported to Dave Ferrucci, the inventor of Watson.  Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in Ethics, Politics & Economics from Yale University. 

Proud mom of one and a dedicated professional in the nuclear industry, passionate about contributing to safe and innovative energy solutions. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, dog, and tending to my garden. A good book and a solid peloton ride are my go-to ways to recharge. I value balance, family, and lifelong learning both at home and my career.

Michael is a General partner at Engine Ventures, with a particular focus on Climate Change mitigation. He serves as a Board Member for Addis Energy, AtmosZero, Blue Energy, Mantel, Osmoses, Pascal, Sora Fuel and VEIR, and as a Board Observer for Copernic and Terragia.

Michael's career spans the intersection of finance, research and entrepreneurship. Michael began on the entrepreneurship side, helping launch Ambri, a grid-scale energy storage startup where he led market and business development efforts in the early days of the energy storage industry, working with customers in electric power across the United States.

Michael joined the Engine Ventures after a stint in academia, as the Executive Director of the MIT Roosevelt Project, an interdisciplinary project on energy transition pathways to accelerate progress toward a clean energy economy. Michael's research areas focused on energy and innovation economics and policy and entrepreneurial strategy and has been published in peer-reviewed journals including Research Policy, Strategy Science, National Bureau of Economic Research Innovation Policy and the Economy, and the New England Journal of Medicine, among others.

Michael holds an MS and PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he trained first in systems engineering and then economics. Mike received a BA from Williams College where he was also the captain of the Men's Basketball Team.

Nate brings more than fourteen years of diverse experience in the nuclear industry to his role as Senior Quality Engineer at Blue Energy. Since entering the industry in 2011, he has held roles spanning manufacturing operations, shop floor supervision, and quality program development, giving him a practical, end-to-end perspective on nuclear execution. His experience includes developing and implementing nuclear quality programs and procedures aligned with NQA-1, 10 CFR Part 21, AS9100, and ISO 9001 requirements.

Prior to joining Blue Energy, he built and implemented the Corrective Action Program at X-energy from the ground up, establishing governance, documentation controls, and scalable processes to support rapid organizational growth. He has facilitated responses to two NRC inspections of programs he developed, ensuring regulatory alignment while maintaining operational practicality. His work has focused on building quality systems that are both regulator-credible and usable in fast-moving startup environments.

Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children and is active in the rugby community as a certified USA Rugby coach and referee.

Neil is a consulting chartered engineer with over 18 years of experience in offshore oil and gas, renewables, and shipbuilding. This experience was gained delivering projects for industry regulators, EPC Contractors, O&G operators, OEMs, shipyards and in private consultancy. A subject matter expert in the engineering, design, and detailing of steel structures, his experience spans the theoretical and practical, having experience in both the design office and in the fabrication yard. Neil brings a wealth of diverse technical and commercial experience to the team.

Paulina has over 10 years of experience designing complex systems and leading multidisciplinary teams, from consumer electronics to emerging technologies. Paulina works in Google’s Technology & Society team, evaluating and guiding new AI advances through speculative design, blending technical capabilities and future potential applications. She previously worked as a product design engineer, scaling prototypes to mass produced products, including Apple’s first MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and Essential’s PH-1 phone with an attachable 360 camera. Paulina holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.

Quality Management professional with more than 16 years of program and personnel leadership. Experienced in all things quality, through 33+ years in quality & manufacturing, in numerous industries. Starting as a shipyard nuclear QC inspector to developing and managing the entirety of several Nuclear Quality Programs. Proudly served as an aircrew member in the US Air Force.

Prior to joining Blue Energy, Sarah was an Engagement Manager and Expert in the Global Energy Practice at McKinsey & Company where she specialized in energy transition and growth strategy. She has served leading US and international players across the energy value chain including generators, grid operators, and large energy users. Earlier in her career, Sarah worked at National Grid where she supported renewable energy interconnections and helped operationalize a state-level incentive program. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Science from Boston University.

Sero Yang is a Senior Nuclear Engineer at Blue Energy, specializing in nuclear thermal hydraulics safety and high-performance energy conversion systems. Before joining Blue Energy, he served as a Principal Nuclear Engineer at Argonne National Laboratory, where he led thermal hydraulics safety analysis for the MIT Research Reactor and developed thermal hydraulics software compliant with NQA-1 standards. He brings a deep understanding of physical phenomena and a broad range of analytical expertise in reactor safety, system modeling, and experimental validation. Sero holds a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from Texas A&M University, a MS in Mechanical Engineering from Handong Global University, and BS in Mechanical and Electrical Control Engineering (dual major) from Handong Global University.

Ted’s 30+ years of experience includes leadership positions driving and executing company strategy, commercial and project development and asset management in power generation, energy and related industries.

At Wood Group and a Siemens Energy joint venture he held senior management roles including responsibility for the oversight, P&L and strategic roadmap for 3 businesses: Global Power Generation Contract Services, Renewable Energy and the Controls business.

At CAMS, an Arclight Capital & SVG joint venture, Ted led new business and commercial development and served on CAMS Executive Management Committee leading initiatives in the power, energy and new business sectors. Key responsibilities included origination and management of new contracts,.acquisitions, investments and joint ventures and the expansion of financial and capital sourcing relationships.

Prior to joining Wood Group, Ted worked for a NASDAQ international energy company and the former Cities Service Company Mining & Industrial Chemical Division (now Chemtrade) where he served in key management roles leading to significant company growth and profitability. Ted holds a BA degree in International Business and Russian Language from Hartwick College and Advanced Russian Certification from the Yale University Language Institute.

Tom is the founding partner of At One Ventures, which backs early-stage (Seed, Series A) companies using disruptive deep tech to upend the unit economics of established industries while dramatically reducing their planetary footprint.

Previous to founding At One, Tom was a founding member of Google X where he led the teams that created self-driving cars, deep learning artificial intelligence, wearable augmented reality and internet connectivity expansion. He played a significant role in established projects with global reach including Microsoft (Outlook) and Yahoo (Search, Answers).

He has also spent time in the developing world and via social entrepreneurship accelerators, mentoring 200+ entrepreneurs working on global development issues such as access to clean water, electricity, education, health care, and employment.

Tom has spoken at TEDx, Aspen Institute, YPO, SuperVenture, IDEO, Unreasonable and Summit at Sea. He is also a lifelong inventor, with 75 patents across hardware, software, design, and mechanical systems.

Tom O’Neill brings 25 years of power industry experience to Blue Energy.  From 2001-2021, Tom held multiple senior executive positions at Exelon Corporation.  He joined Exelon Nuclear as a lawyer, and in 2005, he became VP of Licensing.  From 2007-09, he led Exelon’s project to develop a dual unit merchant ESBWR in Victoria TX and submitted a combined construction and operating license application (COLA) with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  Also during this time, Tom helped form Exelon Nuclear Partners to market Exelon’s nuclear operating expertise worldwide. 

After the market declined, Tom helped start Exelon Transmission Company, and in 2010 he moved to the utility side of the business becoming ComEd’s SVP Regulatory and General Counsel.  In 2017, Tom was promoted to Exelon General Counsel where he served until 2021 prior to the company spinning off the generation business into Constellation Energy. 

Tom began his career at the law firm of Jenner & Block in Chicago where he returned in 2021 as a partner and co-chair of the firm’s Energy practice before joining Blue Energy in 2024. 

Tom holds an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Illinois and a JD from the University of Notre Dame.  While at Exelon, he completed the reactor technology course for executives at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2002.  Tom and his wife Ann have 2 children and 3 grandchildren and they split their time between Chicago and Colorado where Tom enjoys skiing and cycling. 

Walter brings over fifteen years of experience in nuclear materials engineering, fuel development, and regulatory research to his role as Senior Licensing Engineer at Blue Energy. Prior to joining Blue Energy, Walter spent a decade at Idaho National Laboratory, where he focused on nuclear fuel development and materials engineering. He also served in the NRC’s Office of Research and in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) as a technical reviewer for advanced reactors, contributing to the evolving regulatory framework for next-generation nuclear technologies. Walter holds a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from Purdue University, a MS from Oregon State University, and a BS from Embry-Riddle. His research has been widely recognized, including first place in the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy’s Innovations in Nuclear Energy Research and Development Competition in 2021, where he was named Innovator of the Year. He has authored or co-authored more than 24 publications in the field.