John P. Keyes
CEO
With a long and active interest in the environment, John Keyes came out of semi-retirement to lead Mari Signum, excited at the potential of a new economy based on the use of the chitin polymer. John is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Mari Signum and ensuring the company meets its “Triple Bottom Line” of Environmental Sustainability, Social Equity, and Ethical Capitalism. John spent 16 years in the energy field, holding technical, operational and management positions with one of the world’s leading energy companies. His expertise and credibility in international energy, investment negotiations, business strategy and sustainable resources led him to advise a multinational conglomerate with offerings ranging from energy and healthcare to industrial services and IT and more.
Jonathan Bonner
Advisor
Jonathan Bonner is an advisor at Mari Signum, and since 1987 has consulted with a range of industries, from textiles and food processing to petrochemical and petroleum to pharmaceuticals. At Mari Signum, he is responsible for process concept design, process development oversight, and process consulting. During his 33 career, Jonathan has developed expertise in manufacturing processes and design, waste management, industrial and municipal wastewater treatment, and infrastructure development. Among his projects were the design and construction of a 15,000-sqauare-foot, LEED-certified seafood waste byproducts processing facility on the Alabama Gulf Coast, which produces 5,000 tons of seafood waste annually using renewable energy, water recycling, and other innovative operations. Mr. Bonner also has extensively consulted with major world-wide cellulosic fiber production concerns. He is an expert in waste-to-energy systems, high-strength industrial wastewater treatment, and sustainable process design. Jonathan holds an associate’s degree in Pre-Engineering from Brewer State Junior College, a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a master’s degree in civil engineering with a specialty in environmental engineering from the University of Alabama.
Julia Shamshina, Ph.D.
Chief Technology Officer
Julia Shamshina, Ph.D. has spent her career commercializing academic findings in the field of chemistry to create valuable technological innovations. At Mari Signum, she directs R&D, creating marketable, patentable concepts involving chitin. She is also developing the company’s innovation pipeline, leads innovation projects, and manages its IP portfolio. Prior to joining Mari Signum, she was an academic associate in green chemistry at McGill University, responsible for building a powerful pilot-scale facility for testing various feedstocks, biopolymer isolation, materials production, and pursuing the concept of eliminating synthetic plastics. She is particularly interested in the industrial use of ionic liquids and their use in development of technological solutions to societal challenges. Dr. Shamshina holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from The University of Alabama and is the author of more than 50 papers, six book chapters, and 13 patents/applications.
Glenn Brown
Plant Manager
Glenn Brown joined the Mari Signum team as an experienced manager with a proven track record of operational excellence. A product of Iowa and the mid-Western work ethic, Glenn has accomplished startup experience in several industries and looks to bring lean, efficient and persevering energy to the largest manufacturing producer of premium chitin the world..
Robin D. Rogers, Ph.D.
Advisor
Robin Rogers, Ph.D. is a research professor at The University of Alabama, a co-founder of Mari Signum, and the founder of Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based 525 Solutions Inc., a firm that is working to translate ionic liquids technologies into societal and commercial use. His breadth of educational, research, industrial, editorial, and service endeavors gives Dr. Rogers a broad perspective on the science, engineering , and R&D at our company. He holds 27 issued patents (plus numerous foreign equivalents) and has published over 820 papers on an array of topics, including use of ionic liquids and green chemistry, development of advanced polymeric and composite materials from bio-renewables, novel strategies for separation, energetic materials, and improved pharmaceutical performance. Prior to joining Mari Signum, he served as Canada Excellence Research Chair in Green Chemistry and Green Chemicals at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. He is the founding editor-in-chief of the American Chemical Society journal, Crystal Growth & Design, and serves on the advisory boards of numerous chemistry and green chemistry publications and organizations. His research has been cited more than 40,000 times.