Masood Akhtar is the President​ and Co-founder of the Biorenewable Deployment Consortium, LLC (BDC).  BDC is an international, fact-based, trustworthy, and results-oriented company dedicated to deploying cost-effective leading-edge technologies, processes, and overcoming policy barriers through brokering partnerships arrangements to achieve the highest value from biomass streams from the forest products industry. 

Key Expertise: An energy entrepreneur with over 30 years of research, development, commercialization, marketing, technology transfer, investment, and management experience in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy. 

Masood also serves as the President​ and Founder of CleanTech Partners, Inc., established to accelerate the commercialization of energy-saving and renewable energy technologies by providing capital and other assistance critical for deployment.  Masood was the lead to 1) acquire a first-of-its-kind Memorandum of Understanding signed between the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Wisconsin to promote greater energy efficiency throughout Wisconsin’s industrial sector; 2) recruit the first nine industry CEOs who signed the DOE’s Save Energy Now Leader’s Pledge (now Better Building, Better Plants) to reduce energy intensity by 25% in 10 years (currently over ​300 Leaders nationwide), 3) secure $24.6 million recovery money from DOE to deploy “shovel” ready industrial energy efficiency projects (this grant was very competitive.  Over 350 applications were received requesting nearly $4 billion.  DOE had only $150 million to award.  DOE selected only 9 projects. Two were Masood's ($14.6 million and $10 million) and 4) up to $130 million from DOE for the production of biofuels and bio-products projects.

Masood also served as the Founder and CEO of Biopulping International, Inc. that was established to develop and commercialize energy savings and biofuels technologies. Masood led an international Biopulping Consortium (universities/federal institutions/worldwide private companies) that developed energy-saving technologies.  Masood holds several patents and has published over 60 papers in the field of energy, and biorefineries and is a frequent speaker and columnist on energy and manufacturing-related topics. Some of Masood's columns include USA TODAY - Save Wisconsin Paper Industry.  Be proactive, not reactive, and the HILL: Make America the Land of Manufacturing Again.

Wisconsin is a manufacturing state ​and has been the No.1 paper-producing state in the country for more than 50 years.  Masood played a major role in establishing a Wisconsin Bipartisan Paper Caucus (first of its kind in the Nation) where industry leaders, elected officials of both parties, Governor's designee, and other key stakeholders participate to discuss how best to revitalize our industry in the state to keep Wisconsin No.1.  

Masood has received many awards including, the USDA Honor Award for Environmental Protection from the USDA Secretary in Washington, D.C for developing energy-saving technologies; the Federal Laboratory Consortium Award; the U.S. Forest Service Chief's Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer; and the Wisconsin Small Business Innovation Award for Outstanding Achievements.  Masood was also elected as a Fellow by the International Academy of Wood Science, UK.  At the request of the U.S. Congress, Masood testified before a committee on energy-related issues.  Masood was appointed by the Governor of Wisconsin on a committee that advised the Midwest Governors on “creating jobs in the new energy economy”.  Masood was elected as the Chair of the Forest Research Advisory Committee that advised the USDA Agricultural Secretary, Tom Vilsack, on research, education, funding, and policy issues.  

Masood completed his Ph.D. in Botany from AMU, Aligarh, India, and served as a post-doctoral fellow in Plant Pathology at the Ohio State University. Masood was one of the 50 Indian students who were awarded the Government of India Fellowship for Higher Studies Abroad. 

Mr. Thorp is one of the originators of the modern forest biorefinery concepts, co-founder of BDC, and owner of his consulting business. Through these activities he has developed an understanding of the commercial value and likely applications of most bioproducts technologies.  He held executive and technical positions with Georgia Pacific, James River, Poyry and Huyck where he commercialized many innovative concepts with synthetic paper machine clothing and machine dewatering equipment.  While at GP he led the design of the world’s widest tissue machine and one of the early Thru Air Dried (TAD) tissue machines.  He holds 10 patents, most of which have been commercialized. 

Ben has been involved in industry organizations including President of The Paper Industry Management Association (PIMA), Chairman of the Paper and Board Division of the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI).  He has been an instructor at various TAPPI short courses including Tissue Runability, Wet End Operations, and Biorefinery Course. He has visited over half of the pulp and paper mills in the US and Canada and several key mills in Europe and has notes from most visits. Through BDC tours and special requests he has visited most of the “second generation” bioproducts facilities in North America. More importantly he has developed solid industry contacts maintained by adding value whenever appropriate,

Other contributions include over 200 articles and presentations.  Awards include a TAPPI Fellow and Paper and Business Executive of the Year. 

He is also involved in community activities and is currently Vice Chair of the Chesterfield Revitalization of our Communities Committee, Treasurer and past president of MECA, his neighborhood association.  He is also treasurer and past president of the Retired Associates of Meadowbrook Country Club (RAMS). 

Ben holds a BS in Physics from the University of Maryland with graduate studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Tennessee. He also attended Executive Management Development Programs at the University of Tennessee and Columbia University.

Mr. Seamans, in his second career, helped found BDC, with Ben Thorp and Masood Akhtar, following his retirement from a career in the pulp and paperboard industry with Potlatch Corporation and its spinoff company, Clearwater Paper.  He wanted to help the Forest Product Industry continue to evolve to get more and more value from the forest, where he had spent much of his younger days growing to appreciate what the forest has to offer.

He held several leadership positions throughout his 32-year career in the pulp and paper industry and was involved with the start-up of the Cypress Bend pulp and paperboard greenfield mill in Arkansas in 1977.  He was the Mill Manager of the Cypress Bend mill from 1994 – 2002, and was Vice President of the Pulp and Paperboard Division from 2002 – 2009, before retiring.  Through his leadership, the Division pursued and achieved top level product quality, reduced costs, and improved its market share of the high-end paperboard market.

Harry received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University, Summa Cum Laude, in 1975 and a Masters of Paper Science from the Institute of Paper Chemistry (IPC) in Appleton, WI in 1977.  He focused on the forest products industry early, and held a co-op job with Continental Can Company (now WestRock) in Hodge, LA while attending college, and a summer job with Mead (now WestRock) in Stevenson, AL while attending IPC.

During his first career, he was involved with the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) and held leadership roles with the Paper Industry Management Association (PIMA) serving on the boards at the local and national levels, including serving as president twice.  He has been a member of the Couch Pit University since 2007.  In 2007, he won PIMA’s highest honor, the Glen T. Renegar Award, and in 2009 won the PIMA/CPBIS Management Award.

Throughout, he has been involved with his church and currently serves as the Treasurer of his hometown church in McGehee, AR and spends significant time with his wife, three daughters, and eight grandchildren.