Oryxe Energy International, Inc.


Our Team

Management Team

Michael Katz - Chief Executive Officer and Board Member Michael was the President and CEO of ORYXE de Mexico ("OdM"). He was recently promoted to CEO of ORYXE per the merger of ORYXE and OdM, and OdM has become ORYXE's Latin American subsidiary. Michael has worked in leadership and advisory roles at Aerolinias Marcos, Plasticos Olimpia, Mooney Aviation, Aeromar, GFA Group, Promotora Dinamo, Apollo Chemical and was heavily involved in the sale process of Hipotecaria Nacional, Mexico's largest mortgage bank, to BBVA Bancomer. Michael is also the founder and CEO of Walstone Leisure Realty Group, a full service real estate development company with a portfolio of over $250 million with interests across Mexican and Central American Resort destinations. Walstone has partnered with top brands in the industry such as One&Only and Wyndham. Michael also founded and co-owns a molded manufacturing operation, which custom designs and builds molded light fixtures and furniture for industry and home. Michael has years of experience in cross border business development, having represented several foreign companies in Mexico such as Mooney and Domori. Katz has lived and worked in Italy, France, and the US. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University.

Charles Yerkes - Vice President, Sales and Marketing Charles was named Vice President Commercial Sales in November 2007. In this role, Charles oversees the sales and marketing of ORYXE fuel additives. Charles has over 30 years experience in the petroleum business in the finished lubricants markets and diesel fuel markets. He has extensive knowledge of the petroleum supply chain including fuel and lubricant distributors, lubricant manufacturers and large fuel terminal operators. Charles also has experience working with biodiesel and other alternative fuels in his role with the Department of Energy's Clean Cities Coalition program. He is the former President and CEO of IMSCO, Inc., a diversified petroleum sales and service company in the surface mining industry. Prior to IMSCO, Charles was Director for Whitmore Manufacturing during the acquisition and merger with Whitmore in 1998. He later joined Warren Oil Company and managed the sales and marketing efforts for Warren in the western United States.

Don Holstine - Vice President, Manufacturing & Logistics As the Vice President of Manufacturing and Logistics, Don is responsible for maintaining the highest customer satisfaction and oversees the manufacturing, transportation services, procurement and technical support functions. Don has over 25 years experience in chemical manufacturing, distribution and sales. Former positions include Vice President of Operations for Norman, Fox & Co; General Manager Manufacturing & Distribution for FMC Corporation; and Western Region Manager, C.P. Hall Company.

F. Henry Habicht II - Managing Partner SAIL Venture Partners (SVP) Hank joined SVP in January 2006 as a pioneering figure in the areas of environmental business and policy and a leading contributor to environmental innovation. Hank's career as a leading member of the environmental policy world has included leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Justice as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Environment and Natural Resources Division, and at the U.S. EPA as COO (Deputy Administrator). During his time with the EPA he oversaw the development of new air and water programs to prevent pollution, including the development of the Energy Star program and implementation of market based trading programs under the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments. In business, Hank served as Senior VP in charge of acquisitions and other divisions of Safety-Kleen, a billion dollar environmental service company. Hank has also held positions and started ventures in the for-profit environmental arena, including VP of William D. Ruckelshaus Associates, which co-managed the successful Environmental Venture Fund, one of the first successful green funds in the 1980s. As Co-Founder of Capital E, LLC, a strategic consultancy for emerging renewable energy products and technologies, he advised Fortune 100 and early stage ventures on sustainable growth strategies. He previously served as CEO and is now Vice Chairman of a prestigious not-for-profit corporation that fosters innovation in environmental management and promotes applications of clean technology in emerging markets, called Global Environment & Technology Foundation (GETF.)

Hank has held numerous Board seats over the years, currently he sits on the Boards of SVP companies and is a Co-Founder of the American Council of Renewable Energy. He is Commissioner of the National Commission on Energy Policy, has advised several Cabinet Secretaries. He is on the Advisory Board to the National Renewable Energy Lab and the Pacific Northwest National Lab. In 1991 the EPA awarded him with the esteemed Total Quality Leadership Award and in 2009 he received the national Richard Mellon Award for Environmental Stewardship. Hank holds a Bachelors degree with High Honors from Princeton University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia.

Alan B. Sellers - Managing Partner SAIL Venture Partners Alan has 25 years of leadership experience in private investing, operating roles and Board level matters. During his career he has served in senior leadership roles at Pacific Holding Company, one of America's largest private investment companies, Westar Capital, a well-regarded private equity/venture capital firm and SVP, which he helped jointly establish. He has also served in leadership roles at such companies as Dole Food Company (NYSE), Flexi-Van Corporation (NYSE) and Ultrasystems, Inc. (NASDAQ), America's pioneering firm in alternative energy. Alan has extensive international experience. For example at Dole, he was Executive Vice President & a Member of the Office of the Chairman, where his responsibilities spanned 89 countries and 55,000 employees, in addition to experience gained as a Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel for the company. Alan has 25 years of senior roles in mergers & acquisitions, having led deals and due diligence in dozens of transactions ranging from $5 million to $5 billion. Another area of Alan's expertise is organizational effectiveness. His operating experience includes numerous hi-tech and low-tech industries, and he is well acquainted with the vagaries of growth curves in emerging and expansion stage companies.

Alan sits on the Advisory Boards of both the Business School and The Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at The University of California Irvine. He attended Yale where he received a BA in economics, the Wharton School for his MBA, and Columbia University Law School for his JD. He received a CPA from New York State.