Vital Aelion: Industry Specialist, USA
Vital is an international technologist and a financier. He has a strong track record that includes strategic planning, start-up experience, venture capital, capital raising, corporate finance, investment banking, and equity research.
Vital has in-depth expertise in the chemicals, energy, and cleantech/renewable sector. He is currently focused on starting a business in South East Asia, which converts biomass to energy and other value-added products.
Most recently, Vital was VP of International Operations and Strategic Planning for Cool Planet Energy Systems, a US-based renewable energy company focused on producing carbon negative fuels. Cool Planet’s marquee investor base includes GE, BP, ConocoPhillips, and Google Ventures. The company was recognized by CNBC for its disruptive potential (#25 in CNBC’s disruptor 50 – class of 2014). Vital has played a critical role at Cool Planet in raising capital and establishing key international joint ventures.
Vital has extensive international experience raising capital as an investment banker. He served as Associate Director for UBS in New York for the Industrial Group, JPMorgan in London for their chemicals business, and as Associate Director at Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore, where he was responsible for origination and execution of advisory and capital raising services for the chemicals and related sectors. Vital also has extensive equity research experience globally covering the chemicals sector for Bank of America and for Bear Stearns.
Vital holds a Master and Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon, and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business.