Ivys Inc. leadership team consists of innovators with hands on experience in taking technology out of the laboratory to commercial success in multiple applications and industries. The team brings together demonstrated capabilities in technology development, product development, operations, business development and financing that are critical to the growth of Ivys. Over the last two decades they have worked in the emerging energy economy, including hydrogen fuel cells, hydrogen production, delivery and fueling infrastructure, hybrid and electric automobile technology, combined heat and power and energy storage systems, natural gas and liquid fuel reforming, renewable natural gas upgrading infrastructure and hydrogen purification technologies. Above all they have built and nurtured teams that have delivered exceptional results with a focus on developing the talent and building careers. The foundation of their management philosophy is People First, Products, Process and Passion!
Key Team Members
Prabhu Rao
Executive Chairman
Prabhu is an executive with demonstrated success in the clean energy business. As a founding board member of Ivys, Prabhu is working with the leadership team to enable the growth of Ivys to its full potential. People First, Products, Processes and Passion are what he believes are the keys to organizational success.
As a founding member of Nuvera Fuel Cells, Prabhu was instrumental in development of Nuvera as a leading fuel cell and hydrogen company. Having held leadership positions in technology, product development, operations and commercial management, he was responsible for developing a range of business segments like – fuel cell engines, on-site hydrogen generators, and hydrogen fueling stations. Subsequently, Prabhu was the CEO of McPhy North America for a period of two years, exploring the opportunities for green hydrogen and electrolyzer based hydrogen fueling stations in California. Prior to joining Ivys as Executive Chairman, Prabhu was a Board Member and Chief Operating Officer of Xebec Adsorption Inc., a TSX company headquartered in Montreal Canada.
Prabhu has a Bachelor’s in Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, dual Master’s in Mechanical and Environmental Engineering and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University, Philadelphia USA. Over the years he has been involved in many incubator and start-up ecosystems and has mentored a number of founders and entrepreneurs.
Darryl Pollica
President & CEO
As a co-founder, President and CEO of Ivys, Darryl, is responsible for the overall strategy and growth of the company with a focus on building the team, executing to the vision and mission of the company. As a lifelong environmentalist Darry is passionate about making an impact in the energy sector by enabling the practical, cost effective and deployable solutions now.
Darryl has two decades of proven track record architecting complex energy systems, including distributed power generation, residential combined heat and power and on-site hydrogen generation and refueling. Darryl began his career at A.D. Little Consulting and was then a founding member of the Epyx Corporation, later becoming Nuvera Fuel Cells. He served as both Platform Leader for Nuvera’s on-site hydrogen generation system and Vice President of Product & Supplier Development, managing a team of over 45 technical & business-minded staff. Over the last few years, he oversaw and directed the safe deployment of eight hydrogen refueling facilities across the U.S., spanning the material handling and merchant gases markets.
He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and was on the board of Greentown labs for a period of 2 years.
Chris O'Brien
Chief Technology Officer
As the CTO, Chris leads the innovation and product development roadmaps of Ivys. With a focus on customer satisfaction Chris ensures that Ivys’ solutions are designed meet or exceed customer expectations.
Chris has been working in the transportation and energy industries from graduate school through today, with a consistent focus on alternative energy and sustainable transportation. As a member of Nuvera Fuel Cells, Chris had the opportunity to work with all aspects of fuel cell and hydrogen infrastructure technology for more than a decade, including automotive and stationary fuel cell engines, onboard and distributed hydrogen generation systems, and hydrogen delivery infrastructure. As the Systems Architect for Nuvera's PowerTap line of hydrogen generation and delivery products, he led interdisciplinary technology and product teams to design, test and deliver hydrogen systems for industrial and automotive applications, with more than a dozen industrial stations online today. Chris also has experience in the automotive industry as part of GM's early hybrid and electric vehicle programs.
Chris holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, and an AB in Chemistry from Princeton.
Wesley Hansen
Director of Business Development, E-Mobility
Wes grew up an energy enthusiast. He began his career at Arthur D. Little as a systems engineer and helped to develop several different energy pathways centered around the hydrogen energy and electric mobility space. With more than 22 years in the alternative energy business, Wes has served as a Manager of Application Engineering, Field Service Engineering, Process Engineering, Sales, and was a Platform Leader for Hydrogen Products at Nuvera Fuel Cells where he was successful in truly commercializing on-site generation technology.
Wes rejoined his teammates at IVYS with an engineering contribution in 2020, and is now focused on helping organizations embrace a clean economy through cost effective solutions and a focus on total life cycle cost to our customers. Over his career, Wes has led the design, sale, and installation of 24 hydrogen generation and dispensing systems in the US and abroad; always with a focus on safety and customer needs.
He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University
Bryan Gordon
Principal Engineer
Bryan is a senior engineer with 15+ years of experience bringing clean energy products and technologies to market while keeping a focus on safety and customer relationships. Joining Ivys Inc. in 2017, Bryan is working to grow Ivys’s clean mobility products lines, supplier development and works with customers to understanding their needs to deliver world class hardware.
Prior to Ivys, Bryan began his career in hydrogen technologies at Nuvera Fuel Cells serving in various roles ranging from field and systems engineering, test engineer and program manager. As a Lead Systems Engineer at Nuvera, Bryan was integral to developing hydrogen generation and delivery technologies including electrochemical compression systems, while serving as a technical expert for high pressure gas systems.
Bryan holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Wentworth Institute of Technology. He is also an active member of the standards development community and serves on SAE, CSA, NFPA and ISO committees.
Anna M. Chagnon
Interim Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel
Anna Chagnon is an accomplished legal and financial executive with over 30 years’ experience in corporate finance and legal matters. She has previously served as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Office and eight years as President and Chief Executive Officer of a public software company.
She has extensive legal experience advising companies of all sizes on general corporate legal matters including licensing, intellectual property protection, worldwide contractual arrangements, human resources issues, general corporate matters, securities law compliance, and M&A activities. Most recently, she has served as General Counsel to a leading developer of proprietary lighting components, protected by a global IP portfolio, which have been demonstrated in workplace and scientific research trials to protect human health, and reduce human error.
She received her undergraduate degree from Northeastern University (summa cum laude), her M.B.A. in Finance from Babson College (summa cum laude) and her J.D. from Boalt Hall Law School at the University of California, Berkeley.
