Advisors

Hari Achuthan is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of each of ACO Investment Group (ACO) Convalt Energy, Oxaio Networks and DigiCollect. ACO is the parent investment holding company of its portfolio companies including Convalt Energy, Oxaio Networks and DigiCollect. Convalt Energy founded by Hari Achuthan, is a developer and owner of renewable energy assets including solar, waste to power, wind, energy storage, power transmission and EV charging. Convalt is currently active in S.E Asia, India, Africa, and the United States. Convalt is currently planning to construct a solar panel manufacturing plant in Watertown, New York potentially making this plant the third largest solar module manufacturer in the United States.

DigiCollect, also founded by Hari Achuthan has built a fully digital ERP platform and proprietary applications for the power sector. These applications along with licensed patents from Oak Ridge National Labs and University of Tennessee provide the next generation smart grid technologies that are going to be absolutely critical for grid modernization and autonomous grid management with eventual switch to 100% renewable generation. Oxaio Networks is currently developing backbone ISP infrastructure in Myanmar and soon will be expanding its efforts in the United States and Africa with a core focus on quantum computing technologies.

Prior to founding ACO and Convalt, Hari was a Director at Credit Suisse Asset Management in the Alternative Investment group, where he covered hedge fund, real estate and private equity strategies. Prior to his role at Credit Suisse Asset Management, he worked at Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, where he led the group’s global pension strategy and transition management business providing cross asset solutions for public and corporate pension funds, sovereign funds and insurance companies.

In 2009, Hari was selected as one of the emerging leaders at Credit Suisse Asset Management and named one of the “Rising Stars in Public Pensions” by Money Management Letter. During his tenure at Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, the firm was consistently ranked as a top provider of pension strategies and transition management services. Hari has a B.S. in Applied Economics from Hofstra University and was a member of the Hofstra Football team from 1991 – 1994.

He has volunteered with the Jacksonville Police Athletic League and has been a frequent guest lecturer at Louisiana State University School of Business. Hari has also authored a series of papers on the transition management industry which have been published in Institutional Investor and Pensions & Investments

Sanjay Chablaney is a Partner of ACO Investment Group and joined Convalt Energy, inc as a Chief Financial Officer. Sanjay Chablaney has more than 20 years of experience working at top tier investment banks in trading ETF and index products especially in transformational sectors including Energy and Technology. Sanjay was most recently Head of ETF and Central Risk Book Trading at Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA) where he initially worked from 2005 - 2009 & re-joining from 2013 – 2021 where he was responsible for institutional market making and risk management across all ETF asset classes. Sanjay has traded Crude Oil and Natural Gas Futures and was instrumental in the launch of the first crude oil ETF, USO – United States Oil Fund.

Prior to re-joining BofA in 2013, he was Head of ETF Trading at Morgan Stanley from 2009 - 2013 and began his career at Credit Suisse in 1998 as an index arbitrage trader and later worked for Societe Generale in Paris trading European markets. Sanjay brings extensive capital market experience for ACO’s portfolio companies that are growing rapidly especially Convalt Energy, Inc. Sanjay is responsible for all capital raises for ACO portfolio companies while also building the finance teams to help support the businesses. Sanjay was an early investor in Tesla shortly after its IPO and has a track record of investing in transformational companies. Sanjay is keen to grow Convalt Energy during one of the important times in our history.

Sanjay holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Stony Brook University and an MBA in Finance from St. John’s University.

Matthew Morris is a Chief Operations Officer at Convalt Energy and Lincoln Infrastructure, both portfolio companies of ACO Investment Group where he is currently focused on development and operations including the buildout of potentially the second largest solar module manufacturer in the United States. Prior to joining Convalt Energy, Matthew was a United States Army Colonel with a distinguished 30-year career as a Logistics Officer. During his military career he conducted world-wide operations in Haiti, Panama, Europe, Republic of Korea, and five combat tours to the Horn of Africa, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Matt commanded the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Drum, NY where he was directly responsible for the training, welfare and morale of over 2,250 Soldiers and for managing a multi-million dollar budget. Matt also commanded a 1200-Soldier task force, the 548th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, in Afghanistan where he was responsible for providing Logistics throughout Afghanistan. Matt has extensive experience in large organizations from tactical to strategic levels of operations where he led and managed significant amounts of equipment, facilities, resources and personnel of all skills and experience. Matt was commended with two Legions of Merit and three Bronze Stars for his accomplishments and expertise in providing tactical and strategic logistics in austere and remote combat environments by leading teams and large organizations to success.

Scottie Ingram is an Operating Executive at Convalt Energy and Lincoln Infrastructure, both portfolio companies of ACO Investment Group where he is currently focused on project development and operations including the buildout of potentially the second largest solar module manufacturer in the United States. Prior to joining Convalt Energy, Scottie retired from the U.S Military as an Army Command Sergeant Major with a distinguished 30-year career as a Logistics Non-Commissioned Officer.
Scottie managed 2700 soldiers in his last position as Command Sergeant Major in the sustainment brigade positioned at Fort Drum. Scottie brings extensive operational experience to ACO and its portfolio companies from a military career with world-wide operations in Kuwait, Italy, Poland, Germany, Japan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Australia, Botswana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya and six combat tours to Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Afghanistan.

Christopher Korzonkiewicz is the Chief Administrative Officer at ACO Investment Group and Convalt Energy. Prior to joining ACO, Chris was employed at TIG Advisors as a senior trader where he was responsible for the execution of equities, futures, derivatives, commodities, and foreign exchange. He collaborated and co-built a global centralized trading desk and co-designed portfolio software that was applied throughout the firm. Previously, Chris had worked at the New York Mercantile Exchange trading energy products where he managed an alpha generation strategy in energy futures. From 2006 to 2008, he was a global equity trader for Cotton Hall Asset Management. During the firm’s inception, he established and managed the operations and back office.Prior to joining Cotton Hall Asset Management, he was employed by Tiedemann Investment Group which he joined in August 2000. He has vast experience in the global equity markets including arbitrage related deals.

Chris has an MBA in Finance and a B.S. in Accounting from Hofstra University. He played four years of Division I Lacrosse while attending the university. Additionally, he holds a Certificate in Financial Risk Management from New York University. Chris is a dual citizen of both the United States and Switzerland.

Thirumurthy Ramachandran, (Thiru) is the Managing Director of ACO Investment Group and the head of Convalt Energy’s India Operations.He has over 30 years of experience in the power sector of India. Previttously Thiru has served as a renewable energy sector advisor for Larsen & Toubro, one of the largest EPC firms in India. He has also sourced more than 15 solar transactions while working at Sterling & Wilson, a company owned by the Shapoorji Pallonji Group. Prior to that he has worked for companies such as Caterpillar, Detroit Diesel Corporation, Kohler Power Systems and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Throughout his career he has developed an extensive network across India in the power sector and has delivered power solutions for corporate and government entities. He is a member of the Institution of Engineers, Institution of Automobile Engineers and Society of Automotive Engineers. Thiru has published technical papers on topics such as diesel generator sets and solar power.

He has completed his Bachelor of Technology from MIT Chennai in Automobile Engineering and his Master’s Degree in Technology from IIT – Mumbai, specializing in I.C. Engines.

Wins Tunnitisupawong is a Vice President of Business Development for South East Asia at ACO Investment Group and is a Director of Convalt Energy, a subsidiary of ACO’s portfolio company. Wins will be focusing on the business growth and strategies of Convalt Energy within Southeast Asia. Prior to joining ACO Investment Group, Wins held multiple management roles within the energy and electrical distribution sectors with the most recent as General Manager of Rexel Thailand. Initially starting his career through GE’s Commercial Leadership Program in 2002, he went on hold commercial and management positions at GE Industrial Systems, GE Energy, GE Supply and Rexel.Throughout his career Wins specialized in utilizing variable frequency drives, solar and LED lighting technologies to support utilities, architectural engineering firms, oil & gas companies and EPC companies, to maximize energy efficiency for their customers.

Wins holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Washington in Seattle, U.S.A and an MBA in International Business from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Jaswant Singh is a Senior Vice President at ACO Investment Group He is also a Director and Corporate Secretary for ACO’s portfolio companies domiciled in Singapore namely: Convalt Energy, DigiCollect and Oxaio Networks. Jay has over 18 years of professional experience having held multiple management roles with experiences in Portfolio Management, Finance and Resource & Energy Markets. Initially starting his career as a Consultant within the superannuation and pension fund industry with WestPac Group – Asgard in 2003. From 2005-2017, He moved on to take on Commercial and Major Infrastructure Project Management roles with Citic $9.6 Billion Sino Iron project and managed sustaining capital PMO Portfolio for BHP Billiton Iron Ore.Jay has also been a Commercial Controller of one of the world’s largest natural gas project–$54 Billion Chevron Gorgon LNG and Thai National Oil Company – PTTEP in Australia

He has also built an extensive network throughout his career with in-depth understanding of Transformational Technology Innovation, Major Infrastructure Projects and the Renewables Market Industry.

Jay holds a BCom in Accounting & Finance –Distinction in Finance Portfolio Management and Technologies from Curtin University – Australia. Additionally, He also holds a Professional Certificate in Project Management.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Nguyen (pronounced Win Win) has more than 35 years of professional experience in architectural design and planning, industrial design, social services, community development, mainstream politics, policy formulation, business strategy, real estate, infrastructure, aviation navigation, aviation infrastructure, renewable energy, high technology solution development, finance and investment project development of which 20 years are dedicated for the development of businesses and projects in Vietnam. Nguyen Nguyen is currently the Vietnam Representative for ACO Investment Group focused on development of renewable energy projects and “Smart City” infrastructure development via its portfolio companies Convalt Energy, Oxaio Networks and DigiCollect.

Nguyen Nguyen is also the Vietnam Representative of The MITRE Corporation, a non-profit corporation specializing in aviation technology and air traffic solutions. Since 2009, Nguyen Nguyen has been the Vietnam partner responsible for Asia operations at AIRIS International Holdings, LLC headquartered in Houston, Texas, a private corporation specializing in aviation infrastructure development. Nguyen Nguyen is also the founder of Anson Limited and Cando Co., Ltd. in Vietnam with business activities in trading, investment consulting service, real-estate, project development and government relations. Mr. Nguyen was the former Executive Officer of the Overseas Vietnamese Business Club (OVBC) with offices in Ho Chi Minh, Ha Noi, Can Tho and Vung Tau cities of Viet Nam, and is a member of the Business Association of Overseas Vietnamese / BAOOV with activities spanning globally. Nguyen Nguyen also served on the Board of Governors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi for the 2012 term.

Before returning to Viet Nam to live and work, Mr. Nguyen was the first appointed Vietnamese-American Commissioner on Community & Economic Development in the USA for the City & County of San Francisco and a Senior Consultant policy staff to the California State Senate as well as Director of several community-based organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA.

Nguyen Nguyen is trained in architecture, industrial design, mental health and youth counseling at the University of California at Berkeley, San Francisco State University and Presbyterian Pacific Medical Center (Dr. Don Cohon) in San Francisco, USA respectively. He is fluent in English, Vietnamese and French.

Michael Wiser is a Chief Strategy Officer at ACO Investment Group and its portfolio companies Convalt Energy and Lincoln Infrastructure and DigiCollect. Mike in his role is focusing on the strategic development of various renewable power and construction projects with the federal, state and municipal governments, and large corporations. Prior to joining Convalt Energy, Michael was a United States Army Colonel with a distinguished 29-year career as an Infantry Officer. During his military career he conducted world-wide operations in Kazakhstan, Haiti, Kosovo, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia along with four combat tours to Iraq.
Mike’s final position with the U.S Military was as the 10th Mountain Division Chief of Staff at Fort Drum, NY where he was directly responsible for synchronizing day to day operations as well as the training, welfare and morale of over 19,000 Soldiers and for managing a multi-million-dollar budget. Mike previously commanded a 550-Soldier task force, the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry at Fort Bragg, NC where he was responsible for the health, training, and maintenance of the task for to maintain high readiness as a part of the nation’s Global Response Force.
Mike has extensive management experience in large organizations from managing tactical to strategic levels of operations where he led planning teams, managed resources, and solved problems quickly and efficiently. Mike is highly adept at putting together implementation teams to solve large, small and complex problems.

Meredith Taylor is the Chief Talent Officer for ACO Investment, DigiCollect, Convalt Energy, Lincoln Infrastructure, as well as the Chief Operating Officer for Military Wives. As the Chief Talent Officer, Meredith coordinates the development and execution of the organization’s talent acquisition strategies.
Meredith is an advocate for military spouse employment and is dedicated to supporting the military community. In 2021, Meredith was recognized as one of Northern New York Business magazine’s 20 Under 40 Emerging Leaders for her commitment to supporting the Fort Drum community. She has helped hundreds of military spouses and veterans to navigate the employment process. She has ample experience providing trainings on communication strategies, digital networking, and professional development. Meredith has her MA in English, BA in Communication, and is a Certified Digital Networking - Professional (CDN-P). She has received multiple recognitions for her community service endeavors, including Fort Drum Volunteer of the Quarter, President’s Volunteer Service Award, and Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Professional Network Outstanding New Network of the Year. She also serves as the Secretary for the Thousand Islands Habitat for Humanity and the Fundraising Chair for the North Country Spouses’ Club.

Emmanuel Yapo joined Convalt Energy and its parent company ACO Investment Group as an Investment Principal. His main focus will be in deal structuring and origination. Emmanuel has been investing in infrastructure for more than 10 years. He worked at Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets Inc. (MIRA), Macquarie’s US infrastructure investment platform, and Macquarie Infrastructure Corporation (MIC), a NYSE-listed infrastructure fund focusing on transportation and energy infrastructure assets in the United States. He executed more than $1.5 billion of investments and $1.0 billion of leveraged recapitalization in the aviation infrastructure sector. He also served as Director of Corporate Development at MIC’s aviation infrastructure and airport services’ portfolio company.

Prior to Macquarie, he worked in financial planning and analysis at General Electric and auditing at Mazars Group. Emmanuel holds an MBA from the Wharton School and a MSc from ESCP Europe. Emmanuel graduated from General Electric’s Financial Management Program. Emmanuel also is a Senior Adviser to Aquamarine Investment Partners.

Richard A. Gephardt is both an equity shareholder of Convalt and advisor of ACO. Mr. Gephardt is also President and CEO of Gephardt Government Affairs. He provides strategic advice to clients on issues before the House, Senate and Executive Branch in the federal government. Mr. Gephardt has brought successful resolution for clients on issues related to negotiations, crisis management, and strategic communications. He represents a broad array of Fortune 100 clients on Capitol Hill and before the Administration, in addition to serving as public spokesperson for clients on coalitions to bring about policy solutions to healthcare reform and climate change.Mr. Gephardt served for 28 years in the United States House of Representatives from 1976 to 2004. In his role as Leader, Mr. Gephardt emerged as one of the leading strategists of the Democratic Party’s platform and chief architect to landmark reforms ranging from healthcare, pensions, education, energy independence and trade policy. He was elected to serve as House Democratic Leader for more than 14 years, as House Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995 and Minority Leader from 1995 to 2003.

Mr. Gephardt was a colleague in the House to 49 currently serving U.S. Senators and members of the Executive Branch. He enjoys strong bipartisan relationships in the House of Representatives, serves as a trusted advisor to senior officials in the Administration and on Capitol Hill, and has counselled numerous CEOs during negotiations with labour. He has been featured in national publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, National Journal, Roll Call, The Hill and Time.

Bertil Tiusanen, a senior advisor at ACO is currently a Director General and CEO at Lanekassen, the Norwegian State Education Loan Fund in Oslo, Norway. Mr. Tiusanen also serves on the board of Respect Europe of Sweden AB that offers market-leading services and tools within sustainable development and climate, and in SIVA- The Industrial Development Corporation of Norway. Mr. Tiusanen is also Chairman of the Board in CBRE-Atrium a real estate services company in Norway.

Mr. Koponen is a sector advisor to ACO covering Information Technology, Telecom & Media. Mr. Koponen is a prominent Finnish business leader and an experienced management turn-around specialist with cutting edge experience in the telecommunications industry. He is currently working with Rovio Mobile looking after a physical part of the business at Rovio (Angry Birds), licensing, merchandising, public relations and retail operations. Mr. Koponen has served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Tele2 AB from August 18, 2008 to February 18, 2010 and oversaw a period of increased focus on profitability. Mr. Koponen has also served as the Chief Executive Officer, President and General Manager of Wataniya Telecom in Kuwait (now National Mobile Telecommunications Co. (K.S.C.) from 2004 till 2008. Prior to his role at Wataniya Telecom, Mr. Koponen served as the President of TeliaSonera International Operations of Teliasonera AB since October 7, 2003 and served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Sonera Corporation (former Telecom Finland) from October 1, 2001 to July 1, 2004. Mr. Koponen had also served as its Deputy Chief Executive Officer responsible for the Corporate Unit Marketing, Products and Services at TeliaSonera HQ.

Mr. Koponen held various positions at Hewlett-Packard from 1989 to 1994. Before that, he served as the Chief Planner and an Office Manager at Oy Shell Ab.

Mr. Koponen serves as the Chairman of Tecnotree Oyj, has been a Director of Tecnotree Oyj (formerly, Tecnomen Lifetree Oyj) since 2008 and a Director of Stonesoft Corp., since 2011. He is a member of the Board of AinaComm OyJ (one of the regional operator in Finland) and has been a Member of the Board of Supervisory Directors at Tele2 Netherlands Holding N.V. since May 29, 2009. Mr. Koponen served as a Director of Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS, as a Director of Sonera Corporation since October 1, 2001 and Digia Oyj since March 3, 2008. He holds an Executive Master of Business Administration degree and a Doctor of Economics h.c. from the University of Jyväskylä. Alexandra.

Madras Seshmani Ramachandran is a senior advisor at ACO. Mr. Ramachandran is a former CEO and Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL). He is a Mechanical Engineer by qualification and started his career in Ashok Leyland before joining IOCL as a Manager Trainee in 1969. He has handled diverse assignments during the career with IOCL including supply logistics, shipping, commercial, sales operations and international trade. He was the chief of the Oil Coordination Committee the de-facto Regulatory Body under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas during 1998 – 2000. He joined IOC’s Board in 2000 as Director Business Development and took over as CEO and Chairman in the year 2002.