Brian Riise
brian.riise@gmail.com
(510) 734-9050
San Ramon, CA 94583
www.linkedin.com/pub/brian-riise/0/696/960/
SUMMARY
Technical professional with nineteen years of industrial experience developing innovative process technologies and products in the plastic recycling industry. Background in chemical engineering with extensive experience in both domestic and foreign markets. An energetic leader with excellent communication and analytical skills. Demonstrated success in:
• Product Development
• Patent Development and Strategy
• Technical Communications
• Bulk material handling
• Polymer Science
• Plastic Processing
• Failure Analysis
• Thermal Analysis
• Rheology
• Separation Process Development
• Polymer formulation
• RoHS/REACH
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
MBA Polymers, Inc. http://www.mbapolymers.com/ 1998 – present
MBA Polymers is a private company that has pioneered sustainable plastics manufacturing to provide OEMs, ODMs and plastics processors with commodity and engineering grade plastic resins for durable goods such as electronic equipment and automobiles. Production facilities are located in China, Austria and the United Kingdom.
Director of Research and Development (2009-present)
Development of new products and processes to enable the sale of products into higher value applications.
• Managed the IP and global patent portfolio of MBA, including the submittal and ongoing prosecution of twelve separate patent applications.
• Organized and led sessions with senior management to refine and implement an IP strategy that resulted in annual cost savings of over $50,000 while maintaining the most important patents in the company’s portfolio.
• Led the submittal and qualification process for UL recognition of two post-consumer recycled plastic products, including additional properties required by key customers.
• Interfaced with UL to ensure that the standard UL 746D better allows for the manufacturing and use of high quality post-consumer plastics.
• Developed and implemented standardized documentation used for product sales and marketing in four global locations.
• Gave presentations describing MBA Polymers and its products at several technical and business conferences in Europe, North America and Asia.
• Organized round-robin testing programs for company’s global laboratories and provided feedback to improve test procedures and results.
• Developed and implemented methods to control the properties of post-consumer polypropylene mixtures recovered from automotive shredder residue.
• Managed outside technical consultants in projects to better understand and control a key separation process and to improve the quality of two of the plastic products recovered from end-of-life vehicles.
Research Manager (2002-2009)
Responsible for research, engineering and product development activities in support of commercial growth.
• Managed the submittal and prosecution of seven separate patent applications in the US and internationally.
• Co-developed technically and economically feasible product portfolios in the US, China, and European market.
• Internal expert on requirements and regulations (e.g. RoHS Directive) covering substances of concern in MBA products.
• Managed a large scale trial to demonstrate the recoverability of plastics from automotive shredder residue. The trial was sponsored by USCAR Vehicle Recycling Partnership and American Chemistry Council – Plastics Division.
• Managed the development, engineering, construction, installation, and startup of proprietary material separation technologies in the US, China and Austria with capital expenditures exceeding $2 million.
• Collaborated with engineering firms in China, Austria and the United Kingdom to develop design for manufacturing facilities. The work included specification of key process equipment and all laboratory equipment.
• Instituted laboratory procedures and trained technicians in Richmond R&D facility and manufacturing facilities in China, Austria and the United Kingdom.
• Developed and implemented laboratory procedures to characterize potential feed materials. Well over 500 samples from potential sources have been analyzed using this system in the US, China, Austria and UK.
• Led the submittal and qualification process for UL recognition of four post-consumer recycled plastic products.
• Managed the development of Material Safety Data Sheets for recycled products and byproducts.
• Developed and used mathematical models to predict performance of several plastic separation processes.
Senior Research Engineer (1998-2002)
Responsible for carrying out research projects related to plastic recycling processes and products
• Managed the procurement and installation of laboratory extrusion equipment and injection molding machine for product development and Quality Assurance activities.
• Investigated numerous additives and formulations to control the color and improve the properties of ABS, HIPS, PP and PC/ABS recovered from plastics-rich streams derived from durable goods.
• Drafted two major patent applications covering product compositions and the overall process.
• Responsible for R&D of color sorting to control product color and to remove undesirable contaminants.
• Managed research projects sponsored by the American Plastics Council.
PRIOR EXPERIENCE
Adjunct Professor, San Jose State University, Dept. of Chemical Engineering (1997-2004)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – Berkeley, CA (1996-1998)
Research Assistant, University of California Santa Barbara, Dept. of Chemical Engineering (1991-1996)
Summer Student Researcher, DOW Chemical Company – Walnut Creek, CA (1989, 1990)
EDUCATION/TRAINING
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering – University of California – Santa Barbara
Area of Emphasis: Polymer Blends, Block Copolymers and Rheology.
Thesis: Rheology of Lamellar Block Copolymers
Awards: NSF Graduate Fellowship, UCSB Regents Fellowship
B.S. Chemical Engineering – University of California – Davis
Awards: UC Davis College of Engineering Medal (GPA 3.95)
