The Altira Team

Our unique combination of proven expertise, long history of successful investing and collaborative style has led to lucrative partnerships with entrepreneurs, portfolio companies and investors alike.

And because we’ve created an unparalleled global network of experts in a broad range of energy-related industries, we’re able to leverage the interdisciplinary bench strength necessary to carefully vet each new investment opportunity.

As a result, our investment team is known as a catalyst for commercialization — providing strategic input to co-investors on how to commercialize and fund select projects:

PARTNERS

Dirk McDermott — Founder and Managing Partner

• For more than 25 years, Dirk has pioneered successful energy technology investment. A trained geoscientist, he has an impressive array of experiences in operating, investing and board roles.
• Chair of the Alternative Investment Committee of the Petroleum Investment Committee at Stanford University
• Portfolio Company Directorships: Beyond Compliance, MicroSeismic, and others
• Other:  Director, Research Partnership for a Secure Energy America (RPSEA); Stanford PIC Alternative Investments
• M.S. Geophysics, MBA, Stanford University

• Hull has spent the last fifteen years advising and growing entrepreneurial companies. The last 9 years with Altira: sourcing, investing and managing energy technology companies. Prior to that as an advisor and assurance provider with PricewaterhouseCoopers.
• Current Board of Director memberships: Eco Power Solutions, Tantalus Systems, Lilliputian Systems, Renaissance Lighting, Enerpulse, Inc. and others
• BA, College of William and Mary; CPA

• For more than 25 years Steve has worked in business development, venture capital and private equity and for the last fifteen years has been successfully investing in disruptive technology ventures in information technology and energy.
• Current portfolio board memberships include Energy Power & Solutions
• Previous investments include Sierra Logic (acquired by Emulex), Optium (IPO then merged with Finisar), Cloudshield Technology (acquired by SAIC)
• Other:  Chairman Advisory Board, Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Santa Clara University
• B.Sc Accounting Santa Clara University, MBA in Marketing Kellogg Graduate School of Management



PRINCIPALS


Sean Ebert — Principal



• Sean joined Altira from Booz Allen, where he was a principal in the energy practice focused on advising energy companies and private equity firms on portfolio strategy, new business model development, and capital investment decisions.  Prior to Booz Allen, Sean was the CEO of the energy technology related start-up company, Foresight Weather. 
• Current Board of Director memberships: TransZap, AGM, and Syntex
• BS, Civil Engineering and M.B.A. from the University of Texas.


Cory Steffek — Principal


• Cory has directed multiple clean technology portfolio development projects at PPG Industries; areas of focus included optical thin films, nanotechnology, catalysis, and polymer synthesis and processing.  He currently has 17 patents in various stages of progress.
• Current Board of Director memberships: OPX, Varadigm and NxtGen
• PhD, Materials Chemistry from the University of Michigan and MBA in Finance from the Kellogg School of Management.

ASSOCIATES


Ron Ondechek — Associate



• Ron is a chemcial engineer with experience in hands-on refinery operations with ExxonMobil.  He has proven financial modeling expertise and a long track record of starting successful businesses in a variety of industries—from international sports to environmental biotechnology.
• Ron has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Penn State University and an MBA from Tulane University.


Marc Gulley — Controller



• Marc utilizes more than ten years of accounting and financial management experience to help Altira Group achieve its financial goals.  His career has been spent working for fast-growing, entrepreneurial enterprises.
• BS Accounting, SUNY-Albany; CPA, CFA

Unparalleled Expertise

Our investment team strikes the right balance between depth of knowledge and creative thinking, providing entrepreneurs and portfolio companies with real value when it comes to commercializing innovative ideas.