Full Name
Mark Kirby
Job Title
President & CEO
Company/ Organization
Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (CHFCA)
Speaker Bio
Mr. Kirby was appointed President and CEO of the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association in August 2019. With the surge in global interest in hydrogen energy, he has overseen the doubling of membership, the establishment of branches in British Columbia and Quebec and a focus on commercialization in Canada.
Mr. Kirby has nearly 40 years’ experience in technology commercialization, with a focus on cleantech. He joined multinational industrial gases corporation Praxair (now Linde) in 1982, where he deployed oxygen bleaching in the pulp industry, wastewater treatment and emissions reductions applications in Canada and then globally through postings in Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto, Danbury CT and Tonawanda NY. He oversaw re-engineering of logistics processes in compressed and liquefied gases – including hydrogen – and helped launch new business units based on innovative distribution technologies.
In 1999, Mr. Kirby became Vice President, Business Development of Questair Technologies, a Burnaby BC-based start-up with novel gas purification technology and part of the vibrant BC hydrogen and fuel cell cluster. Kirby managed strategic relationships as the company grew, going public in 2005. On its sale to Quebec-based Xebec, Mr. Kirby joined fuel cell pioneer Ballard Power in Corporate Development. As the company focused on its core strengths, including heavy-duty fuel cells, Mr. Kirby oversaw the establishment of Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperative (AFCC) and managed the company’s joint venture in the residential cogeneration market in Japan.
In 2009, Mr. Kirby co-founded and became President and CEO of S2G Biochemicals, an industrial biotechnology company that uses hydrogen to transform second-generation, cellulosic sugars to chemicals and food ingredients, leading the company’s growth until its acquisition in 2018 and integration into Canadian forest products company Fortress Global.
Mr. Kirby holds an honours mechanical engineering degree from the University of British Columbia. He serves on the board of HTEC Hydrogen Technology and Energy Corporation and is co-Chair of the Strategic Steering Committee for the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada. He is an avid mountain biker, active in the Vancouver biking community.
Mr. Kirby has nearly 40 years’ experience in technology commercialization, with a focus on cleantech. He joined multinational industrial gases corporation Praxair (now Linde) in 1982, where he deployed oxygen bleaching in the pulp industry, wastewater treatment and emissions reductions applications in Canada and then globally through postings in Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto, Danbury CT and Tonawanda NY. He oversaw re-engineering of logistics processes in compressed and liquefied gases – including hydrogen – and helped launch new business units based on innovative distribution technologies.
In 1999, Mr. Kirby became Vice President, Business Development of Questair Technologies, a Burnaby BC-based start-up with novel gas purification technology and part of the vibrant BC hydrogen and fuel cell cluster. Kirby managed strategic relationships as the company grew, going public in 2005. On its sale to Quebec-based Xebec, Mr. Kirby joined fuel cell pioneer Ballard Power in Corporate Development. As the company focused on its core strengths, including heavy-duty fuel cells, Mr. Kirby oversaw the establishment of Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperative (AFCC) and managed the company’s joint venture in the residential cogeneration market in Japan.
In 2009, Mr. Kirby co-founded and became President and CEO of S2G Biochemicals, an industrial biotechnology company that uses hydrogen to transform second-generation, cellulosic sugars to chemicals and food ingredients, leading the company’s growth until its acquisition in 2018 and integration into Canadian forest products company Fortress Global.
Mr. Kirby holds an honours mechanical engineering degree from the University of British Columbia. He serves on the board of HTEC Hydrogen Technology and Energy Corporation and is co-Chair of the Strategic Steering Committee for the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada. He is an avid mountain biker, active in the Vancouver biking community.
Speaking At
