Management Team
GaiaTech employs more than 60 professionals who are expert in environmental site assessments and regulatory compliance audits (Phase I), and site investigations (Phase II), as well as in geology, hydrogeology, permitting, air quality management, Environmental Management System Planning (EMS/P), treatment system design, remediation project management and the post-closure management of environmental deficiencies according to established schedules. Our Real Estate & Facilities group has expertise in performing property condition assessments (PCAs), consulting on ADA compliance, asbestos, and indoor air quality and mold, and monitoring construction loans.
Our management team comprises senior executives in locations across the U.S. and in the U.K.:
| Philip G. Newton President & CEO |
(312) 262-4328 |
Philip Newton specializes in representing private equity clients. Since he founded GaiaTech in 1993, Philip and the company have completed environmental consulting assignments on merger and acquisition deals with transaction values in excess of $100 billion. He has worked on deals throughout the U.S. and Canada, Europe, South America and Asia. Moreover, Philip has worked on many other specialized environmental consulting assignments involving site remediation and regulatory negotiation. He holds a First Class Honors degree in Chemistry from the University of Manchester (UK), completed post-baccalaureate research in organic chemistry synthesis at Cambridge University, and earned an MBA at Michigan State University after moving to the U.S. in 1980.
| Peter J. Capponi Chief Operating Officer Senior Vice President – Markets |
(404) 812-0001 x235 |
Peter Capponi joined GaiaTech in 2011 with more than 25 years of experience in full-service environmental engineering and health and safety management. He specializes in program management, project execution and strategy development, and has been responsible for account and client relationship management for Fortune 500 companies. Peter has led large-scale environmental programs, including compliance development, permitting, environmental management systems, environmental auditing, and related ecological sciences projects including wetlands management and stream banking. He has also performed site investigations and remediation on major industrial sites, provided support on transactions involving significant portfolios of commercial and industrial real estate, and executed brown-field redevelopment activities and sustainability services, including greenhouse gas emission inventories, climate action planning, and program development and reporting. Peter earned his MS in Civil (Environmental) Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and earned a BS in Environmental Science and a BA in Environmental Planning from Villanova University.
| Brian M. Devine, P.E. Senior Vice President Real Estate Investor Services |
(404) 812-0001 x224 |
Brian Devine joined GaiaTech as a Senior Vice President in 2003, with 24 years of geo-environmental and engineering consulting experience in Europe, the Middle East and the United States. Based in Atlanta, he leads our Real Estate & Facilities practice; his role is to help clients identify, quantify, and manage the environmental and facilities engineering risks associated with their transactions—whether acquisitions, divestitures, or recapitalizations. Brian's business experience includes operational, financial, and client management; he is a Chartered Engineer in the UK and a Professional Engineer in several states in the US. He holds an Honors degree in Civil Engineering from Heriot Watt University, in Edinburgh.
| Allen D. Drafke, CPA, CMA Senior Vice President & CFO |
Allen Drafke joined GaiaTech in 2007 with over twenty-five years of experience as a financial executive, having previous experience in the distribution, logistics, and financial consulting industries. His responsibilities include managing the accounting, finance, budgeting, human resources, and IT teams. A Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, and Licensed Public Accountant in the state of Illinois, Allen is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Illinois CPA Society, and the Institute of Management Accountants. He holds a BA in Accounting and Business Administration from Lewis University and an MS in Finance from Northern Illinois University.
| Steven D. Kline, P.E. Senior Vice President, Engineering Services |
(312) 262-4326 |
Steven Kline is a Founding Principal of GaiaTech, and is responsible for GaiaTech's engineering, permitting, abatement, remediation and environmental management system (EMS) services both in the U.S. and the U.K. Other responsibilities include providing transaction consulting and technical support to legal, financial, and corporate clients. Steven has 14 years of experience as an environmental engineer and geologist, and is a licensed professional engineer in several states. Prior to his work as an environmental consultant, he spent six years in construction engineering and alternative energy research. Steven holds an MS in Environmental Engineering from IIT.
| Christer L. Setterdahl Senior Vice President |
(312) 262-4324 |
Christer Setterdahl was a Founding Principal of GaiaTech in 1993; he launched and operated the Atlanta office from 1995 through 2000. He has more than 13 years of environmental consulting experience, and prior to helping create GaiaTech, he worked in the Region V Division of the Water-Enforcement Group for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and subsequently worked as a lead Senior Hydrogeologist for a private consulting firm specializing in groundwater contaminant investigation and cleanup related to merger and acquisition activity. Christer combines a strong hydrogeological background and years of consulting experience to provide practical and technically sound solutions for the funding, acquisition, development, and divestment of properties and businesses. He currently directs GaiaTech's environmental assessment and consulting operations in North America.
| Christopher Blume, P.E. Vice President, Air Quality Services |
(312) 262-4371 |
With 20 years of experience in environmental engineering and management, Chris Blume leads GaiaTech's Air Qualities Services group and oversees the firm's auditing and regulatory compliance operations. In that role, he provides timely and practical advice to decision-makers on understanding and managing complex technical and regulatory requirements, including those involving non-compliance situations and enforcement actions. Prior to joining GaiaTech, Chris held positions of increasing responsibility in industry and consulting, including a three-year assignment in France; as a result, he is fluent in French. A professional engineer licensed in the State of Illinois, Chris holds an MS in Environmental Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.
| Lisa A. Bongiovanni, P.E. Vice President, Liability Management & Compliance Services |
(312) 262-4369 |
Lisa Bongiovanni joined GaiaTech as a senior environmental consultant in 2007, and was appointed to lead the firm's Liability Management & Compliance Services group in Chicago in 2010. She is responsible for managing site remediation and compliance projects in our transaction services department; other responsibilities include quantifying potential environmental liabilities, providing operating budgets for addressed compliance concerns or remediation, and writing project reports and technical documentation. Lisa provides technical support to financial and strategic deal teams and to industrial clients during transactions and regulatory compliance reviews, and helps develop environmental management strategies; she also manages procurement, and oversees subcontractors and analytical laboratories retained for specialized services. From 2003 to 2007, Lisa was a Manager at Carnow, Conibear & Associates, and before that worked at Pioneer Engineering & Environmental Services, both in Chicago. A licensed professional engineer in the State of Illinois, she holds a BS in Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University and has completed numerous environmental training courses.
| Eric Brousseau Vice President - Business Risk Advisory Services |
(312) 262-4384 |
Eric Brousseau was appointed Vice President of GaiaTech's Business Risk Advisory Services group in Chicago in December 2010; he leads a specialized group that conducts transaction environmental due diligence for financial and strategic investors, lenders and their advisors. An environmental and risk management consultant since the late 1990s, Eric began his career as a chemist at Clean Harbors, worked for several national consulting firms conducting transactional and lender due diligence and sub-surface investigations, then joined GaiaTech in 2001 as an environmental consultant, working primarily in the due diligence group. He spent 2006 and 2007 at JPMorgan Chase & Co., evaluating environmental risk for the bank's commercial lending group, before rejoining GaiaTech in a senior role in 2008. Eric earned his BBA in Environmental Science and Business at St. Norbert College in Green Bay, Wisc.
| Paul Temcio Vice President, Real Estate & Facilities |
(312) 262-4372 |
Paul Temcio has more than 15 years of experience in environmental consulting, client service, and management. He provides senior technical and regulatory consulting services and account management for GaiaTech's Real Estate & Facilities group, which works with industrial and commercial clients, financial institutions with commercial real estate portfolios, and real estate developers and investors. Paul has extensive due diligence experience for various clients, including Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and HUD, as well as for national and regional lending institutions. Before joining GaiaTech, he was the Midwest Regional Director for a major environmental consulting and remediation firm. Paul received LEED Accredited Professional certification from the US Green Building Council and holds a BS in Engineering Management from Arizona State University.
| John H. Yang, P.G., C.P.G. Vice President, Geoscience Services |
(312) 262-4330 |
John Yang is a Founding Principal of GaiaTech and has over 15 years' professional experience in environmental and geological sciences. He is presently responsible for managing GaiaTech's practice in geoscience. Moreover, John is responsible for overall Phase II environmental site investigation operations, including the design, management, evaluation, and quality assurance of Phase II environmental site geology, soil/groundwater contamination investigations, and remediation systems. In this role, John supervises and coordinates project management oversight, hiring, mentoring, and the development of staff in the practice. John holds an MS in hydrogeology and fluvial hydrology from the University of Illinois.
| Paul A. Newton Managing Director, European Operations |
011 +44 (1) 45 7877444 |
Paul Newton is a Founding Principal of GaiaTech and spent eight years performing due diligence assignments throughout the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Paul currently manages the firm's U.K. operations and in 2002 became Managing Director for GaiaTech's operations throughout Europe. With over fifteen years of experience in the environmental industry, Paul has performed a full range of Phase I environmental assessments for transactions including stock and/or asset purchase, refinancings and foreclosures, and for remediation projects. His responsibilities include quantifying liabilities and developing operating budgets; he also designs and implements Phase II investigations and assists in ensuring ongoing compliance within portfolio companies for financial or strategic buyers. Paul is also a Registered Environmental Property Assessor.