SYNOVA announces today that James L. Connaughton has joined the SYNOVA Board of Directors. Jim replaces Ibrahim AlHusseini who resigned from his role as Director and chairman of the Board in November 2024.

Jim is a very experienced and successful advanced technology and policy entrepreneur and a reputable advisor to business and government.  He has a stellar track record in entrepreneurship, startups and sustainable business development in the field of AI aided data management, chemicals and plastics, and environmental policy.

Among the many important roles and responsibilities that Jim holds and fulfilled, a few stand out: he was President George W. Bush’s senior advisor on energy, environment, and natural resources, and Director of the White House Office of Environmental Policy. He was Chairman and CEO of Nautilus Data Technologies, and is a senior advisor to Shine Fusion Technologies, which is developing advanced medical isotope, industrial imaging, radiation effects testing, and fusion energy systems, and to GSF Upcycling, an innovative startup based in Spain, which is developing unique nano-structured materials.

Jim holds a law degree from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.

The Board elected Dr. Willem Sederel (an industry veteran within the chemicals and plastics sector with Shell, General Electric Plastics and SABIC) to serve as the new chairperson in December 2024. Willem has been serving as an independent director since April 2021.

Jörg Krüger, CEO and Managing Director at SYNOVA, said: With Jim joining the Board, we gain additional perspective of entrepreneurship and environmental policy. We are very excited about the opportunity to work with Jim on the acceleration of plastic circularity.”