We have managers with diverse languages and backgrounds, from the United Kingdom, Japan, India, China and the United States, each bringing different business and cultural perspectives to the team. This diversity enables us to provide extensive relationships and different view points to the investment process, particularly in sourcing quality and proprietary investment opportunities and company building.
Investment Team
John Butt
Chief Executive
John Butt founded Conduit Ventures Limited in 2001. Prior to CVL, he worked at Citigroup, Price Waterhouse International Privatization Group, and Bank of England, based in the UK, North America, EU, Central and Eastern Europe. John has a degree in biochemistry from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, and an MBA from Kenan-Flagler Business School of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Harry Fitzgibbons
Investment Advisor
Harry Fitzgibbons is the Managing Director and founder of Top Technology Ventures. His experience includes Director of Hambros Bank with responsibility for US corporate finance and for Hambros’ portfolio of International unquoted investments. He started Hambros Advance Technology Trust, a VC Fund in the UK and a founder shareholder in Vodafone. Harry was educated at Harvard College and Trinity College, Oxford. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and served as an officer with the United States Special Forces and with the Department of State, Washington DC.
David Hart
Technical Advisor
David Hart is the Director of E4Tech, a business consultancy focused on sustainable energy based in the UK and Switzerland. He is also Head of Fuel Cell and Hydrogen research at Imperial College London’s Centre for Energy Policy and Technology (ICEPT). He has consulted and carried out research on fuel cell and hydrogen issues for a wide range of organizations worldwide. David holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering with German from the University of Bath and in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, London. His PhD was in Hydrogen Energy Systems.
Yoshi Nomura
Principal
Yoshi Nomura is a Principal at Conduit Ventures. Prior to Conduit, Yoshi worked at The Long Term Credit Bank of Japan in Tokyo and New York. He has a degree in Economics from Tokyo’s Keio University and an MBA from Cambridge University with his thesis focus on Energy Venture Capital.
Linda Zheng
Principal
Linda Zheng is a Principal at Conduit Ventures. She has worked at PWC, Barclays Bank and CGNU with P&L responsibility specializing in start-ups, project and operations management and business out-sourcing. Linda has experience working in China, Brazil, South Africa, Dubai and Turkey, and holds degrees from Bristol University, UK and Fudan University in Shanghai and an MBA from the London Business School.
Daniel Carter
Principal
Daniel Carter is a Principal at Conduit Ventures. He has worked at Citigroup in London, Frankfurt, Melbourne and New York and with Heller Financial Corporation in Chicago (now GE Capital). Daniel was educated at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and the University of Massachusetts. He holds an MBA from the Columbia and London Business Schools.
Shyam Menon
Investment Manager
Shyam Menon is an Investment Manager with CVL. He has previously worked with the World Bank in Washington DC as part of the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) modeling energy and greenhouse gas emission systems for China and India. His experience includes the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, materials research engineer at Acumentrics Corporation, Massachusetts, and Fuel Cell Energy Inc, USA, working on fuel cell electrode materials development and cell failure modes. Shyam has a Masters degree in Materials Engineering from the University of Missouri and a Bachelors in Metallugical Engineering from the Regional Engineering College, India.
Jamies Mi
Principal
James Mi works as Principle for the Conduit Shanghai Management Office, bringing venture capital experience from the Shanghai Science and Technology Investment Corporation (SSTIC). He has managed local and joint-venture funds working at the Guangzhou New Technological Development General Corporation (GNTDGC) and also with the Administrative Committee of GETDD under Guangzhou Municipality. James has a B.S and a PhD from Automotive Engineering College of Jilin University of Technology, China and an MBA from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Advisory Panel
Shohei Arkari Mitsubishi Corporation, Japan
Jørgen M. ClausenDanfoss A/S, Denmark
Dr. Leopold DemiddeleerSolvay S.A., Belgium
Brian Josling Entrepreneur
Duncan MacLeodShell Hydrogen, Netherlands; Shell Future Fuel Cells & CO2
David Morgan Johnson Matthey Plc, United Kingdom
Dr. Dan Rastler Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), USA
Dr. Karl-Gerhard Seifert Allessa Chemie GmbH, Germany
Professor Hugo VandenborreVandenborre Technologies, Belgium