New Hy9 CEO Thrives On Variability
Hopkinton-based Hy9 Corp.'s new president and CEO, Gary Clarke, is coming into an emerging industry and hitting the ground running. Fortunately, he's used to "working with potentials," he said, as he takes on product development and brand-strengthening challenges for the hydrogen purifying and hydrogen-generating company.
Clarke, who's been at the helm at Hy9 since Jan. 11, was most recently the general manager of Olive Software, with offices in Austin, Texas. He's worked in senior roles at Amazon Kindle, Vignette and Netscape Communications, and was a consultant in the launch of the first computational knowledge engine, Wolfram/Alpha.
"For the past 15 years I've been involved with start-up software companies and related activities," he said. "I'm used to a lot of variability and working with a flexible team that's able to adapt to changes," he said.
Hy-Tech Commercialization
Clarke and the team at Hy9 develop integrated hydrogen generation systems at point of use. Methanol, a form of alcohol, is used to make extremely pure hydrogen, 99.9999-percent pure, according to Hy9's website. The system uses copper and palladium, unlike more expensive systems that use silver, but deliver the same purification. That hydrogen is then used in fuel cells that generate electricity as backup power for cellular towers, for example, or for laboratory hydrogen generators, better than standard generators would.
"Traditional backup generators produce noise, need lots of fuel, and in ice storms - it's hard to get a truck there," Clarke said. This technology would be nearly silent, able to run for days or weeks without needing maintenance, he said.
Hy9 technology is being used by two organizations in the region, Clarke said. The Hy9 team is also working with companies such as Plug Power, based in Latham, N.Y., which makes fuel cell-powered forklift trucks; and Proton OnSite, a hydrogen-generator provider in Wallingford, Conn.
First up on Clarke's agenda at his new post? Working to fine-tune the Hy9 business strategy, he said. That work, which will include revamping marketing efforts, is underway now. The company is also working on a prototype of a new product it wants to have available for trials in June, he said. Expansion plans in Asia and Africa are also planned.
Clarke said his past experience at startups and as a member of the United States Army Special Operations braced him to embrace change. His ability to adapt to shifting environments is shared by the team at Hy9.
"Tremendously intelligent people," is how he described the vice president of operations, R. Todd Bombard, and chief scientists at Hy9, "with a tremendous amount of competencies and (knowledge) of how hydrogen fits into an overall economy."
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