About Us
MTR Carbon Capture is revolutionizing carbon management with cutting-edge membrane technology. As a leader in the field, MTR Carbon Capture offers innovative membrane solutions that enable efficient and cost-effective point source carbon capture.
With decades of experience, our team of experts specialize in providing advanced solutions for point source carbon capture, addressing the need for sustainable and environmentally friendly carbon reduction. We understand the critical role carbon management plays in mitigating climate change, and our focus is on delivering solutions that make a real impact.
Core Values
We are driven by our commitment to creating a sustainable future through our core values of integrity, collaboration, and innovation.
Innovation
Through shared expertise and a collective commitment to innovation, we strive to accelerate the adoption of carbon capture solutions that drive positive environmental change.
Expertise
At MTR Carbon Capture, we understand that true innovation is born from deep expertise and a commitment to excellence. Our team leverages years of expertise to create innovative carbon capture solutions that tackle the environmental challenges of today while laying the groundwork for a sustainable future.
Partnership
Collaboration is the key to progress. Our reputation is rooted in trust, understanding our clients’ needs and delivering results. We understand partnerships cultivate solutions and enables our teams to do our best work.
Our Leadership Team
Brett Andrews
Chief Commercial Officer
Tim Merkel
Senior Vice President, Technology and Innovation
Richard Baker
Founder
John Gatlin
Chief Executive Officer
Alicia Breen
Vice President of Engineering and Project Management
Phillip Behm
Vice President of Manufacturing Operations
Brett Andrews
Chief Commercial Officer
Brett Andrews is a visionary leader with more than 30 years of experience pioneering transformative membrane technology. With an unwavering focus on innovation and global impact, Brett is steering MTR Carbon Capture towards global leadership in next generation carbon capture with the company’s revolutionary Polaris’ membrane technology.
Brett previously served as the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Memstar USA, where he played a pivotal role in globalizing CITIC Envirotech’s membrane business. He also served as Corporate Vice President at Nitto Denko Corporation and for more than 10 years was the CEO/President of the subsidiary, Hydranautics, leading the global Nitto Denko membrane business.
Brett holds degrees in chemistry and polymer technology from North London and Southbank London universities in the United Kingdom.
Tim Merkel
Senior Vice President, Technology and Innovation
Tim Merkel joined MTR in 2003 and is a driving force in shaping the future of MTR Carbon Capture. He leads our team of researchers on our industry-leading carbon capture program, where we collaborate extensively with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Tim has served as principal investigator on a series of DOE projects that have advanced our technology from feasibility to pilot demonstrations.
Tim has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles and has given numerous presentations at academic and industrial meetings internationally on innovative membrane solutions. He is also co-author on 23 patents and patent applications in the field of membrane separations.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Polytechnic University and earned his master’s and Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. He has also served on the board of the North American Membrane Society.
Richard Baker
Founder
Richard Baker is a trailblazer in the realm of membrane technology. As the founder of Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (MTR) in 1982, His visionary leadership propelled MTR into a position of prominence in the development of membranes and membrane systems for industrially and environmentally significant separations. Dr. Baker’s expertise and passion for membrane technology have been instrumental in shaping MTR’s identity as a pioneer in the field.
With over 100 papers and 100 patents, all in the membrane area, Dr. Baker is a true luminary. His book, “Membrane Technology and Applications,” spanning three editions (2000, 2004, and 2012), stands as a testament to his authority in the subject.
As a founder and past president of the International Controlled Release Society and co-founder of the North American Membrane Society (NAMS), Dr. Baker’s impact on the membrane science community is immeasurable. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, he received the inaugural NAMS Alan S. Michaels Award for Innovation in Membrane Science and Technology in 2002.
Dr. Richard Baker’s legacy is woven into the fabric of membrane technology, and his dynamic leadership continues to propel MTR towards new horizons in the ever-evolving landscape of membrane-based solutions.
John Gatlin
Chief Executive Officer
John Gatlin has served as CEO since March 2026. Prior to that, Mr. Gatlin was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Flowco, Inc. (NYSE: FLOC), which he helped take public in January 2025. Prior to the IPO, Mr. Gatlin had been the President of Flowco subsidiary Estis since July 2019. Mr. Gatlin previously held the
position of Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President at Tesco Corporation, a publicly traded company, prior to its sale to Nabors Industries (NYSE: NBR); and CEO and President of ChemEOR, Inc., a PE-backed company engaged in oilfield chemistry.
Mr. Gatlin previously served in various senior management roles at NOV Inc. (NYSE: NOV) from 2003 to 2014, including both domestic and international roles in corporate finance and strategy, operations, and manufacturing. Mr. Gatlin has a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and an MBA in Finance from the Wharton Business School.
Alicia Breen
Vice President of Engineering and Project Management
Alicia Breen leads the teams behind MTR’s membrane, compressor, and reboiler packaged systems, guiding projects from initial design through delivery for customers in the petrochemical, refinery, natural gas, and carbon capture industries. She joined MTR in 2008 and has spent her career at the company deepening its technical and
operational capabilities.
Alicia’s teams bring together project engineering, process engineering, project management, mechanical design, quality, commissioning, and electrical and controls professionals. She sets the direction that keeps their work aligned with demanding customer and industry requirements. Her technical expertise covers the full scope of membrane and compressor system design, including pressure vessels, rotating equipment, instrumentation, and controls.
She also shapes the systems that keep MTR’s engineering organization running smoothly, including the company’s engineering standards, ISO 9001 procedures, and HAZOP review protocols. She continues to serve as the engineering department’s ISO 9001 liaison.
Alicia earned a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from California Polytechnic University and a master’s degree in Engineering Management from Johns Hopkins University.
Phillip Behm
Vice President of Manufacturing Operations
Phillip Behm leads Manufacturing Operations at MTR, overseeing Production, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality Assurance, Supply Chain, and Environment, Health and Safety (EHS). Since joining MTR in 2019, he has been instrumental in scaling the company’s manufacturing capabilities to meet growing commercial demand and guiding
its operational strategy through multiple phases of growth.
Phillip has also played a key role in advancing MTR’s carbon capture program, leading the commercialization and manufacturing scale-up of the company’s carbon capture modules. Before joining MTR, he held engineering and operations leadership roles at Solecta (formerly Sepro Membranes) and Hydranautics, a Nitto Denko company. In
these roles, he designed manufacturing equipment and led capital projects supporting membrane production.
Phillip holds an MBA from San Diego State University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UC San Diego. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in California and holds a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.