Technical Director in the United States: Mike Donovan

4 September 2024, Texas – Ecocem, Europe’s leading provider of low-carbon cement technologies, has appointed Mike Donovan, P.E., FACI as Technical Director for its U.S. business operations. In this position, Donovan will be pivotal in driving Ecocem’s business development initiatives as the Dublin-based company brings its scalable low-carbon cement technologies to markets across North America.?

As technical director, Donovan is responsible for overseeing key aspects of Ecocem’s business in the U.S., with a focus on widespread commercial adoption of the company’s low-carbon cement technologies, including ACT, by the U.S. market. Donovan will work with industry partners to support the adoption of low-carbon cement technologies and provide resources and insight to North American government agencies, consultants, and financial investors seeking guidance on low-carbon cement and concrete as the industry transitions to more sustainable solutions.

Donovan brings a unique perspective and intimate knowledge of the cement industry. Most recently, he successfully developed and brought a new natural pozzolan to market with Geofortis . He began his career in concrete four decades ago working at leading companies such as Sherman Industries LLC , Blue Circle Cement Tarmac , and Central Concrete Supply ( U.S. Concrete ).

Donal O’Riain, Ecocem’s Founder and Managing Director said, "To accelerate decarbonisation of the cement industry, Ecocem needs to create an impact in North America that rivals our footprint in Europe today. The U.S. market has real influence on technology and adoption – where it goes, others follow.

Widespread adoption of next-generation scalable cement technologies like Ecocem’s ACT will allow the cement industry to become the first hard-to-abate industrial sector to decarbonise on a trajectory consistent with 1.5°C of global warming.

Mike is a significant addition to our team. Working alongside Steve Bryan, our managing director of U.S. operations, Mike will accelerate our efforts to deliver on our ambition in North America.”

Ecocem’s North American expansion is rooted in one of its most significant projects to date, the construction of its Terminal and Milling Operations at the Port of Los Angeles. The facility will import raw materials by ship and process them to manufacture low-carbon materials.

“Being a part of Ecocem’s groundbreaking entry into the North American market and shaping the global future of low-carbon cement is a true honor,” said Donovan.

"I’m committed to building on Ecocem’s proven track record and leadership in Europe to bring scalable low-carbon cement solutions to North America. These are solutions that are available today and can cost-effectively scale to meet the demands of the industry here."