Tunde Deru is the President at Project Development Solutions {PDS) where he provides strategic business and project solutions to the energy sector in the USA and Africa. Before starting PDS, Mr. Deru was the Sales Director for GlassPoint Solar Inc., where he developed and drove its strategic growth in California’s Oil and Gas Industry, resulting in a partnership with Aera Energy to build the largest, and first-of-its-kind integrated solar steam and electricity project in the state – Belridge Solar. Before GlassPoint, Tunde established and managed the Project Management Organization {PMO) for Berry Petroleum Inc., California’s fifth-largest oil producer. At the PMO, Mr. Deru successfully managed $400 million CAPEX projects which enabled Berry to achieve its five-year strategic plan.

Tunde has more than two decades of sales and project management experience in telecommunications and construction industries. He has execution experience in the oil and gas, renewables industry and has also held various technical and leadership roles at Processes Unlimited (now Stantec) and Schlumberger. Tunde is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and is actively involved with the Project Management Institute (PMI) where he has served as President of the PMI California Central Valley Chapter. He is also on the Career Technical Advisory Board for Industrial Automation at Bakersfield College.

Jacob serves as Commercial Advisor to Project Development Solutions, Inc. (PDS), bringing extensive international experience in project finance, technology commercialization, mergers and acquisitions, and infrastructure development. His background spans decades of work supporting the advancement of capital-intensive projects and commercial platforms that require strategic financial structuring and real-asset deployment to succeed.

Jacob is the founder of Technology Commercialization & Finance (TCF) Partners, a firm focused on bridging the gap between venture capital and traditional private equity or infrastructure finance. Through this work, he has partnered with technology companies and commercial platforms developing scalable opportunities in energy and resource efficiency. His approach centers on building commercially viable infrastructure solutions that improve performance, reduce resource intensity, and create long-term value.

Prior to founding TCF Partners, Jacob spent more than ten years with GE Capital International in London. Earlier in his career, he worked for approximately a decade as a principal consultant in mergers and acquisitions, advising private equity clients, corporate entities, and institutional investors, primarily on real-asset transactions.

Since launching TCF Partners in 2017, Jacob has been involved in more than €700 million in transactions supporting agricultural and environmental infrastructure, including waste-to-value facilities, photovoltaic plants, and greenhouse developments. His experience includes global deal execution and project development across a broad range of industries and technologies.

Jacob holds an M.Sc. in Geology and Hydrology and an MBA from IESE Business School. In his role with PDS, he supports the company’s commercial strategy, financial positioning, and development of scalable project opportunities

Mitra Hovareshti is a highly analytical Finance and Project Controls Manager with over a decade of experience supporting financial management, budgeting, and project controls across the energy, oil & gas, and financial sectors. She brings a strong background in financial forecasting, cost control, and business intelligence, with a proven ability to translate complex data into actionable insights that support strategic decision-making.

Throughout her career, Mitra has worked extensively in oil and gas operations, including her role at Macpherson Oil Company, where she managed production and financial data reporting, regulatory submissions, and forecasting of revenue, OPEX, CAPEX, and cash flow. She has developed comprehensive financial reports and dashboards for executive leadership, improving visibility into portfolio performance and enabling data-driven investment decisions.

Mitra’s expertise in project controls includes managing and tracking multi-million-dollar project budgets, developing Authorization for Expenditures (AFEs), and ensuring compliance with financial and operational requirements. During her tenure supporting Linn Energy and Berry Petroleum, she led project cost control functions, implemented reporting structures, and provided forecasting and financial performance analysis across multiple California assets.

Her technical capabilities span financial systems, data analytics, and reporting tools, including advanced use of Excel, Power BI, MS Project, Primavera, and industry-specific platforms such as OGSYS and Energy Toolbase. She has also integrated production data from SCADA systems into financial reporting frameworks, bridging operational and financial performance metrics.

Mitra’s multidisciplinary experience, combined with her strong leadership and organizational skills, enables her to effectively manage complex projects, support cross-functional teams, and drive efficiency across financial and operational processes. Her background in both finance and applied mathematics provides a unique foundation for solving complex analytical challenges in dynamic environments.

Ruben Rafael Arias Diaz is an accomplished Electrical Engineer with demonstrated success designing and developing industrial power systems. His experience includes advanced electrical studies and power-system modeling (e.g., load flow, short circuit/arc flash, and protection coordination) using ETAP, as well as power, control, and protection engineering across complex facilities.

Ruben has provided engineering services supporting projects for major energy and industrial operators, including assignments supporting Suncor’s Commerce City Refinery and work for Aera Energy and California Resources Corporation (CRC). His project experience includes substation and distribution system engineering, protective relay upgrades, and electrical design deliverables for large, operating facilities—helping improve reliability, safety, and compliance with industry standards.

His background also includes solar and renewable integration support, and execution of root-cause failure analysis (RCFA) and reliability improvement initiatives. Across his roles, Ruben has developed detailed electrical diagrams and layouts, performed capacity analysis and equipment sizing, and supported commissioning and operational readiness for power infrastructure upgrades.

Ruben’s technical toolkit includes ETAP and related electrical engineering software and standards familiarity (e.g., IEEE/NFPA/NEMA/NETA), and he brings multidisciplinary experience from additional leadership and engineering roles in oil & gas and LNG-related facilities internationally.

Gareth Ogunjobi is a Project Engineer at Project Development Solutions (PDS) with experience supporting renewable energy electrical infrastructure design and engineering documentation. In his role at PDS, he has helped design pole plans using PLS‑CADD for a 5 MW PV‑to‑substation connection, developing applied knowledge of mechanical loading considerations and electrical code requirements.

Gareth also supports 3D modeling and technical documentation development using Fusion 360, coordinating deliverables to meet project schedules. His background includes academic research and hands‑on engineering projects spanning robotics design, power electronics, and PCB design, including the development of a low‑voltage DC power circuit on a PCB and mechanical design work for robotic systems.

In addition to his project engineering work, Gareth has held leadership roles in student engineering organizations, including Vice President of California State University Bakersfield’s Robotics Club, where he led design teams and iterative testing efforts across competition and fabrication projects. He is certified as an Engineer‑in‑Training (EIT) in California and holds an FAA Part 107 Unmanned Aircraft General license.

Uros Prica is a results-driven professional with strong organizational and communication skills, with experience supporting finance, accounting, and documentation-heavy workflows in fast-paced environments.

Uros brings hands-on experience in full-cycle bookkeeping and reconciliation, preparation of federal and state tax returns, and recurring compliance reporting (sales and payroll tax), using tools such as QuickBooks and Lacerte Tax. His work includes maintaining confidential financial records, organizing and archiving critical documentation, and supporting senior accounting staff to keep deliverables accurate and on schedule.

In addition, Uros has direct experience in logistics project-controls–style coordination through customs and freight-forwarding work, where he supported time-sensitive import/export operations and ensured regulated processes stayed on track. His responsibilities included coordinating multimodal transportation (road, rail, air, maritime), overseeing customs-warehouse activities (organization, segregation, inspection procedures), preparing required customs documentation, and coordinating with multiple inspection authorities to maintain compliance.

He also communicated with importers/exporters to identify efficient tariff/logistics pathways and supported end-to-end process visibility for clients.