“I met with Mamoun Taher, CEO of Graphmatech a couple of years ago and was impressed both by the business concept as such and not the least by his mission to build a team of talented professionals”, says Torkel Nord Bjärneman on a link from Cambridge, England, where he still lives with his girlfriend Evie.

He left Sweden for the USA when he was seventeen to combine education and ice hockey at a boarding school in Upstate New York. Now, after ten years abroad, he moves back with a backpack full of graphene related materials experience to take on the role as Business Development Manager for Polymer Graphene Composites at Graphmatech.

Welcome Torkel! What do you bring to Graphmatech?

Thanks! Well, I have a Master of Science in Materials Engineering from the University of Mississippi and a part-MBA. During my studies and since graduation, I’ve been focusing on 2D-materials, such as graphene, both in the US and in Europe. I’ve been working at the National Graphene Association in the US, at the European Commission’s Graphene Flagship and as Business Developer at the Cambridge University. Apart from a strong and comprehensive international network, I also bring experience both from academia and industry, which I think will be valuable for Graphmatech in the scaling-up phase and commercialization of products and solutions.”

What opportunities do you set out to realize?

My passion in the area of graphene related materials started when I was a  Research Assistant. My focus was on enhancing polymers and composite materials by exploiting the amazing properties of graphene. The opportunities are unlimited in this field, and I have a lot of ideas. But first, I want to spend some time with the company to fully understand the capabilities and ambitions, and then discuss this with the team to create a roadmap going forward.

Who are you as a person?

I am a curious guy who loves sports, people, culture, travelling and good food. I am a true team player, which is probably why I fell for Graphmatech in the first place – Mamoun’s mission to build a strong team. I think this is a success factor when developing a company from a start-up and make it fly. I really look forward to being part of the team and help growing the company.

Warm welcome!