Team

George J. Alvarez, Chief Executive Officer and Founder

George Alvarez is the founder and CEO of Immerse Global. George steers all corporate functions and R&D operations with a focus on product development and design. An expert and visionary in designing successful business models and social development projects around the world. In 1999, George left Bear Stearns’ Investment Banking division to join Maroc Telecommerce and co-develop Morocco’s first e-commerce platform. In 2004, he founded CareerXchange-First private career development platform in Jordan, and recognized by the World Bank in 2005 for educational excellence in the MENA region.

George has identified the lack of fresh water resources as one critical challenge shared by many different countries. In 2007, Immerse Global joined Stanford University’s Mechanical Engineering and Design program “ME310” to develop “MIMIR”- a first generation water generator that is completely independent of ground water sources; it doesn’t draw on existing sources of available water, but rather converts unavailable water (atmospheric water) into usable water. In 2008, he partnered with CH2M HILL to develop water generation pods, delivering thousands of gallons of water daily to MASDAR-Eco City in Abu Dhabi.

In 2009, he co-founded Immerse Medical, a board of medical advisors specialized in toxicology, urology nephrology and other critical care specialties. Most notable achievements include: portable and low cost arsenic filter developed in collaboration with Rice University and rapid detoxification of arsenic and heavy metals via mobile clinic.

Syed N. Mannaf, Vice President and Co-Founder

Syed N. Mannaf is Vice President and co-founder of Immerse Global. In 2007, he joined George J. Alvarez, CEO and Co-founded Immerse Global. Syed is involved in all strategic and project planning and management functions including R&D, and delivery of core technologies. He is also actively involved in investor relations and fund raising. Syed has 21 years of experience in implementing Information Technology solutions for Fortune 500 Clients and non profits.

In 2004, Mr. Mannaf joined Earth Institute as director of technology under Jeffrey D. Sachs- Director of Earth Institute, professor, economist and special advisor to the UN Secretary-General on the Millennium Development Goals. Syed established communication platforms that included researchers, scientists and policy makers culminating in State of the Planet, Global Roundtable Conferences, where global stakeholders and senior executives explored areas of consensus regarding core scientific, technological, and economic issues critical to shaping sound public policies on climate change.

He also worked with the Center for Global Health and Economic Development (CGHED) to combat HIV /Aids and malaria plaguing sub-Saharan African countries by developing a clinical health portal, enabling researchers and government agencies to have access to clinical records across ten African States. This effort was also supported and funded by U2 artist and philanthropist, Bono.

Syed passionately works with Immerse Medical to alleviate Arsenic exposure and poising to the population in Bangladesh and in Asia.

Miguel A. Morales, Chief Branding and Communications Officer

Miguel A. Morales is Chief Branding and Communications Officer at Immerse Global. Miguel is responsible for corporate branding and corporate communications, providing support in media relations, corporate design, executive communications, and related functions.

Prior to joining Immerse Global in 2007, Miguel began his career at Bear Stearns, & Co., a global investment bank, where he worked for ten years involved in a wide range of industries such as consumer staples (beverages, household products) and consumer discretionaries (retail, restaurants). He held various senior roles, including Senior Design and Technical Coordinator for the Investment Banking Division in the Americas and management team member for the Presentations and Graphics Department. Miguel served as an Assistant Vice-President leading the creation of two start-up divisions – the Alumni Network, and the Employee Recognition group at Credit Suisse.

Miguel is a member of the United Way of New York, and sits on the board of THE ANIMATION PROJECT (TAP), a nonprofit which converts popular technologies into tools that promote adolescent development across cognitive, social and emotional domains.

Saud Masud, Financial Adviser (Global Markets)

As an independent investment consultant and the CEO of SM Advisory Group, LLC., Saud has unique experience across both developed and emerging markets. Previously Saud was the Head of Research, MENA and Real Estate and Infrastructure Sr. Analyst at UBS Investment Bank based in Dubai, UAE. In addition to being a top ranked analyst according to StarMine and Bloomberg Absolute Return rankings, Saud has been viewed as a vocal contrarian with differentiated insights.

For several years Saud covered the Telecom Equipment sector as a Sr. Analyst at UBS in New York. Saud was part of team consistently ranked in top 3 by Institutional Investor. Saud is member of CNN’s Globex20 team, a group of emerging markets opinion makers. Saud frequently appears as a TV guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, CNN, BBC, etc. and is often quoted in news and business publications including Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, TIME, Reuters, The National, Executive Magazine, etc. Saud holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from Virginia Tech.

Dr. Suhel Ahmed, Director of Immerse Medical

Dr. Suhel Ahmed is the Director of Immerse Medical—Immerse Global’s Medical Board. A board certified internist, Dr. Ahmed has a passion for research and development, with a focus on Nanotech-photodynamic therapeutic agents. This experience has given him a unique vantage point to drive medical discovery and innovation for Immerse Medical.

Omar Ali, Business Development

As a Business Development Executive, Omar communicates with prospective medical board members that share an affinity for water generation and filtration technologies. Omar takes the lead in promoting dialogue within the medical community in regards to new and emerging medical technologies for current and future product lines.  

Arjun Adamson, Design Strategy Adviser

In 2012, Arjun Adamson joined the product design team as a design strategy adviser.  Arjun studied Product Design at Art Center College of Design and Entrepreneurship at INSEAD in Singapore. He has since conducted research projects throughout Europe and India. Arjun’s skills in product design and research have garnered him two design patents.

John Phillips, Design Researcher/Strategist

In 2012, John Phillips joined the product design team as a design researcher/strategist.  John brings a synthesis of research and strategy experience, with a design-based approach highly suited to down-stream application of insights.  He completed an intensive business, design and entrepreneurship exchange program at INSEAD in France before graduating with honors from Art Center College of Design’s prestigious Product Design program.  John served as the design consultant for an international business plan competition in 2009, designing the brand identity, packaging, and collateral, and aiding in the formation of a cohesive brand strategy that ultimately earned the team third place worldwide from an initial field of nearly 15,000 entrants.  Other work has yielded an IDEA Award, a provisional patent, and products currently in production.

John also brings experience in information design, convergent trend analysis, and consumer experience mapping.  With a thorough understanding of both industrial design process and vendor-side design research & strategy consulting, he is able to adapt quickly and work easily within both business and creative contexts.

Johan Wenngren, Mechanical Engineer

As a Mechanical Engineer, Johan led research and development efforts of Sweden’s premier mechanical engineering universities: Lund, Luleå, and KTH – Royal Institute of Technology to deliver our company’s signature product line MIMIR – Atmospheric Water Generator. In 2009, Johan received his M.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in product development at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden. In 2010, he earned his Licentiate degree in Functional Product Development at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden.

Chaitanya Sharma, Mechanical Engineer

As a Mechanical Engineer, Chaitanya offers a combination of management, technical, and consulting experience developed within the energy sector. In 2007, Chaitanya led in the development of functional prototypes at Stanford University, which culminated in MIMIR-Atmospheric Water Generator. Chaitanya is a California Licensed Professional Engineer with a richly cultivated background in energy efficiency and retro-commissioning. Chaitanya holds a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, 2006 and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (Thermosciences) from Stanford University, 2008.

Abdul-Musawwir Nicholson, Environmental Scientist

As an environmental engineer, Abdul focuses on mitigating water scarcity in The Republic of Mali. Abdul partnered with Mali’s Ministry of Water, Energy, and Mines to research environmental laws and regional policies regarding water management and distribution practices. Abdul researched groundwater and aquifer productivity in West Africa and the use of supplemental sources of water. Feasibility studies were also conducted to determine the environmental efficacy of water generation and filtration technologies.