Core Leadership
" What I want you to do is to not settle for just having a successful business, but to set out on a journey to build a company worthy of lasting."
- Jim Collins
Executive Team
Will Gruver
Will leads USP&E Global with a passion for bringing renewable and sustainable energy to millions of people worldwide. As founder and Group CEO, Will enjoys meeting clients in remote areas of the world, negotiating contracts to ensure dual success, and ensuring our projects make a difference in each community we serve. Having studied at Northwestern University and Harvard business school, and presently resides in South Africa. Will’s thorough and consistent hard work is what excels USP&E’s flywheel effect that ensures our success. Will leads by example in what we truly mean by “Speed with Excellence”
John Gruver
Having maintained a senior role in one of the largest privately held companies in the world and having worked at a large regional commercial construction firm in the USA, John is a specialist in his field. At USP&E, John is responsible for Operations, Finance, and North American project development. He specializes in industrial management with a specific focus on energy & power solutions, power T&D delivery solutions, hybrid power systems, process plant performance optimization, and specialist technical support for integration of designs by Local Engineering Partners (LEP’s).
Johan Helberg
Johan brings extreme ownership and delivers excellence to USP&E. He is an energy and production facility development expert, with over 30 years of experience in Energy and Automation Projects. Johan provides C-Level leadership in all aspects of USP&E’s operations in EMEA, America’s and Australasia’s while working closely with clients to ensure that all expectations are met. Johan's focus is to manage our teams and resources in such a way as to lower our client’s OPEX at each facility. For these reasons, and many others, Johan is a critical and crucial team member.
John Webb
John is a high energy, loyal director running our Global Operations portfolio. John has worked in the banking, energy, and chemical industries and specializes in streamlining processes, alleviating inefficiencies, structuring large debt/equity transactions, and increasing company productivity. He is also involved in improving developmental, operational, technical, and financial strategies to empower USP&E Global and its clients to achieve success.
Eric
Tolsma
As an international executive, Eric has experience in creating and building businesses, and serves as our Managing Director of USP&E Dubai. With strong commercial, technical, and financial educational background he has worked in the IT, Telecom, Capital Goods, Energy and Power industries in mature and emerging markets (Europe, Middle East, Africa and South America). With Eric’s entrepreneurial, no nonsense approach to business he leads with his competence, creativity, and teamwork.
Lord Mason Haynes
Mason brings decades of international business and security expertise to the team. He is the managing director of Forge Defence and A-list bodyguard who has been a bodyguard for the worlds top celebrities. USP&E Global recognises Mason for his exceptional business development skills and his ability to live out Extreme Ownership and Speed with Excellence in all he does.
Mario Olivier
Mario leads our procurement division with speed and excellence. He brings 26 years of experience in the fields of Supply Chain, Procurement management and Logistics to the team. An agile senior manager with vast experience in the engineering and mining sectors, Mario ensures that the right equipment reaches the right person effectively. As head of Procurement and Contracts, Mario has an in-depth understanding of engineering, international business, procurement and logistics to ensure that every aspect of an industrial project is effectively managed.
Herman Schoeman
Herman is head of USP&E's Global Project Development team. With over 20 years experience in commercial and industrial facility development. Herman provides C- Level leadership in all aspects of USP&E’s operations and works closely with clients to ensure that all expectations are met. Herman’s main role is to lead our sales and project development teams through his personal touch on the technological and human capital at USP&E Global.
Leadership Team
Michael Schreuder
Taking on the role of Head of Services for USP&E Global, Michael brings 15+ years of experience in the execution of complex SLAs, planned service projects, breakdowns, and management of service teams. His success as a Field Service Manager has been built upon excellent client relationships, immaculate design and process knowledge, and tenacity in finding and preventing faults at every level of the power plant.
Shamsher Singh
Shamsher has over 18 years of experience in the Energy Sector and has successfully managed complex EPC business (Products, Systems, Solutions and Services) with Global Firms and provides an edge to USP&E Global aspirations of delivering reliable and future technology solutions (P2X, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Wind, Solar, Battery Storage etc.). He is a Six Sigma certified holder and holds a Certificate in Global Financing Solutions, a Master’s Degree in Management (MPM), a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics Engineering (B.Tech) and Post Graduate Diploma (PGDBA) in Project and Operations Management. He has an in depth understanding of the Energy sector needs, challenges and adds immense value to USP&E Global team.
Darryn Clark
With over a decade in managing estimating for companies like Group Five and others, Darryn brings a strong multi-disciplined power station estimating and design background to USP&E Global. Having estimated over $10 billion in projects, Darryn enjoys working on biomass, renewable and hybrid thermal projects in Africa and the Middle East. Darryn is exceptionally talented and a key part of the what helps USP&E deliver “Excellence Faster.”
Lex Gruver
Lex Gruver is a graduate in international business studies Summa cum laude graduate of Liberty University (USA), and has studied engineering at Cornell, Harvard, and Stanford, as well as law through the University of Cape Town. Having grown up on USP&E project sites, Lex from an early age knew he wanted to do something with the company. Lex has been focused on Human Resources, to ensure overall success at USP&E.
Brandon Jonker
Brandon is one of USP&E Global’s procurement officers that is driven by his passion and enthusiasm to produce timely results. As a qualified project manager specialising in procurement, Brandon facilitates internal and external business relationships to assist USP&E in delivering our product sand services to client worldwide. He brings years of project experience in the energy sector with project values at over a billion ZAR.
Liezel Lotz
Liezel’s career started in London working in the investment banking industry before relocating back to South Africa. With over 20+ years’ experience in various financial roles covering legal entity control, business performance management, strategic project accounting and statutory & tax compliance. Liezel’s passion for telling stories through numbers and agility, led her to USP&E to constantly adapt and find ways to do things better, while continuing to move forward in our fast-paced environment.
Thobani Madlala
As a key member of USP&E's digital marketing team, Thobani focuses on project video production, graphic design, and telling the USP&E story. With experience in animation and video editing Thobani is an essential part of our advertising and marketing team. While being new to the industry, Thobani is extremely talented, and we are proud to have him as a member of USP&E.
Johan Longland
With experience in information technology, software design, information security, and digital project management, Johan ensures that each member of USPE is equipped with and utilizing technology in an optimal manner.
Shaun Savage
Shaun is a diligent business development manager with over 20 years’ experience within the energy industry, electronic security and IT. He excels in Sales, Business Development, Operations and Strategic Project Planning. Shaun has an indepth knowledge of business development and sales, both in Business to Business(B2B) and Client sales.
Steve Shipley
Steve brings a wealth of International Engineering expertise to USP&E; and has worked in many countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas on various mining, construction and power production facilities using a variety of energy sources. His experience adds value in troubleshooting and multi-cultural areas of project O&M and enjoys mentoring and teambuilding in no-nonsense practical ways, at both head office and site office levels, sometimes at difficult or remote locations. He is a team player with passion and dedication to see successful and sometimes difficult project completions with sound financial and technical outcomes. High levels of accountability and Safety in operation are essential in achieving success
Core Members
Carol Dube
Carol is USP&E's dynamic Corporate Hospitality expert. She passionately takes care of both the office and its members. As a dedicated member of the team and a talented barista, Carol makes every guest, client and employee feel welcome. The head office is always in immaculate condition under her management and skill. The USP&E team is proud to have her on our team.
Addis Hallmark
Addis serves as head of USP&E’s Operations Technologies & Software Platforms for our facility management and security services in North America. Addis is an accomplished inventor, author, and recognized expert in cyber security and unified communications. In his various roles as a consultant and strategic advisor to companies and global business partners, Addis provides C-Level consultation on security threats, go-to-market strategies, and sales and technical business development efforts. Addis heads up our Blockchain initiative and has been an invaluable resource as we innovate and bring to market this exciting new technology.
John Tank
John, MD of Middle Eastern Development, has over 40 years of experience living and working in the Middle East. A prior US Marine, John was stationed at US embassies in Beirut and Vienna as well as at the Marine Corps repair center in Barstow prior to joining GE in Saudi Arabia. Before joining USP&E, John started his own venture as a manufacturers representative living and working in the Middle East for another 20+ years. John’s main role is to manage our Beirut Lebanon sales team to drive new business development in fast growth regions such as North Africa, Iraq and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Ian Griffiths
As MD of North Africa, Ian is head of USP&E’s teams working in Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. In his various roles as a consultant and strategic advisor to companies and global business partners, Ian leverages his 30+ years of military, security, intelligence and energy sector experience to drive value to the company and our clients in North Africa and the Middle East. With decades of experience flying in some of the harshest conditions, Ian is an avid aviator and aviation expert.
Johann Potgieter
Johan is a goal orientated Logistics Technician with 40 years’ experience in Power Generation, Marine, Rail and Earth Moving Equipment. He has exceptional problem-solving skills and techniques that has stood him in good stead over the years. Johan is very pleased to be a part of USP&E where he can share his knowledge and skills with others.
