MEET OUR TEaM
Ozzie Kalil
Chief Executive Officer
Ozzie Kalil is the Chief Executive Officer of Faction Ai, where he leads the company’s global mission to transform how nations design and finance the cities of the future. With a background spanning international finance, infrastructure development, and frontier technologies, Ozzie has positioned Faction Ai as the trusted partner for governments and investors seeking to build sustainable Smart Cities and next-generation infrastructures.
As CEO, Ozzie directs the deployment of Faction Ai’s core platforms, including the Dragon Fire Semiconductor Chips, Starbase Web3 Data Centers, and ThunderHawk Blockchain, aligning technological breakthroughs with the capital structures and sovereign partnerships needed to deliver them at scale. His leadership ensures Faction Ai projects are bankable, resilient, and transformative, balancing innovation with disciplined financial strategy.
Ozzie’s career reflects a unique ability to bring together engineering vision, institutional capital, and government priorities. Under his leadership, Faction Ai has become a global leader in Faction’s Cognitive StarFire Ai driven Smart Infrastructures, creating ecosystems that fuel economic growth while advancing sustainability and national security.
As CEO, his vision is clear: to make Faction Ai the sovereign technology partner of the 21st century, delivering Smart Cities that power prosperity and human progress worldwide.
Max Garza III
Chief Blockchain Officer
Max Garza III is the Tony Stark of Smart Cities and Deep Tech, a visionary builder who fuses imagination, engineering, and finance to design the next era of human civilization. As Co-Founder and Director of Faction Ai, Max leads the company’s charge into the future, driving breakthroughs in Smart Infrastructures, Dragon Fire Semiconductor Chips, and sovereign-scale Ai ecosystems.
His leadership is defined by a rare ability to align cutting-edge frontier technologies: from Ares Prime Quantum Computing and StarFireCognitive Ai to Thunder Hawk Blockchain and Mercury Autonomous Systems, with the capital, governments, and global institutions that can deploy them at trillion-dollar scale.
Max is the architect behind Faction Ai’s Dragon Fire Semiconductor Chips, built for Faction’s global Smart Cities, defense-grade security, and quantum-ready computation. He has also spearheaded the design of Starbase Web3 Data Centers and ThunderHawk Blockchain, creating the backbone for sovereign digital economies. His work bridges Wall Street investment models with Silicon Valley innovation, giving governments and investors access to sustainable, transparent, and future-proof infrastructure.
For Max, Smart Cities are not simply real estate projects, they are living ecosystems of StarFire Cognitive Ai, Draco Thorium Energy, Dragon Fire Semiconductors, and human potential. His vision is to ensure that nations don’t just adopt deep tech but own it, shape it, and thrive from it.
In every project, Max Garza III embodies the ethos of “Powering Tomorrow, Today”; proving that the boldest ideas, backed by flawless execution, can turn imagination into sovereign reality.
Jatin Sindhi
VP Faction AI Smart City Operations India
Jatin Sindhi is a versatile, high-energy professional with over 22 years of experience in the technology industry. He has held prominent roles including Vice President-APAC at Oracle and Senior Director at SAP, where he led the SAP Cloud Platform and Innovation strategy. Jatin excels in driving business growth through partner ecosystems, focusing on technologies like Cyber Security, Analytics, Al, ML, loT, and BigData Strategy. His career spans significant tenures at renowned companies such as Dimension Data – NTT, Dell, IBM, APC, and HCL.
Fred Palma
Chief Operations Officer
Fred Palma is a hands-on COO with extensive experience leading creative and disruptive products from concept to launch. Anomaly Detection, loT, and the monetization and gamification of Social Networking platforms are among the innovations Fred has pioneered the productization of. Led the launch and commercialization of solutions across numerous industries during his 20+ years of international executive management leadership, Fred has managed R&D, QE, software and hardware engineering, and Others. He has established and managed include Intel, Cisco, Accenture, HP, NVIDIA, and Huawei.
Dr. Bikarna Kumar Ghosh
VP Smart City Operations in Bangladesh
Dr. Ghosh, a former Grade 1 Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh, has over 30 years of experience in public sector roles, including ICT policy-making, IT project management, local government administration, and export development. A medical graduate (MBBS) with three master’s degrees (MBA, MPH, MPPM), Dr. Ghosh has also pursued advanced training in project management from Stanford, ICT from Sweden, and leadership from Singapore. Currently, he is spearheading Faction AI’s $5 billion Smart Hi-Tech Park project, with plans for a $10 billion Smart City and a $20 billion smart Tourism initiative in Bangladesh.
Dr. Ming-Jung Seow
Chief Technology Officer
Dr. Ming-Jung Seow is an inventor, scientist, and entrepreneur. He has 20 years of experience commercializing Al research into disruptive technology on Al System. Ming has authored and published 55 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, peer-reviewed conference papers, and over 100 U.S. and international patents in machine learning, computer vision, and pattern recognition. Ming’s Al breakthrough innovations paved the way for Behavior Analytics and Cognitive Analytics in the Al, IoT, and Blockchain community.
Steve Ponsler
Chief Investment Officer
Steve Ponsler is the Chief Investment Officer of Faction Ai, where he leads the company’s global investment strategy across Smart Cities, Smart Infrastructures, and frontier technologies. With a distinguished career at Merrill Lynch, UBS and Procter & Gamble, Steve brings deep expertise in capital markets, portfolio management, and institutional finance to Faction Ai’s sovereign-scale projects.
As CIO, Steve designs the financial architectures that power Faction Ai’s flagship platforms, including the Dragon Fire Semiconductor Chips, Starbase Web3 Data Centers, and ThunderHawk Blockchain. He is responsible for structuring multi-billion-dollar capital frameworks that align sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, and government partners, ensuring every project is both bankable and transformative.
Steve’s career has been defined by his ability to navigate global markets while delivering disciplined investment strategies that balance innovation with sustainable returns. At Merrill Lynch and UBS, he guided cross-border investment portfolios, while his tenure at Procter & Gamble gave him a strong foundation in corporate finance and strategic value creation.
As CIO, Steve’s vision is to position the firm as the premier investment partner for future cities, ensuring nations can capture the economic benefits of deep technology while securing long-term prosperity.
Curtis Cole
SVP of Field Operations
Curtis has been working in technology for 30 years, starting as an Aviation Radar Technician in the US Marine Corps. He takes satisfaction in helping clients grasp difficult technology, such as the Danish Central Bank and Thailand’s Ministry of Transport. Curtis has deployed Al powered Cyber and Physical security product suites globally. He has also managed IT and Operations teams at previous jobs, providing high-quality assistance from layer 1 to 7. SECURE COGNITIVE INFORMATION USING BEHAVIORAL RECOGNITION SYSTEMS is his convention.
Tom Wells
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Wells attended Xavier University and graduated magna cum laude. He is a CPA and spent his first 10 years in public accounting working for large accounting firms which include Arthur Andersen and Main Hurdman. For the past 34 years he has spent his time owning and operating several successful companies. Much of his time was spent acquiring, growing, and selling business. Currently, Mr. Wells owns several private companies ranging from 10 to 60 million in sales and just completed the sale of his 160 million dollar company. Mr. Wells will assist on both financial and operations of the company.
Amjad Suleman
EVP, Business Strategy
Amjad Suleman has been associated with the investment banking and Fintech industries for over two decades and has held Senior Management positions with Citigroup, Mizuho International, Wachovia, Reddot capital, and management consultancy firms such as Schlumberger and Atos Origin.
Venkat Pakala
SVP of Finance & Operations
Venkat has over three decades of experience in senior roles in Banking and Financial Services. He has an MBA in International Finance from a prestigious university. He was previously Head of International Operations – IT at Mashreq, a renowned UAE bank. He formerly worked in Bangalore for Misys (a UK-based global leader in Banking Software Solutions). He is currently a partner with Tachyon Labs, NetOptima Solutions, and Mind Share Consultants. He is currently working with some of the major Indian IT companies looking to expand into new markets. He is part of a core team of start-ups in India that focus on disruptive technology and have patented IPs. Involved in significant capital advisory projects for global investment firms.
Rick Spitz
Chief Strategy Officer
Rick Spitz is a seasoned technology executive with over 35 years of experience in developing pivotal computer technology products. Specializing in AI strategy and intellectual property development, his notable roles include Vice President of Software at Apple, where he led the Macintosh software team, and Co-Founder of Reach Local. Spitz has also served as CTO of Worldwinner.com, Vice President of Product Development at Sungard’s decalog, and Group Manager at Digital Equipment Corp. Holding over 50 patents, he has a Master’s in Computer Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, a Bachelor’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Clemson University, and postgraduate studies in Executive Leadership and AI from Boston University and MIT Sloan.
K.C. Li
President Smart City Operations Africa
K.C. Li is an accomplished economist currently serving as Chairman of the Union Pay International Africa regional Council and holding director positions in various global financial institutions. A London School of Economics graduate with a Master’s in International Tax Law, he began his career as a Public Finance Lecturer at the University of Mauritius in 1974. Li has made significant contributions to Mauritius’s financial sector, including advising the Minister of Finance and pioneering the nation’s first Unit Trust and Property Fund. He founded the Mauritius International Trust Co. Ltd (MITCO) and has served as a consultant to the United Nations and a Member of the Mauritius Parliament. Recognized with the ‘Grand Officer of the Star and Key’ of the Indian Ocean and the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by Banker Africa, Li’s leadership facilitated the introduction of Alipay services to Africa. He continues to influence economic and financial strategies across Africa and Asia, with roles at Afreximbank and various Emerging Markets and Asia Hedge Funds.
Ananda Setiyo Ivannanto
CSO Chief Strategy Ofcer Faction Ai Smart Cities Indonesia
Born on October 13, 1985, in Pangkal Pinang, Bangka Belitung, he has 15 years of expertise in renewable energy, waste management, agribusiness, healthcare, and M&A consultancy. He has fostered strong ties with Japan for two decades, facilitating education, business, and social ventures, and serves as a one-stop solution between Indonesia and Japan. As Vice Chairman of the Indonesia Wind Energy Association and Japan Indonesia Kaizen Center, he holds prominent roles in various professional organizations. He co-founded the Indonesian Overseas Alumni Network, engaging over 5000 diaspora members. With leadership roles in A-Wing Group, he oversees 11 companies across Japan, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan.
Kelvin Nana Sarfo
VP Smart city Operations Ghana, Africa
Kelvin Nana Sarfo is the President & CEO of Faction Holdings Ghana Limited, with 20 years of experience in engineering, energy, digital transformation, strategic planning, and investment management. He has worked globally with top consulting and engineering firms. In his role, he oversees the construction and operation of a multi-billion-dollar Smart City and AI Innovation Hub in Ghana. He is also a Senior Operations Manager for a multinational engineering company and the Founder & CEO of a petroleum and logistics company in the UK.
Vijay Goel
Senior Partner (Singhania & Co.) PRACTICE AREAS Corporate Law, Joint Ventures Foreign Collaborations and Real Estate
Vijay Goel, a Senior Partner at Singhania & Co.’s London office, has over 15 years of experience in corporate law, joint ventures, foreign collaborations, and real estate. He has advised on major real estate transactions in India, private equity investments, and listings on AIM, London. Vijay has also facilitated significant deals, including a $500 million power project funding for Reliance in 2009. His notable roles include Local Representative for the Amravati Smart City Project, Founder of the Inda-EU Business Forum, and Chairman of the London Chamber of Commerce Asian Business Association.
Dr. Natalia Soloviova
VP Faction AI Smart Health Care Europe
Dr. Natalia Soloviova is an accomplished obstetrician-gynecologist and assistant professor at Zaporizhzhia State Medical and Pharmaceutical University. She is also the founder and CEO of the Charitable Foundation “Salyus.” With a PhD in Obstetrics and Gynecology and a master’s degree in Enterprise Management and Labor Economics, Dr. Soloviova has extensive experience in both clinical practice and academic research. She has published extensively on topics related to obstetric and perinatal complications and has participated in numerous international medical internships and conferences.
Tory Castillo
President Faction AI Global Experiential Marketing
Tory Castillo is a visionary leader in sports marketing and brand partnerships with decades of experience. He has a proven track record of innovative strategies, notably as Director at Wasserman, where he led AT&T’s sponsorships with AT&T Stadium and the Dallas Cowboys. Castillo also managed high-profile player agreements and partnerships with Mercedes Benz Stadium and the AT&T Performing Arts Center. As VP of Sports and Entertainment at Jack Morton Worldwide, he directed Chevrolet’s sports marketing initiatives with MLB and other major entities. He holds a BA in Mediation from the University of North Texas and continues to drive innovation in sports marketing.
Joshua Kyle
President Faction AI Global Battle Tech
Joshua Kyle is an experienced operations manager with a strong background in safety, project management, and financial oversight. Currently, he leads Sprague Pest Solutions in Colorado, achieving significant revenue growth and maintaining high customer retention rates. With expertise in ISO standards, OSHA regulations, and personnel management, Joshua has a proven track record in optimizing operational processes and ensuring safety compliance. His diverse experience includes roles in unexploded ordnance management and technical positions in telecommunications and manufacturing. Joshua holds an MBA and a BSB, along with multiple professional certifications.
Dr. Debo Ogunlami
President Faction AI Samson Finance
Dr. Debo Ogunlami, educated in Nigeria and the UK, holds an LLB from London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies, an LLM in International Law from University College London, and a PhD in Petroleum Taxation Law from Dundee University. He also has an MBA in Corporate Finance from Middlesex Business School. With over 30 years of experience in legal, corporate finance, privatisation, systems integration, and software implementation, Debo has worked on projects across the Middle East, Europe, and Nigeria, including successful stints at Cambridge Technology Partners and Crystal Decisions (now part of SAP). Since 2014, he has been a lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University London’s Business School, where he has also served as deputy head of the School of Accounting, Law, Hospitality, Events Management, and Tourism.
Dr. John Hassard
President Faction AI Smart City Sustainability
Dr. Hassard is an accomplished academic and entrepreneur, skilled in multidisciplinary research and translating it into societal benefits. With a focus on security, energy, sustainable technologies, water, and CBRN sensor networks, he has over 300 highly cited publications. A pioneer in neural nets for High Energy Nuclear Physics, he developed award-winning sensor networks for the 2012 London Olympics and won the IEEE Supercomputing Platinum Award. Educated in the UK with a PhD from Hamburg, he has held prestigious postdoctoral positions and has been a faculty member at Imperial College. since 1986. He has led R&D programs globally, founded 11 companies, and won the 2023 Prize for Sustainable Technology.
Octave Bodel
President Faction AI Smart City Global Operations
Octave Bodel is a finance expert with vast experience in wealth management, private equity, and infrastructure projects. He began his career at Citibank in Monaco and has worked with prominent family offices and financial institutions worldwide. He founded AlphalineInvestments and the China Reference Fund, managing $200M USO. Octave played a key role in a $28 USO infrastructure initiative between Saudi Arabia and China. He holds a BS in Corporate Finance from IFAM Paris and is an alumnus of Tsinghua University’s business program. Fluent in multiple languages, he mentors at the International University of Monaco.
Charles Morgan
Chief Security Officer
Charles has over 30 years of experience in technology, beginning his career as a Nuclear Engineer for the US Navy. His diverse professional background has equipped him with a wide range of skills, ranging from physical security and counterintelligence to embedded electronics and cybersecurity. This extensive expertise enables him to engineer the correct solution for highly complex problems rapidly. Charles has deployed AI-powered cyber and physical security products and services globally, routinely leading multinational security teams in the performance of his duties. He believes that physical and cybersecurity are two sides of the same coin, and emphasizes that the human element is just as crucial as technology in a comprehensive security solution. Charles holds a Master’s in Cybersecurity Management, graduating with Summa Cum Laude honors, as well as multiple professional certifications across various security disciplines.
Jeff Tutor
Chief Investment Strategist
Jeff Tutor serves as Chief Investment Strategist at Faction Ai, where he leads the global project finance strategy for Smart Cities, frontier technologies, and sovereign partnerships. With decades of investment experience spanning institutional finance, infrastructure, and innovative capital markets, Jeff brings a proven ability to structure and mobilize multi-billion-dollar investment vehicles that accelerate sustainable growth.
At Faction Ai, Jeff architects the financial frameworks that underpin the company’s flagship initiatives: from Dragon Fire Semiconductor Chips and Starbase Web3 Data Centers to Smart Infrastructures and tokenized assets. His expertise bridges Wall Street discipline with frontier market opportunity, ensuring governments, sovereign wealth funds, and private capital partners can participate in transformative projects with transparency, compliance, and long-term value creation.
Throughout his career, Jeff has advised global banks, private equity firms, and development funds on capital structuring, risk management, and sovereign investment strategies. His leadership has been instrumental in aligning investors with projects that balance profitability, sustainability, and national development goals.
Jeff’s vision as Chief Investment Strategist is to position Faction Ai as the premier investment and technology partner for the 21st-century city, financing bold infrastructure while empowering nations to capture the economic benefits of artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and blockchain innovation.
Dr Kourosh Saeb-Parsy
Head of Smart Drugs & Smart Healthcare
Dr. Kourosh Saeb-Parsy, leads Faction’s Smart Drugs and Smart Healthcare Divisions, pioneering the future of medicine at the intersection of Cognitive Ai, biotechnology, and Smart City ecosystems.
A Professor of Transplantation at the University of Cambridge and Consultant Surgeon at Cambridge University Hospitals, Dr. Nourish is internationally recognized for his breakthroughs in cancer therapeutics, regenerative medicine, and transplantation science. His research group has secured more than £35 million in funding from leading institutions including the Wellcome Trust, MRC, Cancer Research UK, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. He has published over 130 peer-reviewed papers, including 30+ in Nature and Science journals, and holds multiple international patents.
As Founder & CEO of Avatrial, Dr. Nourish re-engineered cancer drug discovery using multi-omic data platforms, Faction’s Cognitive StarFireAi driven target discovery, and organoid modeling. His innovations have already yielded validated novel drugs, biotech partnerships, and a new standard for precision healthcare.
At Faction Ai, Dr. Kourosh is building the Smart Healthcare Engine that integrates Smart Drugs, Atlantis Digital Twins, and Faction’s Cognitive StarFire Ai powered diagnostics into Faction Ai’s Smart Cities. His vision is to ensure every city becomes a living health system, delivering personalized medicine, early diagnostics, and next-generation therapeutics to citizens worldwide.
Hakan Agca
Chief Urban Visionary
Hakan Agca is a chartered architect, urban planner, and technology innovator who serves as Chief Urban Visionary at Faction Ai. With more than two decades of global experience designing and leading giga-projects, new city masterplans, and advanced urban infrastructures, Hakan is one of the foremost voices shaping the future of city design.
As Founder of Cross Works, an award-winning design and technology practice with offices in London and Riyadh, Hakan has led the delivery of nationally significant masterplans and Smart City frameworks. His portfolio includes the New Tashkent Masterplan in Uzbekistan — shortlisted for a World Architecture Festival Award and recipient of multiple global design honors, as well as projects for NEOM, Heathrow, Istanbul, Cairo, AlUla, and Kinshasa.
Hakan is a pioneer in the integration of digital twin technology, Faction’s Cognitive StarFire Ai driven urban modeling, and bespoke applications into real-world city planning. His ability to fuse architectural excellence with advanced technology platforms makes him an essential leader for Faction Ai’s Smart City and Smart Infrastructure mission.
At Faction Ai, Hakan’s vision is to design future-ready sovereign cities that are sustainable, intelligent, and adaptive, ensuring nations can thrive in the next century of human progress.
Contact us
For additional information contact us on info@factionai.io