Velocys leadership team
Velocys is led by a team with the experience, discipline and pioneering mindset required to advance Fischer-Tropsch technology into its next era.
Our leadership brings together technology, operations, commercial, finance, legal, intellectual property and people expertise to support Velocys’ mission: delivering decarbonized liquid fuel solutions through Oxford-engineered catalyst, proprietary reactor technology, and powerful industry partnerships.
As sustainable aviation fuel and renewable fuels move from early deployment toward broader commercial adoption, Velocys is focused on helping customers convert proven Fischer-Tropsch synthesis into reliable, flexible, and economic project solutions.
Leading FT into the next era
Velocys is rooted in decades of Fischer-Tropsch innovation and operating experience.
That history matters. But the opportunity ahead requires more than experience alone. It requires people who are willing to pioneer new applications, stay close to customer needs, collaborate across the value chain and take ownership of outcomes.
Those principles guide how Velocys works:
- Be a Pioneer
- Be Customer Focused
- Be Collaborative
- Be an Owner
Together, they shape a leadership culture built for the next phase of sustainable fuel deployment.
Executive team
Andy Bensley
Chief Operating Officer
Andy Bensley joined Velocys in 2022 and has served as Chief Operating Officer since December 2024. With 35 years of international industry experience, Andy brings seniority in corporate, functional leadership and project delivery in both international oil companies and EPC contractor organisations. He also held also held senior project management roles at Bechtel, Shell and Eni.
Sachin Joshi
Chief Commercial Officer
Sachin Joshi was appointed Chief Commercial Officer at Velocys in April 2025. He brings over 22 years of experience spanning licensing, sales, technology development and process design. He began his career with hands-on experience in plant operations at the world’s largest refinery in Jamnagar, India, and spent over 13 years at Sulzer in various leadership roles.
Nick Leslie
Head of Legal and IP
Nick Leslie oversees all legal and intellectual property functions for Velocys. He is licensed to practice law in New York state, England and Wales. He has amassed deep expertise in technology licensing, intellectual property, commercial law and regulatory compliance in the energy and renewables technology sector built through legal roles at leading international law firms.
Melissa Newsom
Chief People Officer
Melissa Newsom was appointed Chief People Officer in October 2025. She brings over 25 years of global human resource experience in the oil and gas and energy transformation industry, having held senior HR leadership roles in driving organizational transformation, aligning talent strategies with business growth and shaping culture in companies like Halliburton, Tenaris and Sulzer.
Global presence
Velocys operates across the regions where sustainable fuel demand, feedstock opportunity, and Fischer-Tropsch deployment are converging.
This global structure supports customers and partners across key renewable fuel markets while keeping Velocys focused on its core role: providing Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology for sustainable fuel production.
Built for partnership
Velocys works with project developers, EPC contractors, technology providers, and strategic partners to integrate Fischer-Tropsch synthesis into complete fuel production systems.
Our leadership team is focused on building the partnerships, technical packages, and commercial models needed to help first movers succeed in sustainable aviation fuel, renewable diesel, and other synthetic fuel markets.
