Jimmy Samartzis

LanzaJet

Chief Executive Officer & Board Director

Jimmy Samartzis is the Chief Executive Officer of LanzaJet, Inc., a global leader in sustainable fuels technology and production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel from low-carbon and waste-based sources. LanzaJet’s pioneering technology enables the efficient conversion of ethanol to sustainable hydrocarbon fuels. As the founding CEO, Jimmy is leading the company and the technology through commercialization and operational execution and is building the world’s first Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) production facility. LanzaJet is supported by a world-class group of strategic investors including LanzaTech, Suncor Energy, Mitsui & Co., Shell Oil, and British Airways, along with financial participation from All Nippon Airways, Microsoft, Breakthrough Energy, and the US Department of Energy. LanzaJet is developing projects on multiple continents with the first biorefinery to be operational in Georgia, USA, which is built, owned, and operated by LanzaJet. LanzaJet is working with its strategic investors and with third party licensees on multiple projects across the globe, working its way towards a goal of 1B gallons of sustainable hydrocarbons produced using LanzaJet’s ATJ technology by 2030. LanzaJet has announced projects in the US, UK, EU, and India. Jimmy’s career has focused on climate change and advancing the decarbonization of industries reliant on fossil fuels. He is known for his inspirational leadership, building private/public partnerships, and impact by enabling change across industries, governments, companies, and teams. He effectively navigates the complexities of first-of-a-kind technologies, commercial partnerships, regulation and policy, global adoption, and stakeholder relations. While in the airline industry, his contributions led to pioneering test flights, the first commercial-scale sustainable jet fuel deal and commercial production, and to a global industry agreement to enable a reduction in aviation emissions and adoption of low-carbon fuels. Additionally, he led a global coalition of stakeholders across the value chain to break down the barriers associated with the commercialization of sustainable fuels. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, a global leader in high-energy particle physics. He previously served as chief executive of a business unit at United Airlines as well as in various senior executive functions at the airline, and as an executive advisor to clients globally through his work with top consultancies including Oliver Wyman, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Slalom. He served President William J. Clinton at The White House and his administration at the US Department of Labor, and also worked in the Mayor’s Office for the City of Chicago. He earned his M.B.A. from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, a M.A. from John Hopkins University, and an B.A. from the University of Chicago.