ON Partners Recruits CFO for Fortera

September 23, 2026 – Partners Josh Nathanson and Chris Clements along with principal Alexis Rohe of ON Partners have placed Albert Luu as the new CFO of cement manufacturer Fortera in San Jose, CA. “Fortera is at a stage where the work we’ve done to prove the technology now has to be matched by our ability to finance and execute at scale,” said Ryan Gilliam, CEO and co-founder of Fortera. “Albert has navigated exactly this kind of inflection point before in industries where the path from demonstrated technology to commercial platform required an evolving strategy that attracts the necessary capital for each stage of deployment. His track record is precisely what this next chapter calls for. And putting Scott’s deal-making expertise into a dedicated origination role means we’re building the kind of commercial and capital pipeline that a company at this stage needs to move fast.”

Mr. Luu brings more than 20 years of experience in capital markets and finance across the energy and hardtech sectors. Most recently, he led finance at Heirloom, where he helped lead the company through its Series B.

Prior to that, Mr. Luu spent more than a decade in renewable energy, joining SolarCity as one of its earliest finance hires and helping pioneer the capital markets infrastructure for residential and distributed solar. He later served as CFO for various energy companies, including a SPAC exit. Over his career, he has raised more than $10 billion in capital ranging from innovative first-of-a-kind project financings to corporate raises from venture, growth, strategic, and infrastructure investors.

With Mr. Luu’s appointment, Fortera’s finance function is positioned for an evolving capital stack and subsequent financings. That type of financing, typically reserved for companies that have an operational track record and a strong revenue model.

“I’ve spent my career at the point where companies in emerging industries stop being a bet on the future and become fundable businesses,” said Mr. Luu. “What makes Fortera different from other hardtech opportunities I’ve seen is that the technology is ready to scale. Customers love our product because it performs better than traditional cement and is more economical. It is also better for the world and climate. The type of capital Fortera will need over the next few years resembles the capital I’ve raised in other industries when they were viewed as new technologies. The difference here is that the technical and commercial proof points make that capital conversation possible.”

Fortera operates a 15,000-ton-per-year ReCarb facility in Redding, CA, and is developing a 300,000-ton-per-year commercial plant. The company’s ReAct low-carbon cement is the first single product to meet all six ASTM C1157 performance categories and has been used in multiple commercial construction projects.

Serving Clients Since 2006

With a primary focus on technology, consumer, industrial, and the life science sectors, ON Partners recruits C-level and board talent for public and private companies, as well as venture capital and private equity firms. Founded in 2006, the firm’s consultants work from offices in Atlanta; Boston; Chicago; Cleveland; Dallas; Menlo Park, CA; Minneapolis. MN; San Francisco; and New York. ON Partners was named one of the fastest growing search firms this year by Hunt Scanlon Media. The firm is now ranked as one of the 20 largest search firms in the nation.

Related: ON Partners Recruits Chief Medical Officer for Sangamo Therapeutics

Mr. Nathanson is a co-founder and partner at ON Partners. He has over 25 years of experience in the industry, covering a broad array of functions and disciplines, including significant work at the CEO and board director levels. Mr. Nathanson has helped his clients, ranging from publicly traded companies to private equity-backed firms, add significant talent to their management teams. He has worked with companies backed by some of the industry’s top firms, such as Starboard Value, and with prominent clients such as RB Global, Inspire Brands, Papa Johns, and Advance Auto Parts.

Based in San Francisco, Mr. Clements is an experienced search executive with expertise in energy transition, climate tech, industrials, and software sectors. has led high-level executive searches in cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, energy, automotive and mobility, aerospace technology, smart cities, buildings, and the Internet of Things. He has served both large public and private companies, as well as growth-stage firms.

Ms. Rohe has led and executed high-level and senior executive positions, specializing in the manufacturing, TMT/SaaS, and healthtech/fintech sectors, with a strong focus on the finance and accounting domains. She works with a variety of companies, ranging from private equity/venture capital firms to publicly traded organizations. Prior to her role at ON, Ms. Rohe served as talent acquisition manager at Lockton Companies, a risk management, insurance, and employee benefits consulting provider.

Related: ON Partners Recruits CEO for nView Health

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media