Nelson Franco
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
Nelson is a chemical engineer who has built his career as an owner's engineer on major capital projects, the person an owner relies on to determine what should be built, validate the investment, and protect the client's interests from the first feasibility question through commissioning and start-up. Throughout his career he has led engineering and capital projects for organizations including Exxon, Mobil, Merck, Pfizer and Amgen, gaining practical experience in some of the world's most demanding industrial environments.
His engineering judgment was developed where major projects succeed or fail, in the field, where designs must be constructed, systems commissioned, and facilities proven under real operating conditions. Rather than advocating for a particular technology or contractor, he has spent his career helping owners make sound engineering decisions before capital is committed.
Today Nelson leads WES with the same philosophy that has guided his career: independent engineering advice grounded in technical evidence, practical experience and the long-term interests of the project owner. His expertise spans feasibility studies, technology evaluation, owner's engineering, project development and the delivery of complex industrial and waste-to-energy infrastructure projects throughout the Americas.
Alberto Franco
Chief Technology Officer & Co-Founder
For thirty-seven years, Alberto engineered systems that had to work at sea, under load and with no possibility of repair, ultimately serving as Director of Engineering for Research & Development, Electromagnetics and Electric Drive at General Dynamics Electric Boat, builder of the United States Navy's nuclear submarine fleet. He is a named inventor on twenty-one U.S. patents.
His career was built around engineering systems where reliability was non-negotiable and failure was simply not an option. Designing equipment for submarines demanded disciplined engineering, rigorous testing and long-term thinking, because every decision had to perform for decades in one of the most demanding operating environments in the world.
At WES, Alberto applies that same engineering philosophy to industrial infrastructure, power generation and waste-to-energy projects. His expertise helps clients evaluate technologies, reduce technical risk and design facilities that prioritize long-term reliability, operational performance and lifecycle value.
Edgardo L. Santiago Martínez,
PE, LEED AP BD+C
Director, Civil & Process Engineering
Edgardo is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) and LEED Accredited Professional (BD+C) with more than four decades of experience delivering complex civil, process and industrial infrastructure projects throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Holding engineering degrees in both Civil Engineering and Chemical Engineering, he brings an uncommon ability to integrate site development, utility infrastructure and process systems into a single coordinated engineering solution.
His career spans the complete project lifecycle, from engineering design and permitting through construction management, commissioning and operational start-up. He has directed and delivered capital projects for leading pharmaceutical and industrial organizations including Pfizer, Merck, Amgen, Abbott, Baxter and Procter & Gamble, while also leading municipal water, wastewater and public infrastructure projects for government agencies and public utilities.
Edgardo provides WES with the engineering discipline that transforms well-designed projects into successfully executed facilities. His experience in construction oversight, commissioning, process validation and regulatory compliance helps clients reduce execution risk and move confidently from approved design to reliable operation.
Freddy Alberto Uribe Roldán
Director, Environmental Infrastructure
For more than three decades, Freddy has planned, designed and delivered municipal environmental infrastructure throughout Colombia. He spent nearly thirteen years with Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM), one of Latin America's largest public utilities, where he engineered potable water, wastewater, sanitation and civil infrastructure projects serving communities across the Medellín region.
Following his work at EPM, Freddy founded and led a Medellín engineering practice dedicated to municipal infrastructure, environmental engineering and integrated solid waste systems. Over the next decade, he advised municipalities, public utilities and government agencies on water supply, wastewater treatment, landfill development, environmental permitting and long-term infrastructure planning throughout Colombia.
Freddy brings WES a practical understanding of how municipal infrastructure projects move from concept to construction, including the engineering, regulatory approvals, funding considerations and public sector decision making required for successful implementation. His experience provides WES with trusted engineering leadership for municipalities and public agencies evaluating waste management, water infrastructure and environmental projects across Latin America.
