Executive Profiles
Damien Reynolds, Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Kyoto Planet Group
Damien Reynolds is the founder of Kyoto Planet Group Inc. – a global company focused on reducing climate impact through investment, education and media, and serves as Chairman of Kyoto Planet Asset Management. Reynolds also serves as Chairman and CEO of Longview Capital Partners, a publicly traded private equity firm focused on investments in the natural resource sector. With over 20 years of experience in the venture capital realm, Reynolds has an impressive track record with projects of merit around the world and also for his ability to raise capital for small companies. He has a proven and successful background in accounting, investor relations, and finance, but is essentially a skilled entrepreneur.
John Icke, President and Chief Operating Officer
Kyoto Planet Group
John Icke is a senior executive with more than 25 years of management experience, with 14 years in the role of president, general manager or chief executive officer. Icke joined Kyoto Planet in October 2007 as president & chief operating officer. He also serves as President and COO of Longview Capital Partners. Prior to that, he had been the principal of JRI Strategic Consultants Inc., where he provided strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions and business reengineering. In 2002, Icke joined Accenture as President of Accenture Business Services for Utilities. From 1997-1999, Icke served as president & CEO of ShopLink.com and in 1999 assumed the additional title of chairman. In 1995, Icke was recruited by Indigo NV as Worldwide General Manager for Packaging and Decorative Printing. Prior to that, Icke was promoted to the position of president & CEO of Lily Cups Inc. in Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Fort Howard Paper Inc. Subsequently, Icke was promoted to Executive Vice President of Operations for Sweetheart Cup Company. Icke’s career commenced in the United Kingdom with assignments at Marks & Spencer plc, Gillette UK Limited, Adams Foods, and Fort Howard Paper Limited as general manager for their UK service products division.
Nick Smith, Senior Vice President
Kyoto Planet Publishing
Nick Smith has more than 15 years of publishing experience and he has consulted for several publishing groups over the last three years on topics of sales, marketing, distribution, and process. In 2007, Smith accepted the challenge of leading Kyoto Planet Publishing. Prior to that, Smith founded and served as CEO of Montgomery Media International in 2002. This new media company addressed new markets such as internet advertising with innovative design, content, and distribution models. In 1996, Smith was involved in the founding of a thought leadership publishing company in San Francisco, California. As publisher, he established and managed relationships with companies, including Accenture, IBM, Microsoft and Intel. The business model included working with consultants, analysts, academics, Global 2000 executives and leading technology companies. Project focus included: supply chain, customer relationship management, energy and utilities, and the public sector. Starting his career in London, Smith worked on sports- focused consumer publications in partnership with celebrities, including Lord Sebastian Coe and Tony Jacklin.
Richard Jenkins, Senior Vice President
Kyoto Planet Group
Richard Jenkins is responsible for Kyoto Planet Mind, Kyoto Planet Environmental Solutions, and new business and partnership development. Jenkins has over 18 years of experience in technical business development, marketing and executive management in the IT and online media industries. This experience has included working in over 50 countries developing business operations for both global enterprise companies and building the foundations of startup companies. Since 2003 Jenkins has held VP roles with Business Objects, Corporate Radar and Infowave, as well as launched a number of IPTV, online video and publishing companies as CEO. In 2002, Jenkins led the EMEA business development team in a new enterprise media strategy that built relationships with Cisco, IBM, France Telecom, Compaq and Sema. Between 1998 and 2002 Richard managed the development of a global channel structure for Tivoli/IBM. This saw a highly successful launch in EMEA, which led to Jenkins’ replication of the operation in Asia Pacific. Jenkins also managed global mid-market strategy for Tivoli/IBM. He held technical positions at American Express in the UK before providing technical consulting and contract management for Standard Chartered Bank and Computacenter. In 1995, he launched a project management company to cater to large company Y2K development. This company was bought by GE Capital in 1997.
J. Paul Guedes, Vice President of Investment Banking
Kyoto Planet Capital Partners
Paul Guedes is the Vice President of Investment Banking for Kyoto Planet Capital Partners, where he focuses on managing Kyoto Planet's investment portfolio. Prior to this position he was the Vice President of Corporate Development at Finavera Renewables Inc. where he helped the company become an industry leader in the renewable energy sector through executing key milestones, raising finances, and successfully launching the company's public offering. Before entering the renewable energy sector, Guedes was President of Marinete Enterprises Inc. an architectural millwork company. Their client lists include U.S. Court of Appeals, Morton's Steakhouse of Chicago, and Harvard University. Paul graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University and has traveled to over 45 countries, which he describes as the best education anyone could ever ask for.
Craig D. Basinger, CFA, Chief Executive Officer
Kyoto Planet Asset Management
As CEO of Kyoto Planet Asset Management, Mr. Basinger brings over 12 years of financial market experience across a number of research oriented disciplines. With an education in Economics and having completed his Chartered Financial Analyst designation in the late 1990s, Mr. Basinger has worked as a quantitative analyst at Bolton Tremblay and Merrill Lynch from August 1998 through December 2001. From 2002 until April 2007, Mr. Basinger’s role was private client strategist at CIBC Wood Gundy then Richardson Partners Financial, providing investment strategy advice to over 1,200 advisors. In May of 2007, Craig Basinger joined the Kyoto Planet Group of companies to launch Kyoto Planet Asset Management Inc.