Houston-based biochemical producer Solugen has hired chemical industry veteran James Begeal as its new president of energy and water.

In his new position, Begeal leads the commercial strategy for the energy and produced-water sectors, “bringing our innovative chemistry directly to leading oil and gas operators, accelerating revenue growth, and deepening our commercial pipeline,” Solugen said in a news release.

Begeal has more than 25 years of experience in the chemical industry, including roles at oilfield technology company Baker Hughes and chemical company Clariant. In 2016, he co-founded NexGen Chemical Technologies, a Cypress-based provider of alternative natural-gas sweeteners. Begeal served as chief operating officer and chief technology officer at NexGen, which was acquired by League City-based Foremark Performance Chemicals in 2023. He then joined Foremark, which was acquired by investment firm CC Industries in 2024.

Begeal is no stranger to Solugen, having previously served as a company advisor.

“James is a builder — he knows what it takes to launch, scale, and win in this space,” says Solugen CEO Gaurab Chakrabarti. “We’re excited to have him bring that same builder’s mindset to Solugen as we double down on delivering solutions that meet our customers’ toughest challenges.”

The company also recently named Carlos Diaz as its new VP of strategy and international business. Diaz worked for 18 years at Baker Hughes and will lead Solugen's commercial expansion efforts into Latin America and beyond, according to a company representative.

Solugen, founded in 2016, raised $357 million in a series C venture capital round. The 2021 round catapulted Solugen into the unicorn category, meaning the private company is valued at more than $1 billion.