New Directors

on the 2024-2025 IPLOCA Board

We warmly welcome the following directors, as a result of the 2024-2025 elections and nominations.

Benet Chan Director-at-Large

Benet is a Global Account Manager at Caterpillar, a 100-year-old manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. Benet began his career as Land Survey Engineer in Alberta, Canada and later transitioned to civil engineering in Vancouver. In 1996, he joined Caterpillar and has worked across the construction and mining machinery industry. He has managed a significant portion of the company’s business in Asia as well as globally, cultivating strong relationships with clients and dealers while overseeing account management for multinational contractors. With his extensive experience, he manages complex, cross-cultural projects and builds strong international business relationships, serving as a key liaison between Caterpillar’s facilities in the U.S.A., Europe, and Asia.

Benet graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Civil Engineering from Queen’s University in Canada. He later completed the Caterpillar Leadership Program through Beijing International MBA Executive Program at Peking University. Benet speaks fluent English, Mandarin and Cantonese. He lives with his wife, Edna, in Singapore. In his free time, he enjoys running and hiking.

Andre Decastro Director for Associate Members

Andre is the Director of Global Sales and Rentals at Darby Equipment, a family-run, U.S.-based manufacturer of specialised pipeline construction equipment. Originally from Brazil, Andre moved to Kansas in the early 2000s to further his education and eventually became a U.S. citizen. With over 20 years of experience in leading international business operations across the globe, he has held senior roles in prominent companies within our industry in both the United States and South America. Andre’s educational background spans Business and Welding Engineering, and he’s currently working toward his MBA. Fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, he brings a global perspective to everything he does. He resides in Tulsa,

Oklahoma, with his wife, Brandy, his daughter, Joy (who is attending college), and their two beloved dogs, Gordo, the Pug and Cooper, the English Bulldog. In his free time, Andre enjoys staying active through workouts and walks, and he has a passion for cooking and wellness.

Michael Fakhoury Director for Middle East & Africa

Michael Fakhoury is Vice President for the Energy Business Line at Nesma & Partners, a contracting company in Saudi Arabia with 40,000 employees that delivers innovative solutions to some of the biggest energy and infrastructure challenges in the Middle East. Since joining Nesma & Partners more than 20 years ago, he has held various leadership roles across the company. Starting from 2017, he has been leading the company’s operations in the Industrial, Oil & Gas sector. Over the past seven years, he has sponsored a portfolio of projects valued at USD 4 billion, with Saudi Aramco as a major client. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Lebanese University and an Executive MBA from the American University of Beirut. He speaks fluent English, French, and Arabic and lives with his wife, Jeanine, and his two sons in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. In his spare time, he likes playing tennis, swimming, and scuba diving.

Henk de Graaf Director for Europe Northwest

Henk is the Director of Sales and Business Development at CRC Evans, a company providing welding and coating services, equipment and integrated solutions for the energy and infrastructure sectors globally. After completing his studies in Mechanical Engineering, he started his carrier in sales and business development working for a welding consumables manufacturer. He held senior roles within the company working in the Netherlands, Austria and Germany. In 2011, he opted to combine his extensive knowledge and experience with automated welding solutions and joined CRC Evans. Over the past 20 years, he supported numerous energy related projects, mainly in the Eastern Hemisphere. Henk has a strong interest in the transition to renewable energy, with a focus on project demands, customer needs and developing tailored solutions.

He speaks Dutch, German and English and lives with his wife, Jacqueline, and their three sons in the Dutch countryside. In his spare time, he enjoys gardening and taking care of animals.

Wilko Koop Director for Europe Northwest

Wilko is Managing Director at De Romein Group, a European main contractor for high-voltage cable and pipeline construction. He is a Dutch citizen, who holds a degree in Automotive Engineering from HAN University of Applied Sciences, and a qualification in Engineering Management from Hanze University Groningen. Wilko has extensive industry experience, primarily focusing on the installation of underground high-pressure pipelines and high-voltage cables. Throughout his threedecade career, he has overseen numerous innovative and groundbreaking projects worldwide, including landfalls, trenchless crossings, and the development of specialised machinery. He holds a Guiness World Records Certificate (from 2020) for a project he worked on in the United Kingdom for the National Grid.

While holding various leadership positions at major international contracting companies, he has built an extensive global network of industry experts. Wilko lives in the North of the Netherlands with his wife, Trineke, and their three children. In his free time, he enjoys gardening, as well as jogging, hiking, and cycling.

Jason LaValley

Director

for Associate Members

Jason is Founder, President and CEO of LaValley Industries. Inventor of the DECKHAND® pipe handling system and TONGHAND® exit side wrench, Jason has built a company around solving problems in infrastructure construction by leveraging the experience of industry veterans with engineering innovation inspired by technology convergence across industries.

Jason founded LaValley Industries in 2006 with the mission of bringing new technologies to the pipeline and HDD industries. He holds multiple patents across several countries and has received numerous awards for his innovations. Prior to forming LaValley Industries, Jason spent the better part of a decade working in the directional drilling industry throughout North America, spending five years as a superintendent. Throughout his career, Jason has worked on several world record directional drilling projects. He looks to the electrification of the future as an exciting new frontier for LaValley Industries to pioneer innovative energy solutions. He lives in Bemidji, Minnesota with his wife, Lucy, and their four children. In his spare time, he can be found racing at the dirt track with his family or enjoying an outdoor adventure in the Minnesota Northwoods.