Hydrogen Architect: Automotive Veteran to Lead Pajarito Powder

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – April 15, 2026 – In a significant move signaling a push towards commercial scale, advanced materials science company Pajarito Powder has named Christian Mohrdieck, a distinguished veteran of the automotive and hydrogen industries, as its new Chief Executive Officer. The appointment places a leader with decades of experience in deploying fuel cell technology at the helm of a company developing the foundational components essential for the global hydrogen economy.

Dr. Mohrdieck, who has served on Pajarito Powder's board since July 2020, brings a wealth of experience from leadership roles at Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell, the Daimler-Volvo joint venture cellcentric, and most recently, Hyzon Motors. His career has been defined by the pursuit of bringing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles from research concepts to road-ready realities.

A Veteran's Conviction in Foundational Tech

Mohrdieck’s transition to the CEO role is seen by industry observers as a strategic alignment of leadership experience with critical technological need. He takes the lead at a company whose entire focus is on what he considers the single most important element for the success of hydrogen systems.

"After thirty years in this industry, one truth has emerged: systems succeed or fail at their foundations," Mohrdieck stated upon his appointment. "In a fuel cell, that foundation is the catalyst; it is where electrochemistry meets engineering reality, where performance is either unlocked or permanently constrained."

This conviction was forged over decades at the forefront of automotive innovation. At Daimler AG and later as CEO of Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell GmbH, Mohrdieck was instrumental in driving the German automaker's fuel cell program. He later served as Chief Commercial Officer for cellcentric, managing the commercial strategy for one of the world's leading fuel cell producers. His most recent tenure as CTO and later President and Acting CEO at Hyzon Motors involved scaling up manufacturing for high-power fuel cell systems for heavy-duty transport. This extensive track record provides him with a unique, end-to-end perspective on the challenges and opportunities in the hydrogen sector, from material science to mass-market deployment.

His decision to lead Pajarito Powder underscores a belief that the next great leap in hydrogen will not come from system integration alone, but from fundamental improvements in the core materials. "The work being done at Pajarito Powder on catalyst fundamentals is precisely the kind of investment the industry needs to make if we are serious about deploying hydrogen technologies at scale," Mohrdieck added.

The Unsung Engine of the Green Hydrogen Revolution

Pajarito Powder operates at the microscopic heart of the clean energy transition. The Albuquerque-based company develops and manufactures advanced electrocatalysts—materials that accelerate the chemical reactions inside fuel cells (which generate electricity from hydrogen) and electrolyzers (which produce green hydrogen from water and renewable electricity). The efficiency, durability, and cost of these catalysts directly dictate the economic viability of the entire hydrogen value chain.

The company's innovations are aimed squarely at the industry's most significant bottleneck: the reliance on expensive and scarce platinum-group metals (PGM). Pajarito Powder has developed a suite of solutions, including complete PGM catalyst solutions built on its proprietary Engineered Catalyst Support (ECS), which provides a more robust and effective platform for the precious metals. This technology promises higher performance and improved durability.

More disruptively, the company holds patents for Precious Metal Free™ (PMF) catalysts, a technology that could dramatically reduce costs and supply chain risks. By engineering carbon-based materials through its proprietary VariPore™ process, Pajarito Powder aims to deliver performance without platinum, a breakthrough that could slash the cost of a fuel cell stack by up to 20% and accelerate the point at which hydrogen vehicles reach cost-parity with their combustion-engine counterparts.

The potential of this technology has not gone unnoticed. In March 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded Pajarito Powder $10 million to accelerate the development and manufacturing of its catalysts, a clear endorsement of its role in reducing the cost of green hydrogen production.

Big Bets on Tiny Particles: Investor Confidence Mounts

The appointment of Mohrdieck comes as Pajarito Powder is buoyed by a wave of strategic investment from major industrial players who see its technology as a key enabler for their own ambitious hydrogen strategies. The company is venture-backed by a consortium that includes Hyundai Motor Company, specialty materials provider Ecovyst, and global technology firm NV Bekaert SA.

For Hyundai Motor Company, which has outlined a "Hydrogen Vision 2040" to popularize hydrogen for "Everyone, Everything and Everywhere," the investment is a strategic move to secure and advance a critical part of the supply chain. The automaker is not just building hydrogen cars and trucks; it is investing across the ecosystem, from megawatt-scale electrolyzer production to Pajarito Powder's next-generation catalysts, to ensure the cost and performance targets for a hydrogen-powered future can be met.

Similarly, Ecovyst’s investment aligns with its "Growing + Greening" strategy, viewing Pajarito Powder's work as essential for making green hydrogen a widely used, low-carbon fuel. These investments are not speculative bets; they are calculated moves by established corporations to secure the foundational technology needed to build out a market projected to be worth trillions. The global electrocatalyst market alone is forecast to more than double by 2033, reaching an estimated $25 billion.

Scaling for a Decarbonized Future

With a seasoned commercialization expert at the helm and the backing of powerful strategic partners, Pajarito Powder is poised to transition from a technology developer to a large-scale industrial supplier. The company is already planning to triple its physical footprint to significantly increase manufacturing capacity for a global market.

"We are thrilled to welcome Christian as CEO," said Thomas Stephenson, Pajarito's Board Chair. "Christian brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in both the fuel cell and electrolyzer businesses as well as 35 years in the transportation industry, all of which will help further advance Pajarito Powder as an essential building block in the future of hydrogen."

Mohrdieck's leadership is expected to sharpen the company's focus on manufacturing scale-up, quality control, and building the commercial partnerships necessary to integrate its catalysts into the next generation of fuel cells and electrolyzers worldwide. His appointment is a clear statement that for Pajarito Powder, the time for foundational innovation is now meeting the urgent demand for industrial execution.