Taras spent the last 12 years in business development, corporate venture capital and marketing consulting in France, Holland, UK and USA.. Prior to starting Horizon with George Gu, his new business development counterpart in China at Eastman Chemical (NYSE: $6 B), Taras was focused on creating new venture opportunities in the area of sustainable energy technologies, with a focus on Europe. In his early career, he developed business across Europe for Frost & Sullivan's Chemical practice as well as for Halogen Arkwright, a Scandinavian e-business consulting firm. Taras is a French national, and holds a B.A. of Business Administration from SIU in Paris. He is a former member of the European Venture Capital Association and the Conference Board Europe, and a mentor for INSEAD's entrepreneurship program.