Meet JZ - Charm's COO

Meet the Charmers is a series spotlighting the talented team behind Charm Industrial working to return Earth’s atmosphere to 280 ppm CO₂. 

Today I’m very excited to introduce you all to John Zalewski (known as “JZ”), Charm’s COO. JZ brings over two decades of expertise in operational excellence in petroleum industry. Before joining Charm, JZ led operations and operations excellence teams in the petroleum refining industry for 20 years at Delek, Marathon and ExxonMobil. He holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from University of Michigan and an MBA from University of Nebraska. 

So, what does it take to be the COO for one of the fastest growing carbon removal teams on the planet? Let’s find out. 

JZ - let’s start from the beginning. Tell us about yourself and where you grew up?

I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and spent my first two decades growing up there. Since graduating college I have had the chance to live all around the country, From California to Virginia, Michigan to Texas, and now Colorado! Every place has been a new adventure and I’m blessed to have the support of my loving family. I generally enjoy the outdoors, biking, skiing, kayaking, and hiking with my wife and kids. When I have free time, you can find me working in my basement workshop building furniture or working on home improvement projects.

You have quite a bit of experience in chemical engineering  – tell us more about your work in the petroleum industry?

I started as a Process Control Engineer at the ExxonMobil Torrance Refinery. I gained expertise in real-time gasoline blending, which eventually led to a role supporting blending applications globally. Working at XOM’s downstream HQ, I supported thirteen applications across eight countries, and traveled to Italy and Singapore to implement new projects.

I then joined Marathon to work at the Detroit Refinery, where I quickly shifted into operations leadership. The move back home was great for me! I bought a house, met my wife, and kick started my operations career. After about six years in Detroit I was asked to move to Marathon’s HQ in Ohio to support seventeen refineries across the US. I traveled to each site multiple times supporting leaders in operational discipline standardization.

My family moved to Texas in 2023 as I moved into a new role as the Director of Operations at the Big Spring Refinery, where I implemented organizational design and operational discipline programs for a team of 140 hourly and salary employees. The experience taught me to move quickly and avoid perfectionism and instead embrace iteration and continuous improvement. I also learned how quickly organizations can improve when vision is clear and employees are empowered to make decisions!

What's the biggest challenge in scaling up carbon removal operations at Charm? 

Right now it’s probably the logistics around acquiring injection wells and the associated operations with those wells once obtained. Acquiring wells has taken longer than anticipated, but we are learning fast and finding new partners every week. Bio-oil has some challenging characteristics that make processing and injection tricky, but with the right testing procedures and operating practices we’re quickly learning how to increase our injection capacity. When the wells arrive, I have no doubt the Charm team will be excited and ready to execute!

What problem are you most excited about solving at Charm?

Delivering profitable carbon sequestration is at the top of my list. As the technology scales and the injection logistics become simpler and streamlined, cost will drop and growth will take off. I want to keep our teams focused on the balance of risk, cost, and value in our decision making process while working towards our goals and milestones.

Any good books you’ve been reading lately?

While I normally like to read non-fiction, I’ve been on a Michael Crichton kick in 2025. You’re probably familiar with Jurassic Park and The Lost World (both fantastic), but pick up Prey if you’re looking for a quick-to-read riveting techno-thriller.