Neary, with more than 15 years of experience, previously worked with ING and Schroeders in London before joining UBS in 2000.

He was most recently a managing director for UBS before becoming chief operating officer of the company’s global commodities business and chief of staff and member of the global equity management team.

A law and accounting graduate of Kingston University in London, Neary also brings tremendous experience in rapid adaptation to changing environmental landscapes and skill in maintaining a strong corporate governance and control structure.

“Aiden's broad-based experience as a financial professional, including with some of the largest global financial firms, more than qualifies him to lead our financial operations, join our management team and to work closely with our board on strategic issues,” chief executive officer Robin Eves said.

“This is an exciting stage in our company's growth and Aiden's strong track record in helping organisations finance their growth makes him ideal for our organisation.”

Neary said he was joining Clean Coal Technologies at a pivotal time.

“With the company's strong set of investors committed to the company, we are positioned to be a major player in the energy space,” he said.

The company announced in late September that its planned Oklahoma pilot plant to convert raw coal into a cleaner burning and more efficient fuel was officially off the ground with the commencement of the project’s construction phase.

Its main patented process “Pristine-M” is designed to remove moisture from coal and produce a stable end-product that can be transported safely over long distances without re-absorbing moisture.