Our Group – The ADEPT Group, Inc.

Our in-house consultants and engineers work in conjunction with a stable of consultants in academia and across industries. Additionally, we maintain a large network of organizations that provide ready access to opportunities for collaboration on projects.

Principals

Alex Spataru, Founder & CEO

Alex Spataru was supposed to be a career officer just like his father, his grandfather and all Spataru men going back six centuries. Following a six-year stint as an officer in the US Army, post his graduation from the UCLA School of Engineering, Alex worked in the oil & gas industry and for two major management consulting firms whose clients were mostly large corporate entities. After becoming a father, he had an epiphany that redirected him to dedicate his professional life to green tech which led to the foundation of ADEPT, a firm dedicated to the growth of renewable energy and environmental justice. At ADEPT, Alex has led a long list of successful tech transfer engagements that frequently incorporate multi-year test & demo projects of innovative green technologies. Alex has earned a reputation for finding creative solutions and for getting things done. Aside from running ADEPT, Alex also teaches graduate courses at The UCLA School of Engineering.

Alex Moutoux, Vice President

Alex Moutoux is a problem solver, an optimist, an adventurer, and life-long learner. After earning his Mechanical Engineering degree from UCLA in 2017, Alex moved to Medellin, Colombia where he worked as an English teacher and started a hostel business. In 2019, he returned to Los Angeles to work as a mechanical engineer for an HVAC equipment manufacturer. During the pandemic Alex moved to the Eastern Sierras, training for, and obtaining his private pilot’s license. Subsequently, he returned to UCLA to join the inaugural class of a Master of Engineering Program – specializing in Green Energy Systems. His inspiration to pursue sustainability stems from his mother who spent her entire career with the U.S. EPA. Having shifted career paths to renewable energy, Alex worked in commercial solar before joining Mr. Spataru at ADEPT where he researches, develops, and initiates green energy solutions in Southern California, and particularly at the Port of LA.

Liam Hurley, Vice President of Engineering

Liam Hurley is creative, driven, and curious. He has a knack for problem solving, and has developed deep technical knowledge of mechanical, electrical, and fluid systems in his career. Liam graduated Summa Cum Laude from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2020. Then, as a Responsible Engineer at SpaceX, he introduced multiple new products for launch vehicles, satellites, and spacecraft, acting as the design engineer, project manager, and supporting launch and production of numerous electromechanical and fluid system components. Environmental responsibility has always been a core value for Liam. His parents have spent their careers protecting the waters of California, and he enjoys spending much of his free time exploring the outdoors. After previously supporting The ADEPT Group as a student engineer, he has returned to apply his creativity and technical aptitude to a cause he holds dear.