Executive Management Team
Team UK & South Africa
Chief Executive Officer: Richard Morgan
Richard joined Sun Biofuels in November 2007 building on a 22 year career in agricuture, tropical plantation management and soft commodity trading. Richard started his management career with Harrison and Crosfield PLC in Sumatra, Indonesia planting oil palm, cocoa and rubber on large scale plantations. Following this, Richard spent 8 years in West Africa running soft commodity trading operations for ED&F Man in the sugar, ethanol and cocoa sectors. Richard has a BSc in Agronomy from the University of Wales and an MSc in Agricultural Economics from the University of London.
Financial Controller: Petra Mrazek
Petra joined Sun Biofuels in January 2007 with more than 12 years experience in the international event and airline catering industry. Petra worked as cost accountant for the leading Austrian catering company DO & CO at their head-office in Vienna and moved to London in 1999 where she specialised in the international side of the business working closely with accountants and tax consultants in Europe, the US and Canada. In 2003 Petra organised the set up of DO & CO's airline catering operations near Heathrow airport and supervised a team of accountants for the company's five UK subsidiaries.
Land Acquisition: Harry Stourton
Harry spent six years in the film industry where he was assisting directors and producers on productions around the world. In 2004 he took his FSA IMC exams to further his knowledge of business and markets. He joins us from financial publication Money Week where he has been assistant editor. It was at Money Week that he became fascinated by the challenge of supplying the developing world's voracious appetite for natural resources. Harry is involved in identifying investment opportunities, strategic partners and land acquisition in Africa, South Asia and South America.
Business Development Manager: Tania Sherahilo
Tania joined Sun Biofuels in October 2006 having graduated with a BA honours degree in Archaeology from University College London. During which time Tania has worked on the research and development side of the Sun Biofuels business. This has included developing project feasibility, advancing biofuel processing strategies and analysis of the biofuels market in Africa and Europe in coorporation with the local African management teams.
Operations Manager: Peter Whitehead
Peter joined SBF with a vast background in operation and project management. Peter graduated from Stellenbosch University in 1985 with a forestry degree, and continued to manage a number of forestry operations in South Africa as well as Greenfield forestry projects in Indonesia and Borneo. Following this Peter started and ran his own forestry contracting and timber marketing business before joining SBF.
Soil Scientist: Gavin Schafer
Gavin studied forestry at Saasveld College, South Africa and subsequently graduated with an MSc in soils science from the University of Natal. Gavin has worked as a researcher within the Forestry Industry, specializing in forest soils and tree growth relationships, and as a soils consultant for Loxton, Hunting & Associates in South Africa. His 30 years experience has seen him involved in forestry and agricultural planning projects throughout southern Africa, including Swaziland, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique and Uganda besides numerous soil surveys for Forestry companies in South Africa.
Team Ethiopia
Crop Scientist: Dr Jiregna Gindaba
Jiregna obtained a BSc in Biology (Addis Ababa University), MSc in Farm Forestry (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) and PhD in Forest Science (University of Stellenbosch), and has been a full time lecturer of biological and forestry courses at the Haramaya University in Ethiopia. After his doctoral studies, he conducted a three years postdoctoral research on the control environmental stresses and improvement of fruit quality for the South African fruit industry. He has extensive research experience and many scientific publications in the fields of plant-water relations, soil fertility attributes, agro-forestry and management of environmental stresses.
Team Tanzania
General Manager: Peter Auge
Peter graduated with a BSc in Forestry in 1992 and obtained an MBA. Peter has 20 years experience in the South African forest industry. Starting as a forester after completing his forestry Diploma in 1986 he progressed through the ranks and left the Department of Forestry as a District Forest Officer in 2000 to join Unitrans as Regional Manager specializing in forest logistics contracting.
Team Mozambique
General Manager: Nico Strydom
Nico obtained a Diploma in Forestry at the Saasveld Forestry College in 1984. Working on various plantations for the Dept. of Forestry and Mondi Forests till 1993, he made a move into the sawmilling industry, first managing a sawmill in northern SA, and then holding various positions at Mondi Timber in the old Eastern Transvaal region. Following this he started a company importing timber from the DRC and Zambia, later, working closely with a commercial forestry establishment in Mozambique. Nico also obtained his Degree in Wood Technology at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University at the end of 2006.
News
Sun Biofuels hosts open day26 - Mar - 2009
Sun Biofuels celebrated the establishment of the first 1,000 hectares of Jatropha today by hosting an open day at the project site in Manica. Vice Minister of Energy Jaime Himede and Presidential Advicer Carlos Simango attended with other dignitaries from the central and provincial government.
Read articleFirst one thousand hectares planted in Mozambique
31 - Jan - 2009
Sun Biofuels has successfully completed the planting of 1,000 hectares with Jatropha Curcas
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