Management Team

Danny Fakhre

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Fakhre is a successful business proprietor with diversified international interests

He has a proven record in strategic planning, development and implementation of business strategies in sectors that range from agriculture, commercial, residential and hospitality real estate development, shipping and infrastructure development on a global scale.

Having a generational interest in Australian agriculture highlighted the opportunity to develop an integrated carbon sequestration/eucalyptus oil production tree plantation model that also benefited Australian food production through improved soil management, creating new industries and employment in regional Australia.

Danny draws on his deep affinity with Australian primary production and connection to the land, combined with an international network of colleagues and associates to provide unprecedented access to technical IP, commercial offtakes and funding opportunities to elevate the Carbon Gold and Kochii businesses to the scale to make them world leading suppliers of premium natural eucalyptus oils, bio char and associated products.

Danny brings exceptional analysis skills in all essential business elements, especially financial and the highest level leadership skills demonstrated with a long established, stable and dedicated board and management team.

The Fakhre’s family’s commitment to their Australian operations is extended through Danny’s children, Serena and Farid, who are actively involved in brand development and marketing our Australian products in markets in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Steve Meerwald

Chief Operating Officer

Stephen (Steve) has been involved in livestock and agriculture since 1978. With a background in livestock production in Australia and trading to many international markets. Steve finds the combination of soil remediation and health, eucalyptus oil production, biomass to energy and biochar in a carbon negative cycle to be the most exciting given the global challenges of climate change.

Mike Walter

Manager

Mike has over 40 years of agribusiness experience, and joined the Company in 2008 after holding several senior executive positions in the rural banking industry. Over the years he has developed a keen interest in agri- forestry enterprises, and assists Danny Fakhre with local management. Mike has a wide network of contacts and relationships in agribusiness industries across Australia and internationally.

Dan Wildy

Manager Forestry, Science and Compliance

As a professional forester, Eucalyptus kochii is Dan’s favourite and most respected tree species.

His passion for the oil of Eucalyptus kochii came from being involved in the first trial of oil production when he had just left school. Following that, Dan completed his PhD at the University of Western Australia on the growth and physiology of Eucalyptus kochii in the Kalannie region of WA and has since been involved in planting the species throughout its natural range. Dan is now responsible for the care of our own plantations and assisting our farmers to manage and care for their own mallee crops as well as assessing and reporting on each harvest. Dan also carries out reforestation and carbon sequestration activities.

Richard Leitch

Distillation Manager

Richard has a lifetime of experience in agriculture and is highly regarded in the practical design and construction of processing systems. Richard manages the distillation operations in Kalannie and is hands on in the design and continual improvement of the eucalyptus oil harvest and processing on a day-to-day basis.

Mike Kerkmans

Harvest Manager

Mike is an experienced wheatbelt farmer with a long involvement in the oil mallee industry in Western Australia.  An original employee of Kochii when we were planting trees more than 10 years ago, Mike has returned in the specialist role of Harvest Manager.

Long days in the field leading our team of machine operators harvesting mature mallee trees and coppice regrowth are common as Kochii progress through the many thousands of hectares of oil mallees planted on farms throughout the wheatbelt.

Mike and Dan work together to identify and schedule trees for harvest and then follow through to ensure that the harvest is managed around the farmers own program. Biomass from the harvest operation is allowed to dry prior to transport to the distillery so that excess moisture is removed to maximise distillation efficacy.

Stump management is an integral part of this role, monitoring harvest to ensure the maximum retention of lignotubers to start the cycle of coppice regrowth for the next harvest.