cartThe Board
The Team Behind Kochii Oil, the World’s Best Quality Eucalyptus Oil
Born out of a keen interest in agriculture, and inspired by the future of sustainability in Australia, Kochii Eucalyptus Oil is the result of the collective inspiration, dedication and hard work of the following team leaders.
Danny Fakhre
Chairman
Mr Fakhre is a successful business proprietor with diversified international interests, who owns rural properties and livestock worldwide. Danny is confident about the future of agriculture in Western Australia, and views the combination of traditional agricultural pursuits and commercial tree crops as a sound and complimentary diversification. Danny is passionate about Kochii Eucalyptus Oil.
Greg Hunt
Director
Greg Hunt is the CEO of the Melbourne-based and publicly listed crop protection company, Nufarm Limited. He joined Nufarm in 2012 and was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer in 2015. Nufarm is one of the world’s leading crop protection companies with operations throughout Australia and New Zealand; Asia, the Americas and Europe. Nufarm now sells products in more than 100 countries around the world and employs some 3,400 people.
Greg comes from a farming background in Western Australia where his family were involved in broadacre farming for two generations.
Greg has had considerable executive and agribusiness experience with a successful career at Elders Australia Limited where he was chief executive officer between 2001 and 2007. After leaving Elders, Greg worked with a number of organisations in business development and agribusiness related advisory roles. Prior to Greg’s appointment as Nufarm Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer he held the role of Nufarm’s Group Executive Commercial Operations.
Ian Stanley
Director
Ian is a third generation farmer, whose family owns and operates a 25,000ha wheat and sheep farm in Kalannie in the Central Wheatbelt of Western Australia. Ian’s father, the late Don Stanley, is widely regarded as the founder of the oil mallee industry in Australia, which included the introduction of Eucalyptus kochii into farming enterprises. Ian’s experience in running a large broad acre farming enterprise with integrated mallee plantations led to his election as President and Chairman of the Oil Mallee Association of Australia (‘OMA’) in 2003.
Ian is passionate about growing small rural communities through new industry and farming enterprises. He has been awarded both the State and National Landcare Awards for Individuals.
Ian has been the driving force behind the development of the oil production system in use at Kalannie over the past decade, and currently also serves as a Director of Rainbow Bee Eater, a company involved in ground breaking technology involving biochar and renewable energy.
Steve Meerwald
Director & 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 has represented his business and industry interests at state, national and international levels for the last four decades. In recent years Steve has focused on presenting personal industry knowledge to leaders on both sides of the political spectrum and is a passionate supporter of agriculture and farming. Amongst several other commercial interests Steve has found 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
Director & 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.