The Team behind the success of Leaf Resources is responsible for the day to day operations of the Company and possess a wealth of valuable experience and skills between them, which will ensure a positive and progressive future for Leaf.
The Leaf Team has depth in delivering large complex projects over a variety of fields including mining, agriculture, biotechnology and manufacturing with budget ranges from $1 million up to $100 million.
They have extensive hands-on leadership and management of small to large R&D based global companies and research teams including cross-border and outsourcing of R&D projects.
Ken Richards
Managing Director
Ken Richards has more than 30 years’ experience as a Chief Executive and Managing Director across both public and private companies in the agriculture, finance and technology sectors.
Throughout his executive career Ken has developed a strong track record for growing and transitioning start-up companies from concept phase through to commercialisation. Along the way he has completed corporate transactions including capital raisings, takeovers and asset sales well in excess of $200m.
Currently Ken is the Managing Director of Leaf Resources Limited (ASX: LER) which he and the Leaf team have grown from a $2M market capitalization to a $20M Company and one with imminent commercial opportunities across multiple continents.
Ken is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is currently a board member of Golf Australia and was previously Deputy Chairman of Surf Life Saving (WA). He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees from the University of WA.
Brian O’Neill
Senior Process Engineer
Brian joined Leaf Resources after 6 years in biofuel and biochemical production process development and scale-up. He is a process engineer experienced with chemical and materials processing across a broad spectrum of wet and dry processes and has worked for multiple process technology developers. He has expertise in process development and optimization, scale-up from lab to commercial, equipment design, process integration, project management, facility start-up, and high-volume processing and manufacturing operations. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University with minor studies in materials and metallurgical engineering.
Les Edye
Head of Research & Development
Les has over 30 years professional experience in research and development in Australia and in the US, with a strong interest in biomass conversions by thermochemical, biochemical, microbial and hybrid processes. He is recognised internationally and since 2007 held the position of National Task Leader, International Energy Agency, Bioenergy Task 39 – Commercialising Advanced and Conventional Liquid Biofuels from Biomass. Les has a background in carbohydrate chemistry, expertise in biofuels production processes and sustainable biomass supply. He also has research interests in the conversion of lignocellulosic to fuels and chemicals, biorefining for total biomass utilisation and heterotrophic algal oil production.
Tim Pritchard
Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary
B.Bus, MCom, MIT, CPA, GIA (Cert)
Mr Tim Pritchard joined Leaf Resources in 2017 as Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary. Mr Pritchard has over 20 years management experience in finance, accounting, consulting, project management and information technology. In addition to extensive accounting experience, he has led a number of successful business transformation and system implementation assignments that have resulted in significantly improved financial processes and business systems.
Before joining Leaf Resources, Mr Pritchard was most recently engaged as the Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary of ReNu Energy, an ASX listed renewable energy company.