Company Profile
Wasabi invests in companies and projects which it believes can provide solutions to global sustainability challenges. We actively participate to help achieve critical business milestones, finance growth and deliver results that matter.
Wasabi aims to become a major, profitable, energy and clean technology company, building on an established platform of strategic investments in the power technology and water conservation areas.
Investment Policy
Wasabi intends to invest in one or more projects and companies that deliver solutions to global sustainability challenges. Such projects and companies will include technologies and business plans that have a sustained competitive advantage derived from innovative intellectual property which is protected by patents and address sustainability issues and provide a clear path to commercialisation in the medium term and ongoing profits for the Company.
The key criteria for reviewing investments will be:
- project in commercial operation and/or with a clear path to market;
- valuable intellectual property positions;
- potential to economically provide solutions to sustainability issues in supportive global markets;
- project have progressed beyond the initial development stages; and
- experienced management teams executing robust business plans with compelling value-propositions.
Wasabi will be an active investor and provide strategic, financial and, as appropriate, management support to assist the development of projects and investee companies. Due to the global nature of sustainability challenges, the Company will consider investments in all regions and sectors but will primarily target high price environments for its products.
The Company will invest in projects with the aim of increasing value via direct access to cashflow generation and/or capital growth derived from market appreciation. The Company will hold investments and interests in projects for the medium to long term and aims to evolve into a major profitable renewable energy and clean technology company. As projects mature, the Company will consider, amongst other options, either public listing of projects and/or ultimately divestment of holdings in order to maintain a balance of projects and create additional opportunities for the project portfolio.
Group Structure
- Global Geothermal Limited – 96%
- Aqua Guardian Group Limited – 50%
- Australian Renewable Fuels Limited – 24%
- Aviva Corporation Limited – 8%
- Rum Jungle Uranium Limited - 3%
- Greenearth Energy Limited - 16%
Wasabi retains an interest in AIM listed Xtract Energy Plc (XTR) and in Lysander Minerals Corporation (LYM) which is listed on the Venture Exchange of the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Directors
Mr. John Byrne
Executive Chairman
Mr. Byrne has over 30 years' experience in the natural resources industry as an investor and resource business developer. During the past 10 years Mr. Byrne has founded and built a number of companies from the ground up, including from development through to production. In this period he has been instrumental as either CEO or Executive Chairman in overseeing the building of 6 coal mines (in Canada, the US and the UK) along with 3 wash plants, totaling in excess of $500 million of expenditure. Until May 2010 Mr. Byrne was Chairman of Western Coal Corporation, a global coal producer. Since retiring from Western Coal Corporation, Mr. Byrne is now concentrated on identifying projects in and solutions to a number of sustainability issues that exist in the world today.
Mr. Byrne is also an executive director of Global Geothermal Limited.
Appointed 8 May 2009.
Mr. Stephen Morris
Executive Director
Mr Morris has more than 20 years' experience in international investment and management in a wide range of industries. Mr Morris is founder and Chief Executive of Fifth Avenue Capital Inc (a venture capital company) and a founder and director of FAC Smaller Strategic Opportunities Inc. as an early stage resource investor.
Mr Morris is also a non-executive director of Sallies Ltd, a JSE listed fluorspar producer.
Mr. Morris is an executive director of Global Geothermal Limited.
Appointed 13 November 2006.
Mr. Robert Reynolds
Master Eng.(Mining)
Mr. Reynolds is a mining engineer with more than 30 years experience in Australia and overseas in coal marketing as well as coal mining management and engineering. Mr. Reynolds is a consultant providing marketing advice and services to a number of national and international coal producers. Mr. Reynolds past experience was with Southland Coal, Oceanic Coal and BHP.
Appointed 10 August 2005.
Mr. Robert Vallender
B Comm.
Mr. Vallender has over 30 years of management and new technology product development experience in Australia and North America. Mr. Vallender is a consultant providing independent marketing and capital project sales advice to the Australian and European iron and steel and primary metals industries. He has dealt with major manufacturers and producers including Alcoa, U.S. Steel and General Motors.
Appointed 10 August 2005.
Dr. Malcolm Jacques
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering
Dr Jacques is an independent energy consultant, focusing on the Renewable and Clean Energy sectors, with special emphasis on technical and regulatory issues associated with the integration of distributed and renewable energy sources into existing power grids. Dr Jacques maintains close working relationships with policy makers, regulators, financial organizations and consultants in the energy sectors in Europe and the USA.
Dr Jacques’ international career has embraced research, development and implementation of numerous energy technologies in both the public and private sectors. He has worked with several well known companies and organizations including BP Ventures (UK), The Energy Laboratory, MIT (Cambridge, USA), Strategic Research Foundation (Australia) and has played key roles in the establishment and management of public and private energy technology companies in Australia and North America.
Dr Jacques is also an executive director of Global Geothermal Limited.
Appointed 2 March 2010
Company Secretary
Mr. Alwyn Davey
Mr Alwyn Davey was appointed to the position of Company Secretary on 9 July 2009. Mr Davey has experience in cross border mergers, acquisitions and investments as well as formally being a member of the Executive committee of Cambrian Mining Plc, a diversified mining group. He was a non-executive director for Energybuild Group Plc, a UK listed coal company and has been company secretary of a number of UK listed companies which were predominately part of the Cambrian Mining Plc group. Mr Davey holds an LLB degree from Waikato University, NZ.