Centre for Research into Energy for Sustainable Transport (CREST)

Mr Stroud has over 35 years commercial experience in a variety of industries, including finance, mining, manufacturing and the fuel industry.

He has held senior executive positions in public companies involved in most of the above industries.

Over the last 10 years he was involved in initiating the development and subsequent listing of a company on AIM in London, and a company on the ASX. Both companies are involved in biodiesel production.

Mr Stroud is currently partnering in a joint venture with a US based company, which has developed an unique system for producing microalgae at very high yields. Commercialisation is currently underway.

Mr Stroud holds a BSc (Chemistry/Geology) from the University of Sydney, and a BA (Economics) from Macquarie University.

Mr Morrison is the Director, Division of Research & Development at Murdoch University. He has responsibility for the provision of high level support to the Pro Vice Chancellor (Research) in the management of research and the commercialisation of the University’s Intellectual Property.

As Director of Research & Development his primary responsibility is to extend existing research relationships and develop new links with business and industry. His role is the key driver and catalyst for the University’s continuing development of global research and research training, as well as its application for economic and national benefit.

Mr Morrison represents the University on the boards of a number of companies engaged in the commercialisation of University IP.

Prior to his current position, he was the General Manager of MurdochLink Pty Ltd, the commercial arm of Murdoch University, which is dedicated to providing quality research consultancy services to industry and government.

He has a Bachelor of Arts (1st Class Honours) and a Post Graduate Diploma (Social Research Methods) from Murdoch University and a Master of Business (Financial Management) from the University of Western Australia.

Mr Thorn has over 28 years experience in research management, commercialisation and technology transfer in agriculture, fisheries and University research institutions.

He has held several executive positions in government in both the fisheries and agriculture sectors and more recently in the University sector including Director Research and Innovation at Edith Cowan University and Associate Director Research and Development at Curtin University of Technology.

He is currently the Director of the Australian Sustainable Development Institute (ASDI) at Curtin University of Technology. The role of the Director is to lead, develop and grow the University’s sustainability research in the areas of energy, climate change, water, sustainable resources, urban and regional development, sustainable communities and food.

Mr Thorn holds a BSc (Agriculture) with first class honours from the University of Western Australia.

Mr Ferrell has over 25 years experience in the downstream oil and chemical industries with a unique blend of experiences in both large multinational corporations and private family owned companies.

After initially starting his career as an environmental engineer with the fertilizer and chemical company CSBP, Mr Ferrell joined BP where over a 17 year period he worked in a number of locations and in roles as varied as a plant operator to managing BP Australia’s LPG business.

In 2001 Mr Ferrell joined a family company, Gull Petroleum, a company active in the downstream petroleum sector in Western Australia and New Zealand. Mr Ferrell initially managed Gull’s terminal operations and fuel supply arrangements in both countries, and in 2003 was appointed the Chief Executive Officer for the Group. The Gull Group is now in the top 50 largest private companies in Australia. Over the last 5 years Mr Ferrell and the Gull Group have become particularly active in bioenergy and sustainability issues and opportunities.

Mr Ferrell holds a BSc and an MBA from the University of Western Australia.

Mr Limerick has 30 years experience in a mixture of both private and public sector organisations associated with the energy and minerals sectors in particular.

Having graduated with first class honours in metallurgy, Mr Limerick worked for ten years in the nickel industry in both production and technical management roles, and was awarded a PhD in that period for his work on nickel laterites. He subsequently joined the Western Australian Government’s resource development agency, where he had responsibility for managing the government-company interface during the establishment of many major resource projects in WA from the late 1980s onwards.

In 2001 Mr Limerick became the Director General of a new, integrated Department, established to facilitate development in a wide range of industries. In this role he was responsible for promotion of science and innovation in WA.

Mr Limerick left government in 2008 and he is now the Principal of Ramelton Consulting Pty Ltd, consulting on public policy matters related to the energy and minerals sectors in particular.