Meet our Board

With a solid background in the resource and finance sectors, Ian Trahar has extensive experience across industries and organisations. His previous roles include joint CEO of Avatar Industries, chairman of Ranger Minerals, Forest Equities Group and Medical Care Services, as well as director of Gribbles Pathology, Kresta Holdings Limited, and Mincoa NL. In addition, Ian held executive roles at Shell Australia and Citibank NA and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Ian’s special responsibilities include Chair of the Board, Member of the Audit Committee, and Member of the Remuneration Committee.

At the forefront of climate change science and carbon trading for the past 13 years, Andrew Grant has been in charge of CO2 Group and its businesses since 2005. Growing the company into Australasia’s leading carbon business, Andrew was previously national Head of Ernst and Young and Arthur Anderson’s environmental advisory divisions, and Executive Manager in sustainable packaging at Visy Industrial Packaging.

Lead advisor to the New South Wales government when it developed its Greenhouse Gas Reduction Scheme, from 2006 to 2009, Andrew chaired the Port Phillip Western Port Catchment Management Authority. He has also advised many large companies across Australia on sustainability and has taken on design and audit roles in a variety of carbon trades. From 2004 to 2006, Andrew was an independent director of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Greenhouse Accounting, and is currently a non-executive director of Earthwatch Institute.

Andrew has a First Class Honours degree in Science and a Graduate Diploma of Business Management at Executive level. In 2011, he graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors. His special responsibilities include Chief Executive Officer, CO2 Group Limited, and Managing Director, CO2 Australia Limited.

With a PhD in Biology from the University of Melbourne, Christopher Mitchell has more than 20 years’ experience in Australian and international climate change research. Chris is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and also an Adjunct Professor at the School of Environmental Science at Murdoch University. Prior to joining the CO2 Group full time, Chris was the Foundation Director of the Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research – a partnership between the CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology.

Previously CEO of the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Accounting, Chris chaired the Victorian Climate Change Minister’s Reference Council on Climate Change Adaptation, and is on the CSIRO’s Environment and Natural Resources Sector Advisory Committee.

With many years of commercial and financial experience on his impressive resume, Harley Whitcombe has provided comprehensive company secretarial services to publicly listed companies.

A member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Harley’s special responsibilities include CO2 Group Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary.

Currently consulting to government and private sectors, Malcolm Hemmerling has extensive experience in leadership and management positions. These include Commissioner, Consumer and Business Affairs in Adelaide; Chief Executive Officer, Adelaide City Council; Chairman, National Basketball League; Chief Executive Officer, Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games; Chief Executive Officer, Australian Formula One Grand Prix in South Australia; and Chief Executive Officer, Bob Jane T-Marts and the head of the Premier’s Cabinet Office in South Australia.

Malcolm is currently a Non-Executive Director of the South Australian Housing Trust Board, Non-Executive Director of the South Australian Affordable Housing Board, Chairman of the Playford Alive Steering Committee and General Manager for Playford Council.  His special responsibilities at CO2 Group include Chairman of the Audit Committee and Member of the Remuneration Committee.

Paul Favretto brings more than 20 years of financial services experience to CO2 Group. Paul’s previous roles include senior management positions at Citibank Limited and Bankers Trust Australia Limited, and Managing Director of Avatar Industries Limited and KLZ Limited.

Also Non-Executive Director of Ranger Minerals Limited from 1994 to 2002, Paul’s special responsibilities include Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and Member of the Audit Committee.