Staff
Leonard Legault
President and Co-owner
Leonard Legault is the President and Co-owner of All-Wood Fibre and Alterna Biocarbon. Prior to founding All-Wood Fibre in 1994, Leonard spent 15 years in the forestry industry. Leonard has always pursued new opportunities and helped pioneer new developments in the forestry industry. Over the past 15 years he has grown All-Wood Fibre into a highly successful business. He has continued a passion for life-long learning through ongoing personal executive development training. He is a visionary searching out new business opportunities and the best practices and technologies for developing these businesses. Leonard recognized the need for an alternate fuel source for manufacturers and communities all over the world using a renewable and abundant fuel source. He started Alterna Biocarbon to meet these needs.
Wendy Legault
Managing Director and Co-owner
Wendy Legault is the Managing Director and Co-owner of All-Wood Fibre and Alterna Biocarbon. Wendy and Leonard have assisted and supported each other in their business endeavours. Wendy has honed her entrepreneurial and management skills by establishing, growing and managing a highly successful company which employs over 50 employees. Her work experience includes managing Finance, Insurance and Risk Management functions. Additionally she provides direction in the development of business, operating, capital and strategic plans. She oversees all Employee Relations activities and the development of a corporate culture that celebrates inclusion, creativity and getting things done. Her strategies result in high levels of employee retention and engagement.
Gerald Kutney, Ph.D.
Chief Operating Officer
Gerry Kutney holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Toronto. He began his business career in research and marketing management with the Forest Products Division of ICI Canada. He then worked as an executive and Officer of Tembec, where he directed the Chemical Products Group, which manufactured and marketed value-added products from pulp mill by-products. Gerry was also the CEO and President of a new-technology venture company. He is a successful published author. Dr. Kutney’s work has resulted in the development of new technological processes, patented inventions and scientific publications. He has proven expertise leading teams of professionals in product development, reconfiguring production methods and operations and in managing high level capital intensive projects.
Phil Marsh
Chief Technology Officer
Phil Marsh started his career as a heavy radar technician with the Canadian Air Forces. Captain Marsh served from 1980 to 1996 in a variety of capacities, including several years as a pilot and training personnel in survival. Upon leaving the military Phil embarked on his own business; designing, developing and building his own sawmill, planer mill operation. Phil developed his own in-house heat system for kilns at the mill using the exhaust heat created by the mill’s power system. He has spent the last decade researching and prototyping alternative energy ideas focusing primarily on biomass gasification and energy recovery systems. Phil worked with Alterna Biocarbon prior to our acquiring the technology for the carbonizer. Once this happened, Phil began work on building the first Canadian unit. This resulted in the production of a carbonizer with enhanced operating capabilities and adaptations to the very different climate conditions. Phil will use his dedication, leadership skills and expertise with the technology to manage the scale up and production teams.
Hugh McLaughlin, PhD, PE
Director of Biocarbon Research
Hugh McLaughlin has a BS in Chemistry (Harvey Mudd College, 1976) in addition to a MS (USC, 1978) and PhD in Chemical Engineering (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1988). He has worked in process development and environmental engineering for over three decades, with most of that experience in the role of consulting engineer to a wide variety of manufacturing operations. He is an expert in the area of activated carbon manufacture and its utilization in air and water treatment applications. He has several patents in the area of activated carbon use and regeneration. Dr. McLaughlin has led the efforts at Alterna Biocarbon to enhance the Native Adsorption Capacity of Alterna's Biocarbons, whereby biocarbons can be utilized in applications traditionally requiring more expensive activated carbon products.
Jong Kee “JK” Kim
Mechanical Engineer
Jong Kee “JK” Kim was educated and trained in South Korea at the Hanyang University in Seoul where he obtained his degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has over 25 years experience in the machine design and mechanical engineering field. Additionally he has held several senior management roles. He has an extensive background in large scale project management in a previous role as a Director with a large corporation in South Korea. This included overseeing the building of large steel structure buildings and thermal power plants. He focuses on the mechanical design of each of the components of the Carbonizer.
Nick Finch
Project Leader
Nick holds Bachelor of Science degrees in both Biology and Wood Products Processing from the University of British Columbia. He has over 10 years experience working in the forest industry and his background includes developing and managing continuous improvement initiatives focusing on improving product margins and operational efficiencies. He is knowledgeable in managing both small and large capital projects. Nick has worked for both small and large multi-national forest products companies holding a number of different management positions including: Quality control, production coordination and production superintendent.
Hennie van Aardt
Executive Manager
Hennie van Aardt is a licensed automotive and diesel mechanic and instructor as well as a qualified machinist and inventor. He has over 30 years of experience as a mechanical specialist working in the automotive and energy sectors. In 1999 Hennie helped to start the Enviro Charcoal Company as a director and share holder. He was instrumental in the design and construction of various prototypes of the carbonizing process. He adapted and developed the technology over many years in South Africa. Hennie has incredible capacities to develop and implement new products and enhancements to technologies. He has worked tirelessly to transform the vision of environmentally-friendly carbonization into reality.
John Hofmeyr Technical Manager South Africa Division
John Hofmeyr was educated at the University of the Witwatersrand where he obtained his background in advanced chemistry. He has training in marketing, procurement, financing and international trade. John has worked with the University of Witwatersrand, Union Carbide and with Enviro Charcoal. While acting for Enviro Charcoal, he achieved recognition as a World Bank Development Marketplace Finalist in 2006 for Municipal waste Biomass to smokeless fuel, along with the manufacture & sale of high quality biochar, carbon & related equipment.
Thomas Paetz, CMA
Controller
Tom Paetz is a Certified Management Accountant with 23 years experience in the Forest Industry in both accounting and operations management capacities. He has a long and varied background in Quality, Production and Operations. He has demonstrated expertise in implementing and refining Performance Management programs to ensure continuous improvement and benchmarking performance to both industry standards and strategic goals. Tom has management experience overseeing Finance, Quality Control and Operations in both smaller and major multi-national forest products companies. This experience has afforded him the opportunity to develop a depth and breadth of expertise in the financial management of large capital projects and operations.
Sue McMurray, PCP
Accounting Assistant
Sue has over 10 years experience in bookkeeping, payroll, and Accounts Payable and Receivable with a large local accounting firm. She has completed college courses in Accounting, English and Marketing. She holds a Computerized Office Procedures cerfii ate and recently earned her Payroll Compliance Practitioner "PCP" certificate through the Canadian Payroll Association.
Sue has been with All-Wood Fibre for three years and is responsible for Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Payroll functions.
Kimberly Swarts , BA, CHRP
Human Resources Manager
Kimberly Swarts obtained her BA in Economics from the University of Manitoba. She has held the professional designation of Certified Human Resources Professional since 2000. She has over 15 years of experience in Human Resources, 11 of those years were with the largest manufacturing company in western Canada and 5 years were with a research intensive university. She brings in depth expertise in developing and implementing a variety of Human Resources programs. Her background includes working with start up operations and the production of new business lines. She has strong knowledge of Human Resources practices throughout Canada and the US and experience managing employment issues in the UK, Australia and South Africa.