John Winter

Co-FOUNDER, DIRECTOR ENGINEERING & TECHNICAL

John is a renowned chemical engineer with in excess of 25 years' experience, and the inventor of the patented SEATA process. The current principal of Roundhill Engineering, John holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from the University of Newcastle (1995) (Honours).

John has been involved with the development of a number of minerals benefication technologies, including high and low temperature fluid bed roasting, calcination, agglomeration, coal gasification and pyrohdrolysis.

Use of renewable and waste to energy has been an interest and focus of John’s for a number of years which has led to the development of fluid bed coffee roasting using bio-fuels, a hydrothermal upgrading process for used lubrication oils (ULO) and use of biomass for the production of biochar and clean syngas. John also operates a beef cattle property, specialising in speckle park breed.

Rob Faraday-Bensley

Co-FOUNDER, DIRECTOR LEGAL & STRATEGY

Rob is an experienced corporate & commercial solicitor who has owned and operated his own firm, Bilbie Faraday Harrison, for the past 20 years after earlier stints with national firms Thomson Geer in (Adelaide ), Sparke Helmore (Sydney & Newcastle), and Kerman and Co (London). Rob has significant experience advising business of all sizes, across different industries sectors. Rob regularly acts for businesses on ASX capital raisings, AIM capital raisings, and complex mergers and acquisitions.

Rob is also a current director and majority owner of two successful café businesses that employ in excess of 40 staff, is a part owner of a gold mining exploration company and part owner and Chairman of an out of home care business that employs more than 300 staff. Rob is an experienced board member & commercial advisor.  Rob has written and had published articles for the Australian Financial Review, the Sydney Morning Herald and The Herald and is a past mentor to a participant in the Australian Sports Commissions NOS and Talented Athlete Program.

Robert Tew

Co-FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN OF DIRECTORS, COMMERCIAL & PROPERTY

An experienced and qualified property and business valuer and land economist with 35 years in the property and assets sector, Rob is a past Chairman of the Newcastle Knights Rugby League Football club, and past member of the Australian Property Institute’s National Standards Board.  

Rob has owned and operated his own property valuation and advisory business, Tew Property Consultants for the past 25 years and provides a range of consultancy services to local, state, national and international clients. Rob is also a successful property developer, mentor to many up and coming professionals and athletes, and an active member of various industry bodies. 

Craig Bagnall

Co-FOUNDER, DIRECTOR environment & regulatory

Craig leads SEATA’s testing, licencing and approvals programs. Craig is an environmental engineer with 25years experience working primarily in mining, industrial and waste sectors, and holds an advanced Impact Assessment accreditation as a Certified Environmental Practitioner (CEnvP). Craig’s diverse career commenced in contaminated site assessment, air and water quality monitoring and impact assessment, and mine rehabilitation. Craig also worked for the NSW Waste Boards coordinating state and regional waste programs. 

Craig has significant experience as lead consultant for environmental assessments required for State Significant Developments (SSD), in both primary and secondary approvals, as well as minor project approvals (REF, water licencing etc). Craig has been endorsed by NSW Department of Planning & Environment as a lead consultant for Extraction Plans, and by the Commonwealth Department of Environment and Energy as an independent auditor under the EPBC Act for underground mining. Craig leads his own consultancy, also providing specialist technical services in surface water management, erosion control and rehabilitation, for which he has been an Expert Witness to the NSW Land and Environment Court. In the community, Craig also served for a decade as a director of a volunteer medical charity, the Hunter & Northern Kidney Association (HANKA).

Scott Fairbairn

Co-FOUNDER, DIRECTOR energy & communication

A previously experienced company director in both the public and private sector, incorporating general management Business Development responsibilities. Scott is highly skilled in the sectors of energy, renewables & infrastructure sectors & their implementation, negotiation, financial management, operations management and in implementing continuous improvement measures throughout the above business disciplines. Scott has a broad understanding of the various energy & utility markets within Australia; this is based on his tenure of working alongside solving some of their pain points previously. He understands these sectors constraints & drivers both from external and internal influences.

Scott has experience previously in establishing a couple of greenfield business ventures in the power generation space, where he undertook & managed these ventures including all financial, operational, sales and reporting mechanism to a board.

With long standing work history & experience in the energy and renewables fields, Scott brings a wealth of knowledge and industry connections to the SEATA board of directors.

Scott is also involved as the one of the chairs of Hunternet Energy & Mining forum for the past 5 years where he has organized key note speakers and chaired meetings of up to 100 members.

Lastly Scott has had a personal involvement with two local charities in the Hunter over the last 10 years; The Neo Natal Children’ unit at Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital & the Hunters Westpac Rescue helicopter.  This involvement was to establishing an annually golf charity event in collaboration with two local Hunter based charities / causes, where Scott was one of the initial founders to raise the profile of these much needed organizations. These funds raised were raised for the Neo natal Intensive care unit at John Hunter Hospital, in parallel partnership with the Hunter’s Westpac Rescue Helicopter. Over a 10 year period a sum of around $ 380,000 has been donated between both these charities.

James Jordan

Co-FOUNDER, DIRECTOR, fABRICATION

After 20y experience in the finance industry and with qualifications in both Commerce and Marketing James decided on a career change and co-founded Whiz Engineering.

He manages a small dedicated team specialising in solving mechanical engineering problems for clients, offering a full spectrum of service from R & D and design through to fabrication and project testing. Whiz Engineering has developed a number of novel products for various industries. James has focused on building long term client relationships within various industries including; waste management, construction and mining, aged care along with local councils and universities.

James is inspired by the adaptable nature of Seata’s technology and the many ways it can positively impact our environment.   

Jim McFarlane

Co-FOUNDER, DIRECTOR DESIGN engineering

With over 45 years of experience in the sheet metal manufacturing industry, including 38 years as CEO of his own company which at one point employed in excess of 100 staff including chemical and civil engineers, Jim brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the SEATA board of directors.  Jim has a particular interest in metal fabrication 3D design and in effective, efficient methods of manufacturing steel products.  Jim and his team have manufactured the first SEATA pilot system to the highest of standards and it is proposed will manufacture further systems in the future.