Principle Energy team

Brian Myerson, Executive Chairman, is also Executive Chairman and a co-founder (2004) of the Principle Capital group. A native South African, Brian has pioneered activist investing in the United Kingdom, and has extensive experience investing in Continental Europe and Africa. He retains strong links to his home country.

Through the Principle Capital group, Brian led the creation of South African Property Opportunities plc (SAPRO) and PME African Infrastructure Opportunities plc (PMEAIO), with combined equity fundraisings of $310 million. Brian is also Chairman of Proteus Property Partners, the investment manager of SAPRO, and PME Infrastructure Managers, the investment manager of PMEAIO.

Brian previously held board positions at several listed UK companies, including Liberty plc, Greycoat plc, and Marylebone Warwick Balfour Group plc, the latter of which he chaired. He was also a non-executive director of Sage group, a JSE-listed South African life assurance and financial services business. Brian holds an LLB and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

Brian Padgett, Director, oversees the finance and administration of Principle Energy. He is a founding partner of the Principle Capital group where he is Joint Head of Fund Management.

Brian has extensive South African market investment experience and is the former Chief Financial Officer of Absa Financial Services in Jersey. Brian holds a degree from London University (1989) and is a qualified Chartered Accountant.

Stephen Read, Director, is a financial controller responsible for the administration of Principle Capital's alternative investment funds including South African Property Opportunities plc, PME African Infrastructure Opportunities plc and Principle Energy.

Stephen's prior experience includes the position of finance director at the international headquarters of Iomega Corporation, a US multinational in the High Tech industry and nine years in a number of treasury and accounting roles in the UK Oil & Gas sector for Chevron and Statoil.

Stephen graduated from The Robert Gordon University (Aberdeen) in 1991 and qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant.

Richard Hurly, Chief Operating Officer, has two decades of experience in large-scale agricultural ventures in southern Africa, through the Industrial Development Corporation and as a consultant.

Richard is responsible for onsite establishment and agricultural development as well as seeking out and developing business opportunities for Principle Energy.

Richard holds a BSc. in Horticulture and an MSc. in Botany from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, and an Honours in Business Administration from the University of Stellenbosch.

Gavin Scott, Project Manager, has thirty years' experience in major capital expansion projects in the petro-chemical (Fluor), pulp and paper (Mondi Group) and sugar (Tongaat-Hulett) industries.

His responsibilities include the factory development as well as project controls management for the overall project. Gavin holds a diploma in Mechanical Engineering, a diploma in Project Management through Pretoria University and is a registered Professional Construction Project Manager (Pr CPM).

Paul Zorner, Ph.D., Chief Technology Consultant, has held numerous leadership positions in technical business, operations, and business management roles with several Fortune 500 and start-up agriculture and biotechnology firms, including: Chief Scientist/Senior Scientist - Global Biotechnology Platform at Dow Chemical Company, Senior Director of Business Development at Diversa Corporation, and Vice President of Product Development at Mycogen Corporation

Paul is an Adjunct Professor of Horticulture at North Carolina State University and a current Director of several companies focused on the production of renewable energy. He is also a member of advisory boards that inform business and energy policy recommendations for state governments (California, USA, and Queensland, Australia).

Paul is a member of the Environmental Entrepreneurs (NRDC), which serves to educate US Federal and State officials on renewable energy and global warming policy.

Paul holds a Ph.D. in botany and plant pathology, Colorado State University (1980), and a Bachelor's degree from Lewis and Clark College in biology and secondary education.

In addition, as part of the Principle Capital group, Principle Energy has access to Principle Capital's broad resources and expertise in international investment management and administration and has engaged the services, knowledge and support of Principle Capital in areas such as investment analysis, banking, accounting, legal and investor relations.