Meet the Team

KNOWLEDGE. OPERATIONAL SKILLS.  MANAGEMENT STRENGTH.

Our team has the unique understanding and experience required to steer the course of such a distinctive enterprise – plant breeding, sivilculture, field applications, labour management, logistics and marketing. In addition to these essential skills, our team also employs the environmental, economic and social accountability best practices that will ensure that the goals and successes of these projects are met and rewarded.

• David McClure

  President & CEO
  With an extensive history of entrepreneurial success, Mr. McClure has a proven and definitive ability to bring a business concept to fruition and make it profitable. As founder of Bedford Biofuels, he has worked around the clock to assemble the right assets and people to drive the company’s long-term success. As CEO, Mr. McClure brings a clear vision, strong leadership and humanity to Bedford Biofuels.

  His experience includes building a hugely successful real estate development syndication company in Alberta, Canada with multiple offices throughout North America and Southeast Asia.

  He was drawn to Alberta because of the effect the energy sector had on the province’s economy. Recognizing the boom would be limited, he turned his efforts to developing more environmentally friendly and renewable resources. The emerging biofuels market has room for some innovative, entrepreneurial re-thinking. A market with such great demand is an ideal place for Mr. McClure to assert his unique brand of entrepreneurism.

• Gary Hartnett

  COO
  Mr. Hartnett has over 25 years of farm forestry, plantation establishment, mature plantation harvesting, environmental protection, land management conservation and operation management experience. He has managed an annual budget of $90 million and has worked in France, Southeast Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands.

• John M. Wright

  Executive Vice President
  An established executive in the sales and marketing field, Mr. Wright’s expertise spans a range of industries. He has a track record of success in the management of large corporate accounts with Forture 500 companies, privately held companies and government clients. Mr. Wright’s experience includes international trade shows and conferences, giving him the tools to sell and market to a diverse client base.

• Peter Rorbye

  General Manager, Zambia
  Mr. Rorbye brings 40 years of farming experience to Bedford. He was the Regional Operations Manager for Stancom Tobacco/Alliance One and the Country Agronomist for Oval Biofuels. He has experience in clearing land, raising cattle, running irrigation, growing seed maize, cotton, wheat, soya beans and tobacco. He was Chair of the Lomaz Sugar Project, the Masembura Dam Syndicate, the Mazoe Water Board and the Intensive Conservation Area.

• John Piper

  VP Agricultural Development
  Born and educated in Australia and having lived in Africa for the past four years, Mr. Piper brings over 40 years of experience to the Bedford team. His expertise lies in the areas of farming, pasture development, forestry and cattle. Prior to joining Bedford Biofuels, his most recent entrepreneurial endeavor was in the development of livestock and biofuels in Kenya.

• David Kombe

  VP Public Relations
  Educated in the UK, Kenya and Japan, Mr. Kombe has a broad range of international experience. He has worked in the public and private sectors for more than 20 years and is well-known throughout the country, specifically for his five-year term as a Member of Parliament for the Kenya National Assembly.

• Nolan Johnson

  General Counsel
  Mr. Johnson, Bedford’s in-house lawyer, ensures the company’s compliance with the law, protects its assets and providing sound legal advice. He received his Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Law degrees from the University of Alberta and has experience in civil/commercial litigation and business law. He focused specifically on corporate/commercial matters, employment and shareholders’ agreements, share and asset transactions, corporate finance and residential and commercial real estate.

• Joel Ruhu

  VP Human Resources, Kenya
  A highly qualified Range Managament and Accounts Technician and Co-operator, Mr. Ruhu has held and served in various positions in Kenya and internationally. He is past President and Chair of the Pan African Body for the Credit Unions and Co-operatives in Africa. Educated and residing in Kenya and having served with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Mr. Ruhu has a unique understanding of the culture in Kenya and a connection to its people.

• Dustin Mitchell

  VP Sales & Marketing
  While pursuing a Bachelor of Economics, Mr. Mitchell started his entrepreneurial career in the construction, finance and biomass industries. He founded a new home construction company in Alberta focusing on green, environmentally friendly technologies. He became Vice President of the properties division for an international merchant bank and VP Sales and Marketing for a Western North American Sales and Marketing company in the biomass industry.