THE PEOPLE
The Project is founded on the vision and commitment of Mark Kailis and his team to establish one of the world's largest and most efficient organic olive oil projects. Mark is a member of the Kailis family which enjoys a long history of successful large-scale business activities based on agri-business, seafood and food processing and international food marketing. In addition to his 12 years in viticulture, Mark has been growing olives and producing extra virgin, premium quality oil from the family's property in Baldivis for the past 11 years.
Mark has gathered a team of directors, key advisers and consultants whose combined skills and experience meet all of the Project's farming, business, financial, legal and marketing requirements. Through his years of marketing his family's wine products internationally, Mark has personally established long and close relationships with many of the premier supermarket chains and food distributors in the targeted markets. Coupled with the family's extended business network, the Project will readily access these marketing avenues with confidence.
DIRECTORS OF KAILIS ORGANIC OLIVE GROVES LIMITED (Kailis Organic)
The Hon. Peter Jones, AM. FAICD - Chairman
Peter Jones is a company director, and is Chairman of the Defence Housing Authority. He was formerly Chairman of the Water Corporation, and either Chairman, or a Director, of a number of publicly listed and private companies. He was born in Tasmania where he conducted farming activities, and was a Councillor of the National Agricultural and Pastoral Association. In 1968, he moved to Western Australia and farmed at Narrogin in the great Southern Region.
From 1974 until 1986, Mr Jones was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, and held a number of senior ministerial portfolios from 1975 until 1983, including Education, Resources Development, Mines and Fuel and Energy.
In 1995, he was Chairman of the Water Industry Restructure Implementation Group, which was responsible for re-organising the management and future distribution and development of the water industry in Western Australia.
Mark Kailis - Managing Director
Mark oversees all aspects of the Project as Managing Director and is hands-on where necessary. With 18 years viticulture and over 20 years agribusiness experience, Mark would be one of the most experienced people behind any olive project in Australia.
Mark's family olive grove in Baldivis currently has more than 5,000 olive trees and is fully certified organic. Mark has been growing olives and producing olive oil on a commercial scale for the past twelve years.
Mark's key achievements include:
* From 2000 until now Managing Director of Kailis Organic Olive Grove LTD.
* General Manager of Baldivis Estate Wines between 1994 & 2000.
* Baldivis Estate Non GMO status, recognized in Australia by NASAA and internationally by Cert ID. The First Non GMO wine in the world.
* Extensive international selling experience, particularly in European, USA. Twelve years of extra virgin olive oil production, marketing and more than 10 years of olive oil processing research, from traditional basket press to modern two phase centrifuge extraction methods.
Mark's experience and contacts in overseas markets, backed by his strong family name, is a driving force behind the project and brand.
Theo Kailis
Theo Kailis has been in the fishing and food business for more than 50 years and for most of this period has held the position of CEO or Chairman for the following companies: G P Kailis & Sons, Ross Group International, West Ocean Canning Pty Ltd, Austral Fisheries Pty Ltd, Newfishing Australia Pty Ltd, Lobster Australia Pty Ltd and Kailis and France Foods Pty Ltd.
Theo succeeded his father, who established G P Kailis & Sons in 1935 as a family-owned fish business, which was sold in 1960 to an international public company . Theo Kailis continued as Managing Director until he resigned in 1970 to establish the Kailis and France Holdings (a partnership with his son George and Murray France).Theo continues as the Executive Chairman.
The Kailis and France Group is a diversified business consisting of seafood manufacturing, (fish, lobster, prawns) and fishing vessel owners and operators within Australia and overseas with export markets in Asia, USA and Europe. The group has been involved in foreign joint ventures in many countries in the past.
Theo has a lifetime of experience in the food and fishing industries in Australia and many overseas countries and is highly respected for his skills in government and industry liaison, product and market development, resource management, finance and administration and delivering outcomes and satisfactory bottom lines.
Lee Verios, LLB
Lee has more than 25 years' commercial legal experience in Perth. In 1982, he merged his practice with Parker & Parker which, at the time, was Perth's oldest and largest law firm. In 1985, Lee was appointed Managing Partner of the firm, a position he held for five years.
He then established a niche practice advising Australian companies doing business in South East Asia particularly in Indonesia.
In 1994, Lee formed his own legal consultancy practice and became very much involved with the WA Agri-business sector, advising grower groups throughout the State on a number of diverse commercialisation projects.
In 2001, Lee joined the international law firm Deacons, and in April 2002 was appointed Managing Partner of its Perth Office.
Neil Smith, CA. AICD
Neil is a Chartered Accountant with more than 17 years professional experience in Australia and Europe. He also spent a number of years in commerce with Rural Press Limited which gave him the opportunity to visit a large number of regional and rural locations in Australia and New Zealand, thus developing a stronger appreciation of agricultural sectors generally.
Neil was the Managing Partner of the Western Australian Partnership of PKF Chartered Accountants for the past three years. He is a director of PKF Australia and continues as a partner with PKF in the areas of audit and corporate services.
Christopher Michael, B.Ec UWA
Christopher has more than 11 years' experience in the financial markets industry. He has worked with a major international company for six years and more recently with an independently owned, leading Australian broking house.
Christopher will use the extensive experience gained in the financial sector to assist the Board and the Project with future potential financial developments.
Stephen Murphy, B.Bus. SIA- Grad dip
Stephen is an investment banker with more than 17 years experience in the financial markets industry. He is presently Director of Veritas Securities in Perth. Stephen has a wealth of experience in the financial sector and will be assisting the project with any corporate advisory requirements and investment decisions.
