Board of Directors
Doug Brown
Chairman
Mr. Brown is one of only a handful of globally recognized senior executives to have led multiple successful billion dollar exits in the water space. He was the founder, Chairman and CEO of AquaVenture Holdings, which he led to a listing on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) in 2016 and subsequently sold to Culligan Water for US$1.2 billion in 2020 while he was serving as Chairman. Mr. Brown was also CEO of Seven Seas Water, an AquaVenture Holdings business. He was previously CEO of NYSE-listed Ionics, Inc., which was acquired by GE Water for US$1.3 billion in 2005. Prior to Ionics, Mr. Brown was CEO of Advent International, a global private equity firm. Mr. Brown’s experience spans the US, Europe, South America, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Africa and Southeast Asia.
Ross Haghighat
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
With over 20 years' in operating and strategic roles and a decade in the investment arena, he has helped to create a number of global enterprises in the private and public space in the US, China, Australia and Europe. Mr. Haghighat was Non-Executive Director of Emefcy Group Limited from 2015.
He serves as Chairman for Triton Systems Group - a Global Investment and Product Venturing firm. He serves as a Director at Aduro Biotech a clinical stage biopharma (Nasdaq: ADRO) and is Chairman of FRX Polymers, a specialty chemicals firm with operations in the US, Europe, and China.
Melanie Leydin
COMPANY SECRETARY
Ms. Leydin earned a Bachelor of Business degree in Accounting and Corporate Law from Swinburne University. She is also a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia, an independent professional association for company secretaries, governance advisers, and risk managers in Australia, committed to promoting sound practice in governance and risk management.
Richard Irving
Non-Executive Director
Previously Mr. Irving served as Chairman and CEO, Chairman and Executive Chairman. Prior to Fluence Corporation Limited, Mr. Irving served as Executive Chairman and Chairman of Emefcy Group Limited from 2010.
Based in Silicon Valley, Mr. Irving co-founded Pond Venture Partners in 1997 and brings over 30 years experience in technology companies in senior operating roles, as an investor and Board member. Mr. Irving has helped generate over $3 billion in shareholder value through IPOs, acquisitions, and private financings.
Past exits include LiveRail (Facebook), Gigle Networks (Broadcom), 4Home (Motorola Mobility), Transitive (IBM), Microcosm Communications (Conexant), Zoran (NASDAQ: ZRAN, acquired by CSR plc), and Brooktree (NASDAQ: BTRE, acquired by Conexant).
Paul Donnelly
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Mr. Donnelly is Chief Executive Officer of Flagstaff Partners, an independent corporate advisory firm.
Previously, Mr. Donnelly was an Executive Director at Macquarie Capital, where he worked for 25 years in various roles, including President & CEO of Macquarie’s Canadian operations, and Global Head of Equity and Debt Capital Markets.
Mr. Donnelly has a broad range of investment banking experience, in Australia and internationally, with particular skills in capital markets. Over his thirty-year career he has gathered deep transactional experience advising on significant and complex transactions for leading Australian and international companies.
Mel Ashton
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Mr. Ashton currently holds a number of non-executive director roles in different sectors. He serves as Chair of Quintis (Australia) Pty Ltd, Venture Minerals Ltd (ASX:VMS) and Bellavista Resources Ltd (ASX:BVR) and as a Director of Aurora Labs Ltd (ASX:A3D).
Mr. Ashton is the former Chair of Cullen Wines (Australia) Pty Ltd, former Director of The Hawaiian Group, and previous Acting CEO of Royal Flying Doctor Service in Western Australia. He has also been President and Director of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), and Vice President and Director of Fremantle Football Club Ltd, who hold the Australian Football League license for the Fremantle Dockers.
Mr. Ashton holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Western Australia. In 2019 Mel was awarded a Meritorious Service Award which recognizes an outstanding contribution to Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and the Accounting Profession.
