Our People
Our people's expertise and knowledge is as diverse as the countries in which we do business, but their dedication is the key to Miro’s success.
Miro - the company and its people - is committed to professionalism, responsibility and integrity in all aspects of our business.
Oliver Barnes
Oliver Barnes has a background in agriculture, horticulture, land-use change and environmental industries in Africa, Europe and South America. He started his career working as part of an expatriate team involved in the turnaround of horticultural company Sulmac (Kenya) Limited, a distressed Unilever business which supplied the European markets with horticultural commodities.
Since 2002, Oliver has gained extensive experience in project development and business strategy across the agricultural, natural-resource, waste-management, and clean energy sectors.
Oliver read Agricultural Business Management at Imperial College, University of London.
Bernard Barnes
Bernard Barnes started his career in 1961 at Chesswood Produce Ltd, a company established and retained in his family since 1879. Chesswood Produce was the second largest producer of fresh mushrooms worldwide, which in 1970 employed over 900 people, turned over £15 million, had 35% UK market share and 50% of greenhouse production of cut roses. He was appointed Deputy Managing Director by RHM in 1978 when they acquired the business with its canning division. In 1993 he emigrated to East Africa as a venture setup specialist, establishing East Africa’s first commercial tissue culture laboratory. In 1998 he lead a team for CDC (the Commonwealth Development Corporation) turning around distressed African agricultural businesses. Bernard has a deep understanding of Africa and is highly experienced at developing, expanding and improving agricultural and forestry businesses in the region.
Dr Derek Palmer
Dr. Palmer has a distinguished career as bio-chemist with significant success in developing medicines, food additives and compound capture technologies. In the late 1960’s Dr. Palmer discovered ‘Amoxicillin’ the world-renowned antibiotic, the manufacturing technology for which he licensed to Beechams. During his career Dr. Palmer has received many awards and accolades, having developed a patented CO2 capture process, microwave excited plasma diamond production process technology and fluid-bed drying technologies. For the last five years Dr. Palmer has been researching and analysing algae production methodologies and the production of Omega-3 oils.
Wim Vrieling
Wim Vrieling has a BSc in Civil and Environmental Engineering and is a registered European Engineer with extensive experience in civil and environmental engineering, having worked across the globe for more than 26 years with Shell plc. As a project manager for Shell, Wim was responsible for multiple maintenance, construction and design projects within the energy sector. As a member of a land value creation team for Shell, he developed and implemented a business plan for environmental remediation and value creation from legacy sites. Wim specialises in anaerobic digestion, bio-ethanol, oil crushing, combined heat & power technologies.
Andrew Collins
Andrew Collins previously worked for Panmure Gordon & Co where he worked on numerous equity fundraising and mergers & acquisitions. Andrew has extensive experience preparing companies for flotation across a variety of sectors.
Prior to joining Panmure, Andrew worked for Mott MacDonald, a global consultancy where he project managed the development of technical solutions to a broad range of businesses.
Andrew holds a Masters in Engineering from the University of Bristol and a Masters in Finance from the Cranfield School of Management.
Charlie Bosworth
Charlie Bosworth has a background in start-up business development in emerging economies and is a timber and emerging markets investment specialist. Charlie previously worked for Sunshine Technology as a member of the initial expatriate business development team, developing the company’s operations and systems capacities in Yunnan, China. Charlie holds an MA in Politics from Cambridge University.
David Rapaport
David Rapaport has a broad experience and background in business development and strategy and a deep understanding of the Philippines, his home country. David previously worked for Agricultura Philippines, where he gained significant knowledge of agriculture and the agricultural industry. David has extensive experience of venture set-up and in developing and managing early stage businesses having been responsible launching and tripling the asset base of his previous business venture. Since joining Miro David has been sourcing, developing and managing forestry and agricultural projects in the Philippines.
Alastair Wood
Alastair Wood has a background of crop production, contract farming and renewable energy. He has over thirteen years of agricultural experience in the UK, Australia and Canada. He has particular expertise in cost reduction and logistics and has also developed renewable energy projects to increase the value of harvested crops and residues. Alistair read agricultural business management at Moulton Agricultural College.
Akyaaba Addai-Sebo
Previously an independent consultant on preventative diplomacy, national development and resource mobilisation. Director of Tribute Inspirations Limited, London, UK. Former special advisor to His Excellency Amara Essy, Secretary-General of the OAU and Chairman of AU Commission. As Special Envoy of International Alert, helped to broker peace in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Appointed by President Hilla Limann as member of the Presidential Commission on Ghana-US Relations in 1981.
Mahmood Kuniyal
Mahmood is experienced in UAE labor law and has been operating in the region for over ten years. He manages all government related activities and interacts with appropriate Ministries, Departments, Municipalities and other Authorities to ensure the business and its functions comply with UAE government regulations and employment laws.
Renee Tauro
Renee Tauro has a background in human resources and executive search. She has over six years of experience in headhunting and more recently was a research consultant fulfilling board level mandates across a variety of commercial sectors. She has a post graduate in business administration from Ohio University majoring in finance and marketing with an additional degree in Human Resources. Renee is responsible for all aspects concerning the day-to-day operation and management of Miro Investor Club.
Apurv Agarwal
Apurv is a financial model architect and business valuation, economic research and risk modeling expert. Apurv is a former financial consultant to leading blue-chip companies, private equity firms, commercial and investment banks, multi-lateral bodies such as KPMG and McKinsey & Co. Apurv holds an MBA from the Indian School of Business and a B.Tech. in Engineering from Indian Institutes of Technology, Delhi.
James Maynard
James Maynard has extensive experience of risk management and remote logistics in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. James served as an Officer in the British Army before moving on to provide advisory services to governments, international organisations and multi-national corporations in a wide range of politically complex and high-risk environments. Since 2001, James has been based in East Africa advising on early stage natural resources projects in Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania and Sudan. James speaks Swahili and Nepalese.
Grahame Vetch
Grahame Vetch is an agricultural economist with over 30 years of large scale farm management experience. Grahame was previously the Country Director for Dominion Farms Ltd, a 17,000 acre Kenyan irrigated rice and fish farm. Whilst Grahame was at Dominion Farms Ltd he managed the venture setup of the farm which included project management, land levelling, weir construction, canal construction and other major farm infrastructure. Grahame is a graduate of the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, United Kingdom. Grahame is fluent in Swahili.