Principals, Senior Management and Associates

Dr Glenn Dale – Managing Director

Glenn has over twenty years experience in forestry spanning roles as a field forester, researcher, company director and consultant.  His early career was in tropical forest inventory and management before returning to University to undertake doctoral studies in molecular genetics and tree breeding.  

On completion of his PhD, Glenn undertook postdoctoral research in the US.  He returned to Australia as the Technical Manager of a private forestry biotechnology company where he was responsible for several large commercial forest biotechnology research projects.  He subsequently established his own consulting company, Tree Crop Technologies Pty Ltd, before establishing Saltgrow Pty Ltd in partnership with Yates Ltd to continue development of clonal eucalypt hybrids bred for salt and drought tolerance, and to undertake commercialization of this technology.  

Glenn’s work on Saltgrow hybrids was nominated as a finalist for the inaugural Institution of Engineers Australia National Salinity Prize in 2002, and was runner up in the 2004 Australian Museum Eureka Science Prize for Industry.

Glenn combines detailed technical knowledge in tree breeding, clonal propagation and forest biotechnology, with operational forest management expertise and substantial legal and commercial experience.  He has international experience working in the United States, New Zealand, Brazil, England, Spain, Portugal, Columbia, Malaysia, and China.  

He has held the position of Adjunct Senior Lecturer at Southern Cross University, and is currently appointed to the Plant Breeders Rights Ministerial Advisory Committee.

Glenn holds a BSc with Honours in Forestry, a BSc in Biochemistry from the Australian National University and a PhD in molecular and quantitative genetics of forest trees from the University of Queensland, and a MBA from Queensland University of Technology.

View Brief CV

Eng Huat Lee – Chairman

Eng Huat Lee (Lee), Executive Chairman of Tree Crop Technologies, has over 25 years experience in creating and growing Technology businesses around the world.

In 1987, Lee was the Chief Executive Officer and a major shareholder of Australian Software Innovations Pty Ltd, a Sydney based high technology company pioneering in systems security, performance management and capacity planning.  The company originated in Australia and operated globally, eventually listing on the US Nasdaq in 1996.  Under Lee’s stewardship, the company grew from an start-up venture to become a major player in consulting and middleware with subsidiary and distribution offices in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Boston, Houston, London, Dusseldorf, Bangkok, Philippines and Jakarta.

In 1999 Lee was appointed Managing Director of Deakin Software Services.  In 2000, he changed the company’s name to Callista Software Services and grew the business very substantially in three years.  During the course of his tenure, Callista won six accounts from six consecutive tenders.

Concurrently now as Chairman and founder of S1 Consulting & Software Services since 2003, Lee has focused on building a consulting firm specialising in the education industry.  S1 is now investing significantly in technology that can further enhance and facilitate the process of philanthropy in Higher Education in Australia.

As Executive Chairman of Tree Crop Technologies, Lee is guiding the company in delivering professional consulting, plantation management and technology services to the mining, forestry, environmental and equity investment sectors, particularly in the areas of by-product water reuse and greenhouse gas reductions by way of forest sequestration.  Lee aims to see Tree CropTechnologies play a key role in preparing companies for the Australian Emissions Trading Scheme to be introduced in 2010.

Lee holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics from the Australian National University.

Ian Robb –General Manager Forestry & Cropping

Ian holds a BSc Forestry from the ANU (1977) and has twenty-seven years of experience in Queensland commercial plantation and native forest management.

Prior to joining Tree Crop Technologies, Ian was General Manager Hoop Pine with Forestry Plantations Queensland, Queensland’s principal commercial plantation grower and marketer.  His role involved dealing with a plantation estate of 45,000 hectares with a harvest turnover of 450,000m3 per annum.

Ian has an extensive knowledge of tropical, subtropical and dryland forest practice undertaking management roles in areas including the Wet Tropics, Fraser Island, Central and South-east Queensland.

In 1999, as General Manger Hardwoods, Ian implemented the south-east Queensland Hardwood Plantation Program, a 10,000 hectare investment to provide an alternative resource to native forest harvesting.  The success of the project was due to the development of innovative dry land plantation silvicultural strategies.

Ian has an extensive network of Forest Industry contacts a comprehensive technical knowledge of forest management particularly commercial plantation forestry, forest policy and the legislative platform that effects forest management in Queensland. 

He has worked with three major Queensland energy producers to evaluate plantation based bio-fuel and carbon store projects.

Ian brings a substantial body of forestry project management, business planning, policy development, risk management and forest management expertise to Tree Crop Technologies.

Neil Halpin – Operations Manager

Neil holds a Graduate Certificate in Applied Science Rural Extension from the University of Queensland.  He has over 40 years of experience in all aspects of native forest management, plantation operations delivery, rural extension, and forest research.  
Neil was awarded the Queensland Public Service Medal in 2003 for his services to the forest industry.

Neil had 12 years continuous operational involvement in the development of the Queensland Government Hardwood Plantation initiative from its inception in 1996.  During this time he was responsible for the establishment of over 10,000 ha of new hardwood plantations.  Neil was instrumental in pioneering the domestication of new species and plantation management practices for this program.

In addition to his operational roles, Neil has been active in the community consultation processes and network development that was necessary to initiate and develop hardwood plantation forestry as a new industry in south-east Queensland.

Neil has a detailed understanding of soils capability for commercial plantation forestry and has developed specialist tools and silvicultural systems for successful dry land hardwood plantation establishment.

Neil brings an extensive knowledge of forest research, native forest management, rural extension, and operational management experience to Tree Crop Technologies.

Dan Rattray – Manager Soils & Environment

Dan holds a Bachelor of Civil Technology Degree, a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering and a Masters of Environmental Engineering. Dan is a member of the Australian Society of Soil Science Incorporated (ASSSI) and the Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand (MSSANZ).

Dan is an experienced environmental engineer and has an extensive background in soil science, hydrology and water quality, and has specialist skills in the area of soil water hydrology.

Dan spent his early career in state government and spent a combined 10 years in a number of roles. He started in the water resource planning area and helped developed a number of systems to manage water resource data and modelling tools. This work allowed Dan to develop a thorough knowledge of the water industry and government legislation.

He later moved into research, and managed field monitoring programs and modelling projects in the natural resource management areas including; catchment hydrologic and climate modelling, feedlot effluent disposal management, pesticide fate monitoring and salinity management. Through this wide range work experience he has developed a national network of industry, government and community contacts.

Most recently, Dan has spent 3 years in the consultancy sector and has completed projects in the mining, gas, infrastructure and natural resource management industries. Dan has conducted projects in the areas of land use impacts on water quality and salinity processes, environmental impact studies, and environmental management plans. Dan joined Tree Crop Technologies in 2009.

Fred Langford – Forest Manager

Fred Langford commenced with the Queensland Department of Forestry in 1970. Fred has had 39 years of experience, working in the exotic, hoop pine and hardwood plantation sectors. His work experiences span all aspects of intensive plantation management including site planning, establishment, maintenance, resource assessment and estate issues including fire protection and wildfire response.

Fred has been a key member of the Queensland Governments Hardwood Plantation program since 1997. The program had carriage of the Queensland governments commitment to establish 20,000 hectares of hardwood plantations in South east Queensland.

Fred contributed to the development of 11,000 hectares of greenfield plantations specifically managing contractors and nurseries and extensive negotiations with landowners in the delivery of plantations.

Fred played a critical role in the development of new dry land silvicultural techniques that enabled plantations to be established under drought conditions in the 600 to 800 mm rainfall belt of subtropical Queensland Fred joined Tree Crop Technologies Plantation management group in 2009 and is responsible for field operations delivery in Tree Crop Technologies irrigated plantation projects.

Tom Condon – Senior Engineer

Tom is a civil engineer with over 30 years of engineering and management experience.

His qualifications are BE, M Eng Sc, Grad Dip Bus Admin. Tom worked for over 20 years in the Design Branch of The Department of Works, Brisbane City Council, including considerable time as the engineer in charge of the hydraulics section and ten years as Engineering Design Branch Head.

This included responsibility for the engineering functions of local drainage design, catchment and flood plain management, hydrometric measurement, creek studies, flood emergency warnings, cadastral and engineering surveying, structural design and traffic design and management.

He has lectured at undergraduate level, including soil mechanics and groundwater, and business statistics.

Susan Dale – Financial Controller

Susan holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemistry and a Diploma of Education specialising in mathematics.  Sue has managed Tree Crop Technologies finances since its inception in 1999. 

From 2003 to 2004, Susan was Treasurer of DebRA Queensland, a not-for profit charity working on behalf of people with the genetic skin blistering condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).

Susan has taught secondary school mathematics in Bundaberg and Brisbane, and spent a year as Head of Mathematics at St Josephs Catholic College, Tenaru in the Solomon Islands.

Susan worked as an analytical chemist in toxicology and food commodities from 1991 to 1994 before heading a soil science laboratory at North Carolina State University in the United States.

Susan’s background in analytical chemistry and soil science, combined with her skills in mathematics and finance management provide a unique understanding of the technical and financial dimensions of the business.

Brett Hill – Project Accountant

Brett holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Qld.

Brett has a chartered accounting background, commencing his career with Coopers & Lybrand in Brisbane and completing his Professional Year with Pannell Kerr Forster in Sydney. He also has experience in a variety of commercial positions, initially as the taxation accountant with AGL and most recently as the Financial Controller for Dstore.

Brett joined Tree Crop Technologies in 2010. 

Associates

Tu Nguyen – GIS Specialist

Tu holds a Bachelor of Science in Surveying and a Bachelor of Information Technology from Queensland University of Technology.  He has been involved with the spatial industry for over 15 years and has 10 years experience in forestry related mapping and surveying work.  He also has over 10 years experience in managing spatial systems for natural resource management and planning.

Tu has worked with Government Agencies such the Department of Natural Resources, Forestry Plantations Queensland and the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries. 

He has gained extensive knowledge in providing strategic and technical support and advice on GIS (Geographical Information Systems), GPS (Global Positioning Systems) and Surveying systems.