OUR PEOPLE
FOUNDING DIRECTOR
ROBERT DOWNEY
Rob was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Western Australia in December 1999. In 2001 Rob joined Blakiston & Crabb, an independent resource/corporate/commercial law firm based in Perth. While at Blakiston & Crabb, Rob specialised in advising oil and gas and mining companies in relation to a wide range of legal issues, including initial public offerings; prospectuses for equity and debt raisings, takeovers and reverse takeovers, schemes of arrangement and other types of corporate transactions.
Rob also developed an expertise advising both Australian and foreign incorporated entities on dual listings and cross jurisdiction capital raising and listing rule advice particularly with respect to the TSX-V and AIM markets. Following this experience Rob acted as General Counsel for a Canadian oil and gas exploration and production company with assets in Europe and Africa overseeing the dual listing on the TSX-V and AIM, the raising of £50 million and the subsequent takeover of the company by way of scheme of arrangement.
After practicing in this area for many years, Rob established a small corporate advisory firm during 2005 and was involved with the IPO listings of various mining and oil and gas companies on the ASX as well as many dual listed companies. Rob has held, and continues to hold, directorships of many publicly listed companies and regularly advises board of issues of governance and strategy.
Rob is currently focused on climate change, carbon credits, energy and commercial law at his firm Dominion Legal. He specialises in providing advice to a range of public and private companies on the decarbonisation journey and the manifestation of that into ESG obligations. Rob was the inspiration for developing the Quenda rover.
DOUG MENZIE (1962-2023)
Doug believed in helping humanity and the planet. A true visionary with an enormous heart, it was his mission to create sustainable, energy-efficient, affordable housing and a meaningful and effective project to address climate change and with that, the launch of Quenda. Sadly, Doug passed away and we are heartbroken that he didn't get to see his dream realised. We are committed to making sure this venture and Doug's vision is realised.
Doug grew up in the midwest of Western Australia, where he developed the most unique ability to fuse practical problem solving to design and manufacture the most practical and ingenious automated machines.
Fulfilling his life-long ambition to start his own business, Doug launched MZ3 in 2005 after years of working for Australia’s largest engineering and manufacturing companies. Establishing a welded steel frame plant from scratch, recruiting 20 people to supply 51 welded steel framed house kits for Tom Price. Simultaneously building a crew of 14 trades, running consecutive shifts, producing timber wall frames, roof and floor trusses, whilst developing several productivity enhancing machines for in-house use. .
MZ3 develops automated plant and machinery for other manufacturing operations in Australia ranging from timber to steel processing and regenerative agriculture.
Doug’s unique visionary skills and capacity to find earth-centred solutions paired with a great sense of altruism, has been the driver behind developing Quenda. We need more people like Doug on this planet - he is forever in our hearts and we miss him dearly.
DONALEA PATMAN OAM
Donalea has a background in corporate business with more than 25 years experience in corporate communications for both Australian and International companies. Her first senior position was Director (at the age of 24) for a design group owned by Australian public company Elders Resources. She is now a company director, practicing designer, animal advocate and lead figure in working with the Australian Federal Government in addressing the plight of wildlife. Launching For the Love of Wildlife Ltd in early 2014 to create a professional platform to campaign for wildlife, an Australian registered charity with deductible tax status.
Donalea worked with the Australian Federal Government in banning the importation of lion trophies and body parts – a direct response to the cruel and barbaric industry of canned hunting. This global first was followed by other countries. She's the driver in addressing the unregulated domestic trade in ivory and rhino horn in Australia, hosting Australia’s very first ivory and rhino horn destruction event on World Wildlife Day 2017 which gained international press and triggered a Parliamentary Inquiry. The Australian Government committed to ending domestic trade in 2019, announced in Geneva at CITES CoP.
Donalea's vision is to create one of the biggest rewilding projects on the planet to address the current extinction crisis and mitigate the climate emergency (For the Love of Wildlife is a Global Rewilding Alliance member). Creating mass recovery of ecosystems and biodiversity is why Quenda is pivotal for our future.
Donalea was named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2017 and awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her work in conservation.
