Learn more about Bombora

Overview

A culture of innovation has propelled Bombora since mWave™’s inception in a farm barn in Perth, Western Australia. Today, thanks to exceptional people, we are delivering a blueprint for multi megawatt scale, reliable and competitive wave energy converter technology.

Founded in 2012 in Perth Western Australia, Bombora is an award-winning ocean energy company. Bombora has established its European operations in Pembrokeshire, Wales in the heart of a dynamic, wave and tidal energy focused region and is currently progressing the 1.5MW mWave™ Pembrokeshire Demonstration Project supported by ERDF funding through the Welsh Government.

Bombora’s innovative mWave™ product produces environmentally friendly, consistent and cost competitive energy for commercial power generation in coastal locations throughout the world.

Bombora’s core business is the supply of the key mWaveTM components, the cell modules and Power Take Off unit. Individual project requirements will determine what additional products and services Bombora would supply. The project delivery package could be a combination of any of or all of the following: product, project development services, engineering consulting, operations and maintenance management services.

Bombora can deliver wave energy as a true alternative to complement today’s renewable energy mix.

The Team
Corporate History
Strategic Partners
Community Outreach

Management Team

The breadth of experience, expertise, and proven track record of Bombora’s board and management team is commensurate with the demands of a successful technology developer and service provider to the energy sector.

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Sam Leighton, Managing Director

Sam has over 30 years experience developing emergent technologies globally. As an accomplished international business executive, Sam has held senior management positions at Orbital Engine Company (Australia), Walbro Corporation (USA), Aprilia Motorcycles (Italy), and UCAL Fuel Systems (India). Sam’s knowledge of global markets has resulted in successful launches of products into USA, Italy and India. Most recently he was the General Manager at Advanced Braking Technology Ltd.

Sam has a passion for technology commercialisation and business growth and has great depth of experience and knowledge in the development of technologies, extraction and protection of Intellectual Property, sourcing of development partners and technology licensees and technology transfer.
Sam holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Western Australia and holds multiple patents in automotive fuel injection and brake systems.

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James Thadchanamoorthy, Chief Financial Officer

James has 25 years commercial and finance experience and spent 10 years as a company director. James began his career in banking, before moving to BP where he spent over 10 years in a variety of commercial finance roles across the energy spectrum. These included a stint in Mergers and Acquisitions and a role as Financial Director in BP Alternative Energy – the renewable energy business unit.

In 2011, James decided to take his vast corporate expertise to the SME space, and has since served as CFO for a number of early-stage businesses including AIM-listed and private companies. He is focussed on supporting strategy development and overseeing mergers and acquisitions activity, bringing an astute commercial approach – along with all-important financial rigour – to growing businesses. James holds a BSc in Chemistry from Exeter University and is a qualified chartered account (CIMA).

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Cam Algie, Chief Technical Officer

Cam oversees the research and development of Bombora’s mWaveTM technology. Responsible for converter design coordination, modelling and analysis, Cam works closely with a range of wave energy experts globally to lead Bombora’s device performance development.

Cam has significant project experience previously working as a successful entrepreneur in the West Australian minerals industry. Prior to this, Cam’s work within the maritime industry provided him with valuable practical experience of marine mechanical systems in ocean environments.

Cam is currently utilizing the latest in modelling technology to adapt mWave to a broad range of real-world environments, and to support detailed engineering of mWave for specific project sites.

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Dave Rigg, Chief Operating Officer

Dave is a decisive, innovative and energetic business executive, with extensive experience in the marine energy sector.

As the COO he is responsible for the day to day running of the business and the overall delivery of the mWave device. He has 17 years of leadership & management experience, 8 years as an officer in the Royal Engineers and 9 years running businesses and engineering teams developing tidal energy technology.

Prior to joining Bombora Dave was the Project Director for the world’s largest tidal energy project. In this role, he built and led a multi-functional team that designed, manufactured, and operated a 1.5MW turbine that now sets the global standard for this technology. His experience in the industry provides him with an unparalleled understanding of the technical, operational and commercial issues related to developing novel marine power generation plant. Dave is well versed to steering engineering teams through the many design conundrums typical of these projects. He is also acutely aware of the challenges associated with manufacturing one-off builds to the exacting quality standards that are essential to the successful operation of marine energy devices.

Dave holds a Masters of Engineering from Oxford University and an MBA from Southampton University.

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Madeline Cowley, Head of Projects

Madeline is Head of Projects for the mWave demonstration project to deploy a 1.5MW device off the coast of Pembrokeshire. She is responsible for the delivery of the project to time and budget.

She has spent her career working in the renewable energy industry. Prior to Bombora she has project managed the Pembrokeshire Wave Energy Demonstration Zone feasibility project. She has been responsible for the development and consenting several gigawatts of renewable energy projects including solar, onshore and offshore wind farm projects.

Board of Directors

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Andrew Buglass

Chairperson

Andrew Buglass, Non-Executive Director

Andrew Buglass has specialised in the energy sector since 1992, holding senior roles with investors and banks including Royal Bank of Scotland, ING Bank, PowerGen plc and Unocal Corporation. His experience spans energy projects in over 30 countries, across all proven and many emerging power generation technologies, covering all stages of the development cycle. In recent years he has focused in particular on the funding and commercialisation of newer energy technologies and solutions.

Andrew led the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Energy and Infrastructure finance team until 2014. Since then, he has held a portfolio of non-executive directorships in the electricity sector. He also runs an active consultancy practice, which advises companies and investors facing the rapid changes and opportunities of the energy transition.

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Bart van de Ven

Non-Executive Director

Bart van de Ven, Non-Executive Director

Bart has 35 years of experience working in start-ups, business development and commercial roles within the energy and services industry across Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Bart is currently the owner of Bay Venture which focusses on responsible partnering with entrepreneurs, investors and academia to achieve agreed business results. He supports innovative business ventures with a focus on the energy and services industries in under-served markets with high growth potential. Bay Venture looks to transform innovative business ideas into robust businesses with supporting strategies, business models, funding structures, deal making and revenue streams.

Bart was previously the Head of Business Development for Shell Technology Consulting & Licensing with responsibility for India and Vietnam. Bart is the Nominee Director for Enzen Global Limited on Bombora’s Board.

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Allyn Wasley

Non-Executive Director

Allyn Wasley, Non-Executive Director

Allyn has over 15 years as a senior executive and 10 years as a company director of domestic and international companies primarily focused in the agri-business sector in the South-East Asian region. Before joining Bombora, Allyn held the position of General Manager of Strategy and Business Development at CBH, Australia’s largest co-operative and a leading agribusiness. Prior to that he held the executive roles of Company Secretary and Chief Financial Officer.

With a strong financial and strategic background supported by broad involvement in merger and acquisition activities in Australia and South East Asia, Allyn is well positioned to support the full value realisation of Bombora.

Allyn holds a Bachelor of Business at Curtin University, Post Grad Diploma Management at Curtin University and is a Graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors.

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Yasuo Suzuki

Non-Executive Director

Yasuo Suzuki, Non-Executive Director

Yasuo joined Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. in 1991 and has over 30 years of experiences in the shipping field.

He started his carrier with the Finance Division, and worked in the sales of Car Carriers and Steaming Coal Carrier afterword.

From 2011 to 2015, he led logistics and terminal operations for completed vehicles in Chennai, India, contributing to the development of the country and the company.

Yasuo shifted his focus to overlooking the whole business of the company, which is a variety of social infrastructure businesses, centered on marine transport.

Now in Corporate Marketing Division, he is working on new business fields and marketing activities that aim to break away from existing activities.

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Sam Leighton

Managing Director

Sam Leighton, Managing Director

Sam has over 30 years experience developing emergent technologies globally. As an accomplished international business executive, Sam has held senior management positions at Orbital Engine Company (Australia), Walbro Corporation (USA), Aprilia Motorcycles (Italy), and UCAL Fuel Systems (India). Sam’s knowledge of global markets has resulted in successful launches of products into USA, Italy and India. Most recently he was the General Manager at Advanced Braking Technology Ltd.

Sam has a passion for technology commercialisation and business growth and has great depth of experience and knowledge in the development of technologies, extraction and protection of Intellectual Property, sourcing of development partners and technology licensees and technology transfer.
Sam holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Western Australia and holds multiple patents in automotive fuel injection and brake systems.

Corporate History

Founded in 2012, Bombora has rapidly progressed mWave from an innovative concept into a ground breaking new marine energy technology. These are the key milestones achieved along  the pathway to commercialisation.

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Strategic Partners

Community Engagement

Bombora is passionate about ensuring the holistic development of its projects. Our company aims to provide clean renewable electricity to communities in a way that will provide maximum benefit for generations to come.

Comprehensive environmental planning, heritage protection and community engagement is central to this vision. We undertake strict environmental approval processes and conduct rigorous stakeholder and community consultation for all of our projects.

Our company is named after an Australian aboriginal word “bombora”, meaning an area of large sea waves breaking over a shallow reef some distance from the shore. Founded in Perth, Western Australia, we are proud of our heritage and connection to Aboriginal Australia and recognise Noongar people as traditional custodians of the land on which we were founded.

Nidja Noongar Boodjar Noonook Nyininy – We acknowledge that Bombora was situated on Whadjuk Noongar country.

Pembroke Dock Harlequins Youth Team Sponsorship

Bombora Challenge Weekend 2019: Click here to find out more about our engineering and sporting STEM challenge weekend

Pembrokeshire College STEM Challenge Team