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Our Team

Green Transition Innovators

Experience & Innovation

Leadership Team

Nico Duursema

President and CEO

Nico Duursema is an energy business executive with experience in North and South America, Africa, and the Middle and Far East within the technology, petrochemical, transportation, mining, and oil and gas industries.


He is the CEO of the Cerilon Group of companies. Core specialty areas are low carbon energy, gas-to-liquids (GTL), renewables, bio-to-liquids (BTL), Ammonia, other downstream petrochemicals, and new technology integration. Cerilon supports global energy security with a strategic green transition energy commitment to changes toward a new energy future.


He has a BSc (Industrial Eng) from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and Honors in Business. He has an MBA from Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and concluded an Executive Leadership Development Program at Daniels College of Business, Denver, Colorado, USA. 

Nico serves on Cerilon’s corporate boards and as Chairman of the Cerilon Kingdom Fund. He is a member of the Canadian Energy Executive Association (CEEA) and has served for three years as CEEA board governor. Nico is the founder of the Global XTL Summit enabling the growth of anything to liquids (XTL).


Believes in Ownership, Leadership, Stewardship, and Excellence.

Ron Opperman

CEO Cerilon GTL

Ron has more than 35 years of industry experience in managing and leading complex businesses at the executive level. Ron is skilled in managing a wide range of business functions including sales and marketing; supply chain; health, safety, environment; research and development and project management.

Ron has managed international businesses in real Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous (VUCA) environments. He was based in the Middle East for 11 years leading diverse, multicultural teams. As CEO, Ron managed a petrochemical business with annual revenues of USD $800 million.

Ron has broad experience in various chemical industries including gas, petrochemicals, metallurgy, and water treatment. He was also responsible for the development of business strategies, supply chain design and enterprise resource planning business systems for a multi-billion project based in the US. Ron has also served as the COO of ND Ventures, Cerilon’s project management and execution arm.

He holds an MBA from North-West University in South Africa.

Peter Farkas

CFO & EVP Finance and Legal

Peter is a Calgary native and University of British Columbia commerce and law graduate and has spent more than 35 years in senior executive financial, operations and legal roles throughout western Canada.

Peter is a strategic executive with practical executive leadership and business development work experience in various industries: oil and gas, mining, energy services, manufacturing, investment, real estate, pipelines, petrochemicals, transportation, and food production. Often advising businesses through critical growth stages, including through corporate mergers and acquisitions, his knowledge from CFO, operational and legal perspectives guide significant decisions.

Peter is an active member of the Alberta Bar and is an entrepreneur. Peter brings a synthesis of analysis and effective execution for truly unique solutions. He is the quintessential corporate problem solver who controls legal risk while ushering complex projects, business development, and growth scenarios to successful completion.

Jacques Botha

VP Project & Business Services

Jacques has more than 30 years of experience in all phases of project development and implementation, with a specific focus on project services. This includes estimating, project controls, document management, human resources, and information technology both from the corporate office and field
locations working within various cultures.

Jacques has executed projects in South Africa, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, and Canada with values up to USD $14 billion. He has experience in oil refining, mining and ore processing, in-situ heavy oil facilities, LNG, and oil pipelines. Jacques has extensive coal- and gas-to-liquids and oilsands experience working in both owner and engineering firms.

Jacques has a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering, a Master’s in Industrial Engineering, and an Honours in Business Administration.

Rochelle Harding

Director Sustainability & Engagement

Rochelle has more than 20 years of experience as a regulatory affairs and environmental assessment specialist. Her work includes permitting in multiple jurisdictions and industries; developing and implementing strategies to manage regulatory, stakeholder, and environmental issues; stakeholder engagement; and Indigenous consultation. Rochelle has experience in major energy projects from concept development through to operations.

Rochelle has experience working on projects that require extensive environmental and socio-economic issues management due to their location in sensitive environments, potential risks or specific stakeholder concerns including work on multiple in-situ oil sands developments, large pipeline projects, LNG facilities, flood mitigation structures, and carbon capture and sequestration projects. Rochelle also has experience as an air quality assessment specialist.

Rochelle has a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and an M.Sc. in Biochemical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan.

Charlotte Collett

Director, Human Resources

Charlotte is an experienced leader in CHRO and VP roles, with 25 years’ experience in a breadth of industries with significant experience in multiple segments of the energy industry. Charlotte’s career has been uniquely balanced between specialized skills in the areas of talent management, leadership development and compensation, complemented by practice and application as a generalist and HR business partner.  

Charlotte has an established track record of delivering results in challenging environments including start up environments as well as financially distressed organizations. In her role as a senior executive of a start-up organization in an early high growth industry, she led the accelerated talent strategy and workforce enablement ahead of the company’s Initial Public Offering.

Charlotte has a Bachelor of Commerce and is a Chartered Professional in Human Resources.

Renelle Bryden

CONTROLLER

Renelle has over 20 years of expertise in upstream/midstream oil and gas accounting and finance. Areas of expertise include internal and external reporting, performance management, governance & regulatory reporting, treasury, and project management.

Renelle was responsible for preparing consolidated financial statements for Nexen, a Canadian company with worldwide operations. She is adept at providing high-level analysis to enhance decision-making, strengthen internal controls and facilitate process improvements while incorporating and suitably weighing operational, corporate, administrative, and accounting goals.

She was responsible for cash management activities, including forecasting cash flow, a foreign exchange program of over one billion annually, investments averaging three hundred million, and short-term borrowing. Renelle is a Chartered Professional Accountant of Canada. 

Jeff Pendrel

General Counsel

Jeff brings over 20 years of energy experience in upstream and downstream areas.  Prior to joining Cerilon in February 2023, he served as VP of Legal and Commercial for a large international energy company with assets under management in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, the North Sea, and West Africa.  

In addition to Jeff’s legal background, he brings broad commercial experience, having led an international energy marketing business unit that managed over 250K bpd in production.  

Jeff holds a Bachelor of Management from the University of Lethbridge, a J.D. from the University of Saskatchewan, and an MBA from the University of Cambridge.  

Nico Duursema

President and CEO

Nico Duursema

Nico has been a leader in the global energy business for over 32 years with roles in North and South America, Africa, and the Middle and Far East within the petrochemical, transportation, mining, and oil and gas industries.

As President and CEO of Cerilon, Nico's core areas of specialty are low carbon, gas-to-liquid (GTL), renewables, bio-to-liquids (BTL), and downstream petrochemicals. For over a decade, Cerilon has helped to grow global energy security with an approach that is strategic, courageous, intentional, and sustainable. Nico is committed to helping businesses lead changes toward a new energy future with success and purpose.

Nico has a BSc in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, along with Honors in Business. He is also a cum laude graduate with an MBA from Stellenbosch University in South Africa and a graduate of the Executive Leadership Development Program at Daniels College of Business, Denver, Colorado, USA. Nico is the founder and executive chairman of the Global XTL Summit supporting the growth of anything to liquids (XTL).

Ron Opperman

CEO Cerilon GTL

Ron Opperman

Ron has more than 35 years industry experience at managing and leading complex businesses at the executive level. Ron is skilled in managing a wide range of business functions including sales and marketing; supply chain; health, safety, environment; research and development and project management.

Ron has managed international businesses in real Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous (VUCA) environments. He was based in the Middle-East for 11 years leading diverse, multi-cultural teams. As CEO, Ron managed a petrochemical business with annual revenues of USD $800 million.

Ron has broad experience in various in chemical industries including gas, petrochemicals, metallurgy, and water treatment. He was also responsible for the development of business strategies, supply chain design and enterprise resource planning business systems for a multi-billion project based in the US. Ron has also served as the COO of ND Ventures, Cerilon’s project management and execution arm.

He holds an MBA from North-West University in South Africa.

Peter Farkas

CFO and EVP Finance and Legal

Peter Farkas

Peter is a Calgary native and University of British Columbia commerce and law graduate and has spent more than 35 years in senior executive financial, operations and legal roles throughout western Canada.

Peter is a strategic executive with practical executive leadership and business development work experience in various industries: oil and gas, mining, energy services, manufacturing, investment, real estate, pipelines, petrochemicals, transportation, and food production. Often advising businesses through critical growth stages, including through corporate mergers and acquisitions, his knowledge from CFO, operational and legal perspectives guide the significant decisions.

Peter is an active member of the Alberta Bar and is an entrepreneur. Peter brings a synthesis of analysis and effective execution for truly unique solutions. He is the quintessential corporate problem solver who controls legal risk while ushering complex projects, business development, and growth scenarios to successful completion.

Jacques Botha

VP Project and Business Services

Jacques Botha

Jacques has more than 30 years of experience in all phases of project development and implementation, with a specific focus on project services. This includes estimating, project controls, document management, human resources, and information technology both from the corporate office and field locations working within various cultures.

Jacques has executed projects in South Africa, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, and Canada with values up to USD $14 billion. He has experience in oil refining, mining and ore processing, in-situ heavy oil facilities, LNG, and oil pipelines. Jacques has extensive coal- and gas-to-liquids and oilsands experience working in both owner and engineering firms.

Jacques has a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering, a Master’s in Industrial Engineering, and an Honours in Business Administration.

Rochelle Harding

Director Sustainability and Engagement

Rochelle Harding

Rochelle has more than 20 years of experience as a regulatory affairs and environmental assessment specialist. Her work includes permitting in multiple jurisdictions and industries; developing and implementing strategies to manage regulatory, stakeholder, and environmental issues; stakeholder engagement; and Indigenous consultation. Rochelle has experience on major energy projects from concept development through to operations.

Rochelle has experience working on projects that require extensive environmental and socio-economic issues management due to their location in sensitive environments, potential risks or specific stakeholder concerns including work on multiple in-situ oil sands developments, large pipeline projects, LNG facilities, flood mitigation structures, and carbon capture and sequestration projects. Rochelle also has experience as an air quality assessment specialist.

Rochelle has a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and an M.Sc. in Biochemical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan.

Kellie Donohue

Director, Human Resources

Kellie Donohue

With a Master's degree in Leadership, Certified Human Resources Leader designation and Psychosocial Health & Safety Advisor standing, Kellie is skilled in relationship building, communicating with diverse audiences and applying the lessons of the past to create a healthy future.

Kellie has 20 years of corporate HR experience, supporting all levels of an organization. She has worked with oil & gas services, professional services, Indigenous organizations, construction, veterinary clinics and a low-income housing board. Kellie specializes in developing and implementing HR teams, along with civility programs, organizational reviews, coaching, and developing and conducting the training that minimizes risk, builds respect and improves the bottom line.

Advisory Board

Cerilon’s Leadership Team is supported by an Advisory Board comprised of distinguished leaders from business, finance, government and industry worldwide. The Advisory Board meets with Cerilon’s Leadership Team regularly to provide strategic advice and direction.