Our Team
Management
Graeme Lempriere | CEO, President and Director
Graeme is a corporate and financial entrepreneur with many years of senior management experience in both the public and private sector. He is the founder and CEO of Marvelle Capital Group a private business development and venture management company that invests capital and management expertise into innovative early and mid-stage companies. Prior to founding Marvelle, Graeme was responsible for company restructuring, marketing, primary financings and market development for mid-tier companies. He has held senior executive positions and served on the board of several public companies dealing in the international market, including mining, engineering groups, leisure industry and real estate development.
In 2006 Marvelle founded Vesco Agricultural Technologies Inc. and acquired the worldwide exclusive rights to a unique patented No-Till seeding technology. Widespread research into No-Till farming, in addition to evaluating countries with agriculture production challenges, solidified the compelling need for new initiatives and change that ultimately set Graeme on a course to play a meaningful role in this ecological movement.
Graeme and a dedicated team of like-minded professionals launched Clean Seed Capital Group, acquired the assets of Vesco, and set Clean Seed on a path mandated to have a meaningful and sustainable effect on the current system.
Dr. Kwesi Opoku-Debrah, PhD | VP, International Agricultural Development & Director, Vesco Agricultural Technologies
A highly accomplished scholar, educator and entrepreneur, Dr. Opoku-Debrah holds degrees in agricultural economics, international agriculture, and adult, continuing and extension education from Cornell University, USA, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana.
Among his many achievements, career highlights include serving as the Agricultural Team Leader of Evaluations for World Vision and USAID, local consultant to the World Bank and the Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development, and he has worked in similar capacities with a number of other major NGO and governmental institutions that specialize in providing development aid to African nations.
Prior to joining Clean Seed Capital and Vesco, Dr. Opoku-Debrah's most recent assignment was Regional Technical Advisor at the Central Africa Region Office for Agriculture and Environment of the Catholic Relief Services. In this role, Dr. Opoku-Debrah was part of an agriculture proposal review team and was responsible for the coordination and implementation of a No-Tillage Agriculture program funded by the Howard Buffett Foundation. Dr. Opoku-Debrah has been a strong advocate for No Tillage Farming and Sustainable Agriculture for more than 30 years and has extensive practical experience in Africa and North America.
Steven Brassard, CA | Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Steven Brassard is a Chartered Accountant with a Master Degree in Professional Accounting. Steven provides accounting and financial consulting services to public and private enterprises, enhancing their internal controls, financial systems, corporate governance practices and, where applicable, regulatory compliance.
Steven has provided International Financial Reporting Standards consulting services to a wide range of public companies on the major Canadian stock exchanges. Steven has a diverse professional understanding of the green energy, junior mining, medical hardware, hospitality and environmental resource sectors.
Gord Wilson, AScT | CTO and Manufacturing Manager
Gord is a technology professional with more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing and product development. He has a diverse technical background ranging from consumer products to industrial equipment, most recently in the Power Generation industry, and brings to the Clean Seed team a wide range of business experience, technical knowledge and a track record of meeting financial objectives.
Gord's background includes extensive experience in product design and development utilizing 3D CAD tools, vendor/OEM sourcing, production management, facilities design and equipment specification, as well as providing a technical perspective to support business development. Gord is a strong advocate for the advancement of "green" technology to achieve sustainable development and address growing environmental degradation.
Lehla Moran, CGA | Corporate Secretary and Controller
Lehla is a certified general accountant with experience working with both private and public companies in industries such as forestry, electronic technology and real estate development. Lehla has a strong background with private and public companies as both CFO for the Marvelle Group of companies and as a controller of three public companies.
Her combined management and accounting experience has given her exposure to a variety of business environments as well as business development situations. Lehla is also a certified holistic nutritionist, her passion for natural health and overall commitment to the wellbeing of our planet became the cornerstone of her commitment to support our initiatives in sustainable agriculture.
Ward Jensen | Director, Corporate Communications and Director
Ward Jensen has more than 15 years of experience in corporate communications and marketing for both public and private companies. He has developed dynamic market awareness programs through investor relations, marketing communications and corporate development.
Mr. Jensen's family owns and operates 2 major wheat and cattle farming operations in Southern Saskatchewan and he and his family provide a wealth of knowledge to the ongoing efforts of Clean Seed Capital Group.
Board of Directors
Graeme Lempriere | CEO, President and Director
Graeme is a corporate and financial entrepreneur with many years of senior management experience in both the public and private sector. He is the founder and CEO of Marvelle Capital Group a private business development and venture management company that invests capital and management expertise into innovative early and mid-stage companies. Prior to founding Marvelle, Graeme was responsible for company restructuring, marketing, primary financings and market development for mid-tier companies. He has held senior executive positions and served on the board of several public companies dealing in the international market, including mining, engineering groups, leisure industry and real estate development.
In 2006 Marvelle founded Vesco Agricultural Technologies Inc. and acquired the worldwide exclusive rights to a unique patented No-Till seeding technology. Widespread research into No-Till farming, in addition to evaluating countries with agriculture production challenges, solidified the compelling need for new initiatives and change that ultimately set Graeme on a course to play a meaningful role in this ecological movement.
Graeme and a dedicated team of like-minded professionals launched Clean Seed Capital Group, acquired the assets of Vesco, and set Clean Seed on a path mandated to have a meaningful and sustainable effect on the current system.
Mark Tommasi | Director
Mr. Tommasi, a former investment advisor, has been a director and officer of a number of public and private companies both in the United States and Canada. With approximately 15 years involvement with public companies, he has garnered extensive experience in the management of junior companies.
Ward Jensen | Director, Corporate Communications and Director
Ward Jensen has more than 15 years of experience in corporate communications and marketing for both public and private companies. He has developed dynamic market awareness programs through investor relations, marketing communications and corporate development.
Mr. Jensen's family owns and operates 2 major wheat and cattle farming operations in Southern Saskatchewan and he and his family provide a wealth of knowledge to the ongoing efforts of Clean Seed Capital Group.
Jason Birmingham | Director
Jason has 20 years of industry experience as founder/principal, senior officer, director or financier of numerous private and public company startups, most recently green energy. During this time, Jason has been involved with all aspects of management, finance, board and committee activities, project generation, negotiation and acquisition.
Most recently he co-founded Woodville Pellet Corp for the exclusive purpose of establishing a pellet plant in south central Ontario; this led to co-founding and formation of another green energy company, Highland Pellet Manufacturing Ltd. The company began construction in January 2010 of a $10 million wood pellet plant in Merritt, BC which began commercial production in March, 2010.
As President, Mr. Birmingham was directly involved with the funding of this facility, including the successful sourcing of debt financing of $2.2 million from the Business Development Bank of Canada and $2.4 million from the Western Economic Diversification Fund.
Dr. Kwesi Opoku-Debrah, PhD | VP, International Agricultural Development & Director, Vesco Agricultural Technologies
A highly accomplished scholar, educator and entrepreneur, Dr. Opoku-Debrah holds degrees in agricultural economics, international agriculture, and adult, continuing and extension education from Cornell University, USA, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana.
Among his many achievements, career highlights include serving as the Agricultural Team Leader of Evaluations for World Vision and USAID, local consultant to the World Bank and the Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development, and he has worked in similar capacities with a number of other major NGO and governmental institutions that specialize in providing development aid to African nations.
Prior to joining Clean Seed Capital and Vesco, Dr. Opoku-Debrah's most recent assignment was Regional Technical Advisor at the Central Africa Region Office for Agriculture and Environment of the Catholic Relief Services. In this role, Dr. Opoku-Debrah was part of an agriculture proposal review team and was responsible for the coordination and implementation of a No-Tillage Agriculture program funded by the Howard Buffett Foundation. Dr. Opoku-Debrah has been a strong advocate for No Tillage Farming and Sustainable Agriculture for more than 30 years and has extensive practical experience in Africa and North America.