The Woodbois Team

Management team

David Rothschild

CEO
David was appointed as CEO at the end of September 2023 after serving as a Non-Executive Director for approximately two years. David has a wide range of experience in growing businesses and improving their performance as a senior manager and adviser. He has been active in the African resource and agricultural sectors over the past 20 years, including as co-developer of a Liberian greenfield sustainable palm oil operation, and as advisor on environmental and social action planning. He has also been actively involved in governmental and NGO relations and was an early Steering Committee Member of the High Carbon Stock Approach Group, which ensures responsible development. A French speaker with over 40 years experience in international business, including six years at the consultancy, McKinsey & Co, he is a dual national of the USA and South Africa and holds both B.Com and MBA degrees.

Graeme Thomson

NON-EXECUTIVE CHAIR
Graeme is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and has been a public company director for many decades, as a CEO, CFO/Company Secretary and as a Non-Executive. He has varied commercial UK and international experience, including of Audit and Remuneration Committees.

Carnel Geddes

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Based in South Africa, Carnel is a chartered accountant and certified fraud examiner, dually qualified in the UK and South Africa. During a 15-year career at BDO, the global audit, tax and advisory group, Carnel served as director, forensic services, of BDO London and partner of BDO Cape Town. She has been a director and board member of the largest South African pomegranate farm company, Pomona, since 2008.

Paul Dolan

NON-INDEPENDENT NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Paul was CEO of the Company for approximately seven years until the end of September 2023, when he became a Non-Executive Director. He oversaw a transformation of the operations and a focus on building its current businesses lines. Based in the UK, Paul held senior management positions within banking and hedge funds prior to joining Woodbois. Paul has consistently built award winning, world-class teams employing custom-built technology to manage substantial pools of human and financial capital across a diversified group of asset classes ranging from fixed income and equity derivatives to soft commodities and forestry.