OUR LEADERSHIP
The Carbon Growth Partners group is led by a team with more than 100 years’ experience in climate finance, policy and markets, investment banking, conservation and community development.
Rich Gilmore
Chief Executive Officer
Rich is one of Australia’s most accomplished climate and conservation finance professionals. He has conceived, designed and implemented more than US$400 million in innovative climate and natural capital investments in the past five years, delivering financial returns to investors alongside positive outcomes for people and nature.
He has a diverse background that spans 28 years across financial markets, climate change and conservation, business and science. As the Australia Country Director for The Nature Conservancy, he originated more than $100 million in natural capital impact investments.
Rich has a Master’s degree in Environmental Management and is a Non-Executive Director of Tiverton Agriculture Impact Fund.
Stephanie Russo
Chief Strategy Officer
Stephanie brings deep and broad expertise in natural capital, public policy, and regulatory environmental markets with a focus on developing financially robust policies and strategies that advance solutions for nature and climate.
Steph has played leading roles in the reform of Australia’s regulatory markets for water, energy and carbon, and holds tertiary qualifications in environmental science, law and economics. Stephanie focusses primarily on the group’s Australia funds.
Charles Bedford
Chief Impact Officer
Charles is an attorney with more than 25 years’ global conservation and climate experience and is a founder at CGP. He is also a Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Charles previously served as Regional Managing Director for The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Asia Pacific Region where he led the advancement of climate, marine, freshwater and land conservation projects.
He has also served as director of the Colorado State Land Board, overseer of 3 million hectares of state lands, was Legal Counsel to Colorado Governor Roy Romer and practiced law with the firm of Kutak Rock. He graduated from Georgetown University and holds a JD from the University of Colorado School of Law.
John Coffeng
Chief Investment Officer
John is a professional investor with more than 20 years’ investment experience in Asia. He spent 14 years at UBS in Hong Kong, most recently as the Managing Director heading the equity derivatives trading team.
There he was a member of the Equities Asian Management Committee and the Global Equity Derivatives Board. He is the Chair of the Finance Committee of Hong Kong Academy and has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University, Ontario.
Yvonne Choong
Chief Operating Officer
Yvonne has more than a decade of compliance, governance and risk management experience in the financial services sector, in addition to five years at a global assurance and advisory firm. Most recently, she was COO for an Australian mortgage fund where she was responsible for fund operations, investment analytics, AFSL compliance and risk management.
Yvonne’s industry experience covers private banking and wealth management, insurance, and real estate finance. She is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ). Yvonne focusses primarily on the group’s Australia funds.
David Ryan
Head of Distribution and Business Development
David spent 20 years at Goldman Sachs, primarily in the Securities Division as a Partner Managing Director, he was responsible for managing Asian Equities distribution and then European Equities sales. Most recently he was Head of Distribution and Business Development at Climate Asset Management.
In 2014, David co-founded a corporate advisory boutique and then joined Deutsche Bank’s Global Equity Derivatives business in 2019 for a brief period.
Natalie Andre
Investor Experience Manager
Natalie is responsible for developing and leading our world-class investor journey, implementing investor events and communications as well as assisting with capital raising efforts.
With almost ten years’ experience in finance and fund operations, Natalie previously worked as the Investor Relations Manager at a hedge fund, a broking company and was the COO of another hedge fund.
Natalie has a bachelor’s degree in communications and public relations, a Certificate in Financial Markets and is a graduate of the AICD.
Dr Chris Gilles
Head of Nature Based Solutions
Chris is a marine scientist with over 20 years’ experience in coastal ecosystems. He is an Associate Professor (adjunct) at James Cook University. Chris has spent the last 15 years regenerating threatened marine ecosystems like shellfish reefs and coastal wetlands. He established several innovative, conservation finance tools and led the development of national citizen science initiatives and ASX-listed corporate learning programs, engaging thousands of people in ocean sustainability.
