Our people

Management Team

James Agius

Acoem Australasia & Global Sales Director, Environment

James drives Acoem Australasia’s implementation of global best practices for manufacturing operations including Asian sourcing and supply chain management. Under his leadership, the company successfully negotiated an agreement to co-manufacture environmental monitoring instruments in China under license. He spearheaded the planning of Acoem’s greenfield manufacturing facility in Indore, India, and has led the expansion of our Indian operations to create a global centre for manufacturing, sales and support services.

As the leader of Acoem Australasia’s entire business operations in Australia, India, and around the world, James’ inherent understanding of what is required to deliver end-to-end turn-key solutions for his customers ensures that he continually strives to elevate Acoem’s performance in markets around the world.

Contact: james.agius@acoem.com

Joe Ranellone

People & Culture Manager

With over 20 years of experience in human resources, working predominantly in manufacturing and engineering-based organisations, Joe joined Acoem in 2021. He has a background in safety and working within ISO environments, and is passionate about developing and driving high performing teams, HR governance, building and cultivating a positive workplace culture within a safe work environment.

Contact: joe.ranellone@acoem.com

Mark Brooks

Business Manager – Australia and New Zealand

Based in Perth, Western Australia (WA), is one of the company’s foremost environmental monitoring experts providing trusted solutions to a wide range of clients.

Prior to Acoem, Mark worked with major multinational engineering companies, designing and manufacturing highly specialised equipment for the UK Ministry of Defence, British Nuclear Fuels, and numerous mining companies around the globe.

Under Mark’s leadership, the domestic Acoem branches around Australia have experienced tremendous growth. For example, Acoem is now the ‘preferred supplier’ to most of the major mining and resource companies in the Pilbara and mid-west regions of WA. With the successful completion of a number of multi-million-dollar contracts for Rio Tinto, BHP, Alcoa, and Woodside, Mark has helped Acoem build additional capabilities and expertise in contract project management, including design, implementation, and on-going service and calibration of large environmental monitoring networks.

Mark holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Contact: mark.brooks@acoem.com

Grant Kassell

Engineering, Research & Development Manager

Grant Kassell is Acoem Australasia’s Engineering, Research & Development Manager. During his 25+ year tenure at Acoem (previously known as Ecotech) he has taken the lead in designing, developing and enhancing Acoem’s innovative range of environmental technologies and solutions. He has worked extensively with gas, aerosol, and particulate monitors, as well as data logging, auditing and reporting software, always ensuring that Acoem monitoring systems integrate seamlessly within complex communication and reporting requirements.

Grant oversaw the development of the Serinus series of gas analysers and their subsequent US EPA and EN testing and approval processes. He was also responsible for developing the Aurora range of nephelometers, the ACS 1000 aerosol conditioning system, and the commercialisation of the Spectronus trace greenhouse gas analyser.

Grant holds a Bachelor of Computer Science & Engineering (Hons) from Monash University and a Graduate Certificate in Technology Management from Latrobe University & APESMA.

Contact: grant.kassell@acoem.com

Kumar Koujalgi

Group Quality Manager

Kumar brings 16+ years of quality and operational leadership to his role as Group Quality Manager at Acoem Australasia. Having worked in a variety of challenging organisations within the aerospace, defence, and automotive industries, Kumar joined Acoem in 2018 and is a dynamic and results-oriented leader with a strong track record of performance in high-paced businesses.

Kumar is a proactive manager with comprehensive knowledge of quality systems, government regulations, product development, procurement, manufacturing, and obsolescence management.

Extensive experience in technical engineering coupled with organisational auditing for AS9100, ISO9001, TS16949, ISO14001, NATA ISO17025, and NADCAP, both for local and international suppliers, make him an invaluable addition to the Acoem team.

Contact: kumar.koujalgi@acoem.com

Bernard Van Zyl

Engineering Support Manager

Bernard van Zyl joined Acoem Australasia (formerly known as Ecotech) in 2001. He brings exceptional knowledge of environmental monitoring to his current role as Engineering Support Manager.

Bernard began his career as a construction engineer at sugar industry steam generation plants in Zambia and Mauritius, then worked as a project engineer on coal research projects, gaining exposure to isokinetic stack emission sampling and was part owner of a consulting engineering firm specialising in CEMS and AQMS products and services.

Bernard efficiently grew Acoem’s Air Quality Monitoring Systems (AQMS) and Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS) markets in and around Sydney-based infrastructure projects and then moved to Brisbane to establish the Northern branch. He thrives on the specific challenges of CEMS installations and has installed, commissioned and maintained a number of open path and dilution extractive CEMS systems around South Africa and Australia.

Bernard holds a Bachelor of Technology (Mechanical Engineering).

Contact: bernard.vanzyl@acoem.com

Yunesh Naidu

Global Supply Chain Director

Yunesh started at Acoem in 2018 as the leader of group operations comprising of manufacturing plants, supply chain & logistics, R&D and engineering, systems build, after-sales service and continuous improvements team.

He is now the leading global supply chain team across multiple countries ensuring highest quality, cost competitiveness and product availability, taking responsibility for manufacturing, purchasing and procurement, engineering, distribution and quality.