Executive Team
Meet our Executive Team
Executive Team
Jeanne Johns, BS Chemical Engineering, magna cum laude
Managing Director & CEO
Member of the Health, Safety, Environment and Community Committee
Jeanne commenced as Managing Director & CEO on 15 November 2017. Jeanne is a global executive and chemical engineer with more than 25 years’ experience in the international refining, petrochemicals, oil and gas industries. After joining BP in 1986, Jeanne worked across various executive roles and locations including as President, Asian Olefins and Derivatives (China), President, BP North America Natural Gas Liquids (North America), and, Head of Safety & Operational Risk, BP Downstream (United Kingdom). In September 2020 Jeanne was appointed the inaugural Victoria Chair of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia (AmCham) Council of Governors. Jeanne is also a Founding Member of the Australian Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC), formed in August 2020. She is a currently serving on the International Fertilizer Association Board of Directors (Oceania) and the Board of Chemistry Australia. Jeanne is a former non-executive director of Tate & Lyle plc and Parsons Corporation.
Chris Opperman, BCom (Hons), CA
Interim Chief Financial Officer
Chris commenced as interim Chief Financial Officer on 15 November 2021. During Chris’ 20 year career, he has worked as an auditor at PwC and EY, where he provided advice and audit services to large global organisations, including BHP and Toyota. Chris joined IPL in 2010 and during this time has held a number of senior leadership positions within the finance team, including as the Group Financial Controller where he was responsible for the Group’s Financial Reporting, Australian Shared Services and Property functions; General Manager, Group Finance and Investor Relations where he led the investor relations team; and most recently as the Chief Financial Officer for the Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific business unit.
Greg Hayne, BComm, MBA
President, Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific
Greg is a senior business leader with 20 years’ experience in international business development, operational management, people leadership and P&L management. Appointed President, Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific on 30 January 2018, he has held a number of senior leadership positions within the IPL Group, including as DNAP’s Vice President International Operations, as well as Vice President South East Asia, President of Dyno Nobel Indonesia and Vice President of Marketing.
Braden Lusk, PhD, P.E.
President, Dyno Nobel Americas
Braden has more than 20 years’ experience in the mining and explosives industry and commenced as Dyno Nobel Americas President in July 2020. Braden has been with IPL’s Dyno Nobel Americas business since 2018 and prior to being appointed President served as Senior Vice President Corporate Accounts and Tech Services. Braden has a combination of practical on-site skills, including working as a mine supervisor, international consultant, and trainer, along with extensive academic experience. Prior to joining Dyno Nobel, Braden was Chair of Mining and Nuclear Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology where he had previously earned a PhD in mining engineering, with an emphasis in explosives engineering. As a professor with the University of Kentucky Department of Mining Engineering, he worked to build its credibility as a world class institution in the field of explosives, founding its Explosives Research Team.
Stephan Titze, B.S. Rural Management, Agriculture Marketing
President, Incitec Pivot Fertilisers
Stephan was appointed to President, Incitec Pivot Fertilisers on 16 January 2019, as an Agribusiness professional with more than 25 years of experience in crop protection, seeds and irrigation. Stephan has held senior management positions in Syngenta, Zeneca and ICI Australia in Asia, including China, Japan, Korea and Indonesia and also in Europe, East Europe and Australia. Stephan served 5 years as Chairman of Crop Life China and Vice President for the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in China and in 2011 was named China’s Swiss CEO/Entrepreneur of the Year. Most recently Stephan led the rapid growth of Netafim, the World’s largest irrigation company in Asia Pacific as the Division Head and China Chairman. Stephan has recently been appointed as the Deputy Chairperson of Fertilizer Australia.
Stephenie De Nichilo, BEng(Mech)(Hons), MBA
Chief HSE & Operations Excellence Officer
Stephenie was appointed Chief HSE & Operations Excellence Officer in December 2021 and has over 25 years’ experience in manufacturing, mining and oil and gas industries. Stephenie commenced with IPL in 2018 as the Group’s Vice President of Corporate HSE and most recently, was IPL’s Vice President Global Asset Management, Technology & HSE. Before joining IPL, Stephenie spent 16 years at Santos where she held a number of senior leadership positions where she drove sustainable change in business performance and team culture through the development and operationalization of strategic business plans in the fields of Maintenance, Reliability, Asset Management, Operations Management for Onshore and Offshore Hazardous Facilities and Corporate Health and Safety.
Rob Mill, Psychologist (Psychology Board of Australia), BSc Honours (Physiol. & Psych.), BAppSc (Physiol. & Psych.)
Chief People Officer
Rob leads IPL’s Human Resources Function and Corporate Affairs Group. He has more than twenty years of experience in senior human resources and psychology roles including with BHP and over a decade with Rio Tinto. He joined IPL in 2018. Prior to commencing as IPL’s Chief People Officer in December 2021, Rob was the Vice President of Human Resources for Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific, Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, Australian Manufacturing and the Global Technology Group. Rob is a Registered Psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency’s Psychology Board of Australia and has held roles within the Organisational Psychology Unit of Queensland Rail and as a Senior Psychologist in management consulting.
Robert Rounsley, MSc (Chem), BA Hons (Chem), MBA
Chief Technology Officer
Rob leads IPL’s global technology group for both explosives and fertilisers. Rob has invested 20 years in R&D, product management, marketing and technology across IPL, working across the Asia Pacific and US regions. Most recently Rob was IPL’s Senior Vice President of Technology. He is an internationally recognised explosives expert, regularly providing industry commentary around technology and innovation. Appointed Chief Technology Officer on 30 January 2018, Rob will bring an increased focus on technology and innovation to increase value creation for IPL’s customers.
Sunil Salhotra, B.Com, MBA
Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer
Sunil commenced as Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer 1 October 2021. With more than 30 years international experience, Sunil has worked across a range of industries including energy and resources, oil and gas, telecommunications and management consulting for leading private and listed companies across Australia and Asia. Prior to joining IPL, Sunil held a number of executive and strategy leadership roles including as Chief Executive of Pangaea Resources, Group Executive Strategy and Planning at Santos, and Vice President, Planning & Regional Development at Unocal South ASEAN.
Margot Sharapova, BA
Executive Chief Information Officer
Appointed in April 2019, Margot’s role is to ensure that the IPL Group’s enterprise technology supports our commitment to customers, employees and shareholders. Margot brings experience in large and complex, multi- site IT transformations, leveraging technology to engage clients and consumers, and is pivotal in supporting IPL’s Strategic Value Drivers for the Group’s performance and growth. With a career spanning over 25 years, Margot has held senior executive positions as CIO in large global and regional matrix organisations.