Sam Mackwell
Founder, Chief Engineer & CEO
For most of his life Sam has been on a mission to facilitate a just transition away from fossil fuel, particularly for agriculture & transport. Since 2016, Sam has developed the revolutionary biomass-burning steam boiler technology which powers Mackwell equipment. Prior to this, Sam explored possibilities in various technologies including biofuel turbine engines and hydrogen. Sam received several grants for this work from various organisations. Sam took part in the Young Enterprise Scheme in 2011 and was selected to compete in Bangkok. In 2012 Sam was invited to attend the Pacific Forum in the Cook Islands. Sam now leads the further design and development of Mackwell technology.
Johan Esterhuizen
Business Development & Production Engineer
With a strong belief in local community sovereignty, Johan was drawn to the technology that can empower communities in the midst of a global energy crisis. Johan understands the need for Mackwell in the world and has a clear altruistic goal of “wanting to see people fed and warm.” Hailing from a family of mechanical engineers, Johan enjoys solving mechanical complexities. He won the Environment Canterbury School Award, and has represented New Zealand for Robotics. Johan has a full-send, virtue-oriented personality who greatly contributes to the work environment.
Paul Burrell
Mechanical Development Engineer | BEng Mech (Hons)
Big on team culture and a believer in local manufacturing, Paul aligns
with Mackwell’s philosophy of keeping production entirely within New
Zealand. Paul’s dux academics saw him fly through his Mechanical
Engineering degree, bringing a competitive edge towards Mackwell’s
vision of providing energy sovereignty to the world. With a no-nonsense
approach to the issues of the modern energy situation, Paul is fully
invested in seeing Mackwell’s purpose come to life, and bringing a real
energy solution to the world.
Michael Galloway
Mechanical Development Engineer | BEng Mech
Dedicated to building resilient technology for the world, Michael has a strong value alignment with Mackwell. Coming from a family background in Aircraft engineering, and earlier experience in designing Gantry cranes, Michael is now dedicated to building technology that “empowers the impoverished”. Michael uses his degree and tutoring experience to ensure that Mackwell technology operates at an output that exceeds industry expectations.
Jennifer Manson
Accounts & HR Support | BSc (Hons)
Jennifer’s B.Sc. is in Computer Science from the University of Canterbury. Her early career was in technical software design/development and technical communication. She founded two businesses, one in real estate and one in publishing, before returning to technology to work with larger teams on projects with broader impact. She has an enormous amount of experience in all aspects of business management and development, and great passion and skill in leading talented teams to deliver successful, innovative projects.