Our Team

With more than 40 years of experience working in the agriculture industry, our Managing Director, Durell Hammond, co-founded Tanuki in 2013 alongside Ian Lonie.

Durell’s expertise in soil and plant nutrition, fertiliser manufacturing, agricultural markets and business strategy is a driving force behind the success of Tanuki.

His favourite part of his day-to-day is the variety of people he gets to work alongside, the geography of his clients and the broad skills he gets to apply in delivering industry-leading fertiliser, and crop nutrition and protection inputs

Beyond his role, Durell embodies teamwork in and out of the office, serving as a volunteer firefighter. You may even find him out fishing, getting involved in sports or travelling around the country.  

LinkedIn

Steve Phillips brings more than 30 years’ agricultural experience to his Director and Sales role at Tanuki. Throughout his professional career, he has focused on working in crop nutrition and farm management, with expertise spanning horticultural, irrigated and dryland cropping.

Most notably, Steve spearheaded Tanuki’s recent expansion to Western Australia, opening an Office in 2018 where he works on supporting Verno, Nordox and Glaze customers and on new innovative products suited to WA.

As a Director, Steve’s work style revolves around flexibility and playing to team member’s strengths and passions - ensuring good staff morale, which is reflected in the service provided to Tanuki’s customers.

Outside work, you’ll find Steve mountain biking, touring and cultivating a home garden, using Tanuki’s products of course!

LinkedIn

Ian Lonie, Tanuki’s Co-founder and Director, brings over 40 years of agricultural expertise to our team and played a pivotal role in Tanuki’s foundation in 2013 alongside Durell Hammond.

Combining his passion for innovation, with his on-the-ground farming experience, Ian is proud to have partnered with our global partner, Nordox in pioneering the development of the Verno micronutrient range.

In his role as Director, Ian's collaborative work style involves listening, learning, and forming considered opinions to find the best solutions for specialist fertilisers, micronutrients, and crop protection inputs for Tanuki’s customers.

With over 20 years of experience in the food and agribusiness industry, Emma has held a wide range of executive, management and Non-Executive Director roles in start-ups, government and not-for-profits.

Emma’s strategic mindset and ability to drive organisational change have seen her have a positive impact on Tanuki’s business since joining the team in 2023.

She is also spearheading marketing and communications to grow sales and increase Tanuki’s profile and is relishing the opportunity to build upon Tanuki’s sustainability initiatives.

Passionate about looking after the land that sustains us, Emma has a long association with food production, growing up on a property in Tasmania. Ask her about her time as a seahorse farmer!

LinkedIn

Rory joined the Tanuki team in 2019, bringing more than 28 years’ experience in the agriculture industry.

Heading up R&D, Rory excels in product and business development and working alongside the team to prepare and implement our rigorous testing and development methods.

He was instrumental in establishing effective rates of Entra. This involved mitigating soil crusting and improving water infiltration in sodic, dispersing soils and, established rates at which nutshell biochar can sequester additional carbon and thereby raise the carbon ceiling in cotton soils.

Analytical by nature, Rory can be found refining his tennis skills and enjoys travelling or listening to audiobooks and podcasts about self-improvement, world-class achievers, economics and history.

With 13 years of hands-on experience as an agriculturist, Gert brings a strong track record of driving production growth and delivering practical solutions for soil improvement and increased yields. His career has taken him across South Africa, neighbouring countries, and Australia, where he’s applied his expertise in mixed-farming techniques, business development, and strategic planning.

Gert is passionate about agronomy, soil science, and farm operations, and believes that attention to detail is key— “sometimes it’s a small change that makes a big difference.” He’s committed to restoring biological balance in the rhizosphere and upholding core principles of plant health to ensure long-term sustainability.

Known for his thoughtful approach and technical insight, Gert enjoys working closely with growers to understand their challenges and tailor solutions that make a real impact. He values continuous improvement and brings a grounded, strategic mindset to every project.

Outside of work, you’ll likely find Gert enjoying the outdoors—whether it’s casting a line, swinging a golf club, or hiking through nature’s beauty. His curiosity, calm confidence, and dedication to positive change make him a valued member of the Tanuki team.

Joining Tanuki in 2018, our Sales and Customer Support Officer, Amanda De Rossi, brings over 20 years of agricultural experience to the team.

Growing up in the Riverina on what was once a traditional ‘fruit salad farm’, Amanda has a comprehensive understanding of many different crops in both horticulture and broadacre applications.

Working alongside Director, Steve Phillips, Amanda was pivotal in expanding the Verno product range in Western Australia, expanding the customer base in the region through her excellent customer service skills and ability to adapt to customers’ unique requirements.

You might get a glimpse of her zipping to and from the office on her Vespa, enjoying the scenery of her new backyard in Western Australia.

Bringing a lifetime of experience in the agriculture industry, Sarah is the longest-serving member of the Tanuki team, joining the business in 2014.

Sarah puts her strong customer service and organisational skills to the test on a daily basis. She manages Tanuki’s inventory, optimising warehouse efficiencies and collaborating with the Tanuki team, third parties and our global partners for logistics and scheduling.

Thriving on the challenge of getting the job done no matter what, Sarah’s incredible attention to detail is as highly valued as her cool head and the confidence she inspires in others.

Paul joined the team in 2025 after moving from Victoria to Toowoomba with his family. 

With a deep-rooted passion for agriculture, Paul's career has been shaped by years of experience in the fertilizer industry, where he's learned to appreciate the vital role it plays in nourishing our land and communities.

Outside of work, Paul loves spending time with his family and is excited to explore Toowoomba and its surroundings.

As he settles into his new role with Tanuki, he's eager to embrace the challenges and opportunities that come with it and to contribute to the broader community. 

With an adventurous spirit and get-in-and-get-it-done approach, Sam Hudson, has been a key member of the Tanuki team since 2018.

With the important job of managing Tanuki’s warehouse, Sam’s strengths in multitasking and ensuring product quality and compliance with WHS underpin Tanuki’s reputation for supplying high-quality crop nutrition and protection inputs efficiently and responsibly.

Driven by the positive impact that Tanuki has on Australian growers, Sam fosters a positive workplace culture – ‘teamwork makes the dream work’ and sees people succeed.

A life accomplishment for Sam was skiing 130 days in a year and he enjoys lapidary – you might need to look that up!

Growing up on a mixed cropping and cattle property in the Darling Downs, Jo’s passion for agriculture started at an early age.

Today, she’s combining that passion with 10 years of business management and tax accounting experience as Tanuki’s Management Accountant.

Jo loves detail and sets herself high standards, giving Tanuki’s Directors confidence that the company’s finances are in safe hands. She’s also a spreadsheet extraordinaire! 

With her caring nature, Jo is always happy to help, fostering a culture of accountability and support across the business.

The team love it when Jo brings her ‘secret’ recipe brownies to work to share. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking new recipes, travelling and going to music festivals.  

LinkedIn

With 6 years of experience in accounting and bookkeeping Sarah loves working with numbers, recording various financial transactions for the business and ensuring compliance with financial reporting.

With an eye for detail, she picks up things that others don’t see and you can guarantee she’ll meet any deadline with a calm approach and the lolly jar nearby.

Always eager to learn new things, Sarah values the flexibility she has to juggle her job whilst undertaking a Bachelor of Accounting.

Before changing career to become an Accountant, Sarah was a dedicated music teacher specialising in piano and flute. She holds a Bachelor of Music (Hons), as well as a Licentiate Diploma in Piano and Associate Diploma in Flute.

LinkedIn

With extensive experience in marketing and events across a range of industries, Elisha brings valuable insight into audience engagement and strategic brand development. Her approach is grounded in understanding the broader business landscape before crafting targeted marketing and events initiatives. 

Elisha’s passion for agriculture is rooted in her family’s multi-generational involvement in farming, which has shaped her appreciation for the sector and inspired her professional focus. 

Before Tanuki, she spent two years in Croatia, expanding her adaptability and perspective. Elisha thrives on collaborative work and innovative thinking, and outside the office, she enjoys quality time with friends and family, travel, and relaxing by the beach. Her dedication and energy contribute positively to the Tanuki team.