Our Board

Daniel Cross

Chief Executive Officer

Initially, Dan trained as an Engineering Draughtsman. Dan started his own Used Cooking Oil (UCO) collection and processing Company in 1982. This business grew to a medium sized regional business incorporating used oils and commercial waste collection, recycling and processing.

Dan then developed a UCO processing business, for which he designed and built his own UCO processing plant. This enabled him it to take on large clients such as KFC and the County Councils, as well as rapidly growing a base of smaller clients. It was during this period, in the late 1990s, that he started his research into bio diesel, culminating in 2002 with the formation of Euro Biodiesel Ltd (EBL).

For the next four years Dan developed his patented process for the conversion of UCO into bio diesel, gaining respect for his knowledge and understanding of the practical problems within the UK used cooking oil and bio diesel production industries.

From 2002 to 2008 Dan was involved in advising or contributing to the work of various Government bodies;

• 2002 - Sat as a stakeholder with the Cabinet Office regarding the derogation on the ban of used cooking oils from animal feeds.
• 2005 - Acted as a stakeholder/advisory advising various Governmental departments on bio fuels, including Treasury, HMC&E, Environment Agency, DTI, DfT and the RFA. Worked on the design for the UK Carbon and Sustainability policy for road transport fuels and the calculation tools used to assess this.
• 2008 - Active member of the All Party Parliament Bio Fuels Group at the House of Commons.

EBL was sold to V-Fuels Ltd, who Dan joined as Managing Director. In this role he was responsible for the successful design and build of one of the largest bio diesel plants in the world, repurposing a 147 acre site penicillin plant, and the management of 160 staff and contractors.

The IP used in the plant was developed by Dan, and consistent production of EN14214 grade biodiesel was achieved.

In 2009, the V-Fuels was site was sold to 4Rivers Inc., for whom Dan completed a 6 month handover period, including the delivery of 16 major improvement projects on time and to budget, before leaving to develop VEPOWER Ltd, a biofuels consultancy.

City Oils Ltd has been developed out of a VEPOWER project for the processing of fats, oils and greases into a range of feedstocks for biofuels designed for the road transport and power generation industries.

Telephone number

0208 555 4911

Peter Smith

Chief Financial Officer

Peter is a Graduate Engineer and Chartered Accountant with many years' senior commercial and financial management experience. A highly commercial FD; experienced in growth and turnaround situations. An accomplished hands-on team manager, able to communicate at all levels, with the mental toughness to succeed.

Having graduated from Cardiff University with a degree in Civil and Structural Engineering, Peter trained with Grant Thornton and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1987. An early move into industry saw him rise to Finance Director with Electrochem Ltd, a specialist producer of high purity gases.

In 1990 he moved to The Hawk Group, a heavy plant hire, crushing and motor dealership group; where he developed his abilities in company turnaround, reorganisations, sale and purchase, and change management situations. The recession in the economy at that time reinforced the need to have tight fiscal management with accurate and timely management information, to ensure optimum business decisions were made.

In 1997, working with RSL Com Inc., he purchased a regional mobile phone dealership, trebling the corporate and retail customer base in a 3 year period. This business was bought out by RSL Com UK, for whom Peter worked initially as Mergers and Acquisitions manager, rising to Head of Finance within the first year.

Peter had full Board responsibility for all finance functions across the 5 UK sites of this £120m turnover company. When this business was sold by the U.S. parent, Peter was responsible for the successful integration of the fixed line element of the business into the Powergen/Affinity Internet joint venture business that acquired it. Again his ability to manage staff through a period of major change was vital, whilst ensuring that the commercial focus of the business was maintained.

Peter left this London based role and returned to the family home in Shropshire to take up an interim FD role, before joining a private equity backed leveraged buyout of a small manufacturing business. Peter undertook all due diligence, negotiations and consultancy on behalf of the private equity consortium to secure the acquisition, and from 2004 acted as M.D./Finance Director for the business. This business closed in 2007, following the loss of its largest customers to Chinese competition.

In 2008 Peter was recruited by Blue Crest Hedge fund to support one of its investments in the bio diesel industry, V-Fuels Limited. As Finance Director, Peter improved the management information processes and contributed to the stabilisation of the management team. This business was taken over by 4Rivers Inc. in 2009, who decided to transfer the entire finance function to other Group companies, with Peter being released to join VEPOWER Ltd in 2010.

City Oils Ltd has been developed out of a VEPOWER project for the processing of fats, oils and greases into a range of feedstocks for biofuels designed for the road transport and power generation industries.

Telephone number

0208 555 4911