Our Leadership
Jackaroo's success resides in its dedicated and knowledgeable team.
Board of Directors
Founder & Chairman
Mark Johnson
Post Business degree, Mark worked in corporate banking before establishing one of Australia's first office paper recycling and secondary fibre trading businesses, Shredex. This was sold to a public company in 1995 when recycling principles had become more mainstream.
Using his platform as a pioneer in the fibre recycling industry, he established Jackaroo, which has remained his focus as it has evolved and expanded across products and markets.
Over his 35 years traveling extensively to suppliers throughout the world, Mark has developed close relationships with customers and senior mill management. He has vast experience in the paper, board, packaging, and equipment industry, overseeing the profitable growth of several companies at a senior level.
In 2006, Mark joined with international partners to establish Jackaroo Property. Focused on real estate investment and development, it operates out of the Sydney headquarters.
Managing Director & Shareholder
Jonathan Deleu
Jonathan oversees all aspects of Jackaroo, travelling extensively to support suppliers and customers.
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He holds a master’s degree in Commerce from HEC Business School in Belgium and has completed the Program for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School. He started his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers working in Luxembourg and Sydney, before taking a position at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
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Since making Sydney home and joining Jackaroo in 2006, Jonathan held the positions of Chief Financial Officer and Operations Manager, prior to his current role as Managing Director. Jonathan is focused on growing Jackaroo’s global reach; he spent two years in South Africa to support Jackaroo’s expansion and is actively involved in all aspects of Jackaroo’s business.
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Non-executive Director
Darren McMullen
Darren’s role at Jackaroo includes credit management, overseeing and negotiating banking relationships, managing FX exposures, and inculcating a project management discipline in the running of the business.
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Darren holds a Bachelor of Business Management from Queensland University of Technology. Following 20 years in banking, finance, funds management and property development, he joined Jackaroo in 2006. He then established Jackaroo Property as CEO and major shareholder, which, on behalf of its wholesale investors, makes direct equity investment in property development projects. Darren's Non-Executive Directorship regularly crosses into an executive role where his experience brings to bear a strong focus on financial, business and project management.​​​​​​
Non-executive Director
Marleen Avemann
Marleen joined Jackaroo in early 2010 as Financial Controller of all operations before becoming the CFO in 2015. As of 2024, Marleen is a Financial Advisor and remains involved with regulatory and compliance functions of the company.
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Marleen is CPA qualified and has previously worked in a senior accounting role at PKF Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers as well as for a publicly listed property fund. She holds an MBA from the University of Technology Sydney.
Management Team
Managing Director & Shareholder
Jonathan Deleu
Jonathan oversees all aspects of Jackaroo, travelling extensively to support suppliers and customers.
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He holds a master’s degree in Commerce from HEC Business School in Belgium and has completed the Program for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School. He started his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers working in Luxembourg and Sydney, before taking a position at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
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Since making Sydney home and joining Jackaroo in 2006, Jonathan held the positions of Chief Financial Officer and Operations Manager, prior to his current role as Managing Director. Jonathan is focused on growing Jackaroo’s global reach; he spent two years in South Africa to support Jackaroo’s expansion and is actively involved in all aspects of Jackaroo’s business. ​​​
Business Development
Katey Murdoch
New Zealand based, Katey supports supply into Australia, South Africa and parts of South East Asia.
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Having spent 18 years at Jackaroo, Katey is central to the ongoing growth of the business globally. Her previous roles within Jackaroo have seen her travel to paper mills to understand all aspects of forestry, harvesting, pulp and production, freight forwarding and the supply chain. She also has significant technical experience with paper, packaging and end-to-end converting processes. These insights and her long-term relationships with mills and customers support her extensive knowledge of the paper and packaging industry.
Financial Controller
Cari Harmuth
As a Chartered Accountant with a diverse background in both audit and accounting, Cari is responsible for the overall management of accounts and all financial reporting and compliance functions of Jackaroo.
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She began her career at Grant Thornton as an Audit Manager, working on medium and larger JSE listed clients. She then established her own accounting practice in South Africa, where she assisted various companies with their financial reporting and business compliance requirements. Cari's decision to move to Australia led her to join Jackaroo in 2022.
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