Patel Tonra Ltd was founded by Vip Patel and Conor Tonra in 2001. Vip and Conor are supported by co-director, Louise O'Donnell, and Senior Consultant, Helen Kernan. The company employs a team of ten skilled and experienced environmental consultants, contract managers and office/accounting personnel.

Senior staff profiles:

Vip Patel, BSc(Hons), MSc, MCIWM, CEnv

Vip is a Chartered Waste Manager, Chartered Environmentalist and an environmental professional with over 15 years of operational, management, technical and consultancy experience gained in Ireland, UK (NI, England, Wales, Scotland), Hong Kong, Europe (Malta, France, Finland, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Jersey, Isle of Wight), and North America (USA & Canada).

He has extensive experience in all aspects of work concerned with integrated waste management projects, including Government policy development, feasibility and strategic studies, restructuring of services, implementation plans, market intelligence and assessment.

He also has a good appreciation of producer responsibility and extended producer responsibility issues, waste contract development and assessment, conceptual design and development of waste collection /recovery & recycling/ treatment / processing systems, including technology assessments and reviews.

Vip has been instrumental in developing National Training Programmes in Waste Management on behalf of Government Departments and Agencies in the following sectors: Waste Industry (private and public), Healthcare sector, Construction & Demolition sector and EMS for Local Government. He is also a highly experienced environmental trainer / communicator and believes in strong links with government, regulators and industry to achieve sustainable business solutions.

Dr. Conor Tonra, BSc(Hons), PhD, MIEMA, CEnv

Conor has a PhD in Physical Chemistry and 15 years experience in environmental management consultancy. He specialises in providing policy and practical advice to business, both SMEs and multinationals, in several sectors. He has many years experience in regard of EMS, IPC Licences and Due-diligence/Pre-acquisition assessment. EMS experience is detailed in the table below. He has recently managed the preparation and publication of three award-winning corporate environmental and sustainability reports.

Conor has management and analytical skills that facilitate Patel Tonra's understanding of the environmental, economic and financial drivers of public and private sector organisations. He has led the organisation's involvement in such high-profile projects as: the Irish Plastic Bags Tax study, the Irish Environmental Taxes (chewing gum, fast food packaging and ATM receipts) studies, the Northern Ireland Green Tourism Accreditation study and the EMAS in Local Government in Ireland training study.

Conor holds a Certificate in Training and Continuing Education, awarded by NUI Maynooth and is a member of IEMA (Institute of Environmental Management Assessment).

Louise O'Donnell, BSc(Hons), MSc, MCIWM

Louise holds Masters and BSc (Hons) degrees in Environmental Science from Queen's University, Belfast and the University of Ulster at Coleraine, a Certificate in Training & Continuing Education from the University of Maynooth, and has 9 years waste and environmental management experience.

Louise has managed projects in the areas of: Strategic reviews and EPA Waste Licence Applications/Reviews;Review of Street Cleansing and Environmental Services; Design and implementation of Environmental Management Systems; Licence compliance and environmental management; Award-winning Corporate Social Accountability Reports; Planning and Design for Waste Management/CA Facilities for Local Authority clients; Environmental monitoring and technical evaluations.

Louise has been involved with the design and delivery of training programmes for FÁS (the national training agency), Local Authority clients, and the private sector. She was involved in the development of a training programme and production of a handbook on Construction & Demolition Waste Management for Site Managers and Contractors, audited construction sites and assessed options for on-site and off-site waste management, recycling, and disposal. Louise is a Safepass holder (site safety certificate).

Helen Kernan, BSc(Hons), PgDip, MSc

Helen holds a Masters Degree (First Class Hons), PgDip in Environmental Management from the University of Ulster and a BSc (2:1 Hons) in Food Technology Management. Helen has 8 years of Environmental Management System experience both in the Public and Private Sectors. Her other areas of expertise include the following: Environmental & Health & Safety Management Systems, Quality Management Systems, Environmental Permitting & Licensing, Legislative Compliance, Auditing and Environmental Training.

Helen is a qualified Environmental Auditor and conducts an extensive range of environmental audits annually as part of Environmental Management Systems for a diverse range of clients within the construction, engineering, manufacturing, material processing and golf sectors.

To date Helen has been involved in the successful design, development and implementation of Environmental Management Systems and Integrated Management Systems (ISO 9001, 14001 & OHSAS 18001) for a number of public and private sector clients.