Dr. Rob Waterworth

Chief Executive Officer

Rob is the co-founder of FLINTpro and has extensive leadership experience and expertise in land sector monitoring and management. With deep understanding of the requirements and relationships between markets, policy, data and technical systems, he is perfectly placed to lead the advancement of land carbon data, models, and reporting in Australia; and globally. 

Rob has worked from project to national scales, designing and developing operational land sector inventories, emissions projections systems, and technical processes for nesting projects within national systems to support carbon markets. 

A highly sought after thought leader in climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, Rob is regularly invited to contribute as a presenter and expert subject matter panel guest at climate related events around the world. 

In 2008, Rob was part of the team awarded the Eureka Prize, Australia’s premier science prize, for work in developing integrated remote sensing and ground data systems for carbon accounting. He is an expert inventory reviewer for the United national Framework Convention on Climate Change and a lead author of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Guidelines and Global Forest Observations Initiative Methods and Guidance. He holds a Ph.D. from the Australian National University, and a Bachelor of Forest Science / Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne. 

Since 2014, Rob has proudly led the FLINTpro team with commitment to develop and automate monitoring and forecasting tools for forestry and agriculture worldwide.  Growing demand and need for land sector emissions data and reporting to support a wide range of industries – forestry, agriculture, banking and finance, and government – places Rob in the ideal position to steer the development of FLINTpro ensuring it can scale and evolve with national and international policy and guideline requirements.  

Malcolm Francis

Head of Engineering

A software engineer, Malcolm brings 25 years of experience in systems architecture, design and development. He specialises in large scale modelling systems, scientific computing, high performance cluster development and data modelling. Malcolm has worked in a wide range of environments including government, private enterprise, and consulting industries delivering large scale complex systems.

Malcolm is currently co-leading the development and implementation of the FLINT generic tool for integrating remote sensing and ground-based data for land sector MRV, as well as supporting implementation of the SLEEK program in Kenya.

James Leitch

Chief Operating Officer

Jim is a software engineer with 25 years of experience in systems architecture, design, development and implementation. He specialises in large scale modelling systems, scientific computing, high performance cluster development and data modelling. From 2003 – 2014, Jim played a key role in the development of the Australian carbon accounting system (FullCAM).

With experience in a wide range of ICT system roles, Jim has proven experience working effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders, including policy makers, scientists, government and international agencies to deliver high-quality projects.

Jim is currently co-leading the development and implementation of the FLINT generic tool for integrating remote sensing and ground-based data for land sector MRV, as well as supporting implementation of the SLEEK program.

Geoff Roberts

Project and Supply Chain Expert

Geoff is a forester with strong technical skills in national and project level carbon accounting, as well as project-level method development. These skills are supported by broad experience in policy analysis and development. He has an undergraduate and master degree in forestry from the Australian National University and has spent the past 11 years working across public, private and research organisations in Australia and internationally.

Geoff has worked on developing practical forest carbon accounting methods for Australia’s Emissions Reduction Fund, as well as supporting international projects in Kenya, Sudan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Tanzania. Geoff has also worked on international and Australian domestic policy issues, including Regional Forest Agreements, timber legality policies and sustainability assurance.

Through his work across both technical and policy issues, Geoff has developed expertise in integrating technical issues into operational policies.

Rob de Ligt

Corporate and Government Projects

Rob is an environmental scientist with significant experience in land sector greenhouse gas inventories, government programme management and policy analysis. He has worked on MRV design and implementation in Australia, the Philippines, and Kenya.

Rob has ten years’ experience working in fire and ecosystem science in both research and public sectors in Australia. He has played a leadership role in major government programs including the design and implementation of the (AUD)145 million Australian National Environmental Science Programme. Prior to this he worked in depth on Australia’s national greenhouse gas inventory particularly focused on the forest and deforestation components of the land sector. He has a First Class Honours degree from the Australian National University researching the probability of wildfire with time-since last fire.

Rob’s experience provides him with strong expertise in developing and integrating technical solutions within the policy sphere. He recently led the development of a new Attribution Tool for semi-automated attribution of land use change to causal factors. Rob is an expert reviewer for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and a Lead Author for the IPCC KP Supplement and Refinement of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines.

Dr. Philipp Kilham

Forest Growth Modelling

Philipp is an environmental scientist with expertise in statistical analysis, predictive modelling and machine learning. For over a decade, he has worked in the field of human-environmental interactions. Philipp has an undergraduate degree in forestry and nature management, a master’s degree in environmental governance and holds a doctorate in natural sciences from the University of Freiburg (Germany). He has conducted extensive qualitative and quantitative research in Europe, Africa and Australia.

Harrison McKenzie-McHarg

Spatial Modelling Expert

Harrison is a recent graduate from the Australian National University where he completed his undergraduate studies. He has research experience using spatial data to educate policy decisions and modelling land use using geographical information systems (GIS) software. He has research experience both domestically and internationally in the fields of public policy, biology and environmental sociology.

Katie Mills

Environmental Software Developer

Katie is a software developer, business analyst and project manager, with 20 years of IT experience, who specialises in Open Source environmental software development and has led nationally significant federal government software projects, as well as working as a consultant for the private sector. Katie also runs a market garden and is a former landscape architect, and she contributes domain knowledge in agriculture and urban design.

Dr James Baker

Board Member

Jim is a scientist, an administrator, and a consultant. He is involved in the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization for the Global Forest Observations Initiative, helping developing countries manage their land sector to become more climate-resilient. Most recently, he was the Senior Strategic Advisor and Director of the Global Forest and Land-Use Program at the Clinton Foundation with forest monitoring projects in Latin America, East Africa, and East Asia. He was the longest serving Administrator of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1993-2001) leading efforts in application of satellite technology to weather forecasting, climate policy, and ocean protection. He has been an advisor to the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, a member of the U.S. Commission on Climate and Tropical Forests, and a Visiting Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics.

Jim has also served as the President and CEO of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Before coming to NOAA, he was President of Joint Oceanographic Institutions Incorporated in Washington, DC and the first Dean of the College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington. He is the author of the book Planet Earth: The View from Space, published by Harvard University Press. He was awarded the Vikram Sarabhai Medal for outstanding contributions to space research in developing countries by the international Committee on Space Research and the Indian Space Research Organization.

Jim has a BS in physics from Stanford University, a PhD in experimental physics from Cornell University, and three honorary degrees. He and his wife live in Washington, DC.

B. Holt Thrasher

Board Member

Holt has more than 35 years’ experience in investment banking, information technology, and consulting. He currently is Founder and CEO of Synovia Capital, an investment fund focused on ecosystem management within the data analytics sector. He recently served as Group CEO of Permian Global, a Luxembourg based investment fund focused on climate change mitigation through the effective management of large areas of tropical forest (avoiding deforestation and restoring degraded forests). Prior to Permian Global, he founded and served as Managing Partner of Mooreland Partners, an information technology sector focused investment bank. Holt previously was a Partner at Broadview Holdings, a global merger and acquisition advisory and investment firm.

An active conservationist and nature enthusiast for more than 25 years, Holt currently serves as Trustee and Treasurer of the National Marine Sanctuaries Foundation, supporting the 640,000 square miles of national marine sanctuaries and monuments managed by NOAA and the US Department of Interior. He serves on the President’s Council of CERES, a leading organization championing sustainable investing. Holt is Chairman Emeritus of the National Audubon Society. In 2001, he was a founding member and Chair of the Board of Audubon Connecticut. He then joined Audubon’s National Board and was named Chair in 2008. His leadership played a critical role in advancing Audubon’s legislative, educational and conservation operations; guiding it to re-establish its science based mission to conserve birds and their habitats; and strengthening Audubon’s place as one of the nation’s foremost environmental organisations.

Holt has a B.A. from Colby College and an M.B.A. from the International Institute of Management Development, Switzerland. He and his family live in Greenwich, CT.

Natalie Hughes

Chief Strategy Officer

Natalie is a strategy, marketing and finance executive with strong commercial acumen developed over 25+ years. She has a successful track record identifying and developing new markets, products and services, and leading business development and sales teams.

With strength in growth optimisation and financial performance, Natalie is adept at driving strategic marketing initiatives that meet organisational goals and accomplish financial targets.

Natalie brings valuable corporate sector knowledge and board experience to the organisation, helping to guide our product development and solutions for customers focused on climate-related risk, ESG reporting and financial disclosures.

Steve Atkins

Director of Software Development

Steve has over 30 years experience in software development, from coding grunt to Director, spanning companies with less than 10 employees to companies with more than 100,000 employees.

Steve has delivered software with over $4 billion in sales and 3 successful exits. He truly enjoys turning a vision into reality, all while building & mentoring teams with the same goal: ship software that makes customers rave. 

Oliver Miltenberger

Global Head of Applied Science and Emerging Markets

Oliver is an experienced ecological scientist, policy analyst, and program developer with demonstrated history consulting across industries and program development in international contexts. Oliver is highly fluent in ecosystem service markets, land use practices (agriculture, forestry, protected areas), international climate action including GHG accounting and UN SDG reporting, natural resource management and planning, and technical research and impact assessment methodologies.

He is a PhD candidate in Environmental Economics and MSc degrees in Ecology and International Development with notable accolades including the Harvard Travellers Fund, NASA DEVELOP National Prize for research, National Science Foundation Knowledge-Exchange grant awardee, and International Research Scholar at the University of Melbourne’s Climate & Energy College. Oliver is big-picture oriented and a self-starter with an interest in creating and applying holistic solutions for a better tomorrow. Competent in Spanish and German.

Val Carmody

Financial Controller

Val brings to the Mullion Group several decades of experience in organisational finance with an emphasis on costs and cash flow management and regulatory compliance. She is a graduate of the University of Canberra in commerce and accounting and is qualified as a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA).

Her experience has included extensive work in management and finance, she has worked in the legal industry and firms in the non-government sector. She held the position of Financial Controller for one of Australia’s leading economic consultancy firms.

Maurice Oldham

Energy and Climate Policy Expert

Maurice is a senior technical consultant with more than 13 years of experience providing advice on climate, energy and transportation issues in a policy and strategy development environment. He has led and contributed to detailed analyses of the GHG benefits, costs, and cost-effectiveness of mitigation strategies at national and regional levels. Maurice has also led and supported the development of long-term decarbonization strategies for multiple energy utilities across the U.S., focused on low carbon fuels, transportation electrification and pipeline decarbonization. In particular, Maurice has deep expertise in resource and cost assessments of low carbon gases, including renewable natural gas, hydrogen and power-to-gas, for utilities and government agencies.

Maurice brings global experience from both the utility and public sectors, having worked at Pacific Gas & Electric Company and ICF in the U.S., the Australian Federal Government, and consulted to the Indonesian Government.

Kaushik Sangem

Software Developer

Kaushik is a software developer currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Computing from the Australian National University and holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Science. Kaushik also participated in NTCIR-12 MathIR Task with the team Borak in his undergraduate. Kaushik is currently working on the continuous integration of services with a strong focus on Google cloud services and Kubernetes.

Dr. Natalie Doran-Browne

Director of Science: Agricultural Emissions

Natalie has over 15 years research experience addressing climate change issues in the agricultural industry and expertise with mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, calculating the carbon balance of farms and working towards carbon neutral farming, with a particular focus on livestock systems. Natalie works with a wide range of computer simulation models to explore farm production issues around climate, economic outcomes and the carbon sequestration potential for various farming systems.

Natalie has a Bachelor of Science (Hons) from Monash University and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from The University of Melbourne, on the biophysical and economic impacts of greenhouse gas mitigation from agriculture. She is also the founder of two beekeeping companies and has a passion for improving the resilience of the honey bee population and producing 100% pure Australian honey.

Hayden Reinke

Spatial Modelling Expert

Hayden is a recent graduate from the Australian National University where he completed his undergraduate studies. He has research experience using spatial data to analyse environmental data and modelling land use using geographical information systems (GIS) software. He is a former accountant, and has studied geography and environmental policy.

Zeruo Liu

Software Developer

Zeruo has a Bachelor of Information Technology and Master of Computing from Australian National University. She is experienced in business and research software development and is proficient in building user interactive application that delivers the best user experience. Researched in the field of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in immersive lab of scientific organization, Zeruo has also contributed to the back-end software development of various industrial products for clients.

Zeruo is currently working on the development, implementation and deployment of system modelling, scientific computing, and cloud deployment for FLINT and FLINTpro. 

Cris Brack

Chief Biometrician

Cris is a forestry academic with a national and international reputation for research and teaching in natural resource inventory, modelling, monitoring and management. During his two decades as Associate Professor with the Australian National University he developed novel and effective inventory systems for strategic level decision-making at State and regional levels, contributed to national level carbon modelling and inventory systems, promoted novel measurement systems including terrestrial LiDAR measurement approaches, and optimised multiple resource inventories for small privately managed forests. He regularly audits inventory and management systems for public and private land managers and has over 80 publications in the scientific literature.

Dr. Gary Richards

Lead Consultant

Gary has a PhD in Forestry and his academic background had an emphasis on the human dimensions of land use. Gary has had an extensive career in land management, land use planning and climate change. From an early career in park management, including managing Canberra’s tree surgery operations, Gary joined the ACT Planning Authority to develop the environmental guidelines and environmental impact legislation to support self-government. Gary subsequently joined the National Capital Authority to support departments to deliver urban and regional programs.

Following this Gary worked as a town planner in rural NSW before returning to the Commonwealth Government to lead the development of Australia’s National Carbon Accounting System. Gary’s domestic career in climate change has also variously included work with senior executive responsibility for land sector policy, and various energy efficiency programs. Gary was general manager for the Commonwealth’s 2013 Energy White Paper and was responsible for the statutory Australian Industry Participation Authority.

Gary’s international work has included working as a coordinating lead author with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as a lead in developing the Group on Earth Observation’s Global Forest Observation Initiative, and advising on forest monitoring for the government of Indonesia and the Clinton Foundation.

Margot Sachse

Financial Controller

Margot brings to the Mullion Group 15+ years of financial management and administration leadership experience with strength in cash flow management and financial process improvement. Her diverse industry experience and adaptability compliments our fast changing operating environment.

Margot is a self-starter and skilled problem solver. Her attention to detail and outstanding organisational skills is valued greatly as we rapidly scale and expand our team, offices, customers and financial transaction volumes. 

Terence Johnson

Junior Spatial Analyst

Terence is in the final year of his undergraduate studies at ANU. He has research experience using remote sensing data and deep learning to model land systems and inform policy decisions through geographic information systems (GIS) software. He has built experience with applications of GIS in commercial and academic contexts through internship and research assistant roles.

Elaine Jin

Carbon Analyst Support

Elaine received her master’s degree in agriculture science (animal science) from the University of Melbourne, during which she completed her research on the effects of heat stress on dairy cows in automatic milking system. She has practical and research experience in different livestock industries like pig, poultry, beef cattle and dairy cow. She also has work experience in horticulture, specialising in fruit IPDM.

Elaine brings her knowledge in various agricultural industries to the company. She works in carbon accounting in the agricultural sector and performs tasks and activities relating to greenhouse gas emissions.

Tim Lukin

Junior Developer

Tim is in his second year of studies at UC. He has accumulated experience in creating data visualisations using Tableau thorough several years of independent study.

Federico Cainzos Garcia

Carbon Accounting Analyst

Federico works on the carbon accounting of agricultural systems, including the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration on farms. He holds a masters degree in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Melbourne, and a Bachelor Degree in Veterinary Sciences. Originally from Paraguay, Federico has a background as a Veterinarian with an in-depth knowledge of animal systems. Federico has worked on his family’s multi-generational farms in Paraguay, which has provided extensive hands-on experience with livestock, as well as industry knowledge around animal production. He also has experience with hydroponic crop production such as lettuce, rocket, and basil.

Jonathan Sells

Senior Software Engineer

Jonathan Sells is a senior software engineer with FLINTpro. Jonathan began as a self-taught programmer and computer engineer as he enjoyed programming microcontrollers and automating systems. Once he realized his passion was within the tech industry he went on to receive a programming certificate from the University of South Florida.

Jonathan has always had an interest in applying technology to environmental solutions, in his early programming days he worked on projects such as soil moisture sensors and automated aquaponic systems. Jonathan enjoys being part of the development team of FLINTpro and being about to contribute to the tools helping customers account for their greenhouse gas emissions.