Christopher Auricht, Managing Director
Mr Auricht has qualifications in Applied Science in Natural Resource Management. Throughout his career he has developed a comprehensive knowledge and strong reputation in the development and implementation of programs and frameworks related to complex science based initiatives, delivering quality data and information products to inform policy, planning, and the sustainable management of natural resources. With 30 years’ experience in the NRM sector in over 30 countries, Chris has a proven ability to lead multifaceted teams, work with a diverse range of cultures and stakeholders, and coordinate state, national and international projects. He also has extensive experience in all aspects of project management and a proven ability to deliver project outputs on time and within budget. As a landscape ecologist/natural resource management and international development specialist Chris has made major contributions to policy and programs at state, regional, national and international levels.
Dr John Dixon, Sustainable Agriculture Development and Policy Specialist
Dr Dixon has over 30 years international development experience related to agricultural Research and Development (R&D), including cropping systems, economics and natural resource management in more than 50 countries spanning Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Pacific, the Americas and the Caribbean, working for the CGIAR system and the UN FAO. He has served as Director, Impacts, Targeting and Assessment at CIMMYT, leading activities on design, impact and evaluation assessment, policy, value chains, knowledge sharing and capacity building, systems agronomy and conservation agriculture; and also in various capacities with FAO in their global, regional and country programs.
More recently John was the Principle Advisor and Research Program Manager for the Cropping Systems and Economics (CSE) program with the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR). The focus of his work within ACIAR was to improve food security through sustainable intensification of field crop farming systems, enhanced productivity, and value chain linkage facilitated through collaborative R&D partnerships for biophysical and economic research and development.
Dr Dixon is also an Adjunct Professor with the University of Queensland and a Visiting Fellow with the Crawford School, Australian National University. John is a graduate from the University of New England with a PhD (agricultural economics), Masters (natural resources), Masters (economics) and Bachelor in Rural Science.
Dr Graham Yapp, Landscape Ecologist/Land Systems Specialist
Graham has had a long career in CSIRO and Australian Government Department of Agriculture where he developed an extensive knowledge and strong reputation in the development and implementation R&D programs related to science-based programs aimed at providing data and information for policy, planning and the sustainable management of natural resources. As head of science projects and then Director of the National Resource Information Centre, he was responsible for strategic design, development and management of information services for natural resource and environmental issues. He has proven ability to communicate the knowledge base for policy development and for management, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of NRM programs. His recent consultancy work has included investigations for the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Bureau of Rural Sciences, and the National Land & Water Resources Audit and the Queensland Department of Natural Resources. In addition, he has experience with AusAID (now DFAT), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Government of Indonesia and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and with Environment Canada.
Mr Blair Wood, NRM and Land Systems Specialist
As an NRM and land systems specialist Blair has extensive experience in project and program development, implementation and evaluation. Recently retired from the Australian Government Blair was previously the Executive Director, National Land and Water Resources Audit. Blair has over 30 years’ experience in soil and land resource survey, mapping and data analysis, land use planning, natural resource project management, and government program management and direction.
Adjunct Assoc. Prof. Richard Thackway, Landscape Ecologist / Land Systems Specialist
Richard recently retired from the Australian Government where he was a senior scientist with over 30 years’ experience working in the NRM and sustainable development sector. He is recognised for his skills in developing frameworks to assist natural resource management policy and program areas – for example IBRA (the Interim Bio-regionalisation for Australia) and VAST – (the Vegetation Assets, States and Transitions framework). Many of these frameworks were designed to improve the development and application of the best available spatial and temporal environmental and biodiversity information systems.
Dr David Scheltinga, Environmental Scientist
As an environmental science expert David has a proven ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders and jurisdictions, (often with varying interests), or multi-disciplinary teams on Natural Resource Management projects from local to national significance. David consistently delivers products and services of the highest quality, and has spent much of the last 10 years working on a variety of frameworks which assess, evaluate and report on programs with a strong emphasis on aquatic ecosystem health. David’s extensive knowledge and experience in developing such methods e.g. the VPSIRR – Vulnerability-Pressure-State-Impact-Risk and Response Framework has provided considerable benefits to numerous regional and national level programs.
Dr Graeme Browning, Information Systems Specialist
As an ArcGIS Specialist Graeme has extensive software applications development (Python/AML), and information systems experience from working extensively in the Geospatial Industry, for over 25 years. Throughout his career he has developed a number of large and complex spatial data models and applications for numerous clients within both Private and Public sectors. He has participated in most ArcGIS Beta Programs over the past 20 years, and is recognised as an expert in ArcPy scripting, model building and geoprocessing. Graeme’s ability to design and develop robust databases, and GIS analysis and reporting tools, has added considerable value to projects both within Australia and internationally.
Hervé Senot, Spatial Database and Software Applications Expert
Herve has 12 years’ experience in information systems, from back-end (database) to front-end (user interface), with a specific focus on designing web mapping applications for performance. Hervé has worked across a range of public agencies and private organisations where he developed data models, workflow processes and applications on large datasets with a constant concern for end-user experience speed. He combines experience of spatial data in a variety of domains (cadastral, demographic, transport, utility, environmental) with extensive practical knowledge of spatial tools (PostGIS, OpenLayers, GeoServer, OGR) and programming environments (web: HTML / Javascript, server: Python / PHP) to design tailored, end-to-end mapping solutions.
Deborah Auricht, Director (Project Management)
Deb has over 25 years experience in project management, policy and marketing ranging from executive positions in both national and international airline companies (and large travel agencies), through to executive and senior management positions in smaller private sector companies. In this capacity Deb has had a variety of responsibilities including high level negotiation (e.g. international bi-lateral agreements for airline routes), the establishment of international start-up companies in Europe and Asia, and the establishment and management of smaller private sector businesses in Australia. Since 2003 Deb has been Director, Project Management within Auricht Projects responsible for strategic business activities, financial and contract management, plus day-to-day logistical support. Deb is very competent with a range of project management, strategic planning and marketing approaches in addition to QA and QC procedures and performance reporting.