Our Board

Technology Strategy Principal, Equal Experts

Jonathan has over a decade of experience in leadership roles in software and product development, working across a wide range of organisations in the area, from startups to billion-dollar multi-nationals. Scaling engineering teams with a focus on data analytics and the user experience.

After graduating from University of Newcastle with a degree in Information Services and System Engineering. Jonathan has since gone on to complete a Masters of Business Administration and also study Design Thinking at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Jonathan is a well known figure in the local tech scene, building and fostering a community of engaged technologists. He was a key member of the team that brought DevOps Days to Newcastle, the region’s largest technology conference to date.

Partner, Sparke Helmore Lawyers

Naomi is an accredited specialist in Planning and Environment Law with over 20 years’ experience advising government, developers, mining companies and industry on strategic and development planning matters, infrastructure development and contributions, impacts of proposed development, environmental incidents, planning agreements and public private partnerships. Prior to being admitted to practice as a lawyer, Naomi worked as a mining and exploration titles consultant, and as a paralegal in SE Asia. This experience, combined with her current focus, enables Naomi to provide detailed and strategic advice with an understanding of the commercial business needs of her clients.

Naomi has extensive experience advising clients about regulatory requirements for storing, managing, processing, re-cycling and reusing waste including asphalt, fly ash, scrap metal, glass and tyres. She also advises clients about requirements related to land management and rehabilitation, avoiding biodiversity loss, mitigating pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and development of green hydrogen and renewable energy projects. Through this work Naomi has developed a particular interest in the circular economy and insight that will be relevant to her role as Non-Executive Director of CELL.

Managing Director and founder of Integrated Environmental Management Australia (IEMA).

Andrew is the Managing Director and founder of Integrated Environmental Management Australia (IEMA) a specialist Environmental Management Advisory consultancy. Opening its doors in 2018, IEMA was the winner of the “Start Up Superstar” category at the 2019 Lake Macquarie Business Awards. Today IEMA has 26 staff and works across the mining, extractives, port, infrastructure, and agricultural sectors. Prior to starting IEMA, Andrew was a Technical Director with a global environmental consultancy fulfilling roles as an Executive member of the Asia Pacific Regional Management Team (RMT) and the Asia Pacific Regional Sector Leader for Mining and Minerals.

Andrew is recognised as a leader in Mine Closure Planning with experience across a range of commodities preparing closure plans from concept plans through to detailed plans and execution. Andrew has experience in project managing and directing several detailed closure planning projects including the delivery of all supporting technical studies, stakeholder engagement and preparation of detailed cost estimates. Andrew is a member of the Closure Planning Practitioners Association (CPPA). In addition, he has project managed and delivered a range of detail cost estimates for closure for mining clients and has worked for various government jurisdictions having developed and updated Rehabilitation Cost Estimation (RCE) tools for the NSW, Victorian and Queensland governments. He assisted the NSW Department of Planning & Environment with technical content on the beneficial reuse of mine land that was ultimately included in the draft Hunter Regional Plan 2041.

Andrew has extensive experience in risk management, holding formal qualifications in MNCG1002A – Risk Management & Facilitation. He is also an experienced Environmental Auditor and has worked extensively in the area of Stakeholder Identification as well as leading engagement and stakeholder consultation projects across a range of sectors.

Andrew is a past Commissioner on the NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC) a statutory body established under the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act), He was appointed for a 3-year term in 2015, with a further term in 2018 working as a Commissioner until 2021. In this role, Andrew has worked on both project review and determinations across a range of sectors, including renewable energy, mining, quarries, food processing and industry. In January 2020, Andrew was appointed by the NSW Minister for Planning as a Member of the NSW State Regional Planning Panels (SRPP) – Western District and an Alternate member for all other Regional Planning Panels (Hunter, Central Coast, Southern & Northern Panels. After 1 year as a State Member for the Western Region, he was reappointed as an Alternate member in 2021 until the end 2023 working on several projects across various sectors principally in the Western and Southern Regions.